Evaluating the prebiotic activity of arabinogalactan on the human gut microbiota using 16S rRNA gene sequencing and Raman-activated cell sorting.

ABSTRACT: Background: Arabinogalactan is a complex plant-derived polysaccharide proposed to function as a selective prebiotic, yet the microbial taxa directly involved in its metabolism and the cooperative dynamics within the gut microbiota remain incompletely defined. Methods: Here, we combined community-level sequencing with targeted single-cell activity profiling to investigate how arabinogalactan shapes gut microbial composition and function. Fecal samples from ten healthy individuals were incubated ex vivo with arabinogalactan, and microbial responses were assessed using 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing alongside Raman-activated cell sorting (RACS) and coculture experiments. Results: Arabinogalactan consistently enriched Bifidobacterium and Gemmiger ac

SUBMITTER: Rasoulimehrabani H 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12540051 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature