Abstract:The present study was to investigate the in vitro fermentation characteristics of polysaccharides from Artocarpus heterophyllus Lam. Pulp (JFP-Ps) by human fecal inoculums. The change in the pH value, reducing sugar, total sugar and short-chain fatty acids of polysaccharide fermentation products were determined by potentiometric method, potassium ferricyanide method, phenol-sulphuric acid assay and gas chromatography, respectively. The results showed that the pH value of fermentation products of JFP-Ps significantly decreased from 5.78 (0 h) to 4.48 (48 h). The content of reducing sugar increased from 16.63%±3.03% (0 h) to 49.57%±1.65% (1 h), and then subsequently decreased to 9.37%±2.22% (48 h). The content of total sugar decreased from 64.51%±0.86% (0 h) to 16.98%±0.58% (48 h) and the levels of total short-chain fatty acids (SCFA), acetic, propionic and n-butyric acids were all significantly increased. These results indicated that JFP-Ps could be fermented by human gut microbiota, suggesting that JFP-Ps might have beneficial effects on intestinal health and could be used as prebiotics.
