An arabinogalactan from Lycium barbarum mitigated DSS caused intestinal injury via inhibiting mucosal damage and regulating the gut microbiota disorder

Intestinal injury and microbiota disorder take part in the development of UC. In this research, we obtained an arabinogalactan (LBP-m) from Lycium barbarum and firstly characterized its physicochemical properties. LBP-m was a homogeneous polysaccharide (172 kDa) consisted of Ara, Gal, Glc, GalA, and GlcA with a mole ratio of 1.00: 0.73: 0.18: 0.20: 0.07, and constructed a →6)-β-Galp(1→ backbone with different Araf branches at O-3 position, which exerted as random coil in PBS with single helical structure. Furthermore, oral administration of LBP-m ameliorated the DSS induced UC from different aspects, including regulating barrier dysfunction by promoting the expression of TJs, elevating the anti-oxidative stress capacity through activating the Nrf2/HO-1 pathway, relieving the mucosal inflammation via inhibiting NF-κB pathway. In addition, LBP-m regulated the gut microbiota disorder by reshaping the microbial composition and enhancing the generation of SCFAs. Our research revealed the physicochemical properties of LBP-m and systematically indicated its mitigative effect against DSS induced UC, which could benefit its application in food and pharmacy fields.