In vitro simulation of oral gastric intestinal digestion and fecal fermentation of Cordyceps militaris polysaccharides reveal its digestion profile and effect on the modulation of the gut microbiota

In this study, we focused on IPS, and investigated the dynamic variations in total carbohydrate, reducing sugar, and free monosaccharide content to probe their digestive traits by setting up a mock alimentary system. Alterations in pH, short chain fatty acid (SCFA) content, and intestinal microflora of the specimens were surveyed to determine their fermentative properties and prebiotic potential by simulating fermentation, high-performance liquid chromatography analysis, and high-throughput 16S rRNA sequencing with the aim of furnishing a rationale for the exploitation of the products that are bound to IPS.