Structure and microbial modulating evaluation of a sulfhydryl modified pectin

In vitro fermentation indicated that PSH was fermentable by human fecal microbiota, and the SH modified can prolong the overall fermentation time of PEC from 48 h to 72 h, as evidenced by the variations in pH values, total sugar, molecular weight, monosaccharide consumption and short chain fatty acids production. Furthermore, microbial analysis revealed that PSH significantly increased the abundance of Faecalibacterium and Bifidobacterium while decreasing the abundance of Klebsiella and Collinsella. These results provided a solid foundation for the potential use of SH modified PEC as a mucoadhesive material for delivering active substances and regulating the effect of PEC on gut flora.