In vitro metabolic differences of zymosan with different preparation processes on human fecal microbiota

Zymosan have received widespread attention from the nutraceutical industry because of their special physiological functions, but studies on the effects of zymosan on the metabolism of human fecal microbiota are relatively rare. In this study, in vitro simulated intestinal fermentation technique be uised to compare the metabolic differences of fecal microbiota of 41 healthy Chinese people on zymosan obtained from four different process preparations. The results showed that yeast beta-glucan (YB) significantly inhibited the growth of the harmful Eschericha-Shigella and significantly increased the production of acetic acid. Yeast carboxymethyl glucan (YC) significantly promoted the growth of Bacteroides while maintaining the diversity of the microbiota. Yeast mannan (YM) and yeast extract (YE) both significantly reduced the abundance of Eschericha-Shigella and increased the abundance of the beneficial bacteria Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus, and both significantly increased the production of acetic acid, propionic acid, butyric acid and total gas production. Besides, YM could significantly promote the growth of Bacteroides and also relatively increase the relative abundance of the beneficial bacteria Prevotella. It can be seen that the difference of zymosan preparation process will cause the difference of bacterial metabolism, which may lead to different physiological functions. The results of this study can provide a certain reference for the design and precise use of zymosan functional food compound.