Abstract
To explore the impacts of galactose side-chain on the prebiotic activity of xyloglucan oligosaccharides (XGOS), XGOS and de-galactosylated XGOS (DG-XGOS) were prepared from tamarind using an enzymatic method. The differences in structural features of XGOS and DG-XGOS were systematically analyzed. Their in vitro fermentation characteristics of human fecal microbiota were explored. These results indicated that both XGOS and DG-XGOS promoted short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) production, decreased pH, and changed the microbiota composition of the fermentation broth. Comparatively, DG-XGOS was more effective than XGOS in producing SCFAs, inhibiting the phylum Proteobacteria prevalence, and promoting the phyla Bacteroidetes and Actinobacteria prevalence. In summary, the xyloglucan degradation products exert potential prebiotic activity. Removing the galactose side-chains further enhances oligosaccharide utilization by fecal microbiota, offering a valuable approach to improve the biological efficacy of oligosaccharides.