Abstract
Burdock (Arctium lappa L.), a pharmaco-culinary plant, is characterized by its high dietary fiber content. In this study, the bioaccessibility, polyphenol composition, and anti-inflammatory activity of bound polyphenols from burdock root dietary fiber (BRDF-BP) were investigated. In vitro digestion and colon fermentation results showed that BRDF-BP was mainly released from BRDF during the colon fermentation stage. BRDF-BP was characterized by HPLC-ESI-QTOF-MS/MS, revealing 23 polyphenols including four phenolic acids, one stilbene, and 18 flavonoids. BRDF-BP significantly ameliorated the LPS-induced inflammatory response in RAW264.7 cells by reducing ROS generation, inhibiting the secretion of inflammatory factors, and increasing antioxidant enzyme activities. Transcriptome results showed that BRDF-BP treatment significantly downregulated five inflammatory response-related signaling pathways, including NOD-like receptors, IL-17, and JAK-STAT. Network topology analysis revealed that Stat1 is a hub gene for BRDF-BP, which exerts anti-inflammatory effects. In conclusion, this study illustrates that BRDF-BP can be liberated during colonic fermentation and exhibits anti-inflammatory properties. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10068-025-02065-w.