Plant polysaccharides utilized by gut microbiota: New players in ameliorating cognitive impairment

Considerable evidence indicates the important role of gut microbiota in human health. Through the interaction with the host and diet, it secretes a myriad of metabolites to modulate biological processes essential for health. Cognitive impairment is a common feature of psychiatric and neurological disorders, which may seriously damage the quality of patients' life. Studies have found that cognitive impairment has a close relationship with gut microbiota, and plant polysaccharides intervention to maintain intes -tinal micro-ecological balance has a great impact on ameliorating cognitive impairment. This review introduced the interaction between gut microbiota and plant polysaccharides, and focused on signaling pathogenesis of gut microbiota in cognitive impairment. The effect of plant polysaccharides intervention on regulation of gut microbiota was also discussed, so as to provide a promising strategy for ameliorating cognitive impairment. (c) 2022 Center for Food and Biomolecules, National Taiwan University. Production and hosting by Elsevier Taiwan LLC. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/ licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

Automated summary

Considerable evidence suggests the important role of gut microbiota in human health by secreting metabolites that modulate essential biological processes. Cognitive impairment, commonly seen in psychiatric and neurological disorders, is closely related to gut microbiota. Intervention with plant polysaccharides to maintain intestinal micro-ecological balance has a significant impact on ameliorating cognitive impairment. This review focuses on the interaction between gut microbiota and plant polysaccharides, signaling pathogenesis of gut microbiota in cognitive impairment, and the effect of plant polysaccharides intervention on regulating gut microbiota as a promising strategy for ameliorating cognitive impairment.