Abstract Dietary fiber plays an important role in maintaining intestinal health and relieving colitis. This study explores the physicochemical properties of dietary fiber extracted from hawthorn residue (specifically comparing crude extract, jet mill and soluble forms) and evaluates its therapeutic potential in a mouse model of DSS-induced colitis. The study found that no new substances were produced after modification treatment. Compared with the model group, the soluble dietary fiber (SDF) treatment alleviated symptoms such as hematochezia, weight loss, release of pro-inflammatory factors, and colon shortening in mice with inflammation, reducing the disease activity index value by 24.12% ( p < 0.05). It also significantly decreased the levels of tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin-6 (IL-6), IL-1β, and lipopolysaccharide in the serum of inflammatory mice by 25.63%, 20.22%, 50.18%, and 30.72%, respectively ( p < 0.05). The SDF treatment inhibited the gene expressions of TLR4 mRNA and MyD88 mRNA, with reductions of 47.74% and 42.57%, respectively ( p < 0.05). The SDF treatment can increase the ratio of Firmicutes / Bacteroidota , promoting the proliferation of probiotics. In summary, a higher total SDF content resulted in a stronger alleviating effect on colitis, providing a theoretical basis for the study of the role of hawthorn dietary fiber in alleviating colitis. Graphical Abstract
Wang et al. (Mon,) studied this question.