Sugarcane bagasse arabinoxylan alleviates dextran sulfate sodium-induced colitis in mice by modulating the gut microbiota.

Arabinoxylan has emerged as a promising candidate for the prevention and treatment of inflammatory bowel disease. This study investigated the protective effects of sugarcane bagasse arabinoxylan (BGAX) on dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis, and explored its regulating effect on gut microbiota. The results showed that BGAX significantly improved body weight change, disease activity index (DAI), colon length and inflammatory cytokine levels in mice with induced colitis. Furthermore, BGAX intervention played an important role in restoring colonic architecture and goblet cell numbers. Notably, BGAX regulated the key genus Bacteroides and also increased several other beneficial bacterial genera, such as Roseburia, Akkermansia, Ligilactobacillus and Parabacteroides, while significantly reducing the relative abundance of Clostridium, Enterococcus and Escherichia-Shigella, thereby improving microbiota composition. These findings reveal that BGAX exerts a positive effect on host gut health and provides guidance for the dietary management in ulcerative colitis patients.