Exploring the effects of sugarcane bagasse extracts on human gut microbiota via fecal batch fermentation

This study investigated the effects of four sugarcane bagasse (SB) extracts, namely crude carbohydrates (CC), crude polyphenols (CP), partially purified carbohydrates (PPC), and partially purified polyphenols (PPP), on the gut microbiome using an in vitro human gut model. Both CP and PPC had strong modulatory effects on the gut microbiota. Treatment with CP increased species richness and resulted in the highest reduction in the growth of Enterobacteriaceae, which are pathogenic bacteria, while stimulating the growth of the beneficial bacteria Peptostreptococcaceae, Lachnospiraceae, Ruminococcaceae, and Bacteroidaceae. Treatment with PPC decreased the proportion of Peptostreptococcaceae and increased the proportion of Porphyromonadaceae. Moreover, supplementation with PPC tended to promote propionic acid production compared to the control and was significantly higher than the PPP treatment (p < 0.05). These findings suggested that CP and PPC derived from SB positively influenced the modulation of the gut microbiota profile, making them potential candidates for prebiotic applications.