Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2025 Mar 31:16:1555414.
doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2025.1555414. eCollection 2025.

The role of polysaccharides in immune regulation through gut microbiota: mechanisms and implications

Ting Zhao  1 , Congyue Wang  1 , Yuhan Liu  2 , Bo Li  1 , Mingjia Shao  1 , Wuyang Zhao  1 , Chuang Zhou  1
Affiliations
Review

The role of polysaccharides in immune regulation through gut microbiota: mechanisms and implications

Ting Zhao et al. Front Immunol. .

Abstract

Polysaccharides, as complex carbohydrates, play a pivotal role in immune modulation and interactions with the gut microbiota. The diverse array of dietary polysaccharides influences gut microbial ecology, impacting immune responses, metabolism, and overall well-being. Despite their recognized benefits, there is limited understanding of the precise mechanisms by which polysaccharides modulate the immune system through the gut microbiota. A comprehensive search of Web of Science, PubMed, Google Scholar, and Embase up to May 2024 was conducted to identify relevant studies. This study employs a systematic approach to explore the interplay between polysaccharides and the gut microbiota, focusing on cytokine-mediated and short-chain fatty acid (SCFA)-mediated pathways. The findings underscore the significant role of polysaccharides in shaping the composition and function of the gut microbiota, thereby influencing immune regulation and metabolic processes. However, further research is necessary to elucidate the detailed molecular mechanisms and translate these findings into clinical applications.

Keywords: SCFAs; cytokines; gut microbiota; immune regulation; polysaccharides.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Interaction between polysaccharides and gut microbiota.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Immune regulation mechanisms mediated by polysaccharides via cytokines and SCFAs.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

References

    1. Parker A, Fonseca S, Carding SR. Gut microbes and metabolites as modulators of blood-brain barrier integrity and brain health. Gut Microbes. (2020) 11:135–57. doi: 10.1080/19490976.2019.1638722 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. White EC, Houlden A, Bancroft AJ, Hayes KS, Goldrick M, Grencis RK, et al. . Manipulation of host and parasite microbiotas: Survival strategies during chronic nematode infection. Sci Adv. (2018) 4:eaap7399. doi: 10.1126/sciadv.aap7399 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Zheng D, Liwinski T, Elinav E. Interaction between microbiota and immunity in health and disease. Cell Res. (2020) 30:492–506. doi: 10.1038/s41422-020-0332-7 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Sun M, Wu W, Liu Z, Cong Y. Microbiota metabolite short chain fatty acids, GPCR, and inflammatory bowel diseases. J Gastroenterol. (2017) 52:1–8. doi: 10.1007/s00535-016-1242-9 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Pakpour S, Bhanvadia A, Zhu R, Amarnani A, Gibbons SM, Gurry T, et al. . Identifying predictive features of Clostridium difficile infection recurrence before, during, and after primary antibiotic treatment. Microbiome. (2017) 5:148. doi: 10.1186/s40168-017-0368-1 - DOI - PMC - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources