Exopolysaccharide (EPS)-producing Bifidobacterium bifidum EPS DA-LAIM was isolated from healthy human feces, the structure of purified EPS from the strain was analyzed, and its prebiotic activity was evaluated. The EPS from B. bifidum EPS DA-LAIM is a glucomannan-type heteropolysaccharide with a molecular weight of 407-1007 kDa, and its structure comprises 2-mannosyl, 6-mannosyl, and 2,6-mannosyl residues. The purified EPS promoted the growth of representative lactic acid bacteria and bifidobacterial strains. Bifidobacterium bifidum EPS DA-LAIM increased nitric oxide production in RAW 264.7 macrophage cells, indicating its immunostimulatory activity. Bifidobacterium bifidum EPS DA-LAIM also exhibited high gastrointestinal tract tolerance, gut adhesion ability, and antioxidant activity. These results suggest that EPS from B. bifidum EPS DA-LAIM is a potentially useful prebiotic material, and B. bifidum EPS DA-LAIM could be applied as a probiotic candidate.
Supplementary information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10068-022-01213-w.
Keywords: Bifidobacterium bifidum; Exopolysaccharide; Immunostimulatory activity; Prebiotics; Probiotics.
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