The gut microbiota can use dietary components, host secretions, and intrinsic microbial metabolic pathways to generate diverse classes of small-molecule compounds. These metabolites regulate the intestinal epithelial barrier, energy metabolism, immune-cell differentiation, and signaling in ...
Inulin is a naturally occurring reserve fructan and is classified as a soluble dietary fiber and a prototypical prebiotic substrate. It consists predominantly of a linear backbone of D-fructosyl residues linked by β(2→1) glycosidic bonds, typically terminated by a single glucosyl residue; its ...