Agar oligosaccharides improve the intestinal health of induced-aging mice by maintaining intestinal homeostasis via balancing the ISCs proliferation and differentiation.

Purpose: Aging is a process that accompanies a decline in the function of various tissues and organs, especially affecting intestinal health. Agarose oligosaccharide (AOS) can prolong the lifespan of organisms and protect the intestine in the previous study. It was examined to evaluate the effects of AOS on intestinal health, and the potential associations between intestinal homeostasis and health status were further validated.

Methods: D-galactose-induced aging mice were used to investigate the role of AOS in promoting intestinal health by determining intestinal physiology, microbiota and stem cells.

Results: AOS supplementation decreased the clinical frailty index of aging mice with increasing intestinal length and crypt depth; moreover, it decreased the average flatulence index and PCNA protein content in the intestine. Besides, AOS contributed to the diversity of the gut microbiota by increasing the relative abundance of Bacteroidetes and other bacteria that could produce short-chain fatty acids. Furthermore, AOS affected the expression of proinflammatory factors in aging mice, promoting the proliferative equilibrium of intestinal stem cells.

Conclusion: These findings confirmed that AOS could improve intestinal health in aging mice by maintaining intestinal homeostasis, which provides new insights into the potential application of AOS as a prebiotic.