Strategic alteration of arabinoxylan feruloylation enables selective shaping of the human gut microbiota

Arabinoxylans (AXs) are promising prebiotic candidates abundant in cereals. While AX feruloylation impacts properties, its effects on long chains mimicking native structures are unclear. This study revealed a dose-dependent impact of long chain AX feruloylation on gut microbial composition and function. In vitro fecal fermentation with varying AX feruloylation showed increased Bacteroidetes and propionate along with decreased Firmicutes and butyrate. Distinct Bacteroides populations were enriched under different feruloylation levels, suggesting specialized adaptation. Community dynamics and co-occurrence networks highlighted intricate taxon-specific responses, underscoring the unique microbial profiles shaped by individual variations. This study lays the foundation for elucidating the metabolic pathways and enzymatic machineries enabling utilization of feruloylated AXs based on the dose-dependent enrichment of specific taxa. This knowledge can inform rational design of customized prebiotics through precision nutrition. This work provides novel insights into tailoring cereal biomass fermentation and microbiome structure-function relationships. It establishes a platform for developing optimized feruloylated prebiotics to deliberately modulate gut ecology and address intestinal dysbiosis.