Chitooligosaccharides (COS), with a specific degree of polymerization, were evaluated for their effect on human fecal microbiota, as well as their metabolite, using an in vitro anaerobic batch fermentation model. COS increased the richness and diversity of the gut microbial community. More importantly, the microbial community structure of the COS groups was significantly different from the control and fructooligosaccharides (FOS) groups. COS specifically enriched the butyric and propionic acid-producing microbiota and targeted Faecalibacterium, Clostridium_sensu_stricto_1, C._sensu_stricto_13, and Fusicatenibacter. Furthermore, COS increased the acetic, propionic, and butyric acid contents. The production of propionic acid was greater than that obtained using FOS. Metabolome analysis suggested that COS could upregulate allocholic acid, 1,3-butanediol, 3,4-dihydroxybutanotic acid, and 2-hydroxybutyric acid production and downregulate putrescine, ethanamine, hexanoic acid, and branched chain amino acid (l-valine and l-leucine) production in the fermentation broth. These differential metabolites were closely related to lipid, glucose, and amino acid metabolism. These results should inform further development of COS as potential raw materials for functional foods and health products.

使用体外厌氧分批发酵模型评估具有特定聚合度的壳寡糖（COS）对人粪便微生物群及其代谢产物的影响。COS增加了肠道微生物群落的丰富性和多样性。更重要的是，COS组的微生物群落结构与对照组和低聚果糖（FOS）组明显不同。COS专门富集了产生丁酸和丙酸的菌群，并靶向了Faecalibacterium，Clostridium_sensu_stricto_1，C._sensu_stricto_13和Fusicatenibacter。。此外，COS增加了乙酸，丙酸和丁酸的含量。丙酸的产量大于使用FOS的丙酸的产量。代谢组分析表明，COS可以上调allocholic酸，1,3-丁二醇，3,4- dihydroxybutanotic酸和2-羟基丁酸的生产和下调腐胺，乙胺，己酸，和支链氨基酸（升-缬氨酸和升-亮氨酸）在发酵液中生产。这些差异代谢物与脂质，葡萄糖和氨基酸代谢密切相关。这些结果将有助于进一步开发COS，将其用作功能性食品和保健品的潜在原料。