title: Effects of soybean oligosaccharides on intestinal microbial communities and immune modulation in mice.
abstract: Soybean oligosaccharides (SBOSs) are potential prebiotics that may be used to improve immune function. Here, we investigated the effects of intragastric administration of SBOSs in mice to determine the effects on autochthonous intestinal microbial communities and immunological parameters. Results E: After 22-day administration, 4.0 g kg body weight (BW)-1SBOSs significantly enhanced the proliferation of bifidobacteria and lactic acid bacteria (LAB) as compared to the control. This dose of SBOSs also significantly increased numbers of enterococci and decreased numbers of Clostridium perfringens. Treatment with 4.0 g kg BW-1SBOSs also significantly increased the percentage of T-lymphocytes and lymphocyte proliferation as compared to the control, suggesting that SBOSs promoted cellular immunity in mice. Additionally, 4.0 g kg BW-1SBOSs induced significant differences in hemolysin production, natural killer (NK) cell activity, phagocytic activity, cytokine production, and immunoglobulin levels compared to the control.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our data demonstrated that intragastric administration of SBOSs at a dose of 4.0 g kg BW-1improved the numbers of beneficial intestinal microbes and enhanced immunological function of mice. Therefore, these data supported that SBOSs may have applications as a prebiotic to improve immune responses in humans. Further studies are warranted.
authors.affiliation: Center of Experiment Teaching, Shenyang Normal College, Shenyang 110034, PR China.
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.affiliation: Center of Experiment Teaching, Liaoning Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenyang 110161, PR China.
authors.forename: Xingzhuang
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: College of Food, University of Florence, Firenze 50100, Italy.
authors.forename: Vigna
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Giovanni
authors.affiliation: College of Food, Shenyang Agriculture University, Shenyang 110161, PR China.
authors.forename: Xianjun
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Meng
keywords: Immune modulation; Intestinal microbial communities; Prebiotic; Soybean oligosaccharides