Effect of EPS on the Gut Metagenome of HFD-Fed Mice
Fecal microbial genomic DNA was extracted. The V3-V4 region of bacterial 16S rRNA genes was amplified and sequenced on an Illumina MiSeq platform. After quality control and chimera removal, operational taxonomic units (OTUs) were clustered at 97% similarity. Taxonomic assignment was performed against the SILVA and UNITE databases, followed by alpha-diversity analyses (Chao1 and Shannon indices). Detailed protocols for DNA quantification (Quant-iT PicoGreen dsDNA Assay Kit), primer sequences, PCR conditions, bioinformatic processing parameters (Trimmomatic, FLASH, Usearch, UCHIME), and coverage estimation (Good's index) are provided in Supplementary Materials.