Ziziphus jujuba polysaccharide degradation products exert neuroprotective and anti-aging effects via modulating gut microbiota and metabolomics in C. elegans

This study investigates the neuroprotective and anti-aging effects of enzymatically degraded Ziziphus jujuba polysaccharides (dZPs) versus native ZPs in C. elegans model of Huntington's disease (HD). Results showed dZPs exhibited more significant neuroprotective and anti-aging effects compared to ZPs, including enhanced ASH neuronal survival rate, extended mean lifespan and reduced lipofuscin accumulation. Crucially, dZPs remodeled gut microbiota composition, increased beneficial short-chain fatty acid (SCFAs) -producing bacteria, improved energy metabolism, and restored neurotransmitter balance, which coordinately alleviated mitochondrial dysfunction, and enhanced oxidative stress resistance via DAF-16/FOXO pathway activation ( sod-3 , hsp-16.2 upregulation). Our findings demonstrate that enzymatic degradation effectively unlocks the significant therapeutic potential of plant polysaccharides for age-related neurodegeneration, with the underlying mechanism likely mediated by the modulation of gut microbiota composition and metabolomic profiles.