The protective effect of small black soybean (Vigna Mungo L.) polysaccharide on acetic acid-induced gastric ulcer in SD rats and its impact on gut microbiota and metabolites

Small black soybean (Vigna Mungo L.) is a kind of medicinal and edible plant with many potential health benefits for the human body. In this study, we investigated the potential anti-gastric ulcer effect of Vigna Mungo L. polysaccharides (VMP) using an acetic acid-induced gastric ulcer model in SD rats. The impact of VMP on the levels of antioxidant factors and growth factors in gastric tissue homogenate, serum metabolites, short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) and gut microbiota in SD rats were analyzed. The results revealed that VMP exhibited a beneficial role in facilitating the healing process of gastric ulcers, specifically by reducing the area of gastric ulcers, increasing the levels of epidermal growth factor (EGF) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and improving oxidative stress status. Additionally, VMP modulated 20 potential serum biomarkers associated with gastric ulcers, thereby exerting a significant impact on multiple crucial metabolic pathways. Notably, VMP notably increased the levels of SCFAs, including acetic acid, propionic acid, i-butyric acid, n-butyric acid, i-valeric acid, n-valeric acid, in the colonic contents of rats with gastric ulcers. Furthermore, VMP effectively ameliorated gut microbiota dysbiosis in gastric ulcer rats by reducing the relative abundance of Firmicutes, Lachnospiraceae_NK4A136_group, Quinella and Lactobacillus, while increasing the relative abundance of Bacteroidota, Bacteroides, Oscillospiraceae_UCG-005, Muribaculaceae, Parasutterella and Ruminococcus. Correlation analysis showed that the relative abundance of Parasutterella and Lachnospiraceae_NK4A136_group were closely related to the changes of SCFAs and serum metabolites. These findings provide potential groundwork for the development of health products aimed at preventing and treating gastric ulcers. [Display omitted] •VMP could promote the acetic acid-induced gastric ulcer healing in rat models.•VMP improved the antioxidant capacity of gastric tissue in rats with gastric ulcer.•VMP regulates 20 differential metabolites and promotes the production of SCFAs.•VMP could increased the ratio of Bacteroidetes to Firmicutes.