Dietary fibre responses emerge through host-dietary regime interplay: Apple pectin modulates immune reactivity in adult zebrafish

Apple pectin reshapes immune gene expression in adult zebrafish (Danio rerio) in a regime-, tissue-, sex-, and immune-status-dependent manner, with il1b varying by administration pattern and physiological state.

• Why it matters: Dietary fibres are typically eaten within complex diets, but it is unclear how fibre source and feeding pattern jointly shape host immunity across sexes and tissues.
• What they did: Adult male and female zebrafish were fed for 12 weeks with regimes containing apple pectin, oat {beta}-glucan, or cellulose; gut microbiomes were profiled by 16S rRNA sequencing, SCFAs were measured by targeted metabolomics, and immune modulation was assessed via gene expression in blood and spleen plus intestinal enzyme activity.
• The result: Gut microbial composition was relatively stable across exposure patterns yet differed significantly between sexes, and fibre regimes altered intestinal SCFA profiles more readily than brain profiles; apple pectin’s immune effects depended on regime, tissue, sex, and host immune status.

AI summary of the abstract · may contain errors · not medical advice · read the paper.