Yunan Hu, a PhD candidate in Dr. Azcarate-Peril’s laboratory, has recently published a manuscript in Food Bioscience demonstrating that the prebiotics β(1–4) GOS and humanized β(1–4) GOS strengthen intestinal barrier function. Using human primary colonic monolayers, the study shows that both compounds upregulate MUC2 and key tight-junction genes, thereby enhancing epithelial integrity. These findings were further corroborated by in vivo studies in young and aged mice, confirming the relevance of the barrier-supporting effects across the lifespan.
Manuscript details:
Yunan Hu, Anika Charlotte Rueppell, Nehal Devpura, Rebecca Zasloff, Jason W. Arnold, Jeffrey Roach, Scott T. Magness, José M. Bruno-Bárcena, and M. Andrea Azcarate-Peril. Prebiotic β (1–4) galacto-oligosaccharides strengthen intestinal barrier integrity via mucus production and modulation of tight junction genes. Food Bioscience. 2025,108052, ISSN 2212-4292,https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fbio.2025.108052.