Guava pectin polysaccharide (GP) ameliorates delayed neurocognitive recovery by modulating the gut microbiota-arachidonic acid metabolism axis and attenuating Aβ/Tau pathology in a mouse model.
A pectin polysaccharide was successfully purified from guava fruits with a molecular weight of 94.516 kDa featuring specific structural domains.
GP ameliorated cognitive impairment in a delayed neurocognitive recovery (dNCR) mouse model.
GP inhibited the pGSK-3β/pTau signaling pathway and reduced Aβ deposition in dNCR mice.
GP ameliorated gut microbiota dysbiosis and enhanced short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) production in dNCR mice.
GP suppressed key enzymes and metabolites in the arachidonic acid (AA) metabolic pathway in dNCR mice.
Antibiotic treatment abolished the neuroprotective effects of GP, confirming that its mechanism is gut microbiota-dependent.
Delayed neurocognitive recovery (dNCR) is described as the most common complication after anesthesia and surgery, with unclear mechanisms and no effective therapy.
This research suggests that a natural sugar-based compound (polysaccharide) extracted from guava fruit may help protect the brain from a type of cognitive decline that commonly occurs after surgery and anesthesia, known as delayed neurocognitive recovery (dNCR). In mice that underwent surgery under anesthesia, treatment with this guava polysaccharide (GP) improved memory and thinking ability, reduced brain inflammation and damage, and lowered levels of harmful proteins (amyloid beta and tau) that are also associated with Alzheimer's disease. The researchers found that GP works largely by reshaping the community of bacteria living in the gut, boosting beneficial metabolites called short-chain fatty acids, and dampening a specific inflammatory chemical pathway involving arachidonic acid. A key experiment showed that when the gut bacteria were wiped out using antibiotics, guava polysaccharide lost its protective effects entirely. This demonstrates that the benefits of GP depend on a healthy gut microbiome being present, and that the gut-brain connection is central to how this compound works. This research suggests that the gut microbiota-arachidonic acid metabolism axis plays an important role in post-surgical brain complications and that dietary plant compounds targeting this pathway could be a promising direction for future therapies. This research suggests that consuming guava or guava-derived compounds could potentially have relevance to brain health after surgery, though this work was conducted in mice and further studies in humans would be needed before any clinical conclusions can be drawn. The findings add to growing evidence that the gut microbiome influences brain health and that dietary polysaccharides from fruits may offer a natural way to support this gut-brain axis.
Gao Q, Chen Y, Yu P, Zeng H, Nan L, Zhang D, et al.. (2026). Guava Polysaccharide Interventions Ameliorate Delayed Neurocognitive Recovery by Modulating the Gut Microbiota-Arachidonic Acid Metabolism Axis and Attenuating Aβ/Tau Pathology.. Journal of agricultural and food chemistry. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jafc.5c17336