Abstract:

We prepared aqueous and ethanolic Kudingcha extracts from Ilex kudingcha C.J. Tseng and 3,5-dicaffeoylquinic
acid, the main fraction of Kudingcha polyphenols, purified from the aqueous extract by HP-20 macroporous resin
chromatography and semi-preparative chromatography. Anaerobic fermentation technology and fluorescence in situ
hybridization were employed to investigate the effects of the Kudingcha extracts and 3,5-diCQA on fermentation
characteristics in vitro of the human gut mictobiota, and the production of short-chain fatty acids and latic acid during the
culture were also examined. The results showed that both Kudingcha extracts and 3,5-diCQA could promote the growth
of Bifidobacterium spp. and Lactobacillus/Enterococcus spp., and inhibit Bacteroides-Prevotella spp. and Clostridium
histolyticum group. The concentrations of formic, acetic and proponic acids in cultures with Kudingch extracts were
relatively higher than those of the control, but there was no difference in butyric acid. The results suggest that both
Kudingcha from I. kudingcha C.J. Tseng and its polyphenol 3,5-diCQA have potential prebiotic-like activity by modulating
the intestinal microbiota.

Key words: Kudingcha, polyphenol, 3,5-dicaffeoylquinic acid (3,5-diCQA), colonic microbiota