A mushroom-fed faecal transplant undid antibiotic gut damage in mice (July 2026, mice) Agrocybe cylindracea polysaccharides and polysaccharides-conditioned fecal microbiota transplantation similarly restore ciprofloxacin-induced microbial dysbiosis and improve intestinal barrier function FMT

[IsthmusSIBO]

https://biomesci.com/agrocybe-polysaccharide-fmt-antibiotic-dysbiosis-mice/
https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/immunology/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2026.1841989/full

Mice were fed a mushroom-derived polysaccharide, then only their faeces were transferred to a second, untreated group. The recipients recovered nearly as well as the donors, isolating the microbiome as the route the benefit travels through

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Abstract​

Introduction:
Mushroom consumption has been associated with various health benefits due to their recognized nutritional value. This study examines the ability of Agrocybe cylindraceapolysaccharides (ACP) to reverse antibiotic-induced intestinal dysbiosis and evaluates their prebiotic potential in mitigating antibiotic-associated diarrhea.

Methods:
Male BALB/c mice aged 4–5 weeks were divided into five groups: normal control, ciprofloxacin (CIP)-treated, natural recovery, ACP treatment, and ACP-derived fecal microbiota transplantation (ACP-FMT). All intervention groups received CIP for 14 days, followed by their respective treatments for a further 14 days. Gut microbiota modifications were investigated using the Illumina MiSeq platform.

Results:
CIP administration markedly decreased bacterial diversity and richness, elevating pathogenic bacteria (Proteobacteria, Enterococcus, and Bacteroides) that persisted in the natural recovery group. Both ACP and ACP-FMT effectively counteracted dysbiosis, increasing beneficial genera including Ruminococcaceae, Lachnospiraceae_NK4A136, and Firmicutes. ACP and ACP-FMT restored mucin-2 biosynthesis and tight junction protein expression. ACP also reduced pro-inflammatory mediators including IL-6, IL-17, TNF-α, and IL-1β.

Discussion:
These findings highlight the prebiotic potential of ACP in restoring intestinal health, with therapeutic effects transferable via fecal microbiota transplantation, supporting their application as functional food ingredients for gut microbiota restoration.

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Key Takeaways

• Faecal microbiota transplant from mice given Agrocybe cylindracea polysaccharide reversed ciprofloxacin-induced gut dysbiosis in recipient mice, nearly matching the polysaccharide itself.
• The inflammatory cytokine IL-17 fell from 119.0 pg/mL in antibiotic-treated mice to 44.97 pg/mL after the transplant, while the beneficial Lachnospiraceae-NK4A136 group rose more than fourfold.
• Because the benefit transferred through faeces alone, the causal chain runs through the microbiome rather than through any direct effect of the mushroom compound on the animal.
• This is a mouse study with eight animals per group, and it is not a reason to buy mushroom supplements. The authors received no financial support for the work.

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