Artificial sweetener Mogroside V is a major component of S. grosvenorri, or monkfruit. Extracts from this fruit enjoy increasing popularity as artificial sweeteners. What effect does mogroside V have on the gut microbiome? Some preliminary evidence suggests that it is a prebiotic, or food for gut bacteria, so a team of researchers from South China University of Technology sought to clarify its effects.
The team incubated gut bacteria in a nutrient broth containing mogroside V for twenty-four hours. Then, they analyzed both the broth and the sediment using UPLC. The amount of mogroside V decreased and the amount of secondary metabolites increased, including mogroside I, mogroside II, mogroside III, and mogrol, suggesting that the gut bacteria had been metabolizing the mogroside V.
They then incubated gut bacterial cultures with and without added mogroside V and measured the microbial species composition. In the cultures with added mogroside V, the prevalance of actinomycetes and bacteriodetes increased, and the prevalence of proteobacteria and firmicutes decreased. These changes in gut bacterial composition might be beneficial to human health.
The artificial sweetener Mogroside V has potential as a prebiotic to improve gut health.
Xiao R, Liao W, Luo G. et al. Modulation of gut microbiota composition and short-chain fatty acid synthesis by mogroside V in an in vitro incubation system. ACS Omega. 2021 Sep 21;6(39):25486-25496. PMID: 34632206