Comparative effects of β-glucan and mannan oligosaccharides on heat stress-induced inflammation: associations with gut barrier integrity and intestinal microbiota in mice

Heat stress poses serious threats to human and animal health by inducing systemic inflammation, oxidative stress, and intestinal barrier damage, yet the potential of functional food components in mitigating heat stress-associated health impairments remains insufficiently explored. This study used a chronic heat stress model in C57BL/6 J mice to compare the protective effects of β-glucan (BG) and mannan oligosaccharides (MOS) against heat stress-induced injury. The underlying mechanisms of each s