Ginseng (Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer) is a natural immune modulator with a long history of application. Ginsenosides, especially rare ginsenosides, as main bioactive components, have received extensive attention for modulating immune response in cancers. This study aimed to investigate the anti-tumor immune effect of the new rare ginseng glucosyl oleanolate (GGO) transformed from ginsenoside Ro in cervical cancer. GGO effectively induced cervical cancer cell apoptosis, inhibited epithelial mesenchymal transformation (EMT) and tumor growth in dose manner. GGO inhibited immune escape, increased the infiltration of immune cells cluster of differentiation 4 (CD4) T cells and cluster of differentiation 8 (CD8) T cells and the secretion of cytokines interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), interferon gamma (IFN-γ) by activating the cyclic GMP-AMP synthase/stimulator of interferon genes (cGAS/STING) signaling pathway. In addition, GGO enhanced short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) metabolism and intestinal immune barrier function by modulating the composition of gut microbiota through specific bacterial populations, including Lactobacillus, Bacteroides, Clostridium, Blautia, among others, and these influences also contributed to its anti-tumor immune effect. The results of this study offered encouraging indications that GGO might serve as a natural functional food ingredient with the potential to prevent and treat cervical cancer.

Trehalose (TRE) was used to improve the gastrointestinal tolerance of Lactobacillus plantarum embedded with whey protein concentrate/pullulan (WPC/PUL) hydrogel and the embedded L. plantarum was applied to juice. The study indicated that 5% TRE significantly increased the viable counts of L. plantarum embedded in WPC/PUL hydrogel from (8.83 ± 0.03) to (9.14 ± 0.04) (lg (CFU/g)) in simulated gastric juice (SGJ) and from (9.13 ± 0.04) to (9.38 ± 0.04) (lg (CFU/g)) in simulated intestinal juice, respectively. The addition of TRE improved the glass transition temperature of WPC/PUL hydrogel and decreased the hardness and its solubility in SGJ, which may be responsible for the improved protection of WPC/PUL hydrogels on L. plantarum. In addition, TRE increased the viable counts of L. plantarum in WPC/PUL probiotic microcapsule juice at low pH and high temperature during storage.