Plant polysaccharides are polymers derived from plants with complex structures and various biological activities. Polysaccharides have a beneficial effect on hosts by regulating their intestinal flora, which has become a hot research topic in recent years. Studies have shown that the intestinal flora can metabolize non-starch polysaccharides into short-chain fatty acids, exerting a variety of physiological functions such as regulating host metabolism, immune system and cell proliferation, improving the intestinal environment, and ultimately promoting human health. The chemical structure and physical properties of plant polysaccharides are the basis for their differential utilization by the intestinal flora and determine the strength of their prebiotic effects. The structure of plant polysaccharides varies depending on the extraction, purification and modification methods used, affecting their activity. This paper systematically discusses the prebiotic effects of plant polysaccharides and the factors that affect their structure, which will provide a reference for the precise development and utilization of plant polysaccharides.

Despite their importance as components for flexible electronics, most stretchable hydrogels suffer from incomplete recovery after deformation, are prone to failure upon long-term repeated stretching, and cannot be exploited at subzero temperatures because of the freezing of their constituent water. Consequently, strategies for circumventing these drawbacks are highly sought after. This study describes the synthesis of a doubly (chemically and physically) crosslinked hydrogel from gelatin and methacrylic acid and demonstrates the suitability of this material for the fabrication of high-performance stretchable and environment-resistant supercapacitors and strain sensors. The performance of this supercapacitor (areal capacitance = 1,210.2 mF/cm² at a current density of 1 mA/cm², maximum energy density = 158.8 μW·h/cm², maximum power density = 659.5 μW/cm²) was superior to that of most of integrated supercapacitors reported to date and was hardly affected by stretchable, low temperatures, bending, ice-cold water and strong acid/alkali solutions or long-term storage. Additionally, a strain sensor based on the above hydrogel was capable of accurately capturing human body motions when affixed to skin and recognising mouse movement (even in humid environments) after implantation into mouse legs. Our work may pave the way to high-performance stretchable and environment-resistant wearable electronics.