| Summary: | The effects of <i>Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus</i> and <i>Pediococcus pentosaceus</i> on the nutritional–functional composition, structure, in vitro saliva–gastrointestinal digestion, and colonic fermentation behaviors of fermented sweet potato residues (FSPR) were investigated. The FSPR was obtained under the condition of a solid-to-liquid ratio of 1/10, inoculation quantity of 1.5%, mixed bacteria ratio 1:1, fermentation time of 48 h, and fermentation temperature of 37 °C. The FSPR showed higher contents of soluble dietary fiber (15.02 g/100 g), total polyphenols content (95.74 mg/100 g), lactic acid (58.01 mg/g), acetic acid (1.66 mg/g), volatile acids (34.26%), and antioxidant activities. As exhibited by FTIR and SEM, the higher peak intensity at 1741 cm<sup>−1</sup> and looser structure were observed in FSPR. Further, the FSPR group at colonic fermentation time of 48 h showed higher content of acetic acid (1366.88 µg/mL), propionic acid (40.98 µg/mL), and butyric acid (22.71 µg/mL), which were the metabolites produced by gut microbiota using dietary fiber. Meanwhile, the abundance of <i>Bifidobacterium</i> and <i>Lacticaseibacillus</i> in the FSPR group was also improved. These results indicated that FSPR potentially developed functional foods that contributed to colonic health.
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