Changes in microRNAs Expression Profile of Mimetic Aging Mice Treated with Melanin from Sepiella japonica Ink

Orally administered melanin from Sepiapharaonis ink ameliorates depression-anxiety-like behaviors in DSS-induced colitis by mediating inflammation pathway and regulating apoptosis

The effects of intestinal inflammation on the brain and behavior have received a lot of attention. Melanin (MSI) from Sepiapharaonis ink as an emerging functional food, it exhibited a significant protective effect on dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) induced colitis in previous study. In present study, C57BL/6J mice were free to drink 2.5% DSS solution to establish the colitis model. During the DSS treatment, mice were orally administrated with MSI once per day (75, 150, and 300 mg/kg, respectively). The results showed that MSI treatment ameliorated the depression and anxiety symptoms of colitis mice. Further mechanism studies indicated that MSI alleviated inflammatory response by adjusting cytokines TNF-α, IL-1β, IFN-γ, and IL-10, and proteins NLRP3/ASC/caspase-1 inflammasome), inhibited the activation of microglia, restored brain synaptic density, reduced oxidative stress (SOD, MDA) and regulated apoptosis (tunel staining, caspase-3). MSI could modulate depression-anxiety states by targeting inflammation, nerve tissue, oxidative stress and apoptosis. MSI administration could serve as an emerging blue food and nutrition strategy for the prevention of digestive tract inflammation and behavioral disorders.

Ink melanin from Sepiapharaonis ameliorates colitis in mice via reducing oxidative stress, andprotecting the intestinal mucosal barrier

Melanin is the major component from Sepiapharaonis ink (MSI), and its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities indicate the potential for improvement of inflammatory bowel diseases. The study aimed to investigate how orally-administered MSI on alleviating the dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced ulcerative colitis (UC) and the potential mechanisms. We found that MSI significantly improved DSS-induced weight loss, colon shortening, hematochezia, DAI score, histopathology, and antioxidant indices (SOD and MDA). Further analysis demonstrated that MSI could significantly down-regulate the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-1β and IFN-γ) and up-regulate the concentration of anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 by regulating TLR4/NF-κB and NLRP3/ASC/Caspase-1 signal pathway. Moreover, tight junction proteins in melanin groups were also maintained by ZO-1 and occludin expressions. In addition, MSI also regulated cellular apoptosis by reducing the expression of pro-apoptosis protein Caspase-3. Interestingly, MSI treatments increased the proportion of dominant bacteria (such as Bacteroidetes and Clostridium) and the abundance of community (alpha diversity, β-diversity, etc.), which significantly balanced microbiota in a dose-dependent manner. In conclusion, oral administration of MSI alleviated DSS-induced colitis by modulating inflammatory cytokines and oxidation stress, maintaining the mucosal barrier, and reverting microbiota changes.

Integrated metabolomics and transcriptomics reveal the anti-aging effect of melanin from Sepiella maindroni ink (MSMI) on D-galactose-induced aging mice

Sepiella maindroni ink, a flavoring and coloring agent in food, has attracted considerable attention due to its various pharmacological activities. Our previous study showed that the melanin of Sepiella maindroni ink (MSMI) can alleviate oxidative damage and delay aging in D-galactose(D-gal)-induced aging mice. This study aimed to reveal the possible mechanisms of the anti-aging effect of MSMI. In this article, a comprehensive analysis of gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS)-based metabolomics and microarray-based transcriptomics revealed that 221 mRNAs were differentially expressed and 46 metabolites were significantly changed in the anti-aging progress of MSMI. Integrated analysis of transcript and metabolic profiles indicated that MSMI mainly altered carbohydrate metabolism, lipid metabolism, and insulin signaling pathway. MSMI achieved anti-aging effects not only by reducing oxidative damage and sorbitol toxicity but also by regulating lipid metabolism, improving insulin sensitivity, and reducing the formation of advanced glycation end products (AGEs). Moreover, our findings firstly demonstrated that MSMI could increase the expression of interferon-induced proteins and might be a potential antiviral compound.