Biological pathways via which the anthocyanin malvidin alleviated the murine colitis induced by Citrobacter rodentium

Therapeutic effect of Faecalibacterium longum CM04-06 on DSS-induced ulcerative colitis in mice

AIMS

This study explores the impact of Faecalibacterium longum CM04-06 on inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) by regulating gut microbiota in mice.

METHODS AND RESULTS

We reanalyzed the distribution of the CM04-06 genome in the metagenome of the IBD cohort and observed a significantly higher abundance of CM04-06 in healthy individuals compared to patients with UC or CD. The prophylactic administration of CM04-06 was evaluated for its effects on intestinal microbial diversity and community composition after a two-week trial in mice. The intestinal microbiota was characterized using metagenomic sequencing of fecal samples on the DNBSEQ platform. CM04-06 treatment resulted in a significant reduction in the Disease Activity Index (DAI) and histological scores, as well as a decrease in the levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines, including IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α, in both the colon and serum of DSS-induced mice. Furthermore, supplementation with CM04-06 significantly reduced the levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines in both the colon and serum. Additionally, CM04-06 enhanced the integrity of the intestinal epithelial barrier by increasing the expression of tight junction proteins and mucin. Moreover, we observed greater abundances of Faecalibaculum rodentium, Alistipes onderdonkii, Alistipes shahii, and Bifidobacterium animalis after CM04-06 treatment.

CONCLUSIONS

CM04-06 prevents and alleviates intestinal inflammation by modulating the composition of the microbiota community, increasing the abundance of beneficial probiotics, and suppressing pro-inflammatory cytokine levels.

Metagenomics and Untargeted Metabolomics Analysis Revealed the Probiotic and Postbiotic Derived from Lactiplantibacillus plantarum DPUL F232 Alleviate Whey Protein-Induced Food Allergy by Reshaping Gut Microbiota and Regulating Key Metabolites

Postbiotics have emerged as a promising alternative to probiotics. However, it remains unclear whether postbiotics can exert regulatory effects on intestinal flora and metabolism as probiotics. Thus, we investigated the effects of probiotic and postbiotic in rats with whey protein-induced food allergy, which demonstrated that postbiotic intervention effectively alleviated allergy symptoms, reduced serum immunoglobulin E (IgE) and mast cell protease-1 (mMCP-1) levels, and regulated the type helper 1 cell/2 cell (Th1/Th2) balance in both serum and spleen. Metagenomic analysis revealed that postbiotics induced more significant changes in intestinal flora. Untargeted metabolomics analysis showed that both probiotics and postbiotics significantly up-regulated various differential metabolites, which were negatively correlated with immune indices, including malvidin-3-glucoside, 3,4-dihydroxymandelic acid, nicotinamide, triterpenoids, pirbuterol, and 4-hydroxybenzoic acid. This study confirms that postbiotics can alleviate food allergies and regulate intestinal flora and metabolites, which provides a valuable reference for the use of postbiotics in mitigating allergic diseases through gut microbiota and metabolite modulation.

Blueberry extract attenuates DSS-induced inflammatory bowel disease in mice through inhibiting ER stress-mediated colonic apoptosis in mice

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic, debilitating condition with limited therapeutic options. Dietary components like blueberries have emerged as potential modulators of inflammation and tissue repair in gastrointestinal diseases. This study investigated endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress-mediated apoptosis mediated protective effects of blueberries in ameliorating dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced IBD. Firstly, a total of 86 anthocyanin compounds were identified in blueberry extract by LC-MS spectroscopy, including 35 cyanidin, 9 delphinidin, 14 malvidin, 10 peonidin, and 9 petunidin. Then, the animal study showed that blueberry supplementation notably ameliorated DSS-induced IBD symptoms, as evidenced by improved histopathological scores and a reduced disease activity index (DAI) score. Additionally, blueberries attenuated ER stress by inhibiting the colonic PERK/eIF2α/ATF4/CHOP signaling pathway. Furthermore, blueberries inhibited the expression of the pro-apoptotic protein, caspase-3, and decreased colonic apoptosis, as evidenced by TUNEL assay results. However, it did not affect the expression of anti-apoptotic proteins, bcl-2 and bcl-xl. Finally, blueberries enhanced the intestinal barrier by upregulating ZO-1, claudin-1, occludin, and E-cadherin. In conclusion, blueberries demonstrate therapeutic potential against DSS-induced IBD-like symptoms in mice, possibly by regulating ER stress-mediated apoptosis pathways. These findings suggest that blueberries might be an effective dietary intervention for IBD management.

An overview on the cellular mechanisms of anthocyanins in maintaining intestinal integrity and function

Structural and functional changes of the intestinal barrier, as a consequence of a number of (epi)genetic and environmental causes, have a main role in penetrations of pathogens and toxic agents, and lead to the development of inflammation-related pathological conditions, not only at the level of the GI tract but also in other extra-digestive tissues and organs. Anthocyanins (ACNs), a subclass of polyphenols belonging to the flavonoid group, are well known for their health-promoting properties and are widely distributed in the human diet. There is large evidence about the correlation between the human intake of ACN-rich products and a reduction of intestinal inflammation and dysfunction. Our review describes the more recent advances in the knowledge of cellular and molecular mechanisms through which ACNs can modulate the main mechanisms involved in intestinal dysfunction and inflammation, in particular the inhibition of the NF-κB, JNK, MAPK, STAT3, and TLR4 proinflammatory pathways, the upregulation of the Nrf2 transcription factor and the expression of tight junction proteins and mucins.

Phospholipid-rich krill oil promotes intestinal health by strengthening beneficial gut microbial interactions in an infectious colitis model

Krill oil (KO) is rich in bioactive ingredients including phospholipids, omega-3 fatty acids, and astaxanthin. While health benefits and roles of KO in modulating lipid metabolism are well documented, its ability to alleviate symptoms related to infectious colitis and modulate gut microbial interactions is still largely unknown. Here we used a multi-omics approach, including transcriptome, microbiome, and metabolome analyses, to understand how KO mediates gut microbial interactions and promotes epithelial healing in an infectious colitis model. KO reversed the infection-induced intestinal hyperplasia to baseline. KO dampened intestinal inflammation via multiple targets, mediating several proinflammatory pathways, including IL17 signaling, and reducing luminal histamine levels. KO supplementation enriched butyrate-producing bacteria, including Roseburia and Clostridium, and strengthened beneficial microbial interactions in the gut microbial community. Supplementation with phospholipid-rich KO also increased microbial phylogenetic diversity. KO enhanced mucosal barrier function by increasing the production of Muc6 and the antimicrobial peptide, Leap2. KO played an active role during epithelial healing by inhibiting the expression of granzyme K while increasing the expression of a colitis protective factor, Dclk1. Together, our findings demonstrate that KO rich in omega-3 phospholipids can play a protective role in infectious colitis and should be considered a dietary option for promoting gut health.

Astaxanthin slows down skeletal muscle atrophy in H22 tumor-bearing mice during sorafenib treatment by modulating the gut microbiota

Astaxanthin is a carotenoid that is taken orally and has antitumor and anti-inflammatory properties. Our previous research demonstrated that astaxanthin alleviated skeletal muscle atrophy during sorafenib treatment in H22 tumor-bearing mice and altered the intestinal flora composition. However, the relationship between astaxanthin's amelioration of skeletal muscle atrophy in tumor-bearing mice and its ability to regulate intestinal flora is not clear. We used broad-spectrum antibiotics to create pseudo-sterile tumor-bearing mice, which we then used in fecal bacteria transplantation experiments. Our results indicate that the role of astaxanthin in ameliorating skeletal muscle atrophy during molecularly targeted therapy in mice with tumors is dependent on the intestinal flora. Astaxanthin substantially promoted the proliferation of Blautia, Parabacteroides, and Roseburia, altered the levels of metabolites in mouse serum, and primarily affected the amino acid metabolism of mice. Astaxanthin ameliorated skeletal muscle atrophy by promoting the activation of AKT/FOXO3a, which inhibited the expression of ubiquitination-degrading Fbx32 and MuRF1 and promoted myogenesis in skeletal muscle. Our study confirms that the intestinal flora is an important target for astaxanthin to combat skeletal muscle atrophy. Our research supports the use of astaxanthin as a nutritional supplement and intestinal microecological regulator for cancer patients.

Polyphenolic profiles of a variety of wild berries from the Pacific Northwest region of North America

Polyphenols have been extensively profiled and quantified in commercially grown berries, but similar information is sparsely available for wild berries. Because polyphenolic contents are inherently associated with berries health benefits, determining phenolic profiles is an important step for strategizing potential uses by the industry and for health and nutrition outcomes. Here, we profiled phenolic compounds in wild berries commonly encountered and harvested in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. Huckleberries (Vaccinium membranaceum) of varying phenotypes were found to be comparable to related blueberries in terms of general phenolic classes composition. However, all huckleberries exhibited markedly high levels of cyanidins, and delphinidins or peonidins were also higher in specific phenotypes. Wild black elderberries (Sambucus nigra spp. Canadensis) were found to have remarkably high phenolic, especially anthocyanins, in line with reports from cultivated elderberries. Saskatoon serviceberries (Amelanchier alnifolia) were found to exhibit high polyphenol content, but with a less diverse profile dominated by quercetin. The most intriguing berry may be the Oregon grape (Mahonia Aquifolium) being the only one exhibiting more than one g of polyphenols per 100 g; as well as a remarkably even distribution of the different anthocyanin classes. All colored wild berries were found to have at minimum comparable total phenolic contents when compared to cultivated and other wild berries, suggesting they should exhibit comparable human health benefits such as antioxidant and metabolic syndrome preventative potential described for these other berries. Overall, our data represents a valuable resource to explore the potential to valorize wild berry species for their specific phenolic profiles and predicted nutritional and health properties. With repeated phenolic profiling to better understand the impact of the environment, the wild berries described here hold promises both as food ingredient applications as well as valuable complement for healthy dietary patterns.