Regulatory Effect of Isomaltodextrin on a High-Fat Diet Mouse Model with LPS-Induced Low-Grade Chronic Inflammation

Artemether Attenuates Gut Barrier Dysfunction and Intestinal Flora Imbalance in High-Fat and High-Fructose Diet-Fed Mice

Intestinal inflammation is a key determinant of intestinal and systemic health, and when our intestines are damaged, there is disruption of the intestinal barrier, which in turn induces a systemic inflammatory response. However, the etiology and pathogenesis of inflammatory diseases of the intestine are still not fully understood. Artemether (ART), one of the artemisinin derivatives, has been widely used to treat malaria. Nevertheless, the effect of ART on intestinal inflammation remains unclear. The present study intended to elucidate the potential mechanism of ART in diet-induced intestinal injury. A high-fat and high-fructose (HFHF) diet-induced mouse model of intestinal injury was constructed, and the mice were treated with ART to examine their role in intestinal injury. RT-qPCR, Western blotting, immunohistochemical staining, and 16S rRNA gene sequencing were used to investigate the anti-intestinal inflammation effect and mechanism of ART. The results indicated that ART intervention may significantly ameliorate the intestinal flora imbalance caused by the HFHF diet and alleviate intestinal barrier function disorders and inflammatory responses by raising the expression of tight junction proteins ZO-1 and occludin and decreasing the expression of pro-inflammatory factors TNF-α and IL-1β. Moreover, ART intervention restrained HFHF-induced activation of the TLR4/NF-κB p65 pathway in colon tissue, which may be concerned with the potential protective effect of ART on intestinal inflammation. ART might provide new insights into further explaining the mechanism of action of other metabolic diseases caused by intestinal disorders.

Anthocyanin-Rich Butterfly Pea Flower Extract Ameliorating Low-Grade Inflammation in a High-Fat-Diet and Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Mouse Model

This study aimed to explore the enhancive effects of butterfly pea flower (BF) extracts on metabolic and immune homeostasis in a low-grade inflammation mouse model. The BF extract was found to contain mainly anthocyanins among other flavonoids. BF supplementation alleviated metabolic endotoxemia by lowering the plasma glucose, lipopolysaccharide (LPS), and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) levels and restored lipid metabolism and the balance between Treg and Th17 cells, thereby inhibiting the dysfunctional liver and abdominal white adipose tissues. BF extract increased the tight junction protein expression and reduced the expression of proinflammatory cytokines, therefore sustaining the colonic mucosa structure. Furthermore, BF extracts reshaped the gut microbiota structure characterized by significantly promoted SCFA-producing gut microbiota such as Akkermansia and Butyricicoccaceae. Additionally, BF extracts enhanced fecal primary bile acid (BA) levels and modulated bile acid signaling in the liver and ileum to facilitate BA synthesis for the restoration of lipid metabolism. In summary, anthocyanin-enriched BF extracts alleviated the profound negative dietary alterations and helped maintain the metabolic health by modulating the various aspects of the gut microenvironment and enhancing hepatic bile acid synthesis.