Three main metabolites from Wolfiporia cocos (F. A. Wolf) Ryvarden & Gilb regulate the gut microbiota in mice: A comparative study using microbiome-metabolomics

Shen-yan-yi-hao oral solution ameliorates IgA nephropathy via intestinal IL-17/NF-κB pathway

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Immunoglobulin A nephropathy (IgAN) is the most common primary glomerulonephritis in the world, it is one of the most common causes of kidney disease and can lead to end-stage kidney disease, however, its pathogenesis is still complicated. The Shen-yan-yi-hao oral solution (SOLI) is an effective prescription for the clinical treatment of IgAN while its specific mechanism remains to be further elucidated.

AIM OF THE STUDY

This study investigates SOLI's effects on IgAN in rats, particularly on the intestinal mucosal barrier, and identifies potential therapeutic targets through network pharmacology and molecular docking, validated experimentally.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Target genes for SOLI in IgAN were identified and analysed through molecular docking and KEGG pathway enrichment. An IgAN rat model examined SOLI's effect on renal biomarkers and cytokines involved in specific pathways, ileum mucosal lesions, and the intestinal immune system. The IL-17 pathway's role was studied in IEC-6 cells with SOLI in vitro.

RESULT

Rats developed increased proteinuria and kidney damage marked by IgA deposition and inflammation. SOLI treatment significantly ameliorated these symptoms, reduced galactose-deficient Ig A1 (Gd-IgA1), and decreased cytokines like IL-17, TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-1β etc. SOLI also normalized intestinal tight junction protein expression, ameliorated intestinal damage, and regulated intestinal immune response (focused on IL-17/NF-κB signal pathway). SOLI moderated the abnormally activated IL-17 pathway, which damages intestinal epithelial cells, suggesting IgAN treatment potential.

CONCLUSION

SOLI reduces proteinuria and enhances intestinal mucosal function in IgAN rats, kidney protection in the IgAN rat model may initiate from modulating the intestinal IL-17/NF-κB pathway and subsequent Gd-IgA1 accumulation.

Pseudostellaria heterophylla improves intestinal microecology through modulating gut microbiota and metabolites in mice

BACKGROUND

Pseudostellaria heterophylla is a Chinese medicine and healthy edible that is widely used to for its immunomodulatory, antioxidant, antidiabetic and antitussive properties. However, the potential function of P. heterophylla in intestinal microecology remains unclear. In this study, we investigated the impact of P. heterophylla on immune functions and evaluated its potential to regulate the gut microbiota and metabolome.

RESULTS

The results showed that P. heterophylla significantly increased the content of red blood cells, total antioxidant capacity and expression of immune factors, and decreased platelet counts when compared to the control under cyclophosphamide injury. In addition, P. heterophylla altered the diversity and composition of the gut bacterial community; increased the abundance of potentially beneficial Akkermansia, Roseburia, unclassified Clostridiaceae, Mucispirillum, Anaeroplasma and Parabacteroides; and decreased the relative abundance of pathogenic Cupriavidus and Staphylococcus in healthy mice. Metabolomic analyses showed that P. heterophylla significantly increased the content of functional oligosaccharides, common oligosaccharides, vitamins and functional substances. Probiotics and pathogens were regulated by metabolites across 11 pathways in the bacterial-host co-metabolism network.

CONCLUSION

We demonstrated that P. heterophylla increased the abundance of probiotics and decreased pathogens, and further stimulated host microbes to produce beneficial secondary metabolites for host health. Our studies highlight the role of P. heterophylla in gut health and provide new insights for the development of traditional Chinese medicine in the diet. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.

Metabolomic differences between non-hydrothermal treated water-soluble (WSPs) and hydrothermally treated water-insoluble (WIPs) Maitake polysaccharides fermented by Lactobacillus acidophilus and L. plantarum

Bacterial Metabolite through a fermentation process is a growing trend and a promising alternative for use as functional components. Non-hydrothermal water-soluble (WSPs) and hydrothermally treated water-insoluble (WIPs) Maitake polysaccharides were fermented with Lactobacillus acidophilus (LA) and Lactobacillus plantarum (LP). Chemical composition analysis indicated that Maitake polysaccharides contained 58.22 ± 1.35 % total sugar and 31.46 % β-glucan, essential for metabolites production. 6-glucanase was used to degrade the WIPs, and hydrothermally treated WIP fibers exhibited smooth microstructure. Hence, the LA and LP bacteria investigated the potential fermented metabolic activities and differences between WSPs(Sp1)and WIP(Sp3) Maitake polysaccharides using LC-MS, and 887 metabolites were identified. Using Venn, Partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA), VIP Metabolites, and other multivariate statistical analysis methods, metabolites were expressed differently in all samples. Due to hydrothermal processing, WIP induced the highest growth of LA and LP, with an abundance of isocitrate metabolites. Furthermore, 50 metabolite correlations were identified, leading to the classification of 6 distinct metabolic groups. Thus, the study offers the initial comprehensive analysis of metabolites in Lactobacillus-fermented Maitake polysaccharides, aiding in understanding its metabolic interactions and facilitating progress in food engineering research.

Agaricus bisporus polysaccharides ameliorate ulcerative colitis in mice by modulating gut microbiota and its metabolism

The gut microbiota plays a central role in maintaining human health and has been linked to many gastrointestinal diseases such as ulcerative colitis (UC). Agaricus bisporus is a famous edible mushroom, and Agaricus bisporus polysaccharides (ABPs) and the two purified fractions (ABP-1 and ABP-2) were demonstrated to exhibit immunomodulatory activity in our previous study. Herein, we further found that ABPs, ABP-1, and ABP-2 possessed therapeutic effects against dextran sodium sulfate (DSS)-induced colitis in mice. ABPs, ABP-1, and ABP-2 could relieve body weight loss, colon atrophy, and histological injury, increase tight junction proteins, restore gut-barrier function, and inhibit inflammation. ABP-2 with a lower molecular weight (1.76 × 104 Da) showed a superior therapeutic effect than ABP-1 with a higher molecular weight (8.86 × 106 Da). Furthermore, the effects of ABP-1 and ABP-2 were microbiota-dependent, which worked by inducing Norank_f__Muribaculaceae and Akkermansia and inhibiting Escherichia-Shigella and Proteus. In addition, untargeted fecal metabolomic analysis revealed distinct modulation patterns of ABP-1 and ABP-2. ABP-1 mainly enriched steroid hormone biosynthesis, while ABP-2 significantly enriched bile secretion and tryptophan metabolism. In summary, ABPs, especially low-molecular-weight fraction, represent novel prebiotics for treatment of inflammatory gastrointestinal diseases.

Water-Insoluble Polysaccharide Extracted from Poria cocos Alleviates Antibiotic-Associated Diarrhea Based on Regulating the Gut Microbiota in Mice

Antibiotics are very effective in treating a variety of bacterial infections, while clinical overuse of antibiotics can lead to diseases such as antibiotic-associated diarrhea. Numerous studies have shown that natural polysaccharides can be used as prebiotics to alleviate antibiotic-associated diarrhea (AAD). Poria cocos is a medicinal and edible mushroom widely used for thousands of years in China, and our former study demonstrated that water-insoluble polysaccharide (PCY) has the potential prebiotic function. Therefore, we simulated the digestion and fermentation of PCY using feces from volunteers, and then administered it to C57BL/6 mice with AAD to study its effects on the gut microbiota and metabolites. The results indicated that PCY effectively alleviated the symptoms of AAD in mice, restored the intestinal barrier function, improved the content of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), decreased the level of inflammatory cytokines, and changed the structure of gut microbiota by increasing the relative abundance of norank_f__Muribaculaceae and unclassified_f__Lachnospiraceae, and decreasing that of Escherichia-Shigella, Staphylococcus and Acinetobacter. This study further demonstrated that PCY is an effective functional prebiotic for improving AAD disease, and provided a new avenue and insight for developing PCY as a functional food or prebiotic for alleviating gastrointestinal diseases.

Poria cocos polysaccharides exert prebiotic function to attenuate the adverse effects and improve the therapeutic outcome of 5-FU in ApcMin/+ mice

BACKGROUND

As a first-line chemotherapeutic agent, 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) exhibits many side effects, weakening its efficacy in cancer treatment. In this study, we hypothesize that Poria cocos polysaccharides (PCP), a traditional Chinese herbal medicine with various bioactivities and prebiotic effects, might improve the therapeutic effect of 5-FU by restoring the homeostasis of the gut microenvironment and the commensal gut microflora.

METHODS

Apc^Min/+ mice were employed to evaluate the anti-cancer effect of 5-FU in conjunction with PCP treatment. Body weight and food consumption were monitored weekly. Polyp count was used to assess the anti-cancer effect of PCP and 5-FU. Expressions of mucosal cytokines and gut epithelial junction molecules were measured using qRT-PCR. 16S rRNA gene sequencing of fecal DNAs was used to evaluate the compositional changes of gut microbiota (GM). Transplantation of Lactobacillus johnsonii and Bifidobacterium animalis were performed to verify the prebiotic effects of PCP in improving the efficacy of 5-FU.

RESULTS

The results showed that PCP treatment alleviated the weight loss caused by 5-FU treatment and reduced the polyp burden in Apc^Min/+ mice. Additionally, PCP treatment eased the cytotoxic effects of 5-FU by reducing the expressions of pro-inflammatory cytokines, increasing the anti-inflammatory cytokines; and significantly improving the gut barriers by enhancing the tight junction proteins and associated adhesion molecules. Furthermore, 16S rRNA gene sequencing data showed that PCP alone or with 5-FU could stimulate the growth of probiotic bacteria (Bacteroides acidifaciens, Bacteroides intestinihominis, Butyricicoccus pullicaecorum, and the genera Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, Eubacterium). At the same time, it inhibited the growth of potential pathogens (e.g., Alistipes finegoldii, Alistipes massiliensis, Alistipes putredinis., Citrobacter spp., Desulfovibrio spp., and Desulfovibrio desulfuricans). Moreover, the results showed that transplantation of L.johnsonii and B.animalis effectively reduced the polyp burden in Apc^Min/+ mice being treated with 5-FU.

CONCLUSION

Our study showed that PCP could effectively improve the anti-cancer effect of 5-FU by attenuating its side effects, modulating intestinal inflammation, improving the gut epithelial barrier, and modulating the gut microbiota of Apc^Min/+ mice.