Anti-Allergic Diarrhea Effect of Diosgenin Occurs via Improving Gut Dysbiosis in a Murine Model of Food Allergy

Sesamin Alleviates Allergen-Induced Diarrhea by Restoring Gut Microbiota Composition and Intestinal Barrier Function

Food allergens are the key triggers of allergic diarrhea, causing damage to the immune-rich ileum. This weakens the mucosal barrier and tight junctions, increases intestinal permeability, and exacerbates allergen exposure, thereby worsening the condition. Sesamin, a natural lignan isolated from sesame seed, has shown potential in regulating immune responses, but its effects on intestinal health remain unclear. In this study, we constructed an ovalbumin (OVA)-induced allergic diarrhea mouse model, which demonstrated increased mast cell degranulation, reduced tight junction integrity, and impaired intestinal barrier function. Pro-inflammatory cytokines were significantly increased in the ileum, along with unbalanced cluster of differentiation 4 (CD4+) T-cell immunity, altered gut microbiota composition, and disrupted bacterial metabolism. Sesamin treatment significantly alleviated intestinal damage by modulating gut microbiota abundance, enhancing short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) production, and increasing SCFA receptor expression. This study suggests that sesamin may be a promising therapeutic candidate for allergic diarrhea and intestinal injury.

Ex-vivo investigation of human salivary microbial growth with lysogeny broth for translational research-A pilot study

Background/purpose

Salivary microbiome has become a surrogate indicator of oral disease due to its collective reservoirs and convenience in sampling. However, failed clinical trials often lead to wastes of resources, indicating a need for preclinical models. In this pilot study, we aimed to compare the salivary microbiome by metagenomics analysis before and after lysogeny broth culture for prospective translational studies.

Materials and methods

The study cohort included seven patients with severe periodontitis (Stage III/IV, Grade C), from whom unstimulated saliva was collected. The salivary microbiome was sequenced over the 16S rRNA gene V3-V4 hypervariable regions at baseline and after 6 hours of lysogeny broth culture.

Results

The results revealed changes in salivary microbiome and reduced bacterial diversity after culture, mainly due to the expansion of genera Neisseria (Median (Mdn) 15.95% to 37.52%, P < 0.05), Rothia (Mdn 10.21% to 16.32%, P < 0.05), and Haemophilus (Mdn 5.88% to 13.25%, P < 0.05). Periodontitis-related pathogens such as phyla Bacteroidetes, Fusobacteria and Spirochaetes were identified, while genera Porphyromonas, Parvimonas, Peptostreptococcus, and Campylobacter showed a decrease after lysogeny broth culture. Caries-related pathogens, including genera Veillonella, Leptotrichia, and species Haemophilus parainfluenzae and Streptococcus salivarius, were also detected.

Conclusion

This pilot study revealed that periodontitis- and caries-related bacteria could be identified in the saliva at baseline and after 6 hours ex-vivo culture with lysogeny broth. Our findings also suggested that lysogeny broth favored the growth of specific genera and may serve as a reference to monitor short-term modulation of these bacteria in salivary microbiome.

Anticancer Activity of Diosgenin and Its Molecular Mechanism

Diosgenin, a steroidal sapogenin, obtained from Trigonella foenum-graecum, Dioscorea, and Rhizoma polgonati, has shown high potential and interest in the treatment of various cancers such as oral squamous cell carcinoma, laryngeal cancer, esophageal cancer, liver cancer, gastric cancer, lung cancer, cervical cancer, prostate cancer, glioma, and leukemia. This article aims to provide an overview of the in vivo, in vitro, and clinical studies reporting the diosgenin's anticancer effects. Preclinical studies have shown promising effects of diosgenin on inhibiting tumor cell proliferation and growth, promoting apoptosis, inducing differentiation and autophagy, inhibiting tumor cell metastasis and invasion, blocking cell cycle, regulating immunity and improving gut microbiome. Clinical investigations have revealed clinical dosage and safety property of diosgenin. Furthermore, in order to improve the biological activity and bioavailability of diosgenin, this review focuses on the development of diosgenin nano drug carriers, combined drugs and the diosgenin derivatives. However, further designed trials are needed to unravel the diosgenin's deficiencies in clinical application.

Microbiome, Transcriptome, and Metabolomic Analyses Revealed the Mechanism of Immune Response to Diarrhea in Rabbits Fed Antibiotic-Free Diets

In this study, diarrhea was induced in rabbits by feeding them antibiotic-free feed. The gut provides important defense against the barriers of the body, of which the duodenum is an important part to help digest food and absorb nutrients. However, the mechanisms underlying the roles of the gut microbiome and fecal metabolome in rabbit diarrhea caused by feeding an antibiotic-free diet have not been characterized. Recently, only a single study has been conducted to further characterize the antibiotic-free feed additives that caused diarrhea in weaned rabbits. The multi-omics techniques, including 16S rRNA sequencing, transcriptome sequencing, and LC-MS analysis, were combined to analyze the gut microbial compositions and functions. They also determined the fecal metabolomic profiles of diarrhea in rabbits caused by feeding antibiotic-free feed. The results showed that the liver, duodenal, and sacculus rotundus tissues of diarrhea rabbits were diseased, the composition of intestinal microbes was significantly changed, the diversity of intestinal microbes was decreased, and the distribution of intestinal microbe groups was changed. Functional analysis based on the cluster of GO and KEGG annotations suggested that two functional GO categories belonged to the metabolism cluster, and five KEGG pathways related to the metabolic pathways were significantly enriched in diarrhea rabbits. Moreover, real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) was used to verify the significant expression of genes related to diarrhea. Metabolomics profiling identified 432 significantly differently abundant metabolites in diarrhea rabbits, including amino acids and their derivatives. These amino acids were enriched in the tryptophan metabolic pathway. In addition, the functional correlation analysis showed that some altered gut microbiota families, such as Parasutterella, significantly correlated with alterations in fecal metabolites. Collectively, the results suggested that altered gut microbiota was associated with diarrhea caused by antibiotic-free feed additives in weaned rabbit pathogenesis.

Resveratrol Treatment Prevents Increase of Mast Cells in Both Murine OVA Enteritis and IL-10-/- Colitis

Mast cells are involved in allergic and other inflammatory diseases. The polyphenol resveratrol is known for its anti-inflammatory properties and may be used as nutraceutical in mast cell associated diseases. We analyzed the effect of resveratrol on mast cells in vivo in ovalbumin-induced allergic enteritis as well as experimental colitis in IL-10^−/− mice which received resveratrol via drinking water. Treatment with resveratrol prevented the increase in mast cells in both allergic enteritis and chronic colitis in duodenum as well as in colon. Further, it delayed the onset of diseases symptoms and ameliorated diseases associated parameters such as tissue damage as well as inflammatory cell infiltration in affected colon sections. In addition to the findings in vivo, resveratrol inhibited IgE-dependent degranulation and expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as TNF-α in IgE/DNP-activated as well as in LPS-activated bone marrow-derived mast cells. These results indicate that resveratrol may be considered as an anti-allergic and anti-inflammatory plant-derived component for the prevention or treatment of mast cell-associated disorders of the gastrointestinal tract.