Goji Berry Modulates Gut Microbiota and Alleviates Colitis in IL‐10‐Deficient Mice

Abstract

Scope This study examines the beneficial effects of Goji berry against spontaneous colitis and its prebiotic role in IL‐10‐deficient mice. Methods IL‐10‐deficient mice are assigned to a standard rodent diet (control) or a control diet supplemented with Goji (1% of dry feed weight) for 10 weeks, at which point colonic tissues and fecal contents are collected. Results Goji supplementation decreases colonic pathobiological scores and mRNA expression of Il17a and Tgfb1, while it enhances Muc1 expression and fecal IgA content. Illumina MiSeq sequencing reveals that Goji supplementation increases Actinobacteria phylum, resulting in a bloom of Bifidobacteria in gut microbiota. Additionally, dietary Goji promotes butyrate‐producing bacteria including Lachnospiraceae‐Ruminococcaceae family and Roseburia spp. under Clostridium cluster XIVa. Furthermore, butyrate‐producers Clostridium leptum and its dominant constituent Fecalibacterium prazusnitzii are markedly increased in the Goji group. Moreover, the gene‐encoding butyryl‐coenzyme A CoA transferase, a key enzyme responsible for butyrate synthesis in butyrate‐producing bacteria, is increased sixfold in the fecal samples of Goji group associated with increased fecal butyrate content. Conclusion Data collectively show that dietary Goji results in the blooming of Bifidobacteria and butyrate‐producing bacteria. These bacteria may cross‐feed each other, conferring preventative effects against colitis in IL‐10‐deficient mice.

Nutrition in Inflammatory Bowel Disease

“…An open pilot trial demonstrated that a daily standardized anthocyanin-rich bil-Digestion 2020;101(suppl 1):120-135 DOI: 10.1159/000505368 berry preparation in mild to moderate UC patients achieved remission and response in 63.7 and 90.9%, respectively, after 6 weeks. Additionally, goji berry, another traditional supplement, has been shown to promote butyrate-producing bacteria and Bifidobacteria in interleukin-10-deficient mice, which in turn results in the suppression of intestinal inflammation [147].…”

Select Polyphenol-Rich Berry Consumption to Defer or Deter Diabetes and Diabetes-Related Complications

“…In another study, dietary GB supplementation also increased health-promoting secondary metabolite and SCOA-producing Actinobacteria , Lachnospiraceae , Clostridium XIVb, Sporobacter , Pseudoflavonifractor , Butyriccicoccus , Anaerotruncus, Anaerosporobacter, and Ruminococcaceae populations without affecting Akkemansia , Mucispirillum , Bacteriodes , and Desulfovirio . Butyryl-Coenzyme A CoA transferase is an important butyrate gene, and GBPS supplementation increased its expression in butyrate-producing bacteria such as the Clostridium cluster XIVa group including Lachnospiraceae , Faecailbacterium prausnitzii, and Ruminococcaceae [ 164 ]. The GBPS prebiotic effects increased the populations of Firmicutes , Akkermansia , Proteobacteria , Lactobacillus , and Prevotellaceae [ 165 ].…”

Impact of Goji Berries (Lycium barbarum) Supplementation on the Energy Homeostasis of Rabbit Does: Uni- and Multivariate Approach

“…In fact, there are a lot of evidences showing that the berry has numerous potential beneficial effects for the general well-being of the individual and for the prevention and treatment of numerous pathologies [1][2][3][4]. Beside several biological active compounds such as carotenoids, vitamins (riboflavin, thiamin and ascorbic acid) and flavonoids, goji berry is primarily rich in polysaccharides [1] which are responsible for the main beneficial pharmacological effects of the fruit both in vitro [5][6][7][8] and in vivo in various laboratory animal species [9,10] and in clinical trials in humans [11,12]. The effects of the goji berries are mainly studied in laboratory animals such as mice and rats [9,10,13] and only a few trials were conducted using the rabbit [14][15][16] although it is considered a useful experimental animal model [17][18][19][20][21][22].…”

“…Beside several biological active compounds such as carotenoids, vitamins (riboflavin, thiamin and ascorbic acid) and flavonoids, goji berry is primarily rich in polysaccharides [1] which are responsible for the main beneficial pharmacological effects of the fruit both in vitro [5][6][7][8] and in vivo in various laboratory animal species [9,10] and in clinical trials in humans [11,12]. The effects of the goji berries are mainly studied in laboratory animals such as mice and rats [9,10,13] and only a few trials were conducted using the rabbit [14][15][16] although it is considered a useful experimental animal model [17][18][19][20][21][22]. Moreover, only a limited number of researches evaluated the effects of goji berry on the reproductive and productive performance, other than on the quality of meat, in livestock animals, rabbits included [15,16,[23][24][25].…”