Intracellular Polysaccharides of Aspergillus cristatus from Fuzhuan Brick Tea Leverage the Gut Microbiota and Repair the Intestinal Barrier to Ameliorate DSS-Induced Colitis in Mice

Abstract

The intracellular polysaccharides of Aspergillus cristatus (IPSs) from Fuzhuan brick tea have been demonstrated to improve immune function linked to modulating the gut microbiota. Herein, to further investigate the efficacy of IPSs to maintain gut homeostasis, the protection of the purified fraction of IPSs (IPSs-2) on the mice with colitis induced by dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) and the underlying mechanisms were explored in this study. The results revealed that IPSs-2 alleviated the typical symptoms of colitis and suppressed the excessive inflammatory mediators, regulating the genes related to inflammatory responses in the colon at the mRNA level. Meanwhile, IPSs-2 treatment reinforced the intestinal barrier function by ameliorating the DSS-induced histological injury, facilitating the differentiation of goblet cells to enhance Mucin-2 generation, and enhancing the expression of tight junction proteins to alleviate colitis. In addition, IPSs protected against colitis by promoting the production of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), the activation of SCFAs receptors, and the leverage of the gut microbiota via the enrichment of Bacteroides, Parabacteroides, Faecalibacterium, Flavonifractor_plautii, and Butyricicoccus, linking with reducing inflammation and repairing intestinal barrier function. Overall, our research revealed the therapeutic potential of IPSs-2 as a prebiotic for attenuating inflammatory bowel disease and provided a rationale for future investigation.

Protective Mechanism of Eurotium amstelodami from Fuzhuan Brick Tea against Colitis and Gut-Derived Liver Injury Induced by Dextran Sulfate Sodium in C57BL/6 Mice

“…The profound changes in gut taxa, metabolites, and inflammatory markers provided a detailed insight into the therapeutic mechanism of HLL in UC. Xie et al [ 52 ] reported that the intracellular polysaccharides in Aspergillus cristatus from Fuzhuan brick tea can alleviate symptoms of DSS-induced colitis in mice by repairing the intestinal barrier. And Lu et al [ 53 ] noted that the polysaccharides in Eurotium cristatum from Fuzhuan brick tea can ameliorate colitis in mice by modulating the gut microbiota.…”

Large Yellow Tea Polysaccharide Alleviates HFD-Induced Intestinal Homeostasis Dysbiosis via Modulating Gut Barrier Integrity, Immune Responses, and the Gut Microbiome

“…For immunofluorescence staining, the tissue slices were incubated with primary antibodies (F4/80, CD11c, CD206, GLP-1, ZO-1, and Occludin) overnight at 4 °C after deparaffinization, rehydration, and antigen retrieval and sealing. Then, they were stained with secondary antibodies with Alexa Fluor Plus 488 or Alexa Fluor 594 fluorescently labeled goat antirabbit IgG according to the method reported in literature . For the statistical analysis of the morphological structure of intestinal segments, the percentages of F4/80, CD11c, CD206, GLP-1, ZO-1, and the Occludin immunostaining positive area were counted as the abovementioned method.…”

“…Then, they were stained with secondary antibodies with Alexa Fluor Plus 488 or Alexa Fluor 594 fluorescently labeled goat antirabbit IgG according to the method reported in literature. 19 For the statistical analysis of the morphological structure of intestinal segments, the percentages of F4/80, CD11c, CD206, GLP-1, ZO-1, and the Occludin immunostaining positive area were counted as the abovementioned method. All images were photographed on a confocal laser-scanning microscope (FV1000, Olympus, Tokyo, Japan).…”

The Interplay between Medical Plants and Gut Microbiota in Cancer

“…The catechins act in a dual modality, stimulating healthy gut microbes and inhibiting the proliferation of Campylobacter jejuni, Bacillus cereus, Escherichia coli, Clostridium perfringens, Legionella pneumophila, and Helicobacter pylori through a disruption of the cell membrane. Furthermore, green-tea polyphenols are able to create an overproliferation of Faecalibacterium, Bifidobacterium, Eubacterium, and Roseburia that lead to an increase in SCFAs with proven effects against colorectal cancer because they suppress lipopolysaccharide synthesis and, consequently, potentiate immune system function and exert an anti-inflammatory action [76][77][78][79][80][81][82]. Citrus fruits, like Citrus reticulate, or mandarin oranges; Citrus sinesis, or sweet oranges; Citrus depressa, or flat lemons; Citrus aurantium, or bitter oranges; and, especially, Citrus tangerine, or tangerines, contain nobiletin, a flavone with a chemical structure of three aromatic rings, each one linked to specific molecular groups.…”

“…Experiments in a mouse model about an estrogen-receptor (ER) negative mammary tumor showed that polyphenols alone did not induce a significative change in the gut-microbiota composition of healthy mice, even if they reduced significantly the rate of Firmicutes communities; in contrast, after cancer onset, these natural compounds effectively modified gut microbes, leading to a reduction of Proteobacteria and an increase in Bacterioides, compared to the control group. Furthermore, these changes are more evident after a combined administration of both broccoli sprouts and green-tea polyphenols [76][77][78][79][80][81]. Other plants and vegetables have shown antioxidant and anticancer properties.…”