Preventive effect of kiwi berry ( Actinidia arguta) on loperamide-induced constipation

Abstract

Constipation is a common intestinal disease. Kiwi berries can effectively prevent constipation. However, studies have yet to be done to determine how kiwi berries prevent constipation. For two weeks, mice in this study were continually orally gavaged with kiwi berry, loperamide, or a combination of the 2. This study found that the kiwi group's feces had more water than the constipated mice. In addition, kiwi berries can speed up gastrointestinal transit (GI), shorten the time it takes to pass the fi rst dark stool, and dramatically enhance body weight gain. In the interstitial cells of Cajal (ICC) cells and colon tissues, alterations in the protein expression of vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP), cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP), protein kinase A (PKA), and aquaporin-3 (AQP3) were found. At 3, 6, and 12 h of ICC cells and mouse colon, the kiwi group's VIP, cAMP, PKA, and AQP3 protein expression levels were lower than those of the constipated mice. The kiwi berry can decrease the Firmicutes to Bacteroidetes ratio and boost the diversity and quantity of gut microbiota. By infl uencing the gut microbiota and VIP-cAMP-PKA-AQP3 signaling pathway, kiwi berries prevent constipation.