Protective Effect of Baicalin against Clostridioides difficile Infection in Mice

Abstract

This study investigated the prophylactic and therapeutic efficacies of baicalin (BC), a plant-derived flavone glycoside, in reducing the severity of Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) in a mouse model. In the prophylactic trial, C57BL/6 mice were provided with BC (0, 11, and 22 mg/L in drinking water) from 12 days before C. difficile challenge through the end of the experiment, whereas BC administration started day 1 post challenge in the therapeutic trial. Both challenge and control groups were infected with 106 CFU/mL of hypervirulent C. difficile BAA 1803 spores or sterile PBS, and the clinical and diarrheal scores were recorded for 10 days post challenge. On day 2 post challenge, fecal and tissue samples were collected from mice prophylactically administered with BC for microbiome and histopathologic analysis. Both prophylactic and therapeutic supplementation of BC significantly reduced the severity of colonic lesions and improved CDI clinical progression and outcome compared with control (p < 0.05). Microbiome analysis revealed a significant increase in Gammaproteobacteria and reduction in the abundance of protective microbiota (Firmicutes) in antibiotic-treated and C. difficile-infected mice compared with controls (p < 0.05). However, baicalin supplementation favorably altered the microbiome composition, as revealed by an increased abundance in beneficial bacteria, especially Lachnospiraceae and Akkermansia. Our results warrant follow-up investigations on the use of BC as an adjunct to antibiotic therapy to control gut dysbiosis and reduce C. difficile infection in humans.

Akkermansia muciniphila Ameliorates Clostridioides difficile Infection in Mice by Modulating the Intestinal Microbiome and Metabolites

“…Some studies show that CDI patients and mouse model have a low abundance of A. muciniphila ( Rodriguez et al, 2016 ; Deng et al, 2018 ; Pellissery et al, 2021 ), while an increased number of A. muciniphila was observed in other studies ( Sangster et al, 2016 ; Vakili et al, 2020 ; Shoaei et al, 2021 ). This contradictory conclusion associates to various factors.…”

Introduction to the Special Issue on Clostridioides difficile

“…This Special Issue also includes the trial by Pellissery et al to investigate the prophylactic and therapeutic efficacies of baicalin, a plant-derived flavone glycoside, in reducing the severity of CDI [18]. In the prophylactic trial, mice were provided with baicalin from 12 days before CD challenge through the end of the experiment, whereas baicalin administration started on day 1 post-challenge in the therapeutic trial.…”

“…The authors reported that both prophylactic and therapeutic supplementation of baicalin significantly reduced the severity of colonic lesions and improved CDI clinical progression and outcome compared with the control. Moreover, the authors highlighted that baicalin supplementation favorably altered the mice microbiome composition [18].…”