Understanding the tonifying and the detoxifying properties of Chinese medicines from their impacts on gut microbiota and host metabolism: a case study with four medicinal herbs in experimental colitis rat model

作者：Ting Li, Xuejiao Gao, Zhixiang Yan, Tai-Seng Wai, Wei Yang, Junru Chen, Ru Yan · 发表于：Chinese Medicine · 年份：2022 · DOI：10.1186/s13020-022-00673-w · 被引用次数：22 · 研究领域：Metabolomics and Mass Spectrometry Studies、Gut microbiota and health、Flavonoids in Medical Research

BACKGROUND: Chinese medicines (CMs) have emerged as an alternative therapy for ulcerative colitis through reinforcing the vital qi and/or eliminating the pathogenic factors according to the traditional Chinese medicinal theory. Presystemic interactions of CMs with gut microbiota and the associated metabolic network shift are believed to be essential to achieve their holistic health benefits in traditional oral application. METHODS: This study first employed 16S rDNA-based microbial profiling and mass spectrometry-based urinary metabolomics to simultaneously evaluate four single CMs frequently prescribed as main constituent herbs for alleviating UC, the tonic ginseng and Astragali Radix (AR) and the detoxifying Scutellaria Radix (SR) and Rhubarb, on a dextran sodium sulfate (DSS)-induced colitis rat model, with aims to understanding the tonifying or detoxifying properties of CMs through clinical phenotypes, the common features and herb-specific signatures in gut microbial alterations and the associated host metabolic shifts. Colitis was induced in rats receiving 5% DSS for consecutive 7 days. Control group received water alone. Herbal groups received 5% DSS and respective herbal preparation by gavage once daily. Body weight, stool consistency, and rectal bleeding were recorded daily. Feces and urine were freshly collected at multiple time points. On day 7, blood and colon tissues were collected to determine anti-/pro-inflammatory cytokines levels, colonic myeloperoxidase activ...