Modulation of gut microbiota and metabolic profiles by Astragaloside IV in a chronic enteritis model

Chronic intestinal inflammatory diseases like ulcerative colitis severely impact millions globally. Current treatments using drugs manage inflammation short-term but have significant side effects and don't address underlying issues like mucosal barrier repair. New treatments are needed, and Chinese herbal medicine is gaining attention for its low cost and side effects. This study used a DSS-induced chronic enteritis animal model and treated it with Astragaloside IV(AS-IV), a traditional Chinese medicine. 16S sequencing and LC-MS analysis showed that AS-IV significantly reduces DSS-induced inflammation. This encompasses an enhancement in body weight, a reduction in the bleeding index, diarrhea index, and disease activity index (DAI). Furthermore, AS-IV has the capacity to modulate gut microbiota diversity, augment the abundance of beneficial bacteria, diminish the prevalence of harmful bacteria, and mitigate disease progression through alterations in metabolic profiles. Integrated omics analysis has revealed that AS-IV can attenuate disease progression by modulating the biosynthesis of primary bile acids. In summary, this study showed that AS-IV significantly protects against chronic enteritis, as demonstrated by a DSS-induced colitis model. It explored the mechanisms involving gut microbiota and its metabolites, highlighting a new understanding of AS-IV's pharmacological effects and the crucial role of gut microbiota in enhancing the anti-inflammatory properties of traditional Chinese medicine monomers.