Tetrastigma hemsleyanum leaf extracts ameliorate NAFLD in mice with low-grade colitis via the gut-liver axis.

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a complex metabolic disorder, manifested as oxidative stress, lipid accumulation, and inflammation of the liver. Tetrastigma hemsleyanum leaves (THL), which are rich in flavonoids and phenolic acids, have good anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and hepatoprotective effects. However, it is unknown whether THL extracts can improve NAFLD and the underlying mechanisms are unknown. Hence, this study was designed to investigate the effects of THL extracts on NAFLD and perform a preliminary inquiry into the underlying mechanism based on the gut-liver axis. The results showed that THL extracts could reverse NAFLD-related oxidative stress, lipid accumulation, and inflammation. Additionally, the protective effect of THL extracts on the gut includes the maintenance of the intestinal barrier and the regulation of gut microbiota, which may be one of the mechanisms by which THL improves NAFLD. To be specific, in our study, THL extracts alleviated hepatic lipid accumulation and oxidative stress by regulating the expression of lipid synthesis/catabolism and the oxidative stress genes (SREBP-1c/ACC-1/PPAR-α/PPAR-γ/Keap1/Nrf2). In addition, THL extracts reduced damage to the intestinal barrier (ZO-1/Mucin2/occludin) and increased the relative abundance of Lactobacillales, Ruminococcaceae, and Bifidobacteriales in NAFLD mice. In short, THL extracts alleviated NAFLD-related oxidative stress, lipid accumulation, and inflammation in NAFLD mice which may be via the gut-liver axis (gut barrier integrity and gut microbiota).

Paradigm Shift in Phytochemicals Research: Evolution from Antioxidant Capacity to Anti-Inflammatory Effect and to Roles in Gut Health and Metabolic Syndrome.

Food bioactive components, particularly phytochemicals with antioxidant capacity, have been extensively studied over the past two decades. However, as new analytical and molecular biological tools advance, antioxidants related research has undergone significant paradigm shifts. This review is a high-level overview of the evolution of phytochemical antioxidants research. Early research used chemical models to assess the antioxidant capacity of different phytochemicals, which provided important information about the health potential, but the results were overused and misinterpreted despite the lack of biological relevance (Antioxidants v1.0). This led to findings in the anti-inflammatory properties and modulatory effects of cell signaling of phytochemicals (Antioxidants v2.0). Recent advances in the role of diet in modulating gut microbiota have suggested a new phase of food bioactives research along the phytochemicals-gut microbiota-intestinal metabolites-low-grade inflammation-metabolic syndrome axis (Antioxidants v3.0). Polyphenols and carotenoids were discussed in-depth, and future research directions were also provided.

Bioactives and their metabolites from Tetrastigma hemsleyanum leaves ameliorate DSS-induced colitis via protecting the intestinal barrier, mitigating oxidative stress and regulating the gut microbiota.

Tetrastigma hemsleyanum, a precious edible and medicinal plant in China, has attracted extensive research attention in recent years due to its high traditional value for the treatment of various diseases. In vitro digestion and colonic fermentation models were established to evaluate the stability of Tetrastigma hemsleyanum leaves (THL) phenolics by the HPLC-QqQ-MS/MS method. The total phenolic and flavonoid contents were degraded during digestion and fermentation. 3-caffeoylquinic acid, 5-caffeoylquinic acid, orientin and (iso)vitexin were metabolized by digestive enzymes and the gut microbiota, and absorbed in the form of glycosides and smaller phenolic acids for hepatic metabolism. The protective effects of THL on dextran sodium sulfate (DSS)-induced colitis in mice and potential mechanisms were explored. The results showed that THL supplementation increased the body weight and colon length, and the expression levels of tight junction proteins including occludin, claudin-1 and ZO-1 were up-regulated by THL. The secretions of pro-inflammatory cytokines containing IL-1ß, IL-6 and TNF-α were significantly suppressed, whereas the content of anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 was promoted in the THL treated group. In addition, THL treatment activated the nuclear transfer of Nrf2, improved the expression of SOD, CAT, HO-1, NQO1 and GCLC, and decreased the content of MPO and MDA. It is worth noting that THL treatment significantly increased the content of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), increased the abundance of Ruminococcaceae, and decreased the abundance of Verrucomicrobia which is positively correlated with pro-inflammatory cytokines. These results indicated that THL effectively inhibited DSS-induced colitis by maintaining the intestinal epithelial barrier, mitigated oxidative stress through regulating the Keap1/Nrf2 signaling pathway and regulated the imbalance of the intestinal flora structure.

Characterization of the expression profile of CRBP1 and CRBP3 gene in chicken.

In this study, we quantified the expression of CRBP1 and CRBP3 in Roman layer (R) and Erlang mountainous chickens (SD02 and SD03), to discern the tissue, breed and age-related expression patterns in order to discover potential involvement in egg production and other related reproduction traits. Real-time quantitative PCR assays were developed for accurate measurement of CRBP1 and CRBP3 mRNA levels in different tissues from chickens at four ages (12, 20, 32 and 45 weeks). We found that the CRBP1 and CRBP3 were expressed in all six tissues examined in all three breeds of chicken at 32 weeks. CRBP1 mRNA levels in SD02 kidneys were slightly higher than those in SD03 and R at 12 weeks, whereas, at the other three time points, the expression levels of CRBP1 in SD03 were higher than those in SD02 and R. In addition, there was higher hepatic expression of CRBP3 mRNA in layers (R) compared to broilers (SD02 and SD03) at 20 and 32 weeks. An age-related expression pattern of CRBP1 gene was evident in liver (P < 0.01), but not in pituitary (P > 0.05). Overall, the expression level of CRBP1 gene in kidney, ovary and oviduct at the different ages had a "decline-rise-decline" trend in all three breeds. In contrast, in pituitary, hypothalamus, liver and kidney CRBP3 mRNA expression levels were significantly different at various ages (P < 0.05) and exhibited a "rise-decline-rise" pattern in all three breeds. Our results show that the expression of CRBP1 and CRBP3 in chicken tissues exhibit specific developmental changes and age-related patterns.