The Positive Influence of Polyphenols Extracted From Pueraria lobata Root on the Gut Microbiota and Its Antioxidant Capability

Abstract

Pueraria lobata, an edible food and medicinal plant, is a rich source of bioactive components. In this study, a polyphenol-rich extract was isolated from P. lobata. Puerarin was identified, and the high antioxidant bioactivity of the P. lobata extract was evaluated using the methods of 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), 2,2′-azinobis-(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulphonate) (ABTS), and hydroxyl free radical scavenging ratio. Additionally, the IC50 values of DPPH, ABTS, and hydroxyl radical scavenging activities were 50.8, 13.9, and 100.4 μg/ml, respectively. Then, the P. lobata extract was administered to C57Bl/6J mice and confirmed to have a superior effect on enhancing the antioxidant status including improving superoxide dismutase activity, glutathione peroxidase peroxide activity, total antioxidant capacity activity, and malondialdehyde contents in vivo. Furthermore, the P. lobata extract had beneficial and prebiotic effects on the composition and structure of gut microbiota. Results showed that the P. lobata extract significantly increased the abundance of beneficial bacteria, involving Lactobacillaceae and Bacteroidetes, and decreased the abundance of Ruminococcaceae, Prevotellaceae, and Burkholderiaceae. Overall, our results provided a basis for using the P. lobata extract as a promising and potential functional ingredient for the food industry.

Effects of Pueraria Extract and Curcumin on Growth Performance, Antioxidant Status and Intestinal Integrity of Broiler Chickens

“…Additionally, MDA is a product of lipid peroxidation, indicating oxidative damage to lipids [ 24 ]. It is well known that PR has potential antioxidant activities both in vitro and in vivo [ 9 ], and that CUR can scavenge free radicals and stimulate antioxidant parameters [ 25 , 26 ]. PE has been shown to have a superior effect on enhancing the antioxidant status in C57Bl/6J mice in vivo, including increasing the activities of SOD and GSH-Px, and the contents of T-AOC and MDA [ 9 ].…”

“…Puerarin (PR) is a C-glucoside of the isoflavone daidzein extracted from pueraria [ 6 ]. The PR not only plays an anti-inflammatory role by downregulating the expression of proinflammatory cytokines or inhibiting the production of inflammatory mediators [ 7 , 8 ], but also plays an antioxidant role, by enhancing the activity of antioxidant enzymes in serum and tissues [ 9 ]. Niu et al [ 10 ] reported that PR treatment protected the lung from Mycoplasma gallisepticum infection-induced damage by inhibiting the inflammatory response and apoptosis in chickens.…”

Gut microbiota, a hidden protagonist of traditional Chinese medicine for acute ischemic stroke

“…AIS can cause disruption of the gut microbiota, which is an important cause of poor prognosis in AIS, and Traditional Chinese herbs can correct this microbiota disorder. It was found that the use of Chinese herbal preparations (both formulae and compounds) could restore the diversity of the gut microbiota to varying degrees, increase the abundance of probiotic bacteria, reduce the abundance of conditionally pathogenic bacteria, and bring the gut microbiota closer to that of healthy populations after AIS( Cai et al, 2019 ; Zhang et al, 2020 ; Fu et al, 2021 ; Lin et al, 2021 ; Wang et al, 2022b ; Cheng et al, 2022 ; Xu et al, 2022 ). To investigate how TCM regulates gut microbiota and how it exerts therapeutic effects, we searched for recently published studies on the regulation of gut microbiota by TCM in the treatment of AIS, including Chinese herbal formulae ( Table 1 ) and herbal compounds ( Table 2 ).…”

Probiotic fermentation of polyphenols: potential sources of novel functional foods

“…Isolated polyphenols from Oolong tea modulated the growth of human intestinal microbiota in vitro by inducing the proliferation of Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus/Enterococcus species while suppressing the growth of Bacteroides-Prevotella, Clostridium histolyticum, and Eubacterium-Clostridium groups, but without any effect on the population of total bacteria (Zhang et al 2013). An in vivo study in mice using polyphenols extracted from Pueraria lobata root demonstrated an increase in the proliferation of beneficial microorganisms in the gut involving Lactobacillaceae and Bacteroidetes and simultaneous suppression of the abundance of Ruminococcaceae, Prevotellaceae, and Burkholderiaceae (Xu et al 2022). We also observed that green tea catechin EGCG differentially influences the growth of microorganisms in vitro resulting in strong suppression of pathogenic microorganisms (Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhi, Staphylococcus aureus, Shigella flexneri, and Vibrio cholerae) with little or no effect on the growth of probiotic LAB (Lactobacillus rhamnosus, Lactobacillus planatarum, Lactobacillus fermentum) (Sharma et al 2019).…”