Picroside III Ameliorates Colitis in Mice: A Study Based on Colon Transcriptome and Fecal 16S Amplicon Profiling

Picroside III (Pic), an iridoid glycoside derived from Picrorhiza scrophulariiflora, exhibits therapeutic potential in mending damage to the intestinal mucosa. This study aimed to explore Pic's regulatory impact on intestinal inflammation and the gut microbiota in mice with dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis. The findings revealed that pretreatment with Pic mitigated the DSS-induced escalation of the disease activity index (DAI), alleviated intestinal damage, and attenuated intestinal inflammation in mice. RNA-seq analysis, complemented by experimental validation, elucidated that Pic significantly hindered Akt phosphorylation in the colon tissues of colitis-afflicted mice. Furthermore, 16S rRNA sequencing demonstrated that Pic pretreatment effectively rectified microbial dysbiosis in colitis mice by elevating the abundance of Lactobacillus murinus and Lactobacillus gasseri. These observations suggest that Pic's efficacy in colitis treatment stems from its inhibition of intestinal inflammation via the suppression of the PI3K-Akt pathway and modulation of gut microbiota. This study contributes novel scientific insights into the potential application of Pic in the management of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).