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Updated: Jun 5, 2025

Analyzing Beneficial Effects of Nutritional Supplements on Intestinal Epithelial Barrier Functions During Experimental Colitis
Published on: January 5, 2017
Transcriptomics and metabolomics reveal the alleviation effect of pectic polysaccharide on dextran sodium
Xiaoqing Li1, Wen Duan2, Yi Zhu3
1College of Food Science and Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Nutraceuticals and Functional Foods, College of Food Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China; Department of Food Science, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003, USA.
Abstract:
Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a relapsing disease with an increasing morbidity and prevalence. Dietary polysaccharides have recently become a research hotspot because of their therapeutic effects and safety on UC. Our previous research elucidated that pectic polysaccharide from Phyllanthus emblica L. (PEP-1) could alleviate dextran sodium sulfate-induced UC mice. Herein, metabolomics and transcriptomics were further applied to disclose the underlying mechanisms behind PEP-1's anti-inflammatory effects. PEP-1 intervention altered the serum metabolite contents and pathways represented by decreasing xanthine and sphinganine levels. Changes in gene expressions correlated with metabolite variations led by the suppression of the expression of the inflammatory factors, colorectal cancer promoter, and NF-κB pathway as well as the enhancement of tight junctions. This study demonstrated that the ameliorating effect of chronic UC was partially ascribed to the alteration of the serum metabolites and changes in gene expression.

