Enhancing canine intestinal health: evodiamine-enriched functional diet modulates microbiota and metabolic pathways

This study investigated the effects of an evodiamine (EVO)-enriched functional diet on canine intestinal health, with a focus on its modulation of microbiota composition and promotion of intestinal well-being. After a one-week acclimatization period, dogs were randomly assigned to either the control group or the EVO group, receiving their respective diets for 8 weeks. Physiological and hematological parameters were assessed at 0, 4, and 8 weeks, and fresh feces were collected at 4 and 8 weeks for microbial analysis to evaluate the impact of the functional diet on canine intestinal microorganisms. The 8-week trial revealed that the functional gut diet regulated microbial composition, improving intestinal health without affecting body metrics or routine blood indicators, and the diet's safety was affirmed by normal biochemical indices. Comparative analysis indicated altered microbial abundance in model dogs, highlighting positive changes favoring intestinal barrier enhancement. Alpha diversity analysis confirmed increased species diversity in the EVO group, reflecting a healthier gut. Moreover, the study demonstrated the functional diet's regulatory impact on microbial metabolic pathways and species differences without observed side effects, reinforcing its positive influence on gut health. Therefore, the canine intestinal functional diet containing EVO showed no significant impact on physiological health but exhibited regulatory effects on intestinal microorganisms. EVO effectively modulated microbial abundance and diversity, fostering intestinal mucosal repair and barrier protection. Additionally, the diet improved microbial function by regulating canine intestinal metabolic pathways. This study serves as a valuable reference for future research in promoting canine intestinal health.