β-Glucan Extracted from Highland Barley Alleviates Dextran Sulfate Sodium-Induced Ulcerative Colitis in C57BL/6J Mice
Minjie Chen,
Shuhua Tian,
Shichao Li,
Xinyi Pang,
Jing Sun,
Xiaoyu Zhu,
Fengxia Lv,
Zhaoxin Lu,
Xiangfei Li
Affiliations
Minjie Chen
College of Food Science and Technology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
Shuhua Tian
Collaborative Innovation Center for Modern Grain Circulation and Safety, Key Laboratory of Grains and Oils Quality Control and Processing, College of Food Science and Engineering, Nanjing University of Finance and Economics, Nanjing 210023, China
Shichao Li
College of Food Science and Technology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
Xinyi Pang
Collaborative Innovation Center for Modern Grain Circulation and Safety, Key Laboratory of Grains and Oils Quality Control and Processing, College of Food Science and Engineering, Nanjing University of Finance and Economics, Nanjing 210023, China
Jing Sun
Collaborative Innovation Center for Modern Grain Circulation and Safety, Key Laboratory of Grains and Oils Quality Control and Processing, College of Food Science and Engineering, Nanjing University of Finance and Economics, Nanjing 210023, China
Xiaoyu Zhu
College of Food Science and Technology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
Fengxia Lv
College of Food Science and Technology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
Zhaoxin Lu
College of Food Science and Technology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
Xiangfei Li
College of Food Science and Technology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), which significantly affects human health, has two primary presentations: Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis (UC). Highland barley is the most common food crop for Tibetans and contains much more β-glucan than any other crop. Highland barley β-glucan (HBBG) can relieve the gastrointestinal dysfunction and promote intestines health. This study aimed to evaluate whether HBBG can relieve UC in mice. A mouse model of UC was established by adding 2% dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) to drinking water for 1 week. UC was alleviated after the introduction of the HBBG diet, as indicated by reductions in the disease activity index (DAI) score, histopathological damage, and the concentration of colonic myeloperoxidase (MPO), along with an improvement in colonic atrophy. Furthermore, we found that HBBG can increase the relative transcriptional levels of genes encoding ZO-1, claudin-1, occludin, and mucin2 (MUC2), thereby reducing intestinal permeability. Additionally, HBBG maintained the balance of proinflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines and modulated the structure of the intestinal flora.
