Laxative Effects of Phlorotannins Derived from <i>Ecklonia cava</i> on Loperamide-Induced Constipation in SD Rats
Ji-Eun Kim,
Yun-Ju Choi,
Su-Jin Lee,
Jeong-Eun Gong,
You-Jung Jin,
So-Hae Park,
Hee-Seob Lee,
Young-Whan Choi,
Jin-Tae Hong,
Dae-Youn Hwang
Affiliations
Ji-Eun Kim
Laboratory Animal Resources Center, Department of Biomaterials Science (BK21 FOUR Program), Life and Industry Convergence Research Institute, College of Natural Resources & Life Science, Pusan National University, Miryang 50463, Korea
Yun-Ju Choi
Laboratory Animal Resources Center, Department of Biomaterials Science (BK21 FOUR Program), Life and Industry Convergence Research Institute, College of Natural Resources & Life Science, Pusan National University, Miryang 50463, Korea
Su-Jin Lee
Laboratory Animal Resources Center, Department of Biomaterials Science (BK21 FOUR Program), Life and Industry Convergence Research Institute, College of Natural Resources & Life Science, Pusan National University, Miryang 50463, Korea
Jeong-Eun Gong
Laboratory Animal Resources Center, Department of Biomaterials Science (BK21 FOUR Program), Life and Industry Convergence Research Institute, College of Natural Resources & Life Science, Pusan National University, Miryang 50463, Korea
You-Jung Jin
Laboratory Animal Resources Center, Department of Biomaterials Science (BK21 FOUR Program), Life and Industry Convergence Research Institute, College of Natural Resources & Life Science, Pusan National University, Miryang 50463, Korea
So-Hae Park
Laboratory Animal Resources Center, Department of Biomaterials Science (BK21 FOUR Program), Life and Industry Convergence Research Institute, College of Natural Resources & Life Science, Pusan National University, Miryang 50463, Korea
Hee-Seob Lee
Department of Food Science and Nutrition, College of Human Ecology, Pusan National University, Busan 46241, Korea
Young-Whan Choi
Department of Horticultural Bioscience, Life and Industry Convergence Research Institute, College of Natural Resources & Life Science, Pusan National University, Miryang 50463, Korea
Jin-Tae Hong
College of Pharmacy, Chungbuk National University, Chungju 28160, Korea
Dae-Youn Hwang
Laboratory Animal Resources Center, Department of Biomaterials Science (BK21 FOUR Program), Life and Industry Convergence Research Institute, College of Natural Resources & Life Science, Pusan National University, Miryang 50463, Korea
This study investigated the laxative effects of phlorotannins (Pt) derived from Ecklonia cava (E. cave) on chronic constipation by evaluating alterations in stool parameters, gastrointestinal motility, histopathological structure, mucin secretion, gastrointestinal hormones, muscarinic cholinergic regulation, and fecal microbiota in SD rats with loperamide (Lop)-induced constipation subjected to Pt treatment. Stool-related parameters (including stool number, weight, and water contents), gastrointestinal motility, and length of intestine were significantly enhanced in the Lop+Pt-treated group as compared to the Lop+Vehicle-treated group. A similar recovery was detected in the histopathological and cytological structure of the mid-colon of Lop+Pt-treated rats, although the level of mucin secretion remained constant. Moreover, rats with Lop-induced constipation subjected to Pt treatment showed significant improvements in water channel expression, gastrointestinal hormone secretions, and expression of muscarinic acetylcholine receptors M2/M3 (mAChRs M2/M3) and their mediators of muscarinic cholinergic regulation. Furthermore, the Lop+Pt-treated group showed a significant recovery of Bifidobacteriaceae, Muribaculaceae, Clostridiaceae, and Eubacteriaceae families in fecal microbiota. Taken together, these results provide the first evidence that exposure of SD rats with Lop-induced constipation to Pt improves the constipation phenotype through the regulation of membrane water channel expression, GI hormones, the mAChR signaling pathway, and fecal microbiota.
