The Antioxidant Activity of <i>Thymus serpyllum</i> Extract Protects against the Inflammatory State and Modulates Gut Dysbiosis in Diet-Induced Obesity in Mice
Antonio Jesús Ruiz-Malagón,
María Jesús Rodríguez-Sojo,
Laura Hidalgo-García,
José Alberto Molina-Tijeras,
Federico García,
Ivo Pischel,
Miguel Romero,
Juan Duarte,
Patricia Diez-Echave,
María Elena Rodríguez-Cabezas,
Alba Rodríguez-Nogales,
Julio Gálvez
Affiliations
Antonio Jesús Ruiz-Malagón
Department of Pharmacology, Center for Biomedical Research (CIBM), University of Granada, 18071 Granada, Spain
María Jesús Rodríguez-Sojo
Department of Pharmacology, Center for Biomedical Research (CIBM), University of Granada, 18071 Granada, Spain
Laura Hidalgo-García
Department of Pharmacology, Center for Biomedical Research (CIBM), University of Granada, 18071 Granada, Spain
José Alberto Molina-Tijeras
Department of Pharmacology, Center for Biomedical Research (CIBM), University of Granada, 18071 Granada, Spain
Federico García
Instituto de Investigación Biosanitaria de Granada (ibs.GRANADA), 18012 Granada, Spain
Ivo Pischel
Centre for Pharmacognosy and Phytotherapy, UCL School of Pharmacy, University of London, London WC1N 1AX, UK
Miguel Romero
Department of Pharmacology, Center for Biomedical Research (CIBM), University of Granada, 18071 Granada, Spain
Juan Duarte
Department of Pharmacology, Center for Biomedical Research (CIBM), University of Granada, 18071 Granada, Spain
Patricia Diez-Echave
Department of Pharmacology, Center for Biomedical Research (CIBM), University of Granada, 18071 Granada, Spain
María Elena Rodríguez-Cabezas
Department of Pharmacology, Center for Biomedical Research (CIBM), University of Granada, 18071 Granada, Spain
Alba Rodríguez-Nogales
Department of Pharmacology, Center for Biomedical Research (CIBM), University of Granada, 18071 Granada, Spain
Julio Gálvez
Department of Pharmacology, Center for Biomedical Research (CIBM), University of Granada, 18071 Granada, Spain
Nowadays, there is an increasing interest in alternative therapies in the treatment of metabolic syndrome that combine efficacy and safety profiles. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the effect of an extract of Thymus serpyllum, containing rosmarinic acid, on high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obesity mice, highlighting the impact of its antioxidant activity on the inflammatory status and gut dysbiosis. The extract was administered daily (50, 100 and 150 mg/kg) in HFD-fed mice. The treatment reduced body weight gain, glucose and lipid metabolic profiles. Moreover, the extract ameliorated the inflammatory status, with the c-Jun N-terminal kinases (JUNK) pathway being involved, and showed a significant antioxidant effect by the reduction of radical scavenging activity and the mitigation of lipid peroxidation. Moreover, the extract was able to modulate the altered gut microbiota, restoring microbial richness and diversity, and augmenting the counts of short-chain fatty acid producing bacteria, which have been associated with the maintenance of gut permeability and weight regulation. In conclusion, the antioxidant activity of Thymus serpyllum extract displayed a positive impact on obesity and its metabolic alterations, also reducing systemic inflammation. These effects may be mediated by modulation of the gut microbiota.