Dietary Supplementation with Epicatechin Improves Intestinal Barrier Integrity in Mice

Abstract

Epicatechin (EPI) is a dietary flavonoid that is present in many foods and possesses various bioactivities. We assessed the effects of EPI supplementation on intestinal barrier integrity in mice. Thirty-six mice were assigned to three groups and fed a standard diet or a standard diet supplemented with 50 or 100 mg EPI/kg (n = 12 per group). After 21 days of rearing, blood and intestinal samples were collected from eight randomly selected mice. Supplementation with 50 and 100 mg/kg EPI decreased (p D-lactic acid concentration and increased (p p p p p p < 0.05) cell apoptosis, cleaved cysteinyl aspartate-specific proteinase-3 (caspase-3), and cleaved caspase-9 contents in the duodenum, jejunum, and ileum. In conclusion, EPI could improve intestinal barrier integrity in mice, thereby suppressing intestinal inflammation and oxidative stress and reducing cell apoptosis.

Keywords

• epicatechin
• antioxidant capacity
• inflammatory responses
• cell apoptosis
• intestinal barrier