Open Access

ARTICLE

Effect of Lycopus lucidus Turcz. supplementation on gut microflora and short chain fatty acid composition in Crj: CD-1 mice

EUN NA¹, SUN YOUNG LIM^2,*

1 Ocean Science and Technology School, Korea Maritime & Ocean University, Busan, Korea
2 Division of Convergence on Marine Science, Korea Maritime & Ocean University, Busan, Korea

* Corresponding Author: Sun Young Lim,

BIOCELL 2022, 46(9), 2101-2109. https://doi.org/10.32604/biocell.2022.019807

Received 16 October 2021; Accepted 31 December 2021; Issue published 18 May 2022

Abstract

We investigated the diversity and composition of microflora in feces of Lycopus lucidus Turcz.-fed mice. In addition, we evaluated the production of major cytokines (Interleukin-6 and -10) which are related to inflammation and fatty acid composition of several tissues. 16S ribosomal DNA sequencing-based microbiome taxonomic profiling analysis was performed utilizing the EzBioCloud data base. Male mice fed on L. lucidus showed a significantly reduced number of lactic acid bacteria and coliform in the feces compared with the control group (p < 0.05). 16S rDNA sequencing analysis of fecal samples showed that L. lucidus supplementation decreased the community of harmful microflora (Enterobacteriaceae including Escherichia coli and Bacteroides sp.) in feces compared with the control group (p < 0.05). There were no significant differences in mRNA expression of cytokine IL-6 and IL-10 between the control and L. lucidus fed groups. The fecal fatty acid composition in the L. lucidus group had percentages of 4:0, 6:0, 8:0 and 10:0 in the intestine but those short chain fatty acids were not detected in the control group. Our results showed that L. lucidus supplementation influenced gut environment by decreasing harmful microflora and increased the percentages of several short fatty acids.

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Keywords

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