Strawberry (Fragaria Chiloensis) is a major edible berry with various potential health benefits. However, the detailed mechanistic information on the biological effects of strawberry is lacking, which greatly limited its utilization for health-promotion. This study determined the protective effects of dietary intake of whole strawberry (WS) against dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis in mice. Our results demonstrated that dietary WS reduced the disease activity index (DAI), prevented the colon shortening and spleen enlargement, and alleviated the histological damages on colonic tissues in the colitic mice. The abundance of pro-inflammatory immune cells was reduced by dietary WS in the colonic mucosa, which was accompanied by the suppression of abnormal overproduction of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as TNF-α, IL-1β, and IFN-γ in the colon of the colonic mice. Western blotting and immunohistochemical analysis revealed that dietary WS decreased the expression levels of pro-inflammatory proteins in the colonic mucosa. Moreover, dietary WS partially reversed DSS-induced alteration of gut microbiota in the colitic mice by increasing the abundance of Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium and decreasing the abundance of Akkermansia and Dorea. Dietary WS also restored the decreased production of short chain fatty acids (SCFAs) in the cecum of the colitic mice. The changes in the gut microbiota induced by dietary WS were closely correlated with its effects on pro-inflammatory cytokines and SCFAs. Our findings revealed the anti-inflammatory effects and mechanisms of dietary WS in the colon, which is critical for the rational utilization of strawberry as a dietary agent for the prevention of inflammation-driven diseases. &lt;audio controls="controls" style="display: none;"&gt; &lt;/audio&gt;

Dietary intake of the whole strawberry inhibited colonic inflammation, restored immune homeostasis and alleviated gut microbiota dysbiosis in dextran sulfate sodium-treated mice

256th National Meeting (2018)

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