生、炙黄芪不同组分对脾虚大鼠肠道菌群、短链脂肪酸代谢和免疫活性的调节作用研究OA

This study aimed to investigate the effects of total saponins,total flavonoids,and total polysaccharides from raw and honey-processed Astragali Radix on intestinal microbiota,short-chain fatty acid metabolism,and immune activity in rats with spleen deficiency.A spleen deficiency model was established using a combination of irregular diet,bitter-cold purgative administration and excessive fatigue.High-throughput 16S rRNA sequencing was employed to analyze the modulatory effects of different fractions from raw and honey-processed Astragali Radix on the structural diversity of intestinal microbiota in spleen-deficient rats.Headspace gas chromatography-mass spectrometry was used to determine the modulatory effects of these fractions on the metabolism of short-chain fatty acids.ELISA was employed to assess the effects of raw and honey-processed Astragali Radix on specific and non-specific immune activities of spleen-deficient rats.The results demonstrated that the total flavonoids,total saponins,and total polysaccharides from raw and honey-processed Astragali Radix significantly restored the abundance of the harmful bacterial genus Helicobacter in the intestines of spleen-deficient rats.Moreover,except for the total polysaccharides from both raw and honey-processed Astragali Radix,all other treatment groups also significantly reduced the abundance of the harmful bacterial genus Sutterella(P＜0.05).The fractions from raw and honey-processed Astragali Radix were able to restore the levels of various short-chain fatty acids in the colon of spleen-deficient rats.Notably,the total polysaccharides from honey-processed Astragali Radix significantly outperformed those from raw Astragali Radix in increasing acetic acid content(P＜0.05).The total polysaccharides of both raw and honey-processed Astragali Radix significantly restored the levels of IL-4,IL-6,IL-10,IL-18,IgA,and IgG in the serum and colon,as well as the level of IL-2 in the serum of spleen-deficient rats(P＜0.05 or P＜0.01).The restorative effects of the processed product were superior to those of the raw product.In summary,the specific and non-specific immunomodulatory effects of the components from raw Astragali Radix increased after honey-processing,thereby potentiating its efficacy in ameliorating spleen deficiency.These findings may provide a scientific basis for elucidating the mechanism by which honey-processing enhances the qi-tonifying and middle-strengthening effects of Astragali Radix.