A polysaccharide from<i>Rosa roxburghii</i>Tratt fruit attenuates high-fat diet-induced intestinal barrier dysfunction and inflammation in mice by modulating the gut microbiota

Abstract

Obesity-induced colonic inflammation-stimulated colitis is one of the main causes of colorectal cancer. Dietary polysaccharides are considered an effective agent for relieving obesity-induced inflammatory diseases such as diabetes and colitis. In this work, the protective effects of a polysaccharide (RTFP) extracted from <i>Rosa roxburghii</i> Tratt fruit on barrier dysfunction and inflammation were investigated using obesity-induced colitis model mice. RTFP treatment repaired intestinal barrier dysfunction by increasing the expression of tight junction proteins (ZO-1, claudin-1, and occludin) and reducing the levels of inflammatory cytokines, intestinal permeability, and colonic oxidative stress in mice fed a high-fat diet. Most significantly, RTFP decreased gut inflammation and ameliorated the metabolic dysbiosis of intestinal microflora by decreasing the Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio, reducing the levels of serum D-lactic acid and lipopolysaccharides, and inhibiting the TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathway. Furthermore, RTFP significantly increased the abundance of beneficial bacteria (Ruminococcaceae, Muribaculaceae, Akkermansiaceae, <i>etc</i>.) but decreased the abundance of pathogenic bacteria. These findings indicate that RTFP can be used as a natural anti-inflammatory agent to reduce chronic obesity-induced colitis.