Alleviation of ulcerative colitis via curcumin-fortified orange juice: Utilization of orange-derived extracellular vesicles as active nanocarrier

Abstract

There is evidence that consumption of fruit and vegetable juices may alleviate ulcerative colitis. However, their application is limited because of their relatively weak and uncertain health benefits. In this study, curcumin-fortified orange juice (Cur-OJ) was produced using orange extracellular vesicles as natural active nanocarriers. The concentration, composition, morphology and size of extracellular vesicles were first determined. It was shown that curcumin was incorporated into the lipid bilayer of extracellular vesicles in an amorphous form. The influences of oral administration of Cur-OJ on DSS-triggered colitis mice was evaluated. Cur-OJ reduced the pathological symptoms in mice, affected the expression of inflammatory cytokine, and improved the integrity of the colon tissue through enhancing the levels of three tight junction proteins. The gut microflora and colonic metabolites of colitis mice in Cur-OJ group were close to those in control group. Noticeably, the treatment of colitis was better in the Cur-OJ group than those in curcumin or orange juice groups, suggesting that curcumin and orange juice can work together to relieve colitis symptoms. In summary, this study showed that Cur-OJ can reduce colitis, which may be useful for the progress of novel functional fruit or vegetable juice and foods designed to improve body health and human wellbeing.