‘Ataulfo’ mango (Mangifera indica) bars mitigate colon inflammation and modulate intestinal microbiota in DSS-induced colitis in a mouse model

Abstract

Anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties have been associated with the bioactive compounds and dietary fiber found in ‘Ataulfo’ mango (Mangifera indica L.). However, the functionality of mango diet supplementation against intestinal dysbiosis during colitis has not been investigated. By use of 16S rRNA gene Illumina MiSeq, we analyzed the modulation of intestinal ecology with an ‘Ataulfo’ mango-enriched diet (DMango) in a dextran sodium sulphate DSS mice model. The histological analysis by haematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining showed that the DMango diet depleted the immune cell infiltrations over D5001 standard diet. Also, antibody immunofluorescence analysis demonstrated a greater mucin-2 glycoprotein (MUC2) expression associated to DMango diet, even under induced colitis. Changes in the microbial profile demonstrated that a DMango diet promotes the formation of healthy of microbiota whilst attenuating the unfavourable dysbiosis produced by DSS. DMango diet significantly increased (p < 0.05) the abundance of Clostridium XIVa, Butirycicoccus, Kineothrix, Clostridium IV, Flintibacter, Intestinimonas, Mediterraneibacter and Schaedlerella genera. The phylogenetic investigation of communities by reconstruction of unobserved states (PICRUSt) evidenced an increase of carbohydrate metabolism potential under the DMango diet. This is the first study showing the substantial health benefits resulting from supplementation with an ‘Ataulfo’ mango diet, mainly maintaining the integrity of the mucus barrier and restoring microbiota shape. This could be promissory as alternative treatment for the preventing or treating colitis.