Diarrheal Mice Induced by a High-fat and High-protein Diet could be Cured by Bohe Pill Regulating Intestinal Mucosal Bacteria

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the effect of Baohe pill decoction on the bacterial diversity and community structure of the intestinal mucosa of mice with diarrhea caused by feeding HFD and HPD, and provides a scientific basis for the efficacy of Baohe pill decoction in treating this condition. Specific pathogen-free Kunming male mice were randomized into three equal groups, i.e. the control (ftcm), natural recovery (ftmm), and Baohe pill decoction treatment (fttm) groups. The ftcm group was fed a general feed diet, and the ftmm and fttm groups were treated with HFD and HPD. Following the successful induction of diarrhea, the mice in the fttm group were gavaged with Baohe pill decoction, and the mice in the ftmm group were given equal amounts of sterile water. The intestinal mucosal microbiota characteristics were analyzed by 16S ribosomal ribonucleic acid Pacbio single-molecule, real-time full-length gene sequencing. The operational taxonomic unit (OTU) number and alpha diversity in the intestinal mucosal flora of the fttm group were higher than in the ftcm and ftmm groups (P > 0.05), and the composition of the intestinal mucosa bacteria differed between the ftmm and fttm groups. The ftmm group showed a higher abundance of Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, and Streptophyta, while the Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, and Verrucomicrobia in the fttm group were higher than that in the other two groups. Compared with the ftmm group, certain beneficial bacteria (Lactobacillus) showed an increased abundance, and pathogenic bacteria (Bacillus, Bradyrhizobium, and Ralstonia) showed a decreased abundance. Bacterial species, such as Lactobacillus (Lactobacillus johnsonii, Lactobacillus murinus, Lactobacillus acidophilus and Lactobacillus intestinalis) were significantly higher in the fttm and closely matched those in the ftcm group. Furthermore, various opportunistic pathogens caused by feeding an HFD and HPD were not detected in the fttm group. The current study results indicated that Baohe pill decoction improved diarrhea symptoms by regulating the balance of mucosal microbiota. Specifically, Baohe pill decoction increased the abundance of probiotic Lactobacillus and decreased the abundance of the opportunistic Ralstonia pathogen.