Abstract
Green banana flour (GBF) is rich in resistant starch that has been used as a prebiotic to exert beneficial effects on gut microbiota. In this study, GBF was evaluated for its capacity to restore gut microbiota and intestinal barrier integrity from antibiotics (Abx) perturbation by comparing it to natural recovery (NR) treatment. C57B/L 6 J mice were exposed to 3 mg ciprofloxacin and 3.5 mg metronidazole once a day for 2 weeks to induce gut microbiota dysbiosis model. Then, GBF intervention at the dose of 400 mg/kg body weight was conducted for 2 weeks. The results showed that mice treated with Abx displayed increased gut permeability and intestinal barrier disruption, which were restored more quickly with GBF than NR treatment by increasing the secretion of mucin. Moreover, GBF treatment enriched beneficial Bacteroidales S24-7, Lachnospiraceae, Bacteroidaceae, and Porphyromonadaceae that accelerated the imbalanced gut microbiota restoration to its original state. This study puts forward novel insights into the application of GBF as a functional food ingredient to repair gut microbiota from Abx perturbation.
Highlights
Antibiotics (Abx) are among the most commonly prescribed drugs for the clinical treatment of various bacterial infections worldwide
The bacteria resided about 146.10 ± 8.13 μm on average from epithelial cells after Green banana flour (GBF) treatment, which was significantly increased compared with the distance after Abx treatment (p < 0.0001)
Referring to different recovery strategies, the distance was significantly increased by more than 20% in the GBF treatment group compared with the natural recovery (NR) treatment group (P < 0.001)
Summary
Antibiotics (Abx) are among the most commonly prescribed drugs for the clinical treatment of various bacterial infections worldwide. Abx treatment can cause significant changes in gut microbiota with both short- and longterm health consequences, resulting in multiple symptoms such as Abx-associated diarrhea [4, 5]. Abx can weaken the gut barrier, increase the contact possibility between microbiota and intestinal immune cells, and induce inflammation [7, 8]. Another health risk of Abx resistance has attracted global attention owing to its impact on morbidity, mortality, and healthcare costs globally. 10 million people will be at risk of drug-resistant bacterial infections by 2050 [9]. It is of great significance to use Abx rationally and take effective measures to facilitate the gut microbiota recovery after Abx therapy
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