Gut microbiota and metabolic changes towards improved gut health with supplementation of Woodfordia fruticosa, a medicinal plant: An in vitro study

Abstract

Woodfordia fruticosa flowers are used as an important component in various fermentation-based traditional medicinal formulations for the treatment of gastrointestinal ailments. In the study, extract of flowers (WfE) was evaluated for its gut microbiota (GM) modulatory properties using in vitro fermentation experiments. WfE supplementation (0.5 and 1 mg/mL) led to significant changes in GM composition by increasing beneficial populations (8–44%) of genus Bifidobacterium, Akkermansia and Lactobacillus while decreasing pathogenic forms (35–91%) such as Bacteroides, Parabacteroides and Alistipes. Functional pathway prediction indicated upregulation of gluco-related metabolism, vitamin production, decrease in insulin resistance and lipopolysaccharide biosynthesis. Metabolomics (1H NMR) revealed significant increase in butyric acid (≥48%) and other SCFAs (17–49%) and glycerylphosphorylcholine (55–85%), with decrease in trimethylamine (4–9%), and trimethylamine oxide (31–38%). Results indicated WfE to be a novel source of functional food ingredient/ supplement and its potential application in an unexplored area of “food phytoceuticals” for maintenance of gut homeostasis. Industrial relevanceMedicinal plants with a long history of use in the treatment of gastrointestinal diseases could be novel sources of functional food ingredients that can have application in gut health. WfE was effective in modifying the gut microbial environment constructively by increasing beneficial microbial populations, suppressing opportunistic pathogenic forms, and also generating key metabolites associated with gut protective functions. WfE has potential industrial application as a functional food ingredient/supplement particularly in decreasing pathogenic populations reported to be involved in manifestation of inflammation, IBD, IBS, and metabolic syndrome.