Kefir peptides improve gut and blood vessels function by ameliorating intestinal morphology and enriching intestinal microbiota in salt‐induced spontaneous hypertension rat stroke‐prone (SHRSP) animal model

Abstract

Kefir peptides are prebiotic products generated by kefir grain fermentation of milk proteins. Effects of kefir peptides for lowered blood pressure, antioxidant and osteoporosis. In this study, we hypothesis that kefir peptides may protect the gut function with microbial dysbiosis changes and decrease the mesenteric blood vessels inflammatory which linked to anti hypertension. The current study found that a high salt diet is considered a cardiovascular risk factor, altered the intestinal bacteria composition and produced gut dysbiosis in rats. Thus, we used the 1% salt (v/w) in drinking water to speed up hypertension of spontaneous hypertension rat stroke‐prone (SHRSP) rats, the rats were assigned to four treatment groups, including normal control group (WKY rat), Untreated group (SHRSP rat fed with normal water), NaCl/Mock group (SHRSP rat fed with 1% salt water) and NaCl/KP group (SHRSP rat fed with 1% salt water+200 mg/kg kefir peptides) for four weeks experiment. Data showed that rats only gave the 1% salt group the gut villus height of small intestine and the diversity of intestinal microbiota were significantly decreased, while supplementation with kefir peptides counteracted the normal control group. In the small intestinal microbiota, the microbiota enriching of 1% salt‐treated Mock group have significantly decreased than the other groups. Oral administrations of kefir peptides could regulate the microenvironment of the intestinal tract for the microbes, provide extra sources of carbon and nitrogen for the microbes to live and grow. Additionally, the genera of Allobaculum, Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus were found to have a high degree of richness in the kefir peptides group, which are generally considered beneficial taxa with the energy and regulate blood pressure. In conclusion, the results indicated that kefir peptides improve gastrointestinal microenvironment and mesenteric blood vessels function by ameliorating intestinal morphology and enriching intestinal microbiota under the 1% salt‐induced SHRSP rats.