Abstract
This study investigated the laxative effects of phlorotannins (Pt) derived from Ecklonia cava (E. cave) on chronic constipation by evaluating alterations in stool parameters, gastrointestinal motility, histopathological structure, mucin secretion, gastrointestinal hormones, muscarinic cholinergic regulation, and fecal microbiota in SD rats with loperamide (Lop)-induced constipation subjected to Pt treatment. Stool-related parameters (including stool number, weight, and water contents), gastrointestinal motility, and length of intestine were significantly enhanced in the Lop+Pt-treated group as compared to the Lop+Vehicle-treated group. A similar recovery was detected in the histopathological and cytological structure of the mid-colon of Lop+Pt-treated rats, although the level of mucin secretion remained constant. Moreover, rats with Lop-induced constipation subjected to Pt treatment showed significant improvements in water channel expression, gastrointestinal hormone secretions, and expression of muscarinic acetylcholine receptors M2/M3 (mAChRs M2/M3) and their mediators of muscarinic cholinergic regulation. Furthermore, the Lop+Pt-treated group showed a significant recovery of Bifidobacteriaceae, Muribaculaceae, Clostridiaceae, and Eubacteriaceae families in fecal microbiota. Taken together, these results provide the first evidence that exposure of SD rats with Lop-induced constipation to Pt improves the constipation phenotype through the regulation of membrane water channel expression, GI hormones, the mAChR signaling pathway, and fecal microbiota.
Highlights
The marine plant E. cava has long been reported to have various therapeutic effects, including anti-aging [1], antioxidation [2], anti-inflammation [3], anticancer [4], neuroprotection [5], antiplasmin activity [6], and tyrosinase inhibitory activity [7]
The concentrations of the three GI hormones were decreased in the Lop+Vehicle-treated group compared with the non-treated group, with significantly increased concentrations in the Lop+Pt-treated group, the increase rate varied (Figure 5). These results indicate that the defecation stimulation effects of Pt may be associated with stimulating the secretion of GI hormones in rats with Lop-induced constipation
Our data generated in the Lop-induced constipation model revealed that the laxative effects of Pt are probably associated with the regulation of water channel expression, GI hormone concentrations, mAChR signaling pathway, and fecal microbiota
Summary
The marine plant E. cava has long been reported to have various therapeutic effects, including anti-aging [1], antioxidation [2], anti-inflammation [3], anticancer [4], neuroprotection [5], antiplasmin activity [6], and tyrosinase inhibitory activity [7]. These functions are closely linked to the constituent components, such as carotenoids, fucoidan, sulfated polysaccharides, peptides, and tannins [8,9,10]. Duced as a secondary metabolite from marine brown algae such as Sargassum fusiforme, Fucus vesiculosus, Alaria esculenta, Laminaria digitata, and Ascophyllum nodosum [13,14,15].
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