Transcriptome and Gut Microbiota Profiling Revealed the Protective Effect of Tibetan Tea on Ulcerative Colitis in Mice.

Ning Wang,Candace Chang,Muhammad Aamer Mehmood,Jie Mei,Muhammad Kashif Saleemi,Runhui Zhang,Di Du,Huibo Luo,Tao Wu,Zishan Liu,Hui Zhu

doi:10.3389/fmicb.2021.748594

Abstract

Traditionally, Ya’an Tibetan tea is routinely consumed by local people in the Tibet region. It is believed to possess promising anti-inflammatory benefits. This study was conducted to elucidate the protective impact of Tibetan tea extract (TTE) on dextran sodium sulfate (DSS)-induced colitis in mice. Mice were split into four groups: control (C) group, Tibetan tea (T) group, DSS-induced model (CD) group, and Tibetan tea + DSS (TD) group. The intake of TTE significantly reduced the clinical symptoms of ulcerative colitis (UC) by alleviating the impact of cellular damage and reducing glandular hypertrophy and the infiltration of inflammatory cells. UC led to a prominent shift of the microbial communities in the gut. Interestingly, the beneficial microbes, such as Lactobacillus reuteri, Bifidobacterium choerinum, and Lactobacillus intestinalis, were significantly increased in TTE-treated mice when compared to any other experimental group. The transcriptome analysis revealed that the positive effect of TTE on UC could be attributed to changes in the G alpha (i) signaling pathway and the innate immune system. The genes related to inflammation and immune system pathways were differentially expressed in the TTE-treated group. Moreover, the relative expression of genes linked to the inflammatory TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB signaling pathway was significantly downregulated toward the level of normal control samples in the TD group. Overall, this study revealed the modulatory effect by which TTE reversed the development and severity of chronic colon damage.

Highlights

Ulcerative colitis (UC) can trigger hemorrhagic diarrhea and passage of mucus and/or pus, which causes cramping in the abdominal during bowel movements (Ananthakrishnan et al, 2018)
The contents of total polyphenols and total flavonoids in Tibetan tea extract (TTE) were evaluated with spectroscopy, which were 70.24 ± 3.12 mg gallic acid equivalent (GAE)/g and 104.57 ± 7.61 mg rutin equivalent (RE)/g, respectively
To explore the molecular mechanism of the protective effects of TTE on ulcerative colitis (UC) and to identify the key gene sets and pathways involved in this anti-inflammatory process, we focused on detecting changes in the C, CD, and tea + DSS (TD) groups

Summary

Introduction

Ulcerative colitis (UC) can trigger hemorrhagic diarrhea and passage of mucus and/or pus, which causes cramping in the abdominal during bowel movements (Ananthakrishnan et al, 2018). The available drugs are inefficient in the remediation of the disease and cause several side effects. Tibetans are at high risk of suffering from UC due to their extreme living environment and eating habits, being on a plateau, making it necessary for them to drink tea daily for its health benefits (Lewis and Abreu, 2017). Tibetan tea is a product of geographical indication exclusively produced in the Ya’an region in China. It is a type of black tea made from a mature smallleaf cultivar, which is picked from high up the mountains above 1,000 m (Zheng et al, 2020). Pile fermentation is the key process to achieving the characteristic features of Tibetan tea (Xu et al, 2020)

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Conclusion