Potentilla discolor Bunge (PDB), a perennial herb, has been used as a traditional Chinese medicine in the therapy of many diseases. The aim of the current study was to investigate the effect of PDB water extract on systemic inflammation and gut microbiota in type 2 diabetic (T2D) mice induced by high-fat diet (HFD) and streptozotocin (STZ) injection. C57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into a normal diet (ND) group, T2D group, and PDB group (diabetic mice treated with PDB water extract at a dose of 400 mg/kg body weight). Results showed that PDB significantly decreased the levels of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and pro-inflammatory cytokines in serum. Further investigation showed that PDB significantly reduced the ratio of Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes and the relative abundance of Proteobacteria in fecal samples of diabetic mice. In addition, PDB notably alleviated intestinal inflammation as evidenced by decreased expression of toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), myeloid differentiation factor 88 (MyD88), nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB), and inflammatory cytokines. PDB also reversed the decreased expression of intestinal mucosal tight junction proteins including Claudin3, ZO-1, and Occludin. Meanwhile, the levels of fecal acetic acid and butyric acid and their specific receptors including G-protein-coupled receptor (GPR) 41 and 43 expression in the colon were also increased after PDB treatment. Our results indicated that PDB might serve as a potential functional ingredient against diabetes and related inflammation.
Keywords: Potentilla discolor Bunge water extract; diabetes; gut microbiota; inflammation; intestinal mucosal barrier function; short chain fatty acids.