Gut microbes play significant roles in colitis development. The current study was aimed to uncover the preventive effects of lycopene (LYC), a functional carotenoid component, on colitis and the accompanied behavior disorders. The current study demonstrated that LYC treatment (50 mg/kg body weight/day) for 40 days prevented the dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced gut barrier damages and inflammatory responses in male mice. LYC improved DSS-induced depression and anxiety-like behavioral disorders by suppressing neuroinflammation and prevented synaptic ultrastructure damages by upregulating the expressions of neurotrophic factor and postsynaptic-density protein. Moreover, LYC reshaped the gut microbiome in colitis mice by decreasing the relative abundance of proteobacteria and increasing the relative abundance of Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus. LYC also elevated the generation of short-chain fatty acids and inhibited the permeability of lipopolysaccharide in colitis mice. In conclusion, LYC ameliorate DSS-induced colitis and behavioral disorders via mediating microbes-gut-brain axis balance.
Keywords: colitis; gut barrier; gut microbiome; lycopene; neuroinflammation.