The pathogenesis of ulcerative colitis (UC) is associated with inflammation, oxidative stress, and gut microbiota imbalance. Although most researchers have demonstrated the antioxidant bioactivity of the phenolic compounds in plants, their UC-curing ability and underlying mechanisms still need to be further and adequately explored. Herein, we studied the antioxidation-structure relationship of several common polyphenols in plants including gallic acid, proanthocyanidin, ellagic acid, and tannic acid. Furthermore, the in vivo effects of the plant polyphenols on C57BL/6 mice with dextran-sulfate-sodium-induced UC were evaluated and the action mechanisms were explored. Moreover, the interplay of several mechanisms was determined. The higher the number of phenolic hydroxyl groups, the stronger the antioxidant activity. All polyphenols markedly ameliorated the symptoms and pathological progression of UC in mice. Furthermore, inflammatory cytokine levels were decreased and the intestinal barrier was repaired. The process was regulated by the antioxidant-signaling pathway of nuclear-erythroid 2-related factor 2. Moreover, the diversity of the intestinal microbiota, Firmicutes-to-Bacteroides ratio, and relative abundance of beneficial bacteria were increased. An interplay was observed between microbiota regulation and oxidative stress, immunity, and inflammatory response. Furthermore, intestinal barrier repair was found to be correlated with inflammatory responses. Our study results can form a basis for comprehensively developing plant-polyphenol-related medicinal products.
Keywords: anti-inflammation; antioxidants; gut microbiota; polyphenols; ulcerative colitis.