Black chokeberry (Aronia melanocarpa L.) polyphenols attenuate obesity-induced colonic inflammation by regulating gut microbiota and the TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathway in high fat diet-fed rats

Food Funct. 2023 Nov 13;14(22):10014-10030. doi: 10.1039/d3fo02177g.

Abstract

This study investigated the potential benefits of black chokeberry polyphenol (BCP) supplementation on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated inflammatory response in RAW264.7 cells and obesity-induced colonic inflammation in a high fat diet (HFD)-fed rat model. Our findings demonstrated that BCP treatment effectively reduced the production of nitric oxide (NO) and pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, and MCP-1) in LPS-induced RAW264.7 cells and concurrently mitigated oxidative stress by modulating the levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), catalase (CAT), and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, BCP supplementation significantly ameliorated HFD-induced obesity, improved glucose tolerance, and reduced systemic inflammation in HFD-fed rats. Notably, BCP treatment suppressed the mRNA expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines and alleviated intestinal barrier dysfunction by regulating the mRNA and protein expression of key tight junction proteins (ZO-1, occludin, and claudin-1), thereby inhibiting colonic inflammation caused by the TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathway. Additionally, BCP treatment altered the composition and function of the gut microbiota, leading to an increase in the total content of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), particularly acetic acid, propionic acid, isobutyric acid, and butyric acid. Collectively, our results highlighted the potential of BCP supplementation as a promising prebiotic strategy for treating obesity-induced colonic inflammation.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Cytokines / metabolism
  • Diet, High-Fat / adverse effects
  • Gastrointestinal Microbiome*
  • Inflammation / metabolism
  • Lipopolysaccharides / pharmacology
  • NF-kappa B / genetics
  • NF-kappa B / metabolism
  • Obesity / metabolism
  • Photinia* / metabolism
  • Polyphenols / pharmacology
  • RNA, Messenger
  • Rats
  • Signal Transduction
  • Toll-Like Receptor 4 / genetics

Substances

  • NF-kappa B
  • Toll-Like Receptor 4
  • Lipopolysaccharides
  • Polyphenols
  • Cytokines
  • RNA, Messenger