Combination of Simo Decoction and Golden Bifid alleviates functional dyspepsia through a mechanism involving intestinal microbiota and short-chain fatty acids

Yang Wang; Jian Yao; Yulin Zhu; Zhenzhen Yin; Xuejiao Zhao

doi:10.1016/j.ajg.2023.12.009

Combination of Simo Decoction and Golden Bifid alleviates functional dyspepsia through a mechanism involving intestinal microbiota and short-chain fatty acids

Arab J Gastroenterol. 2024 May 15:S1687-1979(23)00119-3. doi: 10.1016/j.ajg.2023.12.009. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Yang Wang¹, Jian Yao², Yulin Zhu³, Zhenzhen Yin², Xuejiao Zhao⁴

Affiliations

¹ Department of Basic Medicine, Yun Kang School of Medicine and Health, NanFang College, Guangzhou, China.
² Department of Medical Laboratory, Yun Kang School of Medicine and Health, NanFang College, Guangzhou, China.
³ Yun Kang School of Medicine and Health, NanFang College, Guangzhou, China.
⁴ Department of Basic Medicine, Yun Kang School of Medicine and Health, NanFang College, Guangzhou, China. Electronic address: zhaoxj@nfu.edu.cn.

PMID: 38755047
DOI: 10.1016/j.ajg.2023.12.009

Abstract

Background and study aims: The integration of traditional Chinese medicine and Western medicine holds promise for the treatment of gastrointestinal disorders, which are influenced by intestinal microbiota and metabolites. This study reports a possible mechanism for the combination of Simo Decoction and Golden Bifid in functional dyspepsia (FD) by regulating intestinal microbiota and short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs).

Patients and methods: A mouse model of food stagnation was constructed and treated with Simo Decoction combined with different concentrations of Golden Bifid. Meta-genomics sequencing was conducted to analyze the cecum contents of the mice. Following analyses of the composition and abundance of intestinal microbiota, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry was performed to measure SCFAs in the colonic content of mice. Finally, ELISA was utilized to determine the levels of pro-inflammatory factors in the duodenal mucosa of mice and the infiltration of eosinophils in the duodenum was observed by immunohistochemical staining.

Results: Combination of Simo Decoction and Golden Bifid more significantly alleviated dyspepsia in mice with food stagnation compared with Simo Decoction alone. The optimal ratio of combined treatment was 0.0075 mL/g (body weight) Simo Decoction and 0.0032 mg/g (body weight) Golden Bifid. The combined treatment increased the abundance of Bifidobacterium and Bacteroides in the intestine. The levels of SCFAs in the colonic contents of mice were increased after the combined treatment, contributing to diminished pro-inflammatory factors in the duodenal mucosa and reduced eosinophil infiltration.

Conclusion: Combination of Simo Decoction and Golden Bifid increases the abundance of Bacteroides and Bifidobacterium and promotes the production of SCFAs, which is instrumental for alleviation of FD.

Keywords: Food stagnation; Functional dyspepsia; Golden bifid; Inflammation; Intestinal microbiota; Short-chain fatty acids; Simo decoction.