Anti-Inflammatory and Gut Microbiota Modulation Potentials of Flavonoids Extracted from Passiflora foetida Fruits
Xiangpeng Han, Ya Song, Riming Huang, Minqian Zhu, Meiying Li, Teresa Requena, Hong Wang
Abstract
This study aimed to explore the anti-inflammatory and gut microbiota modulation potentials of flavonoid-rich fraction (PFF) extracted from Passiflora foetida fruits. The results showed that PFF markedly reduced the production of nitric oxide (NO), tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), and interleukin 6 (IL-6) in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells. Meanwhile, PFF treatment also effectively decreased the phosphorylation levels of MAPK, PI3K/Akt, and NF-κB signaling-pathway-related proteins (ERK, JNK, p38, Akt, and p65). Moreover, PFF had an impact on microbial composition and metabolites in a four-stage dynamic simulator of human gut microbiota (BFBL gut model). Specifically, PFF exhibited the growth-promoting ability of several beneficial bacteria, including Bifidobacterium, Enterococcus, Lactobacillus, and Roseburia, and short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) generation ability in gut microbiota. In addition, spectroscopic data revealed that PFF mainly contained five flavonoid compounds, which may be bioactive compounds with anti-inflammatory and gut microbiota modulation potentials. Therefore, PFF could be utilized as a natural anti-inflammatory agent or supplement to health products.