Honey Polyphenols Ameliorate DSS-Induced Ulcerative Colitis via Modulating Gut Microbiota in Rats

Scope Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a multifaceted and recurrent immune disorder that requires long-term potent pharmacological treatment. Honey, as a natural food of nourishment and pharmaceutical value, has been found to defend against colitis. Methods and results The effects of different constituents in honey are investigated on DSS-induced colitis in rats. Rats are given DSS, sugars, honey, polyphenols, or SASP for a week, with blood and colon samples collected for the biochemical parameters and inflammation-related gene analysis and colon contents for gut microbiota. The results show that pretreatments with honey polyphenols significantly improve SOD, GSH-Px, NO, and MPO levels and reduce DSS-induced colonic apoptosis, the colonic inflammatory cytokines IL-6, TNF-alpha, and TGF-beta 1 accompanied by downregulation of IL-1 beta, IL-6, TNF-alpha, and IFN-gamma gene and upregulation of I kappa B-alpha gene. Furthermore, honey polyphenols and SASP show similar microbial community structure shifts and selective enrichment of key species. At the genus level, honey polyphenols significantly reduce the population of Bacteroides, Corynebacterium, and Proteus species. The correlation analysis indicates that colonic gene expression regulated by honey polyphenols is relative to the key species of gut microbiota. Conclusions Honey polyphenols improve intestinal inflammation and oxidative stress resistance via modulating gut microbiota, which is conducive to revealing the host-microbe interactions.