Digested Cinnamon (Cinnamomum verum J. Presl) Bark Extract Modulates Claudin-2 Gene Expression and Protein Levels under TNFα/IL-1β Inflammatory Stimulus

Epigenetic changes, host-gut microbiota interactions, and environmental factors contribute to inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) onset and progression. A healthy lifestyle may help to slow down the chronic or remitting/relapsing intestinal tract inflammation characteristic of IBD. In this scenario, the employment of a nutritional strategy to prevent the onset or supplement disease therapies included functional food consumption. Its formulation consists of the addition of a phytoextract enriched in bioactive molecules. A good candidate as an ingredient is the Cinnamon verum aqueous extract. Indeed, this extract, subjected to a process of gastrointestinal digestion simulation (INFO-GEST), exhibits beneficial antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties in an in vitro model of the inflamed intestinal barrier. Here, we deepen the study of the mechanisms related to the effect of digested cinnamon extract pre-treatment, showing a correlation between transepithelial electrical resistance (TEER) decrement and alterations in claudin-2 expression under Tumor necrosis factor-alpha/Interleukin-1 beta (TNF-alpha/IL-1) beta cytokine administration. Our results show that pre-treatment with cinnamon extract prevents TEER loss by claudin-2 protein level regulation, influencing both gene transcription and autophagy-mediated degradation. Hence, cinnamon polyphenols and their metabolites probably work as mediators in gene regulation and receptor/pathway activation, leading to an adaptive response against renewed insults.

Automated summary

Epigenetic changes, host-gut microbiota interactions, and environmental factors contribute to the onset and progression of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). A healthy lifestyle can help slow down the chronic or remitting/relapsing intestinal inflammation seen in IBD. One potential strategy to prevent or supplement disease therapies is the consumption of functional foods, such as cinnamon extract, which has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. In this study, the researchers investigated the effects of digested cinnamon extract on the intestinal barrier and found that it prevented loss of transepithelial electrical resistance (TEER) by regulating claudin-2 protein levels.