An Analysis of Gut Bacterial and Fungal Community Interactions in Saxifraga stolonifera Curt.-Treated Mice

Backgrounds Saxifraga stoloniferaCurt. is valued for its great medicinal potentials, especially for anti-inflammatory activity. The gut microbiome is gradually regarded as a pivotal part that contributes to the therapeutic efficacy of drugs and human health. Yet, research on the modulation of gut bacteria and gut fungi bySaxifraga stoloniferaCurt. is rather scanty, which will hamper the understanding of the anti-inflammatory mechanism ofSaxifraga stoloniferaCurt.

Methods To identify the regulatory effect ofSaxifraga stoloniferaCurt. on both gut bacteria and fungi, and gain insights into the interactions between gut bacteria and fungi, we treated C57BL/6 mice with aqueous extract ofSaxifraga stoloniferaCurt. (SSC group, 10 g/kg) and equivalent dose of distilled water (NC group), respectively. After 4 weeks treatment, fecal samples from each mouse were collected and then subjected to full-length 16S rRNA and ITS1/2 gene sequencing.

Results As the results shown,Saxifraga stoloniferaCurt. significantly enriched short chain fatty acid (SCFA)-producing bacteria, and reduced the abundance of pro-inflammatory bacteria such asAlistipes. Simultaneously,Saxifraga stoloniferaCurt. increased the level of beneficial fungi such asMortierella kuhlmanii, and decreased the abundance of pathogenic fungi such asFusarium sp.. The correlation network presented a complex interaction between gut bacteria and fungi afterSaxifraga stoloniferaCurt. treatment.

Conclusions Altogether, the current study, for the first time, displayed the regulatory effect ofSaxifraga stoloniferaCurt. on gut microbiome, which may be closely related to its pharmacological effects.