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

Backgrounds  Saxifraga stolonifera Curt. 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 by Saxifraga stolonifera Curt. is rather scanty, which will hamper the understanding of the anti-inflammatory mechanism of Saxifraga stolonifera Curt.

Methods  To identify the regulatory effect of Saxifraga stolonifera Curt. 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 of Saxifraga stolonifera Curt. (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 stolonifera Curt. significantly enriched short chain fatty acid (SCFA)-producing bacteria, and reduced the abundance of pro-inflammatory bacteria such as Alistipes. Simultaneously, Saxifraga stolonifera Curt. increased the level of beneficial fungi such as Mortierella kuhlmanii, and decreased the abundance of pathogenic fungi such as Fusarium sp.. The correlation network presented a complex interaction between gut bacteria and fungi after Saxifraga stolonifera Curt. treatment.

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