Gene expression profile analysis of ileum transcriptomes in pigs fed Gelsemium elegans plants.

Gelsemium elegans is a flowering plant in the Loganiaceae. Because it can promote the growth of pigs and sheep, it is widely used, including in veterinary clinics, but little information is available about its biological effects. Here, we used high-throughput sequencing to characterize the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the ileums of pigs between a control group and a group fed Gelsemium elegans for 45 days. We found that Gelsemium elegans affected many inflammatory and immune pathways, including biological processes such as defense responses, inflammation and immune responses. Moreover, this study identified several important genes related to the anti-inflammatory activity of Gelsemium elegans (e.g., CXCL-8, IL1A, and CSF2), which will be beneficial for further study of the pharmacological mechanisms and clinical applications of Gelsemium elegans.