Effects of Sichuan pepper (huājiāo) powder on disease activity and caecal microbiota of dextran sodium sulphate-induced inflammatory bowel disease mouse model.

BACKGROUND

Sichuan pepper [Zanthoxylum bungeanum; huājiāo (HJ)] is a widely used spice in China and has better antioxidative, anti-glycation, and bile acid-lowering properties than cumin and coriander seeds. HJ affects inflammation-related cytokines and caecal microbiota in mice fed a low-fibre and high-sucrose diet.

METHODS AND RESULTS

To determine the ameliorative effect of HJ on inflammatory bowel disease, C57BL/6 mice were divided into three groups and fed distilled water (control) or 3% (w/v) dextran sodium sulphate (DSS) in drinking water with normal chow containing 0% or 5% (w/w) HJ powder for seven days. After 6 days of feeding, diarrhoea, decreased body weight, and blood in faeces were observed in the DSS group. DSS treatment increased the spleen weight and damaged the colon tissue. These inflammatory indices were inhibited by HJ treatment. Amplicon sequencing of the 16S rDNA (V4) gene of the caecal content revealed a decrease in the alpha diversity (Simpson index D) in the DSS treatment group compared to the control group. The abundance of caecal Desulfovibrio, an inflammation-related genus, was higher and the caecal Lachnospiraceae and Bacteroides levels were lower in the DSS-treated mice than those in the control mice. However, HJ suppressed the DSS-induced changes in the caecal microbiota.

CONCLUSION

HJ intake contributes to the reduction in inflammation and maintenance of the gut microbiota. However, the strong antioxidant properties of phenolic compounds and fermentability of water-soluble dietary fibres in HJ and their relationship with other functional properties warrant further investigation.