Wang Yunying, Sheng Zhenwei, Li Huicong, Tan Xuewen, Liu Yingqiu, Zhang Weimin, Ma Wuren, Ma Lin, Fan Yunpeng
College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A&F University, 712100, Yangling, PR China; Institute of Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A&F University, 712100, Yangling, PR China.
College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A&F University, 712100, Yangling, PR China.
Poult Sci. 2025 Feb;104(2):104824. doi: 10.1016/j.psj.2025.104824. Epub 2025 Jan 16.
Escherichia coli (E. coli) is a type of pathogenic bacteria that often causes diarrhea in poultry. While antibiotics can control E. coli-induced diarrhea in chickens, it can lead the ongoing proliferation of antibiotic resistance. Traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs) that effectively protect against and treat chicken diarrhea caused by E. coli are an encouraging alternative. That enhance poultry immunity, curtail antibiotic resistance, and provide a secure, eco-friendly, and efficacious option for the livestock and poultry industry. In this study, the model of chicken diarrhea induced by E. coli was established, and different TCM formulas were used for treatment, and finally the formula with the best effect was screened out. The research also investigated the impact of these formulas on gut microbiota and serum metabolites in chickens, using 16S rRNA sequencing technology and metabolomics. Mass spectrometry technology and network pharmacology were used to analyze the optimal TCM formula corroborated by molecular docking and qPCR for further explore mechanism exploration. The findings indicated that Fraxini cortex and Andrographis herba dramatically lowered mortality rates and alleviated pathologic changes in cases of avian E. coli diarrhea (P < 0.05). Fraxini cortex and Andrographis herba significantly boosted the abundance of Bacteroidetes (P < 0.05) and mainly enhanced cysteine and methionine metabolic pathways. Moreover, 97 active ingredients in Fraxini cortex and Andrographis herba were identified, along with 1425 diarrhea-related targets, primarily enriched in the MAPK signaling pathway. Molecular docking and qPCR revealed that the crucial active ingredients in Fraxini cortex and Andrographis herba bonded effectively with disease targets and treated diarrhea by regulating the MAPK signaling pathway. This suggests that Fraxini cortex and Andrographis herba exerts an optimal effect on diarrhea by multi-target and multi-pathway regulation of metabolic pathways and gut microbiota.
大肠杆菌（E. coli）是一种常导致家禽腹泻的致病细菌。虽然抗生素可以控制鸡群中由大肠杆菌引起的腹泻，但会导致抗生素耐药性的持续扩散。有效预防和治疗由大肠杆菌引起的鸡腹泻的传统中药是一种令人鼓舞的替代选择。它能增强家禽免疫力，减少抗生素耐药性，并为畜禽业提供一种安全、环保且有效的选择。在本研究中，建立了由大肠杆菌诱导的鸡腹泻模型，并使用不同的中药配方进行治疗，最终筛选出效果最佳的配方。该研究还利用16S rRNA测序技术和代谢组学研究了这些配方对鸡肠道微生物群和血清代谢物的影响。采用质谱技术和网络药理学分析最佳中药配方，并通过分子对接和qPCR进行进一步的机制探索。研究结果表明，秦皮和穿心莲显著降低了禽大肠杆菌腹泻病例的死亡率，并减轻了病理变化（P < 0.05）。秦皮和穿心莲显著提高了拟杆菌的丰度（P < 0.05），并主要增强了半胱氨酸和蛋氨酸代谢途径。此外，鉴定出秦皮和穿心莲中的97种活性成分以及1425个与腹泻相关的靶点，主要富集在MAPK信号通路中。分子对接和qPCR显示，秦皮和穿心莲中的关键活性成分与疾病靶点有效结合，并通过调节MAPK信号通路治疗腹泻。这表明秦皮和穿心莲通过对代谢途径和肠道微生物群的多靶点和多途径调节对腹泻发挥最佳效果。
