Gut microbiota: The pivotal conduit in the onset of constipation and its alleviation by tea flower polysaccharides (TFP) in a mouse model.

Plant-derived bioactive components, such as polysaccharides, provide promising alleviating effects on constipation with minimal side-effects compared to pharmacological interventions. This study aimed to explore the therapeutic potential of tea flower polysaccharides (TFP) on constipation and the involved mechanisms. In a loperamide-induced constipation mouse model, TFP administration significantly increased fecal water content from 54.23-57.30 % to 63.70-79.36 %, enhanced intestinal transit rate from 30.80 % to 38.81 %, and reduced gastrointestinal (GI) transit time from 234.4 min to 186.2 min. TFP restored levels of both excitatory and inhibitory hormones related to GI motility. Transcriptomic analysis of colonic epithelial cells revealed that TFP restored expression of 544 genes involved in various pathways, including the NF-κB and JAK-STAT signaling pathways, which are associated with the improvement of constipation. Gut microbiota analysis demonstrated that TFP mitigated dysbiosis by normalizing the Firmicutes/Bacteroidota ratio, inhibiting pathogenic genera (e.g., Helicobacter), and promoting beneficial genera (e.g., Muribaculaceae, Bacteroides, Parabacteroides). The mediating role of gut microbiota in the onset of constipation and its alleviation was confirmed through fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT). Furthermore, TFP and its combination with anti-constipation drugs alleviated constipation-induced hepatorenal damage. This study highlights TFP's potential in treating constipation and underscores the essential role of gut microbiota in its therapeutic effects.