2. Academic Validation
  3. Magnolol, a Natural Polyphenol, Attenuates Dextran Sulfate Sodium-Induced Colitis in Mice

Magnolol, a Natural Polyphenol, Attenuates Dextran Sulfate Sodium-Induced Colitis in Mice

  • Molecules. 2017 Jul 20;22(7):1218. doi: 10.3390/molecules22071218.
Ling Zhao 1,  Hai-Tao Xiao 2 3,  Huai-Xue Mu 4,  Tao Huang 5,  Ze-Si Lin 6 7,  Linda L D Zhong 8,  Guang-Zhi Zeng 9,  Bao-Min Fan 10,  Cheng-Yuan Lin 11 12,  Zhao-Xiang Bian 13 14
Affiliations

Affiliations

  • 1 Lab of Brain and Gut Research, School of Chinese Medicine, Hong Kong Baptist University, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong, China. zhangda0525@163.com.
  • 2 Lab of Brain and Gut Research, School of Chinese Medicine, Hong Kong Baptist University, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong, China. xiaoht81@163.com.
  • 3 Hong Kong Baptist University Shenzhen Research Institute and Continuing Education, 518057 Shenzhen, China. xiaoht81@163.com.
  • 4 Lab of Brain and Gut Research, School of Chinese Medicine, Hong Kong Baptist University, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong, China. mudandan49@163.com.
  • 5 Lab of Brain and Gut Research, School of Chinese Medicine, Hong Kong Baptist University, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong, China. thuangsh@gmail.com.
  • 6 Lab of Brain and Gut Research, School of Chinese Medicine, Hong Kong Baptist University, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong, China. lin.zesi@163.com.
  • 7 Preparatory Office of Shenzhen-Melbourne Institute of Life Sciences and Bioengineering, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, 510006 Guangzhou, China. lin.zesi@163.com.
  • 8 Lab of Brain and Gut Research, School of Chinese Medicine, Hong Kong Baptist University, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong, China. ldzhong0305@gmail.com.
  • 9 YMU-HKBU Joint Laboratory of Traditional Natural Medicine, Yunnan Minzu University, 650500 Kunming, China. g.zh_zeng@163.com.
  • 10 YMU-HKBU Joint Laboratory of Traditional Natural Medicine, Yunnan Minzu University, 650500 Kunming, China. adams.bmf@hotmail.com.
  • 11 Lab of Brain and Gut Research, School of Chinese Medicine, Hong Kong Baptist University, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong, China. lincy.hkbu@gmail.com.
  • 12 YMU-HKBU Joint Laboratory of Traditional Natural Medicine, Yunnan Minzu University, 650500 Kunming, China. lincy.hkbu@gmail.com.
  • 13 Lab of Brain and Gut Research, School of Chinese Medicine, Hong Kong Baptist University, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong, China. bianzxiang@gmail.com.
  • 14 Hong Kong Baptist University Shenzhen Research Institute and Continuing Education, 518057 Shenzhen, China. bianzxiang@gmail.com.
PMID: 28726741 DOI: 10.3390/molecules22071218
Abstract

Magnolol is a lignan with anti-inflammatory activity identified in Magnolia officinalis. Ulcerative colitis (UC), one of the types of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), is a disease that causes inflammation and ulcers in the colon. To investigate the effect of magnolol in dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced experimental UC model, male C57 mice were treated with 2% DSS drinking water for 5 consecutive days followed by intragastric administration with magnolol (5, 10 and 15 mg/kg) daily for 7 days. The results showed that magnolol significantly attenuated disease activity index, inhibited colonic shortening, reduced colonic lesions and suppressed myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity. Moreover, colonic pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1β) induced by colitis were dramatically decreased by magnolol. To further unveil the metabolic signatures upon magnolol treatment, mass spectrometry-based metabolomic analysis of the small molecular metabolites in mice serum were performed. Compared with controls, abnormality of serum metabolic phenotypes in DSS-treated mice were effectively reversed by different doses of magnolol. In particular, magnolol treatment effectively elevated the serum levels of tryptophan metabolites including kynurenic acid (KA), 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid, indoleacetic acid (IAA), indolelactic acid and indoxylsulfuric acid, which are potential Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor (AHR) ligands to impact colitis. These findings suggest that magnolol exerts anti-inflammatory effect on DSS-induced colitis and its underlying mechanisms are associated with the restoring of tryptophan metabolites that inhibit the colonic inflammation.

Keywords

inflammation; magnolol; tryptophan metabolites; ulcerative colitis.

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