Development of a Functional Food Based on the Fermentation Broth of Jiegeng for the Treatment of Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Abstract

The traditional treatment for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is often limited by its poor efficacy and high costs. Malnutrition has been closely linked to the occurrence of IBD. Clinical data have revealed that medicinal food ingredients may be more effective and safer, and thus, they can be used as an important part of functional foods. As a high-quality drug-food homologous ingredient, Jiegeng (JG) provides a wide range of pharmacological effects in addition to basic nutrition. In the present study, a functional food (FF) was developed based on the fermentation broth of JG, combined with four nutritional ingredients: Yimi (YM), Chixiaodou (CXD), Baibiandou (BBD), and Shanyao (SY). Subsequently, a 3% Dextran Sulfate Sodium Salt (DSS) water-induced mouse ulcerative colitis (UC) model was established, and the functional validation of the FF was carried out by gavaging the mice with low and high doses of functional foods (250 mg LFF and 500 mg HFF). The results showed that FF restored the body weight of UC model mice by 4.250 ± 0.250 g, reduced the DAI score by 0.255 ± 0.025, restored the colon length by 1.064 ± 0.087 cm, and reduced the spleen index by 0.102 ± 0.019. Furthermore, FF decreased the serum concentrations of the inflammatory factors TNF-α, IL-1βh, and IL-6, while increasing the concentration of the anti-inflammatory factor IL-10 and alleviating the inflammatory response in mice. Pathological analysis of the colonic tissue showed that FF restored the structure of the mouse intestine and reduced the infiltration of inflammatory cells. FF has good stability and is favoured by most people.