L-Arabinose inhibits colitis by modulating gut microbiota in mice.

L-Arabinose is a monosaccharide extracted from plants or fibers, which is known to have a variety of functional properties. In this study, we aim to investigate whether L-Arabinose could inhibit colitis by modulating gut microbiota. L-Arabinose was administrated in mice daily in a DSS-induced colitis model. The histological analysis, disease index and the expression of inflammatory genes were measured. 16S-rRNA sequence analysis was performed to investigate gut microbiota. Intriguingly, we found that L-Arabinose could repress DSS-induced colitis and inhibit p38-/p65-dependent inflammation activation. Besides that, our data revealed that L-Arabinose modulated gut microbiota disturbed by DSS treatment. Additionally, by antibiotic treatment, the perturbed gut microbiota was responsible for the suppressive effects of L-Arabinose on DSS-induced colitis. Lastly, Caco-2 cells was used to confirm the protective effects of L-Arabinose. As expected, the expression levels of pro-inflammatory proteins in Caco-2 cells treated with L-Arabinose in absence or presence of TNFα. Our work suggested that L-Arabinose exert anti-inflammation effect in DSS-induced colitis. These beneficial effects may be related to the diversity and composition of the gut microbiota regulated by L-Arabinose. L-Arabinose could be a remarkable candidate as a functional food or novel therapeutic strategies for intestinal health.