Gut microbiota regulation and anti‐inflammatory effect of β‐carotene in dextran sulfate sodium‐stimulated ulcerative colitis in rats

Abstract β‐Carotene displays antioxidant and anti‐inflammatory activities and prevents the development of cancer. Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a kind of inflammatory bowel disease that is accompanied by a certain risk of colon cancer. However, the role of β‐carotene in the modulation of gut microbiota and UC improvement is unclear. In this research, the properties of β‐carotene on anti‐inflammatory and the composition of gut microbiota were evaluated in a rat model of UC induced by dextran sulfate sodium (DSS). The results revealed that β‐carotene significantly ( p < 0.05) decreased the severity of colitis in rats, as assessed using body weight (6.00 ± 1.73%), colon length (22.23 ± 0.53%), and disease activity index, and improved the structure of the colon damaged. Moreover, colonic levels of proinflammatory cytokines were significantly lower following β‐carotene supplementation. β‐Carotene intervention also lowered the expression levels of phosphorylated p65 (0.60 ± 0.02), p38 (0.57 ± 0.00), Erk (0.63 ± 0.04), and JNK (0.70 ± 0.00). The result of the relative abundance of gut microbiota showed that DSS administration significantly changed the microbial structure at the phylum and genus levels of rats. Furthermore, β‐carotene treatment significantly increased the abundance of Faecalibacterium , the levels of which negatively correlated with the levels of inflammatory cytokines. Faecalibacterium may be a potential target in the alleviation of DSS‐induced UC. β‐Carotene can alleviate DSS‐induced UC through the regulation of gut microbiota. This study provides a reference for the rational use of β‐carotene in the treatment of UC. Practical Application β‐Carotene can relieve ulcerative colitis and regulate the gut microbiota; the nutritional intervention of β‐carotene enhancing animal health.