The Anti‐Obesity and Anti‐Inflammatory Capabilities of Pterostilbene and its Colonic Metabolite Pinostilbene Protect against Tight Junction Disruption from Western Diet Feeding

Tight junctions (TJs) are a member of the intestinal epithelium barrier that provides the first line of protection against external factors. Anti-obesity and protective effects of pterostilbene (PSB) on TJs have previously been reported, but the effect of its colonic metabolite, pinostilbene (PIN), is less understood.A 16-week animal model feed with western-diet to induce colonic TJs disruption is designed, supplemented with PSB and PIN to evaluate their potent in colonic TJ protection. The results show that both PSB and PIN exert suppressive effects on obesity, hepatic steatosis, and chronic inflammation in western-diet-fed mice. Western-diet feeding significantly reduces expression of TJ proteins, including ZO-1, occludin, and claudin-1, while PSB and PIN supplementation effectively protects TJ proteins against disruption. Increment in serum, hepatic, and mesenteric pro-inflammatory cytokines suggests their probable involvement in TJ disruption supported with the findings in macrophage polarization. The adverse are revered by PSB and PIN. The protective effect of PSB and PIN on TJ proteins may stem from their anti-inflammation capabilities.This is the first study suggesting that PIN, the metabolite of PSB, demonstrates a similar protective effect on colonic TJ proteins via its anti-obesity, hepatic protection, and anti-inflammatory capabilities.