Effects of Atractylodes lancea extracts on intestinal flora and serum metabolites in mice with intestinal dysbacteriosis

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to explore the effect of an extract of Atractylodes lancea (A. lancea) on antibiotics-induced intestinal tract disorder and the probable therapeutic mechanisms employed by this extract to ameliorate these disorders. METHODS: Three days after acclimatization, nine male and nine female specific-pathogen-free (SPF) mice were randomly assigned into three groups: Group C (normal saline), Group M (antibiotic: cefradine + gentamicin), and Group T (antibiotic + A. lancea extract). Each mouse in Groups M and T received intragastric (i.g.) gavage antibiotics containing cefradine and gentamicin sulfate (0.02 ml/g(−1)/D(−1)) for 7 days. A. lancea extract (0.02 ml/g(−1)/D(−1)) was administered by i.g. gavage to Group T mice for 7 days following the cessation of antibiotic therapy. Group M received an equivalent volume of normal saline for 7 days, while Group C received an equivalent volume of normal saline for 14 days. Afterwards, we collected mouse feces to assess changes in intestinal microbiota by 16S ribosomal ribonucleic acid (rRNA) sequencing and metabolomics. In addition, serum samples were gathered and analyzed using liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LS-MS). Finally, we performed a correlation analysis between intestinal microbiota and metabolites. RESULTS: After treatment with antibiotic, the richness and diversity of the flora, numbers of wall-breaking bacteria and Bacteroidetes, and the numbers of beneficial bacteria decreased, while the numbers of harmful bacteria increased. After i.g. administration of A. lancea extract, the imbalance of microbial flora began to recover. Antibiotics primarily influence the metabolism of lipids, steroids, peptides, organic acids, and carbohydrates, with lipid compounds ranking first. Arachidonic acid (AA), arginine, and proline have relatively strong effects on the metabolisms of antibiotic-stressed mice. Our findings revealed that A. lancea extract might restore the metabolism of AA and L-methionine. The content of differential metabolites detected in the serum of Group T mice was comparable to that in the serum of Group C mice, but significantly different from that of Group M mice. Compared to putative biomarkers in the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) database, it was found that altered metabolites, such as amino acids, glycerol, and phospholipids, were primarily associated with the metabolism. CONCLUSIONS: The effective mechanisms of A. lancea extract in regulating the disorder of intestinal flora in mice are related to the mechanisms of A. lancea. It could relate to lipid metabolism, bile acid metabolism, and amino acid metabolism. These results will provide a basis for further explaining the mechanism by which A. lancea regulats intestinal flora.