Gut microbiota-derived inosine from dietary barley leaf supplementation attenuates colitis through PPARγ signaling activation

BACKGROUND: Ulcerative colitis is a type of chronic inflammatory bowel disease closely associated with gut microbiota dysbiosis and intestinal homeostasis dysregulation. Barley leaf (BL) has a long history of use in Traditional Chinese Medicine with potential health-promoting effects on intestinal functions. However, its mechanism of action is not yet clear. Here, we explore the potential modulating roles of gut microbial metabolites of BL to protect against colitis and elucidate the underlying molecular mechanisms. RESULTS: Using 16S rRNA gene-based microbiota analysis, we first found that dietary supplementation of BL ameliorated dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced gut microbiota dysbiosis. The mechanisms by which BL protected against DSS-induced colitis were resulted from improved intestinal mucosal barrier functions via the activation of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR)γ signaling. In addition, metabolomic profiling analysis showed that the gut microbiota modulated BL-induced metabolic reprograming in the colonic tissues particularly by the enhancement of glycolysis process. Notably, dietary BL supplementation resulted in the enrichment of microbiota-derived purine metabolite inosine, which could activate PPARγ signaling in human colon epithelial cells. Furthermore, exogenous treatment of inosine reproduced similar protective effects as BL to protect against DSS-induced colitis through improving adenosine 2A receptor (A(2A)R)/PPARγ-dependent mucosal barrier functions. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, our findings suggest that the gut microbiota-inosine-A(2A)R/PPARγ axis plays an important role in the maintenance of intestinal homeostasis, which may represent a novel approach for colitis prevention via manipulation of the gut microbial purine metabolite. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s40168-021-01028-7.