Aqueous Extract of Phyllanthus emblica L. Alleviates Functional Dyspepsia through Regulating Gastrointestinal Hormones and Gut Microbiome In Vivo

Phyllanthus emblica L. fruits were extracted by a hot water assistant with ultrasonication to obtain aqueous Phyllanthus emblica L. extract (APE). The ameliorating functional dyspepsia (FD) effect of a low dose (150 mg/kg) and a high dose (300 mg/kg) of APE was exhibited by determining the gastrointestinal motility, gastrointestinal hormones, and gut microbiome shifts in reserpine induced FD male balb/c mice. APE increased the gastrointestinal motility including the gastric emptying (GE) rate and small intestinal transit (SIT) rate. The level of serum gastrointestinal hormones such as motilin (MTL) and gastrin (GAS) increased, and the vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) level decreased after the administration of APE. Furthermore, the gut microbiome analysis demonstrated that APE could regulate the microbiome structure and restore homeostasis by elevating useful bacterial abundance, while simultaneously decreasing harmful bacterial abundance. This study demonstrated the ameliorating FD effect of APE and its potential efficacy in curing functional gastrointestinal disorders and maintaining a healthy digestive tract.