Salidroside Improves Antibiotic-Induced Gut Microbiota Disturbance and Low Levels of Short-Chain Fatty Acids in Mice

Salidroside is the main active constituent of the functional food Rhodiola rosea and has a wide range of biological activities. This work investigated the regulation of salidroside with different doses and durations on the gut microbiota disturbance resulting from excessive injection of antibiotics in mice C57BL/6J. The salidroside treatment attenuated antibiotic-induced intestinal damage and reduced the levels of inflammation factors such as TNFα and IL-6. Importantly, salidroside promoted the recovery of gut microbiota richness, diversity, and community structure in mice. The intake of salidroside increased the abundance of beneficial bacteria represented by Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium, and reduced the portion of disease-related bacteria, thus reshaping the structure and composition of gut microbiota. Moreover, after ingesting salidroside, the contents of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) increased, which could also facilitate the recovery of intestinal barrier functions. Low-dose salidroside plays an especially superiorly beneficial role in promoting the proliferation of probiotics and the production of SCFAs in a short time. These findings suggested that salidroside had similar beneficial functions of prebiotics and thus intake of it might be a new promising food therapy for improving antibiotic-induced gut microbiota disturbance.