AUTHOR=Liu Chang-Shun , Liang Xiao , Wei Xiao-Han , Jin Zhen , Chen Fei-Long , Tang Qing-Fa , Tan Xiao-Mei TITLE=Gegen Qinlian Decoction Treats Diarrhea in Piglets by Modulating Gut Microbiota and Short-Chain Fatty Acids JOURNAL=Frontiers in Microbiology VOLUME=10 YEAR=2019 URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/microbiology/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2019.00825 DOI=10.3389/fmicb.2019.00825 ISSN=1664-302X ABSTRACT=
Gut microbiota and its metabolites, short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), play important roles in diarrheal diseases. Gegen Qinlian decoction (GQD), a Chinese herb formula, has been widely used to treat infectious diarrhea for centuries. However, little is known about the mechanism underlying its efficacy and whether it is mediated by gut microbiota and SCFAs. In this study, the composition of gut microbiota from bacterial diarrheal piglets was assessed using 16S rRNA analysis. The concentrations of fecal SCFAs were determined using a gas chromatography-mass spectrometer (GC-MS). The expression of mucosal pro-inflammatory cytokines in the colon was ascertained. Results showed that GQD reverses the reduction in the richness of gut microbiota, changes its structure, and significantly increases the relative abundances of SCFA-producing bacteria, including