AUTHOR=Luo Lu , Li Chaofeng , Huang Nanxi , Wang Qiaochu , Zhang Zihao , Song Chen , Yang Hui , Yuan Maowen , Xu Ziwen , Sun Jialei , Zhang Zhijie 

TITLE=Traditional mineral medicine realgar and Realgar-Indigo naturalis formula potentially exerted therapeutic effects by altering the gut microbiota

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Microbiology

VOLUME=14

YEAR=2023

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/microbiology/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2023.1143173

DOI=10.3389/fmicb.2023.1143173

ISSN=1664-302X

ABSTRACT=<sec><title>Introduction</title><p>Realgar has a long history ofuse in traditional medicines. However, the mechanism through which Realgar or <italic>Realgar-Indigo naturalis formula</italic> (RIF) exert therapeutic effects is only partially understood.</p></sec><sec><title>Methods</title><p>In this study, 60 feces and 60 ileum samples from rats administered with realgar or RIF were collected to examine the gut microbiota.</p></sec><sec><title>Results</title><p>The results showed that realgar and RIF influenced different microbiota in both feces and ileum. Compared with realgar, RIF at low dosage (0.1701 g/3 ml) significantly increased the microbiota diversity. LEfSe and random forest analyses showed that the bacterium <italic>Bacteroidales</italic> was significantly altered after RIF administration, and it was predicted that these microorganisms contribute to the inorganic arsenic metabolic process.</p></sec><sec><title>Discussion</title><p>Our results suggest that realgar and RIF may exert their therapeutic effects through influencing microbiota. The low dose of RIF had greater effects on increasing the diversity of microbiota, and <italic>Bacteroidales</italic> in feces might participate in the inorganic arsenic metabolic process to exert therapeutic effects for realgar.</p></sec>