Yamina ALIOUI ^1,2 Hidayat Ullah ^1,2 Sharafat Ali ^1,3* Mujeeb Ur Rahman ^1,2* Maroua Elkharti ^1,3* Nabeel Ahmed Farooqui ^1,2 Ata Ur Rehman ⁴ Muhammad Ilyas ^1,2* Duaa M Alsholi ⁵ Nimra Zafar Siddiqui ^1,2 Muhsin Ali ^1,2 Liang Wang ^6* Yi Xin ^2*

• ¹ Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China
• ² Department of Biotechnology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, Liaoning Province, China
• ³ Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Basic Medical Science, Dalian Medical University, Dalian 116044, China., Dalian, China
• ⁴ Multidisciplinary Neuroprotection Laboratories, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27708, USA, Durham, United States
• ⁵ Department of Allied Medical Sciences, Zarqa University, Zarqa, Zarqa, Jordan
• ⁶ 5Stem Cell Clinical Research Center, National Joint Engineering Laboratory, Regenerative Medicine Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian 116011, China, First Affiliated Hospital, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, Liaoning Province, China

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), including ulcerative colitis, is marked by intestinal barrier disruptions, immune system dysregulation, and an imbalance in the gut microbiota. The golden chanterelle mushroom, Cantharellus cibarius Fr., a popular edible mushroom, has shown potential therapeutic benefits. This study examines the therapeutic potential of a crude polysaccharide extract obtained from C. cibarius Fr. (CCP) on intestinal barrier integrity, inflammatory cytokine levels, and gut microbiota composition in a murine model of colitis induced by dextran sulfate sodium (DSS). To induce colitis BALB/c mice were provided to consume autoclaved water with 3% DSS for 7 days, followed by 14 days of CCP supplementation. Colon was observed histologically, gene expression, inflammatory responses, tight junction proteins expression, gut barrier integrity, and cytokines levels were measured and 16S rRNA were evaluated. CCP treatment alleviates colitis symptoms by improving body weight, tight junction protein expression, and enhancing intestinal integrity through increased mucin-2 and tight junction protein expression.Additionally, CCP administration regulates the altered immune response by mitigating the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines and upregulating anti-inflammatory cytokines.Furthermore, CCP supplementation effectively modulates DSS-induced dysbiosis as demonstrated by 16S rRNA sequencing results. These results highlight that crude polysaccharides from the golden chanterelle mushroom, C. cibarius Fr., hold promise for treating colitis, via strengthening the intestinal barrier, regulating inflammatory responses, and reshaping the gut dysbiosis in a DSS-induced colitis model. CCP offers a novel approach for managing colitis, as a chronic inflammatory condition.