A comparative pharmacological study of three Chinese traditional medicines found Blautia to be the key functional bacterium of Coptis chinensis Franch. and Phellodendri chinensis Cortex against colitis

BackgroundSanhuang refers to the three cold-natured and bitter-flavored traditional Chinese medicines, namely, Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi (HuangQin, HQ), Coptis chinensis Franch. (HuangLian, HL), and Phellodendri chinensis Cortex (HuangBo, HB). Although similar in drug properties, they are tradi...

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Main Authors: Jiaguo Zhan, Jiale Cheng, Yanan Yang, Xiaofan Xu, Zhiyi Lu, Leilei Li, Haoyu Li, Qiannan Yang, Yanran Hu, Yuxin Song, Qingmiao Fan, Enwei Yang, Qianyue Liang, Shuangyong Sun, Feng Qiu, Ying Cao, Chongming Wu
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Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2025-06-01
Series:Frontiers in Pharmacology
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Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphar.2025.1587119/full
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author Jiaguo Zhan
Jiale Cheng
Yanan Yang
Xiaofan Xu
Zhiyi Lu
Leilei Li
Haoyu Li
Qiannan Yang
Yanran Hu
Yuxin Song
Qingmiao Fan
Enwei Yang
Qianyue Liang
Shuangyong Sun
Shuangyong Sun
Feng Qiu
Feng Qiu
Ying Cao
Chongming Wu
Chongming Wu
author_facet Jiaguo Zhan
Jiale Cheng
Yanan Yang
Xiaofan Xu
Zhiyi Lu
Leilei Li
Haoyu Li
Qiannan Yang
Yanran Hu
Yuxin Song
Qingmiao Fan
Enwei Yang
Qianyue Liang
Shuangyong Sun
Shuangyong Sun
Feng Qiu
Feng Qiu
Ying Cao
Chongming Wu
Chongming Wu
author_sort Jiaguo Zhan
collection DOAJ
description BackgroundSanhuang refers to the three cold-natured and bitter-flavored traditional Chinese medicines, namely, Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi (HuangQin, HQ), Coptis chinensis Franch. (HuangLian, HL), and Phellodendri chinensis Cortex (HuangBo, HB). Although similar in drug properties, they are traditionally used to treat different dampness-heat syndromes belonging to the Upper Jiao (lung and heart diseases), the Middle Jiao (stomach and intestine diseases), and the Lower Jiao (intestine, kidney, and bladder diseases). The mechanisms behind their differential effects remain unexplored.MethodA model of large intestine dampness-heat syndrome colitis was established through the administration of exogenous hygrothermal conditions combined with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and Escherichia coli. This model was employed to evaluate the efficacy of Phellodendri Chinensis Cortex, C. chinensis Franch., and S. baicalensis Georgi. Full-length 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing was utilized to assess changes in gut microbiota following drug interventions. Ultimately, the therapeutic effects of key microbial strains on ulcerative colitis were confirmed using a dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis model.ResultsThe results showed that HL and HB exhibited significant remedial effects on large intestine dampness-heat syndrome (LIDHS) colitis, but HQ did not. Gut microbial analysis revealed that HL and HB markedly shifted the overall structure of gut microbiota, while HQ showed little impact. The increase of Blautia sp. was a common sign in both HL- and HB-treated animals, but it was not observed in the HQ group. On the contrary, the abundance of a Lactobacillus-dominant co-abundance gene group (CAG) significantly declined in the HL and HB groups but was similar to the negative control in the HQ group. Additionally, our observations indicate that the enrichment of Blautia is consistent with the difference in drug efficacy. In vivo experiments also demonstrated the anti-colitis efficacy of Blautia producta.ConclusionThis study identifies Blautia as the key bacterium against ulcerative colitis through the establishment of a novel model and a drug comparison.
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spelling doaj-art-d78006d9e38d4cd69b3827c135e91d062025-08-20T02:35:48ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Pharmacology1663-98122025-06-011610.3389/fphar.2025.15871191587119A comparative pharmacological study of three Chinese traditional medicines found Blautia to be the key functional bacterium of Coptis chinensis Franch. and Phellodendri chinensis Cortex against colitisJiaguo Zhan0Jiale Cheng1Yanan Yang2Xiaofan Xu3Zhiyi Lu4Leilei Li5Haoyu Li6Qiannan Yang7Yanran Hu8Yuxin Song9Qingmiao Fan10Enwei Yang11Qianyue Liang12Shuangyong Sun13Shuangyong Sun14Feng Qiu15Feng Qiu16Ying Cao17Chongming Wu18Chongming Wu19School of Chinese Materia Medica, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, ChinaSchool of Chinese Materia Medica, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, ChinaSchool of Chinese Materia Medica, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, ChinaSchool of Chinese Materia Medica, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, ChinaSchool of Chinese Materia Medica, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, ChinaSchool of Chinese Materia Medica, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, ChinaSchool of Chinese Materia Medica, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, ChinaSchool of Chinese Materia Medica, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, ChinaSchool of Chinese Materia Medica, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, ChinaSchool of Chinese Materia Medica, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, ChinaSchool of Chinese Materia Medica, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, ChinaSchool of Chinese Materia Medica, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, ChinaSchool of Chinese Materia Medica, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, ChinaSchool of Chinese Materia Medica, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, ChinaJinyao Darentang Modern Chinese Medicine Industrial Park Traditional Chinese Medicine Research Institute, Tianjin, ChinaSchool of Chinese Materia Medica, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, ChinaTianjin Key Laboratory of Therapeutic Substance of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, ChinaSchool of Chinese Materia Medica, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, ChinaSchool of Chinese Materia Medica, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, ChinaTianjin Key Laboratory of Therapeutic Substance of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, ChinaBackgroundSanhuang refers to the three cold-natured and bitter-flavored traditional Chinese medicines, namely, Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi (HuangQin, HQ), Coptis chinensis Franch. (HuangLian, HL), and Phellodendri chinensis Cortex (HuangBo, HB). Although similar in drug properties, they are traditionally used to treat different dampness-heat syndromes belonging to the Upper Jiao (lung and heart diseases), the Middle Jiao (stomach and intestine diseases), and the Lower Jiao (intestine, kidney, and bladder diseases). The mechanisms behind their differential effects remain unexplored.MethodA model of large intestine dampness-heat syndrome colitis was established through the administration of exogenous hygrothermal conditions combined with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and Escherichia coli. This model was employed to evaluate the efficacy of Phellodendri Chinensis Cortex, C. chinensis Franch., and S. baicalensis Georgi. Full-length 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing was utilized to assess changes in gut microbiota following drug interventions. Ultimately, the therapeutic effects of key microbial strains on ulcerative colitis were confirmed using a dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis model.ResultsThe results showed that HL and HB exhibited significant remedial effects on large intestine dampness-heat syndrome (LIDHS) colitis, but HQ did not. Gut microbial analysis revealed that HL and HB markedly shifted the overall structure of gut microbiota, while HQ showed little impact. The increase of Blautia sp. was a common sign in both HL- and HB-treated animals, but it was not observed in the HQ group. On the contrary, the abundance of a Lactobacillus-dominant co-abundance gene group (CAG) significantly declined in the HL and HB groups but was similar to the negative control in the HQ group. Additionally, our observations indicate that the enrichment of Blautia is consistent with the difference in drug efficacy. In vivo experiments also demonstrated the anti-colitis efficacy of Blautia producta.ConclusionThis study identifies Blautia as the key bacterium against ulcerative colitis through the establishment of a novel model and a drug comparison.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphar.2025.1587119/fullcolitisScutellaria baicalensis Georgilarge intestine dampness-heat syndromePhellodendri chinensis CortexCoptis chinensis Franch
spellingShingle Jiaguo Zhan
Jiale Cheng
Yanan Yang
Xiaofan Xu
Zhiyi Lu
Leilei Li
Haoyu Li
Qiannan Yang
Yanran Hu
Yuxin Song
Qingmiao Fan
Enwei Yang
Qianyue Liang
Shuangyong Sun
Shuangyong Sun
Feng Qiu
Feng Qiu
Ying Cao
Chongming Wu
Chongming Wu
A comparative pharmacological study of three Chinese traditional medicines found Blautia to be the key functional bacterium of Coptis chinensis Franch. and Phellodendri chinensis Cortex against colitis
Frontiers in Pharmacology
colitis
Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi
large intestine dampness-heat syndrome
Phellodendri chinensis Cortex
Coptis chinensis Franch
title A comparative pharmacological study of three Chinese traditional medicines found Blautia to be the key functional bacterium of Coptis chinensis Franch. and Phellodendri chinensis Cortex against colitis
title_full A comparative pharmacological study of three Chinese traditional medicines found Blautia to be the key functional bacterium of Coptis chinensis Franch. and Phellodendri chinensis Cortex against colitis
title_fullStr A comparative pharmacological study of three Chinese traditional medicines found Blautia to be the key functional bacterium of Coptis chinensis Franch. and Phellodendri chinensis Cortex against colitis
title_full_unstemmed A comparative pharmacological study of three Chinese traditional medicines found Blautia to be the key functional bacterium of Coptis chinensis Franch. and Phellodendri chinensis Cortex against colitis
title_short A comparative pharmacological study of three Chinese traditional medicines found Blautia to be the key functional bacterium of Coptis chinensis Franch. and Phellodendri chinensis Cortex against colitis
title_sort comparative pharmacological study of three chinese traditional medicines found blautia to be the key functional bacterium of coptis chinensis franch and phellodendri chinensis cortex against colitis
topic colitis
Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi
large intestine dampness-heat syndrome
Phellodendri chinensis Cortex
Coptis chinensis Franch
url https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphar.2025.1587119/full
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