Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), which significantly affects human health, has two primary presentations: Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis (UC). Highland barley is the most common food crop for Tibetans and contains much more β-glucan than any other crop. Highland barley β-glucan (HBBG) can relieve the gastrointestinal dysfunction and promote intestines health. This study aimed to evaluate whether HBBG can relieve UC in mice. A mouse model of UC was established by adding 2% dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) to drinking water for 1 week. UC was alleviated after the introduction of the HBBG diet, as indicated by reductions in the disease activity index (DAI) score, histopathological damage, and the concentration of colonic myeloperoxidase (MPO), along with an improvement in colonic atrophy. Furthermore, we found that HBBG can increase the relative transcriptional levels of genes encoding ZO-1, claudin-1, occludin, and mucin2 (MUC2), thereby reducing intestinal permeability. Additionally, HBBG maintained the balance of proinflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines and modulated the structure of the intestinal flora.

This study aimed to investigate the effect of a γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA)-rich yogurt fermented with Streptococcus thermophilus fmb-5 on insulin sensitivity in high-fat and low-dose streptozotocin-induced type 2 diabetes mellitus mice. To study the ability of the yogurt to enhance insulin sensitivity, diabetic mice were treated with 0.5, 1, or 2 g/L of GABA yogurt once a day from wk 1 to 12. Compared with results in untreated diabetic mice, treatment with different dosages of GABA yogurt was associated with increased serum insulin and fat coefficient (fat weight relative to body weight) levels, decreased blood urea nitrogen, kidney coefficient (kidney weight relative to body weight), glucose area under the curve levels, and insulin sensitivity index, but did not alter blood glucose level or body weight. The highest dosage of GABA yogurt had a greater beneficial effect with respect to insulin resistance than the lower dosages. In particular, dietary supplementation of the high dosage of GABA yogurt favorably regulated HOMA-β (homeostasis model assessment of β-cell function), total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, fat coefficient, and improved islet cells morphology. These results demonstrated that 2 g/L GABA yogurt could ameliorate insulin sensitivity. The GABA-rich yogurts appeared to be responsible for health-beneficial effects in this mouse model of diabetes.

Sulforaphane can alleviate high-fat diet-induced MAFLD in mice via mediating the FXR/LXRα pathway.