Fig 1.
Study design showing model construction, grouping, and intervention.
Fig 2.
Effects of TB treatment on (A) body weight, (B) food intake, (C) water intake, (D) fecal score. NC: control group; M: model group; TL: TB low dose group; TH: TB high dose group. *P<0.05; **P<0.01 as compared with the NC group; #P<0.05, ##P<0.01 as compared with the M group.
Fig 3.
TB alleviated antibiotic-induced colitis in mice (A) Cecum index, (B): colon length, (C): HE staining, 400×. NC: control group; M: model group; TL: TB low dose group; TH: TH high dose group. *P<0.05; ** P<0.01; ***P<0.001.
Fig 4.
TB improved the diversity and altered the structure of gut microbiota in antibiotic-induced mice.
(A) On the 7-day, Chao1, Shannon and Simpson indices, (B) On the 7-day, Principal coordinate analysis (PCoA) based on weighted unifrac distance, (C) On the 7-day, Weighted unifrac distance, (D) On the 18-day, Chao1, Shannon and Simpson indices, (E) On the 18-day, Principal coordinate analysis (PCoA) based on weighted unifrac distance, (F) On the 18-day, Weighted unifrac distance, NC: control group; ABx: ABx group; M: model group; TL: TB low dose group; TH: TB high dose group. *P<0.05; ** P<0.01; ***P<0.001.
Fig 5.
TB altered the composition of gut microbiota in antibiotic-induced mice.
(A) On day 7, Relative abundances of bacterial phylum level, (B) On day 7, Relative abundances of bacterial genus level, (C) Levels of Bacteroidetes, (D) Levels of Muribaculaceae, (E) Levels of staphylococcus, (F) On day 18, Relative abundances of bacterial phylum level, (G) On day 18, Relative abundances of bacterial genus level, (H) Levels of Muribaculaceae, (I) Levels of Bacteroides, (J) Levels of Bifidobacterium, (K) Levels of Enterococcus, (L) Cladogram illustrating the results of LEfSe analysis, (M) LDA scores for bacterial taxa significantly enriched in gut microbiota from each group (LDA score > 3). NC: control group; ABx: ABx group; M: model group; TL: TB low dose group; TH: TB high dose group. *P<0.05; ** P<0.01; ***P<0.001.
Fig 6.
TB increased SCFAs content in feces.
On day 7: (A) Acetic acid, (B) Propionic acid, (C) Isobutyric acid, (D) Butyric acid, (E) Valeric acid and (F) Hexanoic acid; On day 18: (G) Acetic acid, (H) Propionic acid, (I) Isobutyric acid, (J) Butyric acid, (K) Valeric acid and (L) Hexanoic acid; NC: control group; M: model group; TL: TB low dose group; TH: TB high dose group. *P<0.05; ** P<0.01; ***P<0.001.
Fig 7.
TB inhibited the activation of NLRP3 inflammasome and improved intestinal inflammation.
(A) TNF-α mRNA in colon, (B) IL-6 mRNA in colon, (C) NLRP3 mRNA in colon, (D) ASC mRNA in colon, (E) caspase-1 mRNA in colon, (F) IL-1βmRNA in colon. (G) Expression of NLRP3, ASC, caspase-1 and IL-1β protein in colon. (H) NLRP3 protein in colon, (I) ASC protein in colon, (J) caspase-1 protein in colon, (K) IL-1β protein in colon. NC: control group; M: model group; TL: TB low dose group; TH: TH high dose group. *P<0.05; ** P<0.01; ***P<0.001.
Fig 8.
TB improved the integrity of the intestinal barrier in antibiotic-induced mice.
(A) Alcian blue staining, 400×; (B) MUC2 mRNA in colon, (C) serum lipopolysaccharide (LPS); (D) serum zonulin; (E) ZO-1 mRNA in colon, (F) Occludin mRNA in colon. (G) Expression of ZO-1 and Occludin protein in colon. (H) ZO-1 protein in colon, (I) Occludin protein in colon. NC: control group; M: model group; TL: TB low dose group; TH: TH high dose group. *P<0.05; ** P<0.01; ***P<0.001.