This study investigates the protective effects of total glycosides of Cistanche (TGs) on the intestinal tract of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) mice induced by dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) from the perspectives of immune regulation and intestinal homeosta. We evaluated the IBD disease activity index (DAI) and histopathological changes of the colon tissue in mice, and validated the involvement of NF-κB and JAK2 in TGS-mediated IBD regulation by real-time quantitative PCR (qRT-PCR), serum enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and TUNEL Cell Apoptosis Detection. Finally, we analyzed the changes in the intestinal microbiome. The results show that TGs can effectively improve the disease activity index of sick mice, alleviate the damage to the epithelial barrier, improve the morphology of the intestinal epithelial tissue, and reduce the infiltration of inflammatory cells in the damaged colon. TGs inhibit the activation of the two key signal targets of NF-κB and JAK2, reduce the expression of inflammatory factors such as IL-1 and TNF-α, and increase the expression of anti-inflammatory factor IL-10. In addition, TGs reduce the abundance of Proteobacteria, increase the proportion of Bacteroidetes and Thermotogae, and upregulate the numbers of Bacteroides, Lachnospiraceae_NK4A136_group, and Oscillospiraceae to alleviate intestinal microbiome dysbiosis and restore intestinal microenvironmental homeosta. In summary, these research results suggest that TGs can improve IBD by alleviating inflammation and restoring intestinal homeosta, providing experimental evidence for the mechanism of Cistanche intervention in IBD.

With the deepening research on marine resources, active peptides from marine fish have gradually become a hot spot. This review based on the background of the important value and broad application prospect of active peptides in marine fish. Various preparation methods for active peptides from marine fish, such as enzymolysis, extraction, microbial fermentation, and enzymatic hydrolysis, are described in detail. The antioxidant, antibacterial, anti-blood pressure, immunomodulatory, anti-skin photoaging, and anti-fatigue functions and the corresponding mechanisms of action of the active peptides of marine fishes are discussed in depth. The active peptides of marine fish are further proposed to strengthen the in-depth investigation of the mechanism of action and optimise the preparation process in future research, as well as the application in functional food. It is hoped that more ideas can be provided for the safe, effective and compliant application of marine fish active peptides in promoting human health food.

The anti-inflammatory properties of silkworm pupa peptide (SPP) have been recognized for their potential benefits in colitis treatment. However, the underlying mechanism of SPP in colitis animal models remains unclear. The objective of our work was to investigate the improving effect and the mechanism of action of SPP on a mouse model of dextrose sodium sulfate (DSS)-induced colitis. The findings suggested that SPP effectively eased ulcerative colitis (UC) symptoms in mice by decreasing disease activity index, ameliorating histopathological injury, and decreasing serum and colonic markers of inflammation. In addition, our research findings demonstrated that SPP restored intestinal barrier function by increasing the production of tight junction proteins such as zonula occludens-1 (ZO-1), claudin-1, claudin-3, occludin, and adherens junction protein E-cadherin1. Further, SPP supplementation enhanced the concentration of short-chain fatty acids and positively altered the makeup of the gut bacteria in the mice's gut. These findings underscore SPP's ability to slow the progression of colitis and point to its possible use as a functional component in dietary supplements for the prevention of early-stage colitis.