Identification and characterization of alcohol-soluble components from wheat germ-apple fermented by Lactobacillus sp. capable of preventing ulcerative colitis of dextran sodium sulfate-induced mice

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic inflammatory disease for which there is currently no efficient therapeutic drug. Therefore, the development of approaches for the prevention of UC is urgently needed. C57BL/6 mice were pre-fed with the alcohol-soluble components of fresh wheat germ-apple fermentation (AC-WGAF) by mixed culture of four types of Lactobacillus sp. for one week prior to dextran sodium sulfate (DSS) induction. A significant blunting of weight loss and the main symptoms was observed in AC-WGAF pre-feed DSS-induced mice compared to vehicle-treated mice, with a remarkable amelioration of the disruption of the colonic barrier and a significant reduction in pro-inflammatory cytokines, colonic myeloperoxidase activity, and inflammatory mediators, but a significant increase in anti-inflammatory cytokines. AC-WGAF inhibited extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERK1/2) and nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-kappa B) phosphorylation, thereby inhibiting tight junction protein loss, demonstrating the potential use of AC-WGAF as a nutraceutical food component for the prevention of UC disease.