Maternal supplementation with edible birds' nest during gestation and lactation enhances intestinal barrier function by upregulating Claudin-1 in rat offspring

Maternal diet is indispensable for the proper development of offspring, and the establishment of a wellfunctioning intestinal barrier is crucial for normal growth and development. Edible bird's nest (EBN) has positive impacts on intestinal health, but the underlying mechanisms are unknown. Our study showed that maternal EBN supplementation downregulated the serum levels of diamine oxidase and D-lactate, elevated expression of tight junction proteins ZO-1, Occludin, and Claudin-1, and regulated the intestinal microbiota in rat offspring. Spearman's correlation analysis revealed that Claudin-1, transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta), and transcription factor RUNX3 were positively correlated with changes in intestinal bacteria. EBN may upregulate the expression of TGF-beta by modulating the intestinal microbiota composition, enhancing RUNX3 binding to the Claudin-1 promoter region to upregulate its expression. In conclusion, we demonstrated that maternal EBN supplementation during gestation and lactation enhanced intestinal barrier function by upregulating Claudin-1 in rat offspring.