PAKISTAN VETERINARY JOURNAL

Pak Vet J, 2026, 46(8) 2095-2107

Jiawei Gegen Qinlian Decoction Ameliorates DSS-Induced Ulcerative Colitis by Restoring Intestinal Barrier Integrity Via the Gut Microbiota–Metabolite Axis

Qinhong Yang^1,3#, Wanying Zhang^1#, Xianbo Cheng^2#, Xingjian Yu⁵, Junjun He^3,6, Xiaonan Yang^4* and Qiu Zhong^1*

¹Guangxi Key Laboratory of Animal Breeding, Disease Control and Prevention, College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Guangxi University, Nanning, Guangxi 530000, China; ²Dietary Fiber Isolation and Structural Characterization Laboratory, Guangxi Technology and Business Vocational College, Nanning 530000, China; ³College of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Yunnan University of Chinese Medicine, Kunming 650500, China; ⁴National Engineering Research Centre for Southwest Endangered Medicinal Resources Development, Guangxi Botanical Garden of Medicinal Plants, Nanning, Guangxi 530023, China; ⁵Department of biochemistry and molecular medicine, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, CA, 95817, USA; ⁶The Yunnan Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming 650201, Yunnan Province, China.

*Corresponding author: zhongqiujob@163.com (QZ); nannangood33@163.com (XY)

Abstract

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a multifactorial intestinal inflammatory disorder involving excessive immune activation, oxidative imbalance, epithelial barrier impairment, microbial disturbance, and metabolic dysregulation. Similar pathological alterations are commonly encountered in animal intestinal diseases, emphasizing the exploration of safe and effective natural therapeutics. This study aimed to clarify the protective actions and potential mechanisms of Jiawei Gegen Qinlian Decoction (JGQD) against dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis. A comprehensive strategy combining network pharmacology, in-vivo validation, 16S rRNA gene sequencing and UHPLC-MS metabolomics was applied to characterize the regulatory effects of JGQD on therapeutic targets, inflammatory status, oxidative damage, intestinal barrier function, microbial composition, and fecal metabolic alterations. Network analysis revealed that JGQD-associated targets were mainly involved in inflammation-regulating pathways, including TNF, NF-κB, PI3K-Akt, MAPK and JAK-STAT signaling cascades. In DSS-challenged mice, JGQD markedly decreased markedly by colonic TNF-α, IL-6, IL-1β, MDA and MPO levels, while enhancing IL-10 production, SOD activity and total antioxidant capacity. Moreover, JGQD restored tight junction protein expression (ZO-1, Occludin and Claudin-3), reshaped gut microbial composition with increased Akkermansia abundance and modulated metabolism associated with amino acids, bile acids and lipids. JGQD alleviated experimental colitis by regulating the interconnected microbiota–metabolite–intestinal barrier network, suggesting its potential application as a natural multi-component intervention for controlling intestinal inflammatory disorders and maintaining barrier homeostasis in veterinary medicine.

To Cite This Article: Yang Q, Zhang W, Cheng X, Guo Y, Yu X, He J, Yang X and Zhong Q, 2026. Jiawei gegen qinlian decoction ameliorates dss-induced ulcerative colitis by restoring intestinal barrier integrity via the gut microbiota–metabolite axis. Pak Vet J, 46(8): 2095-2107. http://dx.doi.org/10.29261/pakvetj/2026.197

Abstract

ISSN 0253-8318 (Print)ISSN 2074-7764 (Online)

ISSN 0253-8318 (Print)
ISSN 2074-7764 (Online)