Effects of Broussonetia papyrifera leaf extract on the immunity and gut microflora of cyclophosphamide-induced immunosuppressed mice

Abstract

This experiment was conducted to determine the effects of Broussonetia papyrifera leaf water extract on the immunity and gut microflora of cyclophosphamide-induced immunosuppressed mice. Forty female ICR mice were randomly divided into five groups (n = 8): the blank control (BC) group, the cyclophosphamide-induced immunosuppression model (CTX) group, and the low (BPL), medium (BPM), and high (BPH) dose B. papyrifera extract treatment groups. Broussonetia papyrifera leaf water extract was administered intragastrically to the BPL, BPM, and BPH groups at 2, 4, and 8 g/kg body weight, respectively, once a day for 14 d. From day 12, all except the BC group mice were injected with 50 mg/kg cyclophosphamide once a day for 3 d. Administering B. papyrifera leaf extract substantially enhanced the contents of white blood cells, lymphocytes, monocytes, neutrophils, IgG, and IgM, compared with the CTX group. The B. papyrifera leaf extract also restored the gut microbiota composition by decreasing the relative abundance of Lactobacillus, Lachnospiraceae_NK4A136 group, Roseburia, Lachnospiraceae_uncultured, Lachnoclostridium, and Anaerotruncus, and increasing the relative abundance of Bacteroidales_S24-7 group norank, Desulfovibrio, Akkermansia, Enterorhabdus, Blautia, and Romboutsia in the cyclophosphamide-induced immunosuppressed mice. These findings suggest that B. papyrifera leaf extract can be used as an immunomodulator of the gut microbiota, with the potential to promote animal health.