Scutellaria baicalensis extract prevents metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease by modulating the gut-liver axis in high-fat diet mice.

Emerging evidence indicates that metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is strongly associated with gut microbial dysbiosis and disruption of the intestinal mucosal barrier function. Scutellaria baicalensis extract (SBE) has anti-inflammatory and hepatoprotective effects. In this study, the investigation conducted explored whether SBE can alleviate MASLD and the possible mechanism involving the gut-liver axis. Qualitative and quantitative analyses of SBE using UPLC-Q-Orbitrap-MS and UPLC-QqQ-MS revealed that the major component of SBE was Baicalin, which accounted for approximately 94.12 %. A mice model of MASLD was established by feeding mice a high-fat diet (HFD) and administering SBE intragastrically. The effects of SBE on liver biochemical parameters, intestinal histopathology, intestinal integrity, and gut microbiota were evaluated. SBE restored the expression of TJs in the intestine and ameliorated the increased permeability of the intestinal mucosa induced by the HFD, thereby enhancing the function of the intestinal barrier. In addition, SBE altered the composition of the gut microbiota in mice with MASLD, decreasing the abundance of Helicobacter and increasing the abundance of Bacteroidota. The results of fecal metabolomics showed that medium-dose SBE significantly upregulated the levels of 11 metabolites, including cholic acid, and downregulated the levels of 13 metabolites, including allantoic acid. Moreover, SBE may reverse HFD-induced hepatic steatosis in mice, suggesting that SBE could serve as a potential therapeutic strategy for MASLD.