Ferulic Acid Alleviates Intestinal Inflammatory Damage in Mice, Associated with Ameliorating Intestinal Barrier Damage and Gut Microbiota

Intestinal inflammation remains one of the most common and severely harmful diseases in intensive farming systems. Ferulic acid (FA) has significant anti-inflammatory properties, but its role in intestinal inflammatory damage remains unclear. The aim of this study is to investigate the protective effect of FA (20, 40, 80 mg/kg) on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced intestinal inflammatory damage in mice and its possible mechanism. FA treatment significantly reduced serum DAO and D-LA levels and suppressed intestinal expression of IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α. FA enhanced intestinal antioxidant activity by increasing GSH, SOD, and CAT levels, while reducing MDA concentrations. FA can increase the content of MUC-2 and promote the secretion of sIgA. The results of 16s rRNA gene sequencing revealed that FA regulated gut microbiota disorders associated with inflammation and mucosal barrier. The present study demonstrates that FA can alleviate LPS-induced intestinal inflammatory damage in mice by inhibiting inflammation, enhancing intestinal barrier function, and regulating the intestinal flora balance.