Abstract
Dietary factors play a crucial role in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) pathogenesis. Therefore, the dietary contraindications for patients with IBS require further supplementation. Recent investigations have revealed that ginger consumption may pose a risk of aggravating the symptoms and incidence of IBS; however, the specific mechanism remains unknown. In this study, we developed experimental IBS and intestinal organoid differentiation screening models to elucidate the mechanisms underlying the ginger-mediated exacerbation of IBS symptoms. Subsequently, we used a knockout approach combined with click chemistry as well as virus infection to identify the toxic components of ginger and the target mechanism. Our results showed that a daily intake of 90 to 300 mg/kg ginger (equivalent to a human daily dose of 0.6 to 2 g per person) may pose a risk of exacerbating IBS symptoms. Furthermore, a component derived from 6-gingerol (ginger's main ingredient) through in vivo gastric acid and heat processing inhibited the formation of the eIF3 transcription initiation complex by covalently binding to the Cys(58) site of eIF3A, a key factor regulating intestinal crypt stem cell differentiation, further reducing the goblet cell number and related mucus layer thickness and increasing lipopolysaccharide infiltration and low-grade inflammation in the ileum crypts, thereby exacerbating the symptoms of IBS in mice. Our study suggests that dietary ginger aggravates IBS and provides safety evaluation methods for the proper use of foods in specific populations.