Abstract
This study evaluates the therapeutic impact of Fructus aurantii (FA) stir-baked with tartary buckwheat bran (TBB) on functional dyspepsia (FD), employing a reserpine at the dose of 5 mg/kg to rats. FA, a traditional Chinese herbal medicine, is processed with TBB to enhance its gastrointestinal motility benefits. The study's objectives were to assess the impact of this preparation on intestinal flora, SCFA levels, and metabolomic profiles in FD. Rats were divided into groups receiving different treatments, with the TBB-FA group showing a 7.15-33.2 times increase in fecal SCFA levels, specifically propionate and butyrate, compared to the Fructus aurantii (FA) stir-baked with wheat bran (WB) group (WB-FA) (p < 0.05). Metabolomics identified 23 serum and 11 intestinal mucosal biomarkers associated with FD, predominantly linked to the purine metabolic pathway. Results indicated a significant positive correlation (r ≥ 0.7) between the abundance of Bacteroides and the expression of propionate and isobutyrate in fecal samples post-TBB-FA treatment. This suggests that TBB-FA may enhance beneficial gut bacteria and SCFA production, potentially modulating the purinergic signaling pathway, which is implicated in gastrointestinal motility. In conclusion, the study demonstrates that TBB-FA could be a promising therapeutic approach for FD by improving gut microbiota and SCFA levels and highlights the purinergic signaling pathway as a novel target for treatment. The findings pave the way for further research into the integration of traditional Chinese medicine and modern therapeutic strategies for FD.