Diosgenin Exacerbates Intestinal Inflammation in a Murine Model of DSS-induced Colitis (2013)

Undergraduate: Rayna Singh

Faculty Advisor: Christian Jobin
Department: Biology

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The natural product diosgenin, a steroidal saponin found in legumes and wild yams, has been used as an herbal treatment for a variety of GI illnesses. In this study, we investigated diosgenin¿s ability to reduce inflammation in a murine model of DSS-induced colitis and whether a reduction in inflammation correlated with a shift in the composition of the microbiome community in the colon. C578L/6 wild-type mice were given control feed or feed containing 1% diosgenin for 4 weeks, and stool was collected both at day-0 and 4-weeks for illumina sequencing analysis. At the end of four weeks, a portion of the mice from each group were given 3% dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) in their drinking water for 7 days. On day-7, the mice were sacrificed and H&E stained colonic Swiss Rolls were prepared. The weight comparison for the groups just prior to sacrifice showed that the 3%DSS +1% Diosgenin-fed group experienced significantly greater weight loss compared to control groups (p<0.05). Disease scores, however, determined no statistically significant difference in colitis levels for 3%DSS vs. 3%DSS +1% Diosgenin-fed mice, although the trend in colitis scores was slightly higher for the latter. Our results imply that diosgenin may exacerbate intestinal inflammation associated with DSS-induced colitis. A pro-inflammatory cytokine profile analysis of colonic tissue as well as analysis of the gut microbiome of these mice using illumina sequencing will allow us to expand our conclusions.