ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Microbiol.
Sec. Microorganisms in Vertebrate Digestive Systems
This article is part of the Research TopicRodent Model Organisms: Therapeutic Treatments and Drugs Interaction with the Gut Microbiome, Volume IIView all 34 articles
Based on Untargeted Metabolomics and Metagenomics: A Study on the Mechanism of Miao Ethnomedicine Zingiber mioga (Thunb.) Rosc.) in Treating Slow Transit Constipation
Provisionally accepted
- Graduate School of Guizhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Guiyang, China
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A rat model of slow transit constipation (STC) was induced by loperamide hydrochloride to explore the therapeutic mechanism of Zingiber mioga (Thunb.) Rosc. (RH) using integrated metabolomic and metagenomic approaches. Thirty-six Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were randomly assigned to 6 groups (n=6): the control group, model group, mosapride-positive control group (2 mg·kg⁻¹), and RH low- (1350 mg·kg⁻¹), medium- (2700 mg·kg⁻¹), and high-dose (3400 mg·kg⁻¹) groups. The STC model was established by intragastric administration of loperamide hydrochloride (5 mg/kg) for 35 consecutive days, with simultaneous drug intervention. Serum levels of substance P (SP), motilin (MTL), and gastrin (GAS) were quantified; colonic pathological sections were prepared; and serum untargeted metabolomics and fecal metagenomics analyses were conducted. Key findings demonstrated that RH significantly decreased serum SP levels while elevating MTL and GAS levels in STC rats, attenuated colonic pathological lesions, and increased intestinal propulsion rate. Serum metabolomics analysis identified 15 differential metabolites, which were primarily involved in nitrogen metabolism, neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction, and amino acid metabolism. Fecal metagenomics analysis revealed that RH restored the Eubacteriales/Lachnospirales ratio and increased the relative abundance of probiotic genera (e.g., Ruminococcus sp., Eubacterium sp.). In conclusion, RH exerts laxative effects in STC rats by regulating gastrointestinal hormones, mitigating colonic injury, and accelerating intestinal peristalsis. These effects may be mediated by ameliorating amino acid and nitrogen metabolic disorders and modulating gut microbiota composition.
Keywords: Gut Microbiota, Metabolomics, Metagenomics, slow transit constipation, Zingiber mioga (Thunb.) Rosc.)
Received: 24 Nov 2025; Accepted: 03 Feb 2026.
Copyright: © 2026 杜, Hu, chen, Xia and zeng. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence:
宇涛 杜
Chenggang Hu
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