Recipient Organization
PURDUE UNIVERSITY
(N/A)
WEST LAFAYETTE,IN 47907
Performing Department
Food Science
Non Technical Summary
Hemp seed, once viewed as a by-product of the hemp fiber industry, has gained increased attention and popularity due to its nutritional value and potential benefits in improving gut health.Our recent preliminary study revealed that hemp seed consumption reduced colonic inflammation and relieved tissue damage in a dextran sulfate sodium-induced inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) mouse model, indicating the potential anti-colitis properties of hemp seed. Despite these promising findings, critical gaps remain. Specifically, it is unknown whether hemp seed can alleviate the chronic and spontaneous progression of IBD, which more closely reflects the human disease course. Moreover, the extent to which the gut microbiota contributes to the effect of hemp seed on colitis remains unclear.This application aims to define the effect and mechanism by which hemp seed influences colitis in the chronic spontaneous IBD mouse model. Based on our preliminary findings, we hypothesize that dietary consumption of hemp seed favorably alters gut microbiota and alleviates colitis in the spontaneous IBD mouse model. To test our hypothesis, we propose two specific objectives: 1) determine the effect of hemp seed on colitis-associated inflammatory responses and bacterial dysbiosis, and 2) characterize the functional role of gut microbiota in mediating the impact of hemp seed on colitis. The successful completion of this study is expected to significantly advance our understanding of the hemp seed-microbiome-inflammation axis and could facilitate the establishment of hemp seed as a novel food option for IBD prevention and gut health improvement. These outcomes are also expected to have positive impacts on U.S. agriculture by advancing the cultivation and production of hemp seed and its derived food products (hempseed milk, oil, cookies, or cereal) in the health market, and creating novel economic opportunities for the hemp industry in the U.S.Together, this proposal addresses the Food and Human Health (A1343) program area priority by investigating how hemp seed influences gut microbiota and IBD, with the long-term goal of identifying sustainable food sources to prevent IBD and improve gut health.
Animal Health Component
(N/A)
Research Effort Categories
Basic
100%
Applied
(N/A)
Developmental
(N/A)
Goals / Objectives
Our long-term goal is to identify sustainable food-based strategies for the prevention of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The overall objective of this application is to define the effects and underlying mechanisms by which hemp seed modulates colitis in a chronic spontaneous IBD mouse model. To achieve this objective, we propose the following specific aims:Aim 1: Determine the effect of hemp seed on colitis-associated inflammatory responses and gut microbial dysbiosis.Aim 2: Characterize the functional role of gut microbiota in mediating the impact of hemp seed on colitis.Upon completing the proposed research, we expect to gain better insights into the anti-colitis actions of hemp seed in the spontaneous IBD model (Aim 1) and clarify the contribution of gut microbiota in mediating the impact of hemp seed on colitis (Aim 2).
Project Methods
Aim 1: Determine the effect of hemp seed on colitis-associated inflammatory responses and bacterial dysbiosis.Our working hypothesis is that dietary consumption of hemp seed reduces colonic inflammation and optimizes the gut microbiota in a spontaneous IBD mouse model. To test this hypothesis, we propose to feed the interleukin-10-deficient mice (Il-10-/-) mice with the hemp seed diet (Task 1-1), determine colonic inflammatory response (Task 1-2), and assess the dynamic changes of the gut microbial composition and metabolism (Task 1-3) in Il-10-/- mice. We anticipate that hemp seed consumption alleviates colonic inflammatory responses and optimizes microbial composition and metabolism in Il-10-/- mice.Aim 2: Characterize the functional role of gut microbiota in mediating the impact of hemp seed on colitis.Here we will test the working hypothesis that hemp seed-altered gut microbiota mediates the anti-colitis properties of hemp seed in the spontaneous IBD mouse model. To define the direct contribution of gut microbiota, we propose to perform the fecal transplantation of hemp seed-altered gut microbiota on germ-free Il-10-/- mice (Task 2-1). We also propose to determine the direct action of hemp seed on probiotic strains using in vitro bacterial culture (Task 2-2). We anticipate that: 1) the germ-free Il-10-/- mice that received gut microbiota from hemp seed diet-fed mice will exhibit alleviated colitis symptoms, compared to those that received gut microbiota from standard diet-fed mice, and 2) hemp seed will directly enhance the growth and metabolism of probiotic strains.