{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2025,7,30]],"date-time":"2025-07-30T16:03:22Z","timestamp":1753891402899,"version":"3.41.2"},"reference-count":43,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,6,5]],"date-time":"2025-06-05T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1749081600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Microbiol."],"abstract":"<jats:sec><jats:title>Introduction<\/jats:title><jats:p>Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a common and widespread autoimmune disease whose incidence is increasing. Stir-baked Xanthii fructus (XF) is used to treat RA in clinic. However, it\u2019s <jats:italic>in vivo<\/jats:italic> efficacy and mechanistic pathways remain unclear. This study aimed to explored XF\u2019s therapeutic effects and its mechanisms by comprehensive serum metabolomics and gut microbiota analysis.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title><jats:p>The components in XF were identified using the UPLC-MS technique. A rat model of adjuvant arthritis was established using complete Freund\u2019s adjuvant to evaluate the efficacy of XF. The <jats:italic>in vivo<\/jats:italic> mechanisms were explored through microbiome, short-chain fatty acid (SCFAs), and metabolomics analysis.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Results<\/jats:title><jats:p>In total, 27 components were identified in XF. The treatment effectively suppressed inflammatory factors and alleviated pannus and cartilage damage. In addition, this article revealed a substantial remodeling of the gut microbiota composition, characterized by a reduced abundance of pro-inflammatory bacteria, increased populations of immunomodulatory bacteria and restored levels of SCFAs. Serum metabolomic profiling identified 17 arthritis-associated metabolites, primarily involved in glycerophospholipid metabolism and bile acid biosynthesis. Then, a strong correlation was found between gut microbiota and serum metabolites, indicating that XF exerts its therapeutic effects through immunomodulation, energy homeostasis regulation, and redox balance maintenance via the gut-joint axis.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Discussion<\/jats:title><jats:p>This study provides new insights for further research into the targeted therapy of XF to ameliorate adjuvant arthritis.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.3389\/fmicb.2025.1599529","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,6,5]],"date-time":"2025-06-05T21:33:08Z","timestamp":1749159188000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Stir-baked Xanthii fructus ameliorates adjuvant arthritis by regulating gut microbiota, short-chain fatty acids and metabolites"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"16","author":[{"given":"Xinyuan","family":"Cui","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Zhaoqi","family":"Ding","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Yujie","family":"Ji","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Jiale","family":"Liu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Zenghui","family":"Chang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Junshuo","family":"Zhang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Xinyi","family":"Wang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Kai","family":"Liu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Yuanyuan","family":"Liu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,6,5]]},"reference":[{"key":"B1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"15","DOI":"10.1016\/j.autneu.2014.01.006","article-title":"Autonomic regulation of cellular immune function.","volume":"182","author":"Bellinger","year":"2014","journal-title":"Autonomic Neuroscience-Basic Clin."},{"key":"B2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1477187","DOI":"10.3389\/fmicb.2024.1477187","article-title":"Gut microbiota mediated T cells regulation and autoimmune diseases.","volume":"15","author":"Bhutta","year":"2024","journal-title":"Front. 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