{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,22]],"date-time":"2026-04-22T09:51:46Z","timestamp":1776851506223,"version":"3.51.2"},"reference-count":46,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"3","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,1]],"date-time":"2026-02-01T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1769904000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100020142","name":"National Beef Cattle Industrial Technology System","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","award":["CARS-37"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["CARS-37"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100020142","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"crossref"}]},{"name":"Hebei modern agricultural industrial technology system beef cattle industry innovation team construction project","award":["HBCT2023190204"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["HBCT2023190204"]}]},{"DOI":"10.13039\/100016692","name":"Key Research and Development Program of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","award":["2024BBF02020"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["2024BBF02020"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/100016692","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"crossref"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Foods"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Beef and yam are valued as functional foods, yet their synergistic effects on gastrointestinal health and immunity remain underexplored. This study investigated the effects of beef and yam on the spleen and stomach. In the present study, a rat model of spleen deficiency was established by poor diet and exhaustive swimming. The weight, food intake, gastrointestinal and immune indexes, and the intestinal flora of the rats were examined. The results showed that the levels of gastrin, motilin, and four cytokines improved. Specifically, the beef group exhibited marked recovery in gastrointestinal hormones, with serum gastrin and motilin levels increasing to approximately 60 pg\/mL and 70 pg\/mL, respectively, close to the normal control levels, and significantly higher than the model group. The beef and yam effectively restored the balance of intestinal flora, which significantly increased the diversity of intestinal microorganisms. In addition, the tissue structure of the spleen, stomach, small intestine, and colon was also effectively improved. Additionally, yam increased gut microbial diversity and optimized the microbial community structure, consequently enhancing the overall health status. This study elucidates the multi-pathway mechanisms by which beef and yam ameliorate spleen deficiency, providing a scientific basis for their application in functional foods.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/foods15030488","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,2]],"date-time":"2026-02-02T15:38:12Z","timestamp":1770046692000},"page":"488","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Multi-Pathway Mechanisms of Beef in Ameliorating Spleen Deficiency Syndrome: Insights from Digestive Function, Immunity, and Gut Microbiota"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"15","author":[{"given":"Ying","family":"Zhang","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Henan Key Lab of Meat Processing and Quality Safety Control, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450002, China"},{"name":"College of Food Science and Technology, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450002, China"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Ang","family":"Ru","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Henan Key Lab of Meat Processing and Quality Safety Control, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450002, China"},{"name":"College of Food Science and Technology, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450002, China"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Xinghui","family":"Wang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Henan Key Lab of Meat Processing and Quality Safety Control, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450002, China"},{"name":"College of Food Science and Technology, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450002, China"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-6636-8041","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ke","family":"Wang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Henan Key Lab of Meat Processing and Quality Safety Control, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450002, China"},{"name":"College of Food Science and Technology, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450002, China"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Xueyuan","family":"Bai","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Henan Key Lab of Meat Processing and Quality Safety Control, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450002, China"},{"name":"College of Food Science and Technology, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450002, China"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Xinjun","family":"Zhang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Ningxia Xiahua Meat Food Co., Ltd., Zhongwei 755000, China"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Chaozhi","family":"Zhu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Henan Key Lab of Meat Processing and Quality Safety Control, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450002, China"},{"name":"College of Food Science and Technology, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450002, China"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-4538-3186","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Gaiming","family":"Zhao","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Henan Key Lab of Meat Processing and Quality Safety Control, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450002, China"},{"name":"College of Food Science and Technology, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450002, China"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,1]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"117070","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jpba.2025.117070","article-title":"Multi-omics validation and material basis study of honey processed licorice for ameliorating spleen deficiency syndrome","volume":"266","author":"Xu","year":"2025","journal-title":"J. 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