Growing evidence suggests that gut microbiota play a crucial role in ulcerative colitis (UC) pathogenesis, making microbiota-targeted interventions a promising alternative for effective UC treatment. Here we proposed a novel synbiotic consisting of jujube powder, a traditional Chinese fruit effective in enhancing immune response through enhancing the production of related short-chain fatty acids, and Faecalibacterium prausnitzii, an anti-inflammatory probiotic, and tested its potency in relieving UC in mice. Using a dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced mice colitis model, we demonstrated that the administration of this synbiotic appeared synergistic effects in relieving colitis-related symptoms including body weight loss, rectal bleeding, diarrhea, colon shortening, and histological damage. 16S rRNA gene sequencing revealed that the synbiotic restored the diversity of gut microbiota, increased beneficial bacteria such as Parabacteroides, and decreased the potentially harmful bacteria such as Clostridium_sensu_stricto_1. The analysis of immune cells through flow cytometry indicated that immune imbalance was involved in the colitis model, and the synbiotic restored immune homeostasis, especially maintaining the balance between Th1 and Th2 cells. Moreover, the anti-inflammatory effects of the synbiotic appeared as a function of the proportion of jujube powder and Faecalibacterium prausnitzii. These encouraging results show the potential of jujube powder and Faecalibacterium prausnitzii for UC management through restoring immune homeostasis.
