Protective Effects of Fermented Glasswort (Salicornia herbacea L.) on Aged Gut Induced by D-Galactose in Rats

Glasswort (Salicornia herbacea L.) is a halophyte plant known to contain high contents of minerals and phytochemicals. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of fermented glasswort on gut health in D-galactose (D-gal)-induced aging rats. Forty rats were randomly divided into five groups: control (CON), D-gal alone (CD), D-gal plus fructooligosaccharide as a positive control (FOS, 400 mg/kg), D-gal plus low dose fermented glasswort (LGW, 10 mg/kg), and D-gal plus high-dose fermented glasswort (HGW, 20 mg/kg). Each treatment was orally administered to rats of each group for eight weeks. All groups except for the CON group (treated with saline) were intraperitoneally injected with D-gal (150 mg/kg). Our results showed that butyric acid among short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), goblet cells of colon, and thickness of mucus layer in colon were increased in fermented glasswort groups. In addition, fermented glasswort reduced levels of thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS, a related oxidative stress marker) and expression levels of inflammation-related proteins such as IL-1β. These results suggest that fermented glasswort can improve age-related gut health.