Baicalin and
berberine hydrochloride are the main chemical compositions of Scutellariae Radix and Coptidis Rhizoma, respectively. S. Radix and C. Rhizoma are two traditional Chinese herbs that are commonly used together in compounded formulations to treat
colitis. Therefore, the combination of
Baicalin and
berberine hydrochloride (BBH) to treat
colitis was studied. The results of pharmacological evaluations demonstrated the excellent protective effects of BBH on
colitis induced by
dextran sulfate sodium (DSS). BBH could improve the morphological condition of
colitis in mice and maintain the balance of proinflammation
cytokines (IL-6, IL-8, IL-1β, and TNF-α) and anti-
inflammation cytokines (IL-4 and IL-10). The 16s
rDNA sequencing revealed that BBH was able to modulate the composition of intestinal microflora, especially the abundances of Eubacterium_brachy_group, Holdemania, Erysipelotrichaceae_UCG_003, Christensenellaceae_R-7_group, and Sellimonas. The results of PICRUSt indicated that the
therapeutic effects of BBH were tightly connected with
DNA synthesis, replication and repair of gut microbiota. In summary, it was concluded that BBH could protect mice against DSS-induced
colitis, and the protective effects were tightly correlated with gut microbiota.