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The impact of burdock tea (BT) made from burdock (Arctium lappa) roots in normal individuals and animal models remains largely unknown, particularly on lung protection. This study examined responses of oxidative stress, inflammation, and the microbiota within the cecum and the lung to BT treatment in healthy Wistar rats. A middle-dose BT reduced the Chao1 and Shannon indices, and both low and middle doses induced structural alterations in the cecal microbiota. Additionally, low doses increased the abundances of Phascolarctobacterium, Alloprevotella, Desulfovibrio, and the NK4A214 group. In the lung, middle and high doses increased Corynebacterium, with high doses also boosting Megasphaera and Lactobacillus. Functionally, low doses downregulated the biosynthesis of antibiotics in the cecal microbiota, while middle doses reduced the Epstein–Barr virus and Escherichia coli pathogenic infection pathways; additionally, middle and high doses modulated chromosomal proteins and bile acid biosynthesis in the pulmonary microbiota. BT treatment enhanced the content of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), upregulated the expression of GPR43, and suppressed NLRP3 expression in both the colon and lung tissues, while concurrently promoting the expression of ZO-1 and Occludin. Furthermore, serum levels of IL-1β and IL-6, as well as tissue levels of MDA, were significantly reduced. Notably, propionate exhibited an inverse correlation with MDA, IL-6, and NLRP3, while showing a positive correlation with ZO-1. Similarly, acetate was negatively correlated with MDA and NLRP3 and positively correlated with ZO-1. Overall, BT exhibits a nontoxic profile and may protect lung tissue through its antioxidant nature and gut–lung axis mediated by SCFAs.

This study aimed to clarify the effects of the roasted burdock root tea (BT) drink on gut microbiota. BT (5%), inulin (INU) (1.1%), or chlorogenic acid (CGA) (0.005%) drinks were administered to ddY mice fed a high-fat diet (HFD; at fat calorie % = 32) for 21 d. Compared with normal chow-fed mice, HFD-fed mice exhibited increased body and liver weights and epididymal fat pads. Body weight gain was suppressed by CGA drink intake ( p  < 0.05). The levels of plasma liver damage indices (alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase) were reduced by intake of the BT or INU drink but not of the CGA drink. The caecal pH decreased from 7.1 to 6.8 upon BT or INU drink intake. Caecal propionate increased from approximately 4 μmol/g to 8 μmol/g by intake of the BT drink. Sequencing of 16S rDNA (V3–V4) amplicons in faecal samples revealed that HFD increased Lachnospiraceae- like bacterial abundance and reduced Muribaculaceae -like bacterial abundance. The abundance of Faecalibaculum rodentium -like bacteria was increased by BT drink intake, while that of Lachnospiraceae -like bacteria was decreased by BT, INU, or CGA drink intake. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes metabolism prediction suggested that histidine and tryptophan biosynthesis was high in the gut microbiota of mice that consumed the BT drink. These results suggest that BT drink ameliorate HFD-induced liver inflammation and gut dysbiosis better than INU or CGA drinks. However, the properties of the compounds generated during roasting and heat treatment and the effects of BT drink metabolites on the gut microbiota, particularly F. rodentium , warrant further study.

Solid-state fermentation of burdock roots with was performed to enhance their functional properties. Fermentation induced marked compositional remodeling, resulting in a 1.37-fold increase in protein content compared to unfermented controls. Antioxidant capacities were markedly enhanced. DPPH and ABTS radical-scavenging activities both exceeded 90%, and intracellular ROS levels in were reduced by 62.7%. Phenolic profiling via UPLC-ESI-MS/MS identified and quantified 74 phenolic compounds across samples; notably, 10 flavonoids were exclusively detected in fermented burdock roots, indicative of microbial biotransformation. Correlation analysis integrating phenolic abundance with all three antioxidant endpoints revealed 11 compounds significantly associated with enhanced bioactivity. Among these, sinapic acid, 3-hydroxyflavone, liquiritigenin, and sakuranetin exhibited positive correlations with all three antioxidant measures. Prostaglandin G/H synthase 1 (PTGS1) and PTGS2 were identified as shared antioxidant-relevant targets, with PTGS1 highlighted due to its constitutive role in prostaglandin biosynthesis. Importantly, 3-hydroxyflavone, liquiritigenin, and sakuranetin were newly emerged following fermentation, providing direct evidence that mediates the synthesis or structural modification of key flavonoids, thereby augmenting the antioxidant chemical profile and functional efficacy of burdock roots.