Coix seed is a functional food in the Chinese diet that possesses the ability to alleviate ulcerative colitis clinically. However, the underlying mechanisms remain ambiguous. In this study, we investigated the protective effect of the Coix seed diet on experimental colitis mice. The mice were randomly divided into four groups: control group, model group, Coix seed feed group, and positive control group. The maintenance feed of the mice was replaced with Coix seed feed 10 days before orally administering the mice 5% (w/v) dextran sulfate sodium drink. As a result, the Coix seed feed alleviated colitis symptoms, maintained the complete blood count at a normal level, reduced the pathological score, relieved inflammatory cytokine secretion, and alleviated oxidative stress. Network pharmacology analysis was used for further exploration of the targets of Coix seed feed. The results showed that T-cell regulation is one of the targets of Coix seed feed, and the analysis of the T-lymphocyte subset and innate immune cell distribution of the colon tissue supported the network pharmacology results. In conclusion, Coix seed, as a staple food, can alleviate experimental colitis, and the mechanism may be related to the immune regulation effect of Coix seeds.

中文翻译：

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薏苡仁饮食改善实验性结肠炎小鼠的免疫功能障碍

薏苡仁是我国膳食中的一种功能性食品，临床上具有缓解溃疡性结肠炎的作用。然而，潜在的机制仍然模棱两可。在这项研究中，我们研究了薏苡仁饮食对实验性结肠炎小鼠的保护作用。将小鼠随机分为4组：对照组、模型组、薏苡仁饲料组、阳性对照组。小鼠维持饲料10天前更换薏苡仁饲料5%（w / v）) 葡聚糖硫酸钠饮料。结果，薏苡仁饲料减轻了结肠炎症状，使全血细胞计数保持在正常水平，降低了病理评分，减轻了炎性细胞因子的分泌，减轻了氧化应激。网络药理学分析用于进一步探索薏苡仁饲料的靶点。结果表明，T细胞调节是薏苡仁饲料的靶点之一，对结肠组织T淋巴细胞亚群和先天免疫细胞分布的分析支持了网络药理学结果。综上所述，薏苡仁作为主食可以缓解实验性结肠炎，其机制可能与薏苡仁的免疫调节作用有关。