Maintaining intestinal mucus homeostasis by Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron pirin-like protein in colitis mice and improval by a polyphenol-rich diet

Dietary achievable dose of protocatechuic acid (5 mg/kg bodyweight) administration remarkably increases mice intestinal Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron (BT) and also improves mucin homeostasis. Furthermore, the anti-colitis and improvement in mucin homeostasis efficacy of PCA are blocked by BT colonization.