DOI: 10.5061/dryad.34tmpg4w9
title: Corn silk extract as a prebiotic exerts antihypertensive effects via gut microbiota modulation in hypertensive rats

description: Corn silk extract (CSE), a traditional medicinal food rich in
 polysaccharides, flavonoids, and saponins, has been used as a natural
 antihypertensive agent, but its mechanism remains unclear. This study
 aimed to evaluate whether corn silk extract can lower blood pressure
 through gut microbiota modulation. Spontaneously hypertensive rats
 received oral corn silk extract for four weeks, followed by a four-week
 drug-free observation. The treatment significantly reduced systolic blood
 pressure, increased microbial diversity, decreased the
 Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio, and enriched beneficial genera
 such as Akkermansia and Lactobacillus. These changes were
 accompanied by reduced serum LPS and pro-inflammatory cytokines, elevated
 NO levels, and restored endothelial function. PERMANOVA and correlation
 analyses showed that microbiota and inflammatory markers were more
 strongly associated with blood pressure improvements than urinary indices.
 Structural equation modeling suggested a potential mechanistic pathway
 involving gut microbiota–inflammation–NO regulation. Importantly, fecal
 microbiota transplantation (FMT) using post-treatment donor samples
 reproduced the antihypertensive and anti-inflammatory effects, confirming
 the microbiota’s critical mediating role. These findings provide the first
 experimental evidence that corn silk extract functions as a prebiotic to
 improve gut microbial balance and vascular health, offering a promising
 natural strategy for microbiota-targeted blood pressure control.
description: README: Corn silk extract as a prebiotic exerts antihypertensive effects
 via gut microbiota modulation in hypertensive rats Dataset DOI:
 10.5061/dryad.34tmpg4w9 \---------------------------------------- 1\.
 Overview of the dataset \---------------------------------------- This
 dataset contains raw 16S rRNA gene sequencing data (paired-end FASTQ
 files) obtained from fecal samples of spontaneously hypertensive rats
 (SHR) enrolled in a controlled intervention study evaluating the
 antihypertensive and microbiota-modulating effects of corn silk extract
 (CSE). Fecal samples were stored at −80°C prior to DNA
 extraction【32:L9-L9】. Genomic DNA was extracted using the **QIAamp Fast
 DNA Stool Mini Kit (Qiagen)**【32:L9-L9】. The V3–V4 region of the bacterial
 16S rRNA gene was amplified using primers **338F (ACTCCTACGGGAGGCAGCAG)**
 and **806R (GGACTACHVGGGTWTCTAAT)**【32:L17-L17】. Sequencing was performed
 on the **Illumina NovaSeq 6000 platform (PE250 mode)**【2:L1-L1】. All
 sequencing files included here are **raw FASTQ outputs** without trimming,
 filtering, or merging. \---------------------------------------- 2\. File
 naming convention \---------------------------------------- Each file
 follows the naming pattern:
 SampleID.Batch.PrimerPair.ReadDirection.raw.fastq.gz Definitions: \-
 **SampleID**: individual rat or sample identifier (e.g., JA0405, JA0412,
 JB18) \- **Batch**: sequencing batch or technical replicate number (e.g.,
 1, 2, 3) \- **PrimerPair**: always 338F_806R for this dataset \-
 **ReadDirection**: R1 = forward read, R2 = reverse read \-
 **raw.fastq.gz**: gzip-compressed unprocessed FASTQ file Example:
 JA0405_1.338F_806R.R1.raw.fastq.gz → Sample JA0405, batch 1, primer pair
 338F/806R, forward read. \---------------------------------------- 3\.
 File count \---------------------------------------- \- **Total FASTQ
 files:** 112 \- **Total biological samples:** 56 \- Each biological sample
 includes **two paired-end reads (R1 and R2)**.
 \---------------------------------------- 4\. Explanation of abbreviations
 \---------------------------------------- \- **SHR** = Spontaneously
 Hypertensive Rat \- **CSE** = Corn Silk Extract \- **R1 / R2** = Forward
 and reverse reads in paired-end sequencing \- **338F / 806R** = Primer
 pair for V3–V4 amplification \- **FASTQ** = Text-based sequence format
 containing nucleotide sequences + quality scores
 \---------------------------------------- 5\. Sample processing and
 sequencing details (from manuscript)
 \---------------------------------------- \- Fecal samples were collected
 at the endpoint of the animal experiment and stored at **−80°C**
 immediately【32:L9-L9】. \- Microbial DNA extraction was conducted using the
 **QIAamp Fast DNA Stool Mini Kit (Qiagen, Germany)**【32:L9-L9】. \- The
 V3–V4 hypervariable region of the bacterial 16S rRNA gene was amplified
 using primers • 338F: ACTCCTACGGGAGGCAGCAG • 806R: GGACTACHVGGGTWTCTAAT
 (primer sequences from your manuscript【32:L17-L17】) \- PCR products were
 purified using **AMPure XP magnetic beads (Beckman Coulter)**. \-
 Libraries were sequenced on the **Illumina NovaSeq 6000 (PE250)**
 platform【2:L1-L1】. \- Files in this dataset represent **raw FASTQ reads
 prior to any quality control**, trimming, or merging.
 \---------------------------------------- 6\. Recommended downstream usage
 \---------------------------------------- The raw data are suitable for:
 \- DADA2 or Deblur ASV inference \- QIIME2-based workflows \- Taxonomic
 annotation using SILVA v138 (as used in the manuscript) \- Alpha/beta
 diversity, PCoA, community composition, and functional prediction
 (PICRUSt2) \---------------------------------------- 7\. Full file list
 \----------------------------------------
 JA0405_1.338F_806R.R2.raw.fastq.gz JA0405_2.338F_806R.R1.raw.fastq.gz
 JA0405_2.338F_806R.R2.raw.fastq.gz JA0406_1.338F_806R.R1.raw.fastq.gz
 JA0406_1.338F_806R.R2.raw.fastq.gz JA0406_2.338F_806R.R1.raw.fastq.gz
 JA0406_2.338F_806R.R2.raw.fastq.gz JA0406_3.338F_806R.R1.raw.fastq.gz
 JA0406_3.338F_806R.R2.raw.fastq.gz JA0412_2.338F_806R.R1.raw.fastq.gz
 JA0412_2.338F_806R.R2.raw.fastq.gz JA0412_4.338F_806R.R1.raw.fastq.gz
 JA0412_4.338F_806R.R2.raw.fastq.gz JA0412_5.338F_806R.R1.raw.fastq.gz
 JA0412_5.338F_806R.R2.raw.fastq.gz JA0412_6.338F_806R.R1.raw.fastq.gz
 JA0412_6.338F_806R.R2.raw.fastq.gz JA0413_1.338F_806R.R1.raw.fastq.gz
 JA0413_1.338F_806R.R2.raw.fastq.gz JA0413_2.338F_806R.R1.raw.fastq.gz
 JA0413_2.338F_806R.R2.raw.fastq.gz JA0413_3.338F_806R.R1.raw.fastq.gz
 JA0413_3.338F_806R.R2.raw.fastq.gz JA0413_4.338F_806R.R1.raw.fastq.gz
 JA0413_4.338F_806R.R2.raw.fastq.gz JA0414_1.338F_806R.R1.raw.fastq.gz
 JA0414_1.338F_806R.R2.raw.fastq.gz JA0414_2.338F_806R.R1.raw.fastq.gz
 JA0414_2.338F_806R.R2.raw.fastq.gz JA0416_1.338F_806R.R1.raw.fastq.gz
 JA0416_1.338F_806R.R2.raw.fastq.gz JA0421_4.338F_806R.R1.raw.fastq.gz
 JA0421_4.338F_806R.R2.raw.fastq.gz JA0421_5.338F_806R.R1.raw.fastq.gz
 JA0421_5.338F_806R.R2.raw.fastq.gz JA0421_6.338F_806R.R1.raw.fastq.gz
 JA0421_6.338F_806R.R2.raw.fastq.gz JA0422_1.338F_806R.R1.raw.fastq.gz
 JA0422_1.338F_806R.R2.raw.fastq.gz JA0422_2.338F_806R.R1.raw.fastq.gz
 JA0422_2.338F_806R.R2.raw.fastq.gz JA0423_1.338F_806R.R1.raw.fastq.gz
 JA0423_1.338F_806R.R2.raw.fastq.gz JA0423_2.338F_806R.R1.raw.fastq.gz
 JA0423_2.338F_806R.R2.raw.fastq.gz JA0423_3.338F_806R.R1.raw.fastq.gz
 JA0423_3.338F_806R.R2.raw.fastq.gz JA0423_4.338F_806R.R1.raw.fastq.gz
 JA0423_4.338F_806R.R2.raw.fastq.gz JA0423_5.338F_806R.R1.raw.fastq.gz
 JA0423_5.338F_806R.R2.raw.fastq.gz JB18.338F_806R.R1.raw.fastq.gz
 JB18.338F_806R.R2.raw.fastq.gz JB19.338F_806R.R1.raw.fastq.gz
 JB19.338F_806R.R2.raw.fastq.gz JB20.338F_806R.R1.raw.fastq.gz
 JB20.338F_806R.R2.raw.fastq.gz JB21.338F_806R.R1.raw.fastq.gz
 JB21.338F_806R.R2.raw.fastq.gz JB22.338F_806R.R1.raw.fastq.gz
 JB22.338F_806R.R2.raw.fastq.gz JB23.338F_806R.R1.raw.fastq.gz
 JB23.338F_806R.R2.raw.fastq.gz JB24.338F_806R.R1.raw.fastq.gz
 JB24.338F_806R.R2.raw.fastq.gz JB25.338F_806R.R1.raw.fastq.gz
 JB25.338F_806R.R2.raw.fastq.gz JB26.338F_806R.R1.raw.fastq.gz
 JB26.338F_806R.R2.raw.fastq.gz JB27.338F_806R.R1.raw.fastq.gz
 JB27.338F_806R.R2.raw.fastq.gz JB28.338F_806R.R1.raw.fastq.gz
 JB28.338F_806R.R2.raw.fastq.gz JB29.338F_806R.R1.raw.fastq.gz
 JB29.338F_806R.R2.raw.fastq.gz JB30.338F_806R.R1.raw.fastq.gz
 JB30.338F_806R.R2.raw.fastq.gz JB31.338F_806R.R1.raw.fastq.gz
 JB31.338F_806R.R2.raw.fastq.gz