## 3 Results
### Effects of SHE on Fecal Microbiota Composition in DSS-Treated Mice  
The abundance and consistency of the gut microbiota were evaluated. There was no significant variation in the Shannon diversity index (Figure 7A). In contrast, for Faith's phylogenetic diversity (Faith's PD), the DSS group exhibited a higher tendency than the control group, whereas the SHE-treated group showed significantly reduced diversity compared to that of the DSS group (Figure 7B). Analysis based on weighted UniFrac distances revealed different bacterial distributions between the DSS and SHE-treated groups (R = 1, P = 0.021) (Figure 7C). According to the bacterial classification, phyla and genera were analyzed (Figure 7D). F/B ratio increased significantly in the DSS group compared to that in the control group but decreased significantly in the SHE-treated group compared to that in the DSS group (Figure 7E). The taxa whose relative abundance at the genus level changed due to DSS or DSS-SHE treatment were investigated (Figure 7F-J). _Bacteroides_ spp. and GCA-900066575 spp. were significantly less prevalent in the DSS group, whereas _Bacteroides_ spp., GCA-900066575 spp., and _Erysipelotoclostridium_ spp. were significantly more prevalent in the SHE-treated group (Figure 7F-H). However, _Anaerotruncus_ spp. were significantly greater in the DSS group, but significantly lower in the SHE-treated group  
Figure 5: Effects of _S. horneri_ extract (SHE) on levels of inflammatory markers in DSS-treated mice. (**A**) Lipocalin-2 in serum, (**B**) myeloperoxidase (MPO), (**C**) TNF-\(\alpha\), (**D**) IL-6, (**E**) IFN-\(\gamma\) levels in the colons of mice were measured by ELISA. All data are expressed as means \(\pm\) SD (\(n\) = 8). \({}^{\bullet}\)_p_ \(<\) 0.05, \({}^{\bullet\bullet}\)_p_\(<\) 0.001, \({}^{\bullet\bullet}\)_p_\(<\) 0.0001, significantly different compared with DSS group by one way ANOVA followed by Dunnett’s test. CON: control group; DSS: 2.5% DSS in drinking water for the last 7 days; DSS-SHE-L: DSS + _S. horneri_ extract low dose group (100 mg/kg bw/day); DSS-SHE-H: DSS + _S. horneri_ extract high dose group (200 mg/kg bw/day).  
(Figure 7)). The SHE-treated group showed significantly increased levels of _Akkermansia muciniphia_, _Bifidobacterium bifidum_, and _Lactococcus lactis_ (Figure 7K-M), as measured by qPCR. [PERSON]'s correlation between gut microbial species and UC-related factors was investigated (Figure 7N). GCA-900066575 spp. correlated negatively with inflammatory factors including lipocalin 2, MPO, IFN-\(\gamma\), TNF-\(\alpha\), and IL-6. The _Anauerotruncus_ genus, in contrast, exhibited positive correlations with UC-related factors, including histology score, MPO, and IFN-\(\gamma\).  
Figure 6: Effects of _S. horneri_ extract (SHE) on inflammatory markers, tight junctions, and mTOR axis in DSS-treated mice. Gene expression of (**A**) _N/kb_\(p\)_\(65\), (**B**) _Cox2_, (**C**) _Inos_, (**D**) _Occludin_, (**E**) _Claudin1_, (**F**) _Zo1_, (**G**) _P13k_, (**H**) _Akt_, (**I**) _Mtor_, and (**J**) _S6k_ mRNA in the colon of DSS-treated mice. As a reference gene, \(\beta\)-actin was utilized. (**K**) Western blotting was used to determine the expression of p-mTOR, mTOR, p-S6K, S6K, and \(\beta\)-actin in colonic tissues, as well as the relative ratios of (**L**) p-mTOR/mTOR and (**M**) p-S6K/S6K were calculated. All data are expressed as means \(\pm\) SD (\(n\) = 8). * \(p\) \(<\) 0.05, **_m \(p\)_\(<\) 0.01, **_p_\(<\) 0.001, **_p_\(<\) 0.001, **_p_\(<\) 0.0001, significantly different compared with DSS group by one way ANOVA followed by [PERSON]’s test. CON: control group; DSS: 2.5% DSS in drinking water for the last 7 days; DSS-SHE-L: DSS + _S. horneri_ extract low dose group (100 mg/kg bw/day); DSS-SHE-H: DSS + _S. horneri_ extract high dose group (200 mg/kg bw/day).