Investigation of the Protective Effect of Red‐Light‐Intervened Dendrobium officinale on Rats With Gastric Injury Based on Serum Metabolomics

ABSTRACT This study aimed to compare both the protective effects and metabolic mechanisms of red‐light‐cultured Dendrobium officinale (RL‐DO) and natural‐light‐cultured D. officinale (NL‐DO) on gastric injury in rats. Rats were divided into control, model, omeprazole, RL‐DO, and NL‐DO groups. After 24‐day treatment, gastric mucosal pathology, serum biomarkers (Gas, MTL, and SS), oxidative stress markers (SOD, MDA, and NO), apoptosis‐related proteins (Bax/Bcl‐2 and Caspase‐3), and serum metabolomics were analyzed via HE staining, ELISA, Western blot, TUNEL, and UHPLC‐Q‐Exactive Plus‐MS. Both RL‐DO and NL‐DO significantly improved gastric mucosal damage, upregulated SOD/NO, downregulated MDA, reduced apoptosis, and modulated Bax/Bcl‐2/Caspase‐3 ( p < 0.05/0.01). RL‐DO exhibited superior efficacy in enhancing body weight, water intake, fecal moisture, and NO levels. Metabolomics revealed RL‐DO reversed 46 metabolites (vs. NL‐DO's 37) and targeted key pathways including glycerophospholipid metabolism, apoptosis regulation, and cAMP signaling. RL‐DO uniquely regulated arginine/proline metabolism and fatty acid biosynthesis. Both RL‐DO and NL‐DO protect against gastric injury, with RL‐DO showing enhanced efficacy, likely due to broader metabolic pathway modulation.