Effect of Polysaccharide Extracted From Gynostemma Pentaphyllum on the Body Weight and Gut Microbiota of Mice

Abstract

Researchers have investigated the role of polysaccharides in disease treatment via gut microbiota regulation but ignore their function in disease prevention and physique enhancement. In this work, a Gynostemma pentaphyllum polysaccharide (GPP) was tested by methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium (MTT) assay and proved to be safe to Caco-2 cells. Animal experiments showed that the administration of GPP for 3 weeks decreased the body weight gain of mice from 15.4 ± 1.7 to 12.2 ± 1.8 g in a concentration-dependent manner. Analysis of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) indicated that GPP increased the levels of acetate, propionate, butyrate, and total SCFAs in the cecum contents of normal mice. Furthermore, GPP improved the species richness and abundance in the gut microbiota but reduced the Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio from 0.8021 to 0.3873. This work provides a basis for incorporating GPP into diet to prevent or mitigate the occurrence of obesity via gut microbiota regulation.

Targeting intestinal microecology: potential intervention strategies of traditional Chinese medicine for managing hypertension

“… Li et al (2020) confirmed that Gegen extract can improve the BP increase induced by a high-salt diet in mice by reducing the abundance of Spirillaceae and Erythrobacillus and increasing the abundance of Clostridium and Vibrio . Han et al (2019) used Huangqi-Danshen to treat SHRs for 28 days and found that the BP of SHRs decreased, the F/B ratio increased, and the abundance and diversity of gut microbiota increased.…”

Metabolome combined with gut microbiome revealed the lipid-lowering mechanism of Xuezhiping capsule on hyperlipidemic hamster induced by high fat diet

“…Studies have shown that long-term fed with high fat diet may alter gut microbiota, induce intestinal barrier dysfunction, and hence promote chronic inflammation that contributes to disrupted glycemic homeostasis ( He et al, 2020 ; Ahrens et al, 2021 ; Cheng et al, 2021 ). GP as one of the constituent drugs of XZP, reduced the Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio ( Li S. et al, 2022 ), enriched the abundance of Lactococcus spp. and inhibiting the abundance of Ruminococcus spp.…”

“…A high-fat diet induced to dysbiosis, gut barrier dysfunction, increased intestinal permeability, and leakage of toxic bacterial metabolites into the circulation ( Malesza et al, 2021 ). Studies have shown that GP regulated short chain fatty acid metabolism and gut microbiota related to intestinal inflammation, and reduced the Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio ( Horne et al, 2020 ; Li S. et al, 2022 ). GP extract enriched the abundance of beneficial bacteria such as Lactococcus spp.…”

Gypenoside XIII regulates lipid metabolism in HepG2 hepatocytes and ameliorates nonalcoholic steatohepatitis in mice

“…12 Both polysaccharides and total saponins of G. pentaphyllum have been found to improve obesity and NAFLD. 13,14 Some saponins isolated from G. pentaphyllum are the same as those of ginseng, such as Ginsenoside Rb1, which also improves body weight and hepatocytic steatosis in obese mice. 15 In addition, unique gypenosides of G. pentaphyllum have been isolated one after another.…”

“…G. pentaphyllum extract can improve hyperlipidemia in high‐fat diet‐induced obese mice 12 . Both polysaccharides and total saponins of G. pentaphyllum have been found to improve obesity and NAFLD 13,14 . Some saponins isolated from G. pentaphyllum are the same as those of ginseng, such as Ginsenoside Rb1, which also improves body weight and hepatocytic steatosis in obese mice 15 .…”