Efficacy and Mechanism of Pueraria lobata and Pueraria thomsonii Polysaccharides in the Treatment of Type 2 Diabetes

Abstract

Diabetes is called a “wasting and thirsting disorder” in Chinese traditional medicine because there is a depletion of vital substances in the body independent of the intake of food or water and an inability to reintroduce fluids through drinking. Pueraria lobata (Willd.) Ohwi (GG) and Pueraria thomsonii Benth. (FG) are traditional Chinese herbal medicines used in the treatment of wasting-thirst that reduce blood glucose levels. Flavonoids are the main pharmacodynamic components of GG and FG, and they are also the most studied components at present, but polysaccharides are also active components of GG and FG, which, however, are less studied. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the effect of Pueraria polysaccharides (GG and FG polysaccharides) on type 2 diabetes (T2D), as well as their related mechanisms of action in terms of both intestinal flora and metabolomics. The C57BL/KsJ-db/db mouse model, a well-established model of obesity-induced T2D, was used in this study. The metabolomic analysis showed that Pueraria polysaccharides improved the metabolic profile of diabetic mice and significantly regulated metabolites and metabolic pathways. Both GG and FG polysaccharides regulated insulin resistance in mice by regulating PPAR signaling pathway so as to treat T2D. Additionally, Pueraria polysaccharides regulated the structure of gut microbiota and improved the diabetes-related metabolic pathway. Therefore, this study discovered the antidiabetic effects and potential mechanisms of Pueraria polysaccharides through multiple pathways involving gut microbiota and metabolites, providing a theoretical basis for further studies on their effects in the treatment of T2D.

Fecal metabolomics combined with 16S rRNA gene sequencing to analyze the effect of Jiaotai pill intervention in type 2 diabetes mellitus rats

“…In the JTP group, the above indices increased, the diversity of flora increased, and the gut microbiota disorder was restored. Alterations in the gut microbiota were closely associated with T2DM, consistent with previous findings ( 17 , 18 ). In this study, PCoA and NMDS analysis were used to analyze the similarity (β-diversity) of the gut microbiota of the samples.…”

A purified fraction of polysaccharides from the fruits of Lycium barbarum L. improves glucose homeostasis and intestinal barrier function in high-fat diet-fed mice

“…Therefore, the LBPs-4 modulated the growth of Allobaculum and Romboutsia and promoted the production of acetic and n -butyric acid in HFD-fed mice, and these changes might be an important mechanism by which LBPs-4 improve the intestinal barrier and glucose homeostasis. In accordance with our data, many other polysaccharides, including the polysaccharides from Holothuria leucospilota , 49 Agave 50 and Pueraria lobata 51 could enhance the proliferation of Allobaculum or Romboutsia , elevate the plasma level of GLP-1 and ameliorate the symptoms of type 2 diabetes induced by the HFD.…”

Preparation, Structural Analysis and Antioxidant Activity of Polysaccharides and Their Derivatives from Pueraria lobata

“…significantly improved the antioxidant activity of Ginkgo biloba polysaccharide after phosphorylation modification [9] . From the available literature, it is clear that PLPs have good biological activity, but it is still far from the requirements for application [10–12] . Therefore, in this study, PLPs were carboxymethylated modified, acetylated modified and phosphorylated modified, and the antioxidant activities of these four polysaccharides were studied comparatively.…”