Oral supplementation with ginseng polysaccharide promotes food intake in mice

Abstract

Introduction Ginseng polysaccharide (GPS, same as Panax polysaccharide) is a kind of polysaccharide extracted from ginseng. It has been reported that GPS has the ability to activate innate immunity, regulates blood sugar balance, and improves antioxidant capacity, but the effect on feeding behavior and its mechanism remains unclear. Method To investigate the possible effect of GPS on feeding behavior of animals, mice were supplied with GPS in water, and food intake, hedonic feeding behavior, anxiety‐like behavior, expression of appetite‐regulation peptides in the central nervous system and glucose‐related hormone levels in the serum of mice were measured. Results Ginseng polysaccharide significantly increased the average daily food intake in mice and promoted hedonic eating behavior. Meanwhile, the levels of serum glucose and glucagon were significantly reduced by GPS, and GPS promoted hypothalamic neuropeptide Y expression, inhibited proopiomelanocortin (POMC) expression, and reduced dopamine D1 receptor (DRD1) levels in the midbrain. We also found that the anxiety level of mice was significantly lower after GPS intake. In conclusion, oral supplementation with GPS promoted food intake in mice, most likely through the regulation of circulating glucose levels.

Effects of fermented feeds and ginseng polysaccharides on the intestinal morphology and microbiota composition of Xuefeng black-bone chicken

“…Other alternatives include addition of biological and functional additives to the diet, such as moringa, mulberry, Chinese herbal medicine, tea polyphenol, dietary fiber, and ginseng polysaccharides. Among them, ginseng polysaccharides, due to their high content of polysaccharides, peptides, saponins, and other active substances, can be used as functional feed additives to promote food intake [8], improve immunity [9], and decrease the amount of abdominal fat and serum cholesterol [10] in broilers. Therefore, if ginseng polysaccharide is mixed with microbially fermented feed, it may have a positive impact on the development of new alternative antibiotics.…”

Nutraceuticals and the Network of Obesity Modulators

“…The assumption of campesterol, β-elemene, ginsenoside Rb1, contained in P. ginseng have been related to modulation of neuropeptide genes that regulate energy balance and food intake. The analysis of data suggests that P.gineng can regulate neuropeptides associated with appetite [ 120 , 121 ].…”

Ginseng polysaccharides: A potential neuroprotective agent

“…Furthermore, it is reported that neutral ginseng polysaccharides can reduce inflammation by inhibiting inflammatory-related mediator (NO) and cytokines (TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1β) release [ 18 ]. Oxidative stress and dopamine signaling are also involved in the mechanisms mediated of GP [ 27 ]. Noticeably, GP can not only exert directly pharmacological effect on human body, but also exert indirect effect, that is, promoting the absorption of saponins.…”

“…Chen et al [ 69 ] conducted experiments in vitro about the scavenging ability of GP on DPPH free radicals, superoxide anion radicals and hydroxyl radicals. The results showed that it had appreciable scavenging ability to these three free radicals and showed dose dependence in a certain concentration range [ 27 ]. Due to the existence of dose-effect relationship, researchers compared the content of GP in above-ground and under-ground and found the latter is higher.…”