Pharmacological and metagenomics evidence of polysaccharide from Polygonum multiflorum in the alleviation of insulin resistance

Abstract

Total polysaccharide from Polygonum multiflorum (PS) and 2,3,5,4'-tetrahydroxy-stilbene-2-O-β-D-glucoside (TSG) could relieve high-fat and high-sugar diet (HF-HSD) induced rats' insulin resistance (IR) by gut microbiota and host regulation. We found that PS and TSG significantly reversed the increase of fasting blood glucose and the decrease of glucose tolerance in HF-HSD induced IR rats. PS and TSG effectively reversed the imbalance of Firmicutes/Bacteroides caused by an HF-HSD, and significantly reduced the relative abundance of Proteobacteria. It also affected the functional genes of gut microbiota and regulated short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) and its downstream signal protein molecules. Together, these results indicated that PS and TSG alleviated HF-HSD induced IR by promoting gut microbiota and host function. Thus, PS and TSG may be promising lead substances for developing IR inhibitors that could regulate gut microbiota and its molecular messenger SCFAs to remedy IR.

Keywords: Gut microbiota; Insulin resistance; Polygonum multiflorum polysaccharide; Short-chain fatty acids.