Molecular and biochemical investigations of the anti-fatigue effects of tea polyphenols and fruit extracts of Lycium ruthenicum Murr. on mice with exercise-induced fatigue

Yingxin Bi; Xianjun Liu; Yue Liu; Mengyuan Wang; Yaming Shan; Yuhe Yin; Xianglong Meng; Fengjie Sun; Hao Li; Zhandong Li

doi:10.3389/fmolb.2023.1223411

Molecular and biochemical investigations of the anti-fatigue effects of tea polyphenols and fruit extracts of Lycium ruthenicum Murr. on mice with exercise-induced fatigue

Front Mol Biosci. 2023 Jun 20:10:1223411. doi: 10.3389/fmolb.2023.1223411. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Yingxin Bi^{1

2}, Xianjun Liu¹, Yue Liu^{1

2}, Mengyuan Wang^{1

2}, Yaming Shan^{3

4}, Yuhe Yin², Xianglong Meng⁵, Fengjie Sun⁶, Hao Li¹, Zhandong Li¹

Affiliations

¹ College of Biological and Food Engineering, Jilin Engineering Normal University, Changchun, China.
² School of Chemistry and Life Science, Changchun University of Technology, Changchun, China.
³ National Engineering Laboratory for AIDS Vaccine, School of Life Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, China.
⁴ Key Laboratory for Molecular Enzymology and Engineering, The Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, China.
⁵ Department of Burns Surgery, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China.
⁶ School of Science and Technology, Georgia Gwinnett College, Lawrenceville, GA, United States.

Abstract

Background: The molecular mechanisms regulating the therapeutic effects of plant-based ingredients on the exercise-induced fatigue (EIF) remain unclear. The therapeutic effects of both tea polyphenols (TP) and fruit extracts of Lycium ruthenicum (LR) on mouse model of EIF were investigated. Methods: The variations in the fatigue-related biochemical factors, i.e., lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), superoxide dismutase (SOD), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), interleukin-2 (IL-2), and interleukin-6 (IL-6), in mouse models of EIF treated with TP and LR were determined. The microRNAs involved in the therapeutic effects of TP and LR on the treatment of mice with EIF were identified using the next-generation sequencing technology. Results: Our results revealed that both TP and LR showed evident anti-inflammatory effect and reduced oxidative stress. In comparison with the control groups, the contents of LDH, TNF-α, IL-6, IL-1β, and IL-2 were significantly decreased and the contents of SOD were significantly increased in the experimental groups treated with either TP or LR. A total of 23 microRNAs (21 upregulated and 2 downregulated) identified for the first time by the high-throughput RNA sequencing were involved in the molecular response to EIF in mice treated with TP and LR. The regulatory functions of these microRNAs in the pathogenesis of EIF in mice were further explored based on Gene Ontology (GO) annotation and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analyses with a total of over 20,000-30,000 target genes annotated and 44 metabolic pathways enriched in the experimental groups based on GO and KEGG databases, respectively. Conclusion: Our study revealed the therapeutic effects of TP and LR and identified the microRNAs involved in the molecular mechanisms regulating the EIF in mice, providing strong experimental evidence to support further agricultural development of LR as well as the investigations and applications of TP and LR in the treatment of EIF in humans, including the professional athletes.

Keywords: Lycium ruthenicum; exercise-induced; fatigue; lactate dehydrogenase; microRNA; superoxide dismutase; tea polyphenols; tumor necrosis factor-α.

Grants and funding

This research was funded by the Project of the Department of Education of Jilin Province, China (Nos. JJKH20210181KJ and JJKH20220194KJ), the Project of the Department of Science and Technology of Jilin Province, China (No. 20210202059NC), and the PhD Research Project of Jilin Engineering Normal University (No. BSKJ201923). The APC was funded by HL.