Metabolome and microbiome analyses of the anti-fatigue mechanism of Acanthopanax senticosus leaves

Food Funct. 2024 Apr 2;15(7):3791-3809. doi: 10.1039/d3fo05311c.

Abstract

Acanthopanax senticosus leaves, widely used as a vegetable and tea, are reported to be beneficial in treating neurological disorders. At present, their anti-fatigue effect remains to be established. In this study, we analyzed the composition of the extracts from A. senticosus leaves and confirmed their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties at the cellular level. In mice subjected to exhaustive running on a treadmill, supplementation with A. senticosus leaf extracts enhanced exercise performance and alleviated fatigue via the reversal of exercise-induced 5-HT elevation, metabolic waste accumulation, organ damage, and glucose metabolism-related gene expression. The collective findings from microbiome and metabolomic analyses indicate that A. senticosus leaf extracts increase α-diversity, regulate microbial composition, and reverse exercise-mediated disruption of carbohydrate, creatine, amino acid, and trimethylamine metabolism. This study provides preliminary evidence for the utility of A. senticosus leaves as a promising anti-fatigue food and offers insights into the underlying mechanism.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antioxidants
  • Eleutherococcus* / chemistry
  • Fatigue / drug therapy
  • Metabolome
  • Mice
  • Plant Extracts* / chemistry

Substances

  • Plant Extracts
  • Antioxidants