Methanol extract of Inonotus obliquus improves type 2 diabetes mellitus through modifying intestinal flora

Protective Effect of Dictyophora rubrovolvata Extract on Intestinal and Liver Tissue Toxicity Induced by Metformin Disinfection Byproducts

Metformin disinfection byproducts Y and C have emerged as pollutants of concern in drinking water systems and are suspected to possess significant toxicity to mammals. However, effective strategies to mitigate the effects of Y and C exposure in mammals have not been thoroughly formulated. This study aimed to investigate the toxicity and characteristic phenotypes of short-term, high-dose exposure to Y and C in the intestine and liver of mice and to evaluate the protective effects of Dictyophora rubrovolvata extract (DRE) on Y- and C-induced intestinal and liver damage. The results showed that exposure-induced intestinal toxicity manifested mainly as intestinal barrier dysfunction, induction of immune response and oxidative stress, and disruption of intestinal flora homeostasis. Hepatotoxicity was mainly characterized by histopathological changes such as vacuolar degeneration, abnormal liver function, and oxidative stress. Additionally, marked changes in gut microbiota and biochemical indicators were closely related to hepatic and intestinal injuries after exposure. DRE effectively alleviated Y- and C-induced intestinal and liver damage, reshaped the gut microbiota, and maintained gut-liver axis homeostasis. These findings provide new insights into the toxic effects of disinfection byproduct exposure through the gut-liver axis and suggest that functional food extracts may serve to protect against these adverse health outcomes.

Preventive effects of turmeric against HFD/STZ-induced type 2 diabetes in mice by activating IRS1/PI3K/Akt signaling in association with gut microbiota metabolism

This study is the first to investigate the antidiabetic effect of turmeric powder (TP) and its underlying molecular mechanism in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) mice. The T2DM mice were supplemented with or without TP (8%) for 8 weeks. The results indicated that the glucolipid metabolism disorder and insulin resistance in T2DM mice were significantly ameliorated through supplementation with TP. The consumption of TP also ameliorated the T2DM-induced gut microbiota dysbiosis, as reflected by a dramatic increase in the relative abundance of beneficial bacteria such as Bacteroides, Rikenella and Allobaculum at the genus level. Besides, TP significantly increased the colonic levels of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) and subsequently activated the IRS1/PI3K/Akt and AMPK-mediated gluconeogenesis signaling pathways to improve insulin resistance in T2DM mice. Interestingly, TP-activated IRS1/PI3K/Akt and AMPK-mediated gluconeogenesis signaling pathways were highly correlated with the reconstruction of the gut microbiome and the formation of SCFAs. Collectively, these findings, for the first time, highlight a novel antidiabetic mechanism of TP by alleviating intestinal microbiota dysbiosis and promoting SCFA production to trigger the IRS1/PI3K/Akt and AMPK-mediated gluconeogenesis signaling axis.

Cloning and functional characterization of sesquiterpene synthase genes from Inonotus obliquus using a Saccharomyces cerevisiae expression system

Inonotus obliquus (Chaga mushroom) is a large medicinal and edible fungus that contains a wealth of bioactive terpenoids. However, the detection of certain low-abundance sesquiterpenoids remains a challenge due to limitations in extraction and analytical techniques. Furthermore, the synthase genes responsible for the biosynthesis of the identified terpenoids have not yet been clearly elucidated. To address this, our study combined transcriptome mining with yeast heterologous expression to investigate the synthase genes involved in sesquiterpenoid production in I. obliquus. We successfully identified eight sesquiterpene synthase genes and one farnesyltransferase. Among these, only cis-β-farnesene, synthesized by IoTPS2, had been previously detected before in the sclerotium of I. obliquus, while the other nine sesquiterpenoids-including neoisolongifolene-8-ol, β-longipinene, vetiselinenol, isolongifolene, 7,8-dehydro-8a-hydroxy-, 4a,8b,10b,11a-tetramethylbicyclo[6.3.0]undec-1-en-5-one, 6,11-oxido-acor-4-ene, β-maaliene, neointermedeol, and longifolenaldehyde-were discovered for the first time. This research provides a critical scientific foundation for expanding the known repertoire of sesquiterpenoids and their corresponding synthase genes in I. obliquus.

A review on the cultivation, bioactive compounds, health-promoting factors and clinical trials of medicinal mushrooms Taiwanofungus camphoratus, Inonotus obliquus and Tropicoporus linteus

Medicinal mushrooms, such as Taiwanofungus camphoratus, Inonotus obliquus, and Tropicoporus linteus, have been used in traditional medicine for therapeutic purposes and promotion of overall health in China and many East Asian countries for centuries. Modern pharmacological studies have demonstrated the large amounts of bioactive constituents (such as polysaccharides, triterpenoids, and phenolic compounds) available in these medicinal mushrooms and their potential therapeutic properties. Due to the rising demand for the health-promoting medicinal mushrooms, various cultivation methods have been explored to combat over-harvesting of the fungi. Evidence of the robust pharmacological properties, including their anticancer, hypoglycemic, hypolipidemic, antioxidant, and antiviral activities, have been provided in various studies, where the health-benefiting properties of the medicinal fungi have been further proven through numerous clinical trials. In this review, the cultivation methods, available bioactive constituents, therapeutic properties, and potential uses of T. camphoratus, I. obliquus and T. linteus are explored.

Effects of three Huanglian-derived polysaccharides on the gut microbiome and fecal metabolome of high-fat diet/streptozocin-induced type 2 diabetes mice

Plant-derived polysaccharides are important components for biological functions. The objective of this study is to study the mechanisms by which polysaccharides from three Huanglian (Rhizome Coptidis, HL) of Coptis chinensis, C. deltoidea, and Coptis teeta affect type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) by analyzing the gut microbiome and their metabolites. A long-term high-fat diet (HFD) combined with streptozocin (STZ) induction was used to construct the T2DM mice model. The histopathology of liver, pancreas, and colon, biochemical indexes related to mice were determined to assess the ameliorative effects of these three HL polysaccharides (HLPs) on T2DM. The results indicated that oral HLPs improved hyperglycemia, insulin resistance, blood lipid levels, and β-cell function. Further, HLPs elevated the growth of advantageous beneficial bacteria within the gut microbiota and raised the concentrations of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), particularly butyric acid. Metabolic analyses showed that HLPs ameliorated the effects of T2DM on microbial-derived metabolites and related metabolic pathways, especially the biosynthetic pathways of phenylalanine, tyrosine, and tryptophan. In the combined analysis, many associations of T2DM-related biochemical indicators with gut microbes and their metabolites were extracted, which suggested the important role of gut microbiome and fecal metabolome in the amelioration of type 2 diabetes mellitus by HLPs.

Astragaloside IV Mitigated Diabetic Nephropathy by Restructuring Intestinal Microflora and Ferroptosis

SCOPE

To investigate the underlying mechanism of Astragaloside IV (AS-IV) in ameliorating diabetic nephropathy (DN) by regulating intestinal microbiota ecology and intestinal mucosal barrier.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Genetically db/db mice are used to establish DN mouse model to monitor the therapeutic effects of AS-IV and fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) against DN. Supplementation with AS-IV dramatically attenuates several clinical indicators of DN in db/db mice. In addition, AS-IV markedly improves intestinal barrier function, modifies intestinal permeability, and reduces inflammation. Moreover, AS-IV treatment remarkably improves intestinal dysbiosis in db/db mice, characterized by an elevated abundance of Akkermansia, Ligilactobacillus, and Lactobacillus, indicating the fundamental role of the microbiome in DN progression. Furthermore, FMT derived from AS-IV-treated db/db mice is potentially efficient in antagonizing renal dysfunction, rebalancing gut microbiota, and improving intestinal permeability in recipient db/db mice. AS-IV-enriched Akkermansia muciniphila dramatically alleviates DN and intestinal mucosal barrier dysfunction in db/db mice. Intriguingly, AS-IV intervention dramatically diminishes ferroptosis in the kidney and colon tissues. CONCLUSION : Intestinal microbiome alterations and ferroptosis modulation by AS-IV may play instrumental roles in this mechanism, providing compelling evidence for the role of the gut-renal axis in DN.

Therapeutic properties of Inonotus obliquus (Chaga mushroom): A review

Inonotus obliquus, also known as Chaga, is a medicinal mushroom that has been used for therapeutic purposes since the sixteenth century. Collections of folk medicine record the application of Chaga for the treatment of diseases such as gastrointestinal cancer, diabetes, bacterial infection, and liver diseases. Modern research provides scientific evidence of the therapeutic properties of I. obliquus extracts, including anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anticancer, anti-diabetic, anti-obesity, hepatoprotective, renoprotective, anti-fatigue, antibacterial, and antiviral activities. Various bioactive compounds, including polysaccharides, triterpenoids, polyphenols, and lignin metabolites have been found to be responsible for the health-benefiting properties of I. obliquus. Furthermore, some studies have elucidated the underlying mechanisms of the mushroom's medicinal effects, revealing the compounds' interactions with enzymes or proteins of important pathways. Thus, this review aims to explore available information on the therapeutic potentials of Inonotus obliquus for the development of an effective naturally sourced treatment option.

Causal Associations between Gut Microbiota and Different Types of Dyslipidemia: A Two-Sample Mendelian Randomization Study

The determination of a causal association between gut microbiota and a range of dyslipidemia remains uncertain. To clarify these associations, we employed a two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis utilizing the inverse-variance weighted (IVW) method. This comprehensive analysis investigated the genetic variants that exhibited a significant association (p < 5 × 10-8) with 129 distinct gut microbiota genera and their potential link to different types of dyslipidemia. The results indicated a potential causal association between 22 gut microbiota genera and dyslipidemia in humans. Furthermore, these findings suggested that the impact of gut microbiota on dyslipidemia regulation is dependent on the specific phylum, family, and genus. Bacillota phylum demonstrated the greatest diversity, with 15 distinct genera distributed among eight families. Notably, gut microbiota-derived from the Lachnospiraceae and Lactobacillaceae families exhibit statistically significant associations with lipid levels that contribute to overall health (p < 0.05). The sensitivity analysis indicated that our findings possess robustness (p > 0.05). The findings of our investigation provide compelling evidence that substantiates a causal association between the gut microbiota and dyslipidemia in the human body. It is noteworthy to highlight the significant influence of the Bacillota phylum as a crucial regulator of lipid levels, and the families Lachnospiraceae and Lactobacillaceae should be recognized as probiotics that significantly contribute to this metabolic process.