Effect of "maccog" TCM tea on improving glucolipid metabolism and gut microbiota in patients with type 2 diabetes in community

Biyue Hu; Tongtong Yin; Jiajia Zhang; Minjing Liu; Hang Yun; Jian Wang; Renmei Guo; Jie Huang; Yixia Zhou; Hongyan Meng; Li Wang

doi:10.3389/fendo.2023.1134877

Effect of "maccog" TCM tea on improving glucolipid metabolism and gut microbiota in patients with type 2 diabetes in community

Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). 2023 Mar 8:14:1134877. doi: 10.3389/fendo.2023.1134877. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Biyue Hu^{1

2}, Tongtong Yin², Jiajia Zhang², Minjing Liu², Hang Yun², Jian Wang³, Renmei Guo³, Jie Huang³, Yixia Zhou⁴, Hongyan Meng^{1

2}, Li Wang²

Affiliations

¹ Cardiovascular Department, The Frist Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, China.
² School of Nursing, Suzhou Medical College of Soochow University, Suzhou, China.
³ Research Center, Soochow Setek Biotechnology Co, Ltd, Suzhou, China.
⁴ Nursing School of Guizhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), Guizhou, China.

Abstract

Objectives: This work aimed to observe the effect of consuming Chinese herb tea on glucolipid metabolism and gut microbiota in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).

Methods: Ninety patients with T2DM were recruited from a community and randomly divided into the control group (CG) and intervention group (IG). CG maintained conventional treatment and lifestyle, and IG accepted additional "maccog" traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) tea (mulberry leaf, radix astragali, corn stigma, cortex lycii, radix ophiopogonis, and gynostemma) for 12 weeks. Glucolipid metabolism, hepatorenal function, and gut microbiota were then measured.

Results: After the intervention, the decreases in fasting plasma glucose (FPG) and total cholesterol (TC) were greater (P<0.05) in IG than in CG, and those in glycosylated serum protein (GSP) were almost significantly greater (P=0.066) in IG than in CG. The total protein (TP), albumin (ALB), and creatinine (CREA) levels in IG were significantly lower and their decreases were larger in IG than in CG (P<0.05) after the intervention. The Ace and Chao1 indices in IG were slightly higher after the intervention (P=0.056 and 0.052, respectively) than at baselines. The abundance of Actinobacteria, Lachnospiraceae, Bifidobacteriaceae, and Phascolarctobacterium increased significantly after the intervention in IG (P<0.05), and the abundance was higher in IG than in CG (P<0.05 or P<0.1). The abundance of Clostridiales and Lactobacillales was negatively correlated with FPG (P<0.05), Clostridiales and Lachnospiraceae was negatively correlated with GSP (P<0.05), and Bacteroides/Firmicutes was positively correlated with both (P<0.05). No adverse event was observed during the intervention.

Conclusions: Administration of "maccog" TCM tea for 12 weeks slightly improved glucolipid metabolism and significantly increased the abundance of beneficial gut microbiota in community patients with T2DM. The increase in beneficial bacteria abundance may be involved in the improvement of glucose metabolism indicators. In addition, this intervention is safe and feasible.

Clinical trial registration: https://www.chictr.org.cn/showproj.aspx?proj=31281, identifier ChiCTR1800018566.

Keywords: blood glucose; gut microbiota; medicine food homology; traditional chinese medicine; type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Actinobacteria*
Bacteria
Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2* / metabolism
Gastrointestinal Microbiome*
Humans
Liver / metabolism
Medicine, Chinese Traditional
Tea

Substances

Tea

Associated data

ClinicalTrials.gov/ChiCTR1800018566

Grants and funding

This study was funded by the Research Project of Industry University Research Cooperation in Jiangsu Province [grant number BY2018179, LW], the project of Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of Geriatric Disease Prevention and Transformation [grant number KJS2223, HM], and the Supporting Plan Project of Department of Science and Technology of Guizhou Province [Grant number Guizhou Kehe Support (2022) General 263, YZ].