Vinegar-processed Schisandra chinensis polysaccharide ameliorates type 2 diabetes via modulation serum metabolic profiles, gut microbiota, and fecal SCFAs

Xingyu Guo; Yang Su; Yongqiang Du; Fan Zhang; Wenting Yu; Wenchen Ren; Shanshan Li; Haixue Kuang; Lun Wu

doi:10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2025.139514

Vinegar-processed Schisandra chinensis polysaccharide ameliorates type 2 diabetes via modulation serum metabolic profiles, gut microbiota, and fecal SCFAs

Int J Biol Macromol. 2025 Jan 4:139514. doi: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2025.139514. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Xingyu Guo¹, Yang Su¹, Yongqiang Du², Fan Zhang¹, Wenting Yu¹, Wenchen Ren¹, Shanshan Li³, Haixue Kuang¹, Lun Wu⁴

Affiliations

¹ School of Pharmacy, Heilongjiang University Of Chinese Medicine, Harbin 150040, China.
² Heilongjiang Province Healthcare Security Administration, Harbin 150036, China.
³ Heilongjiang Province Health Management Service Evaluation Center, Harbin 150030, China.
⁴ Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine, Harbin 150040, China. Electronic address: wulun2012@163.com.

PMID: 39761882
DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2025.139514

Abstract

Numerous studies indicate that Schisandra chinensis (Turcz.) Baill (SC) has anti-type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) effects, and its processed products are commonly used in clinical practice. However, limited reports exist on the mechanisms of polysaccharides from its vinegar products and their role in T2DM. We purified a novel polysaccharide from vinegar-processed Schisandra chinensis (VSC) and used intestinal microbiota 16S rRNA analysis and metabolomics to study changes in T2DM mice after vinegar-processed Schisandra chinensis polysaccharide (VSP) intervention, aiming to elucidate how VSP alleviates T2DM. VSP has shown significant therapeutic effects in T2DM mice, which can regulate the imbalance of glucose and lipid metabolism, alleviate pancreatic and liver damage, restore the integrity of the intestinal barrier, and inhibit the inflammatory response. Serum metabolomics and microbiological analysis showed that VSP could significantly regulate 104 endogenous metabolites and rectify gut microbiota disorders in T2DM mice. Additionally, VSP enhanced the levels of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) and the expression of GPR41/43 in the colon of T2DM mice. Correlation analysis revealed significant correlations among specific gut microbiota, serum metabolites, and fecal SCFAs. Overall, these findings will provide a basis for further VSP development.

Keywords: Gut microbiota; Metabolomics; Vinegar-processed Schisandra chinensis polysaccharide.