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Review
. 2024 Feb;30(2):171-180.
doi: 10.1007/s11655-022-3522-y. Epub 2022 May 18.

Molecular Mechanism of Polysaccharides Extracted from Chinese Medicine Targeting Gut Microbiota for Promoting Health

Wen-Xiao Zhao  1 , Tong Wang  1 , Ya-Nan Zhang  2   3 , Qian Chen  2   3 , Yuan Wang  2   3 , Yan-Qing Xing  1 , Jun Zheng  1 , Chen-Chen Duan  1 , Li-Jun Chen  1 , Hai-Jun Zhao  4   5 , Shi-Jun Wang  2   3
Affiliations
Review

Molecular Mechanism of Polysaccharides Extracted from Chinese Medicine Targeting Gut Microbiota for Promoting Health

Wen-Xiao Zhao et al. Chin J Integr Med. 2024 Feb.

Abstract

The accumulating evidence revealed that gut microbiota plays an important role in pathological process of disease including obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus, heart failure, and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Polysaccharides extracted from Chinese medicine (CM) can not only alleviate pathological status but also promote health by anti-inflammatory, regulating immunity, lowering blood glucose and lipids, anti-cancer, and anti-oxidation. The alterations of gut microbiota composition and metabolism pathways are the potential mechanisms of CM polysaccharides treatment. In addition, they exert functions through gut-organ axis or play an indirect role by synergistic actions with other drugs or components mediated by gut microbiota. This review summarizes the molecular mechanisms of CM polysaccharides interacted with intestinal microbial inhabitants as potential prebiotics for promoting health.

Keywords: Chinese medicine; gut microbiota; gut-organ axis; lipopolysaccharides; polysaccharides; short-chain fatty acids; synergistic actions.

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