Polysaccharide from Panax japonicus C.A. Mey prevents non-alcoholic fatty liver disease development based on regulating liver metabolism and gut microbiota in mice

In this study, a new polysaccharide (PSPJ) with specific molecular weight and monosaccharide compositions was isolated and purified from the water extract of Panacis Japonici Rhizoma (PJR). 16S rRNA analysis and untargeted metabolomic analysis were used to assess PSPJ's efficacy in averting non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). This study indicated that PSPJ significantly reduced liver fat accumulation, the increase in blood lipids and ALT caused by HFD, indicating that PSPJ can prevent NAFLD. We demonstrated through cell experiments that PSPJ does not directly affect liver cells. The gut microbiota disorder and alterations in short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) induced by the high-fat diet (HFD) were ameliorated by PSPJ, as evidenced by the analysis of 16S rRNA. In particular, supplementing PSPJ reduced the abundance of Turicibacter, Dubosiella, and Staphylococcus, and increased the abundance of Bacteroides, Blautia, and Lactobacillus. Untargeted metabolomic analysis shows that PSPJ improves liver metabolic disorders by regulating arachidonic acid metabolism, carbohydrate digestion and absorption, fatty acid biosynthesis, fatty acid metabolism and retinol metabolism. The findings of our investigation indicate that PSPJ has the potential to modulate liver metabolism through alterations in the composition of intestinal bacteria, hence preventing NAFLD.