Response of intestinal metabolome to polysaccharides from mycelia of Ganoderma lucidum

Polysaccharides from the mycelia of Ganoderma lucidum (GLP) can improve intestinal barrier function, regulate intestinal immunity and modulate intestinal microbiota. In the present study, GLP was given via oral administration to rats (100 mg/kg body weight, 21 days) to investigate the metabolomic profiling of caecal contents induced by GLP. Gas chromatography-time of light/mass spectrometry (GC-TOF/MS) was performed to identify the metabolites, followed by biomarker and pathway analysis. The multivariate analysis indicated clear separated clusters between two groups. The significantly different metabolites were characterized, which mainly involved in vitamin B6 metabolism, pyrimidine metabolism, fructose and mannose metabolism, and alanine, aspartate and glutamate metabolism. Indolelactate and 2,2‑dimethylsuccinic acid were selected as key biomarkers responded to GLP administration. Furthermore, significantly different metabolites identified were associated with the improvement of intestinal immunological function and regulation of intestinal microbiota. Our results provided a potential metabolomic mechanism of health-beneficial properties of polysaccharides from the mycelia of G. lucidum, which might be used as functional agents to regulate the intestinal functions.