Effects of (20 R)-Panaxadiol on NAFLD using non‑targeted metabolomics in stool

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a clinical syndrome characterized by hepatocyte steatosis and adipose accumulation with the main lesion in the hepatic lobule, but without a history of excessive alcohol consumption. NAFLD ranges from nonalcoholic fatty liver (NAFL) to nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), and may further accumulate fibrosis leading to cirrhosis. Many studies have found that ginseng can treat NAFLD. (20 R)-Panaxadiol (PD) is a panax ginseng diol type compound, has been proved that can treat the obesity. This study wants to investigate the effect of PD on non-alcoholic liver disease. We used 20 ob/ob mice and 10 C57BL/6 J mice. C57BL/6 J mice as CONTROL group, ob/ob mice were divided into model group and PD group. In PD group, ob/ob mice were treated with PD for eight weeks(10 mg/kg, the CON and OB group was given the same amount of sodium carboxymethyl cellulose), detected the weight, food intake and serum index, observed the HE staining of liver and intestine, performed the 16 S rRNA and untargeted metabolomics analysis used mice feces, and verify the results by detect the expression of TNF-α, MDA and SOD. In vivo results, PD can improve abnormal glucose and lipid metabolism and liver function. In 16 S rRNA result, we found beneficial bacteria Muribaculaceae and Lactobacillus increased; in untargeted metabolomics analysis, inflammatory metabolites prostaglandin (PG) and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) decreased, antioxidant metabolites FAD and lipoic acid increased. Then, we proceeded the association analysis of gut microbiota and metabolites, the result showed gut microbiota have strongly associated with anti-inflammatory and antioxidant metabolites. In addition, PD improves intestinal wall integrity. Meanwhile, the expression of TNF-α、MDA and SOD were detected, it was verified that PD has the effect of antioxidant and anti-inflammation. Our study showed that PD, as an active ingredient of ginseng, can play an anti-inflammatory and antioxidant role by improving intestinal metabolites, thereby preventing and treating non-alcoholic fatty liver disease to a certain extent.