Effect of Polygonatum sibiricum saponins on gut microbiota of mice with ulcerative colitis.

Polygonatum sibiricum is a plant with medicinal and nutritional properties. Saponins are the important biologically active components of Polygonatum sibiricum. In this study, the specific components of Polygonatum sibiricum saponins (PSS) were analyzed, and the regulation effect of PSS on intestinal flora in patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) was investigated by inducing male Kunming mice with dextran sulfate sodium (DSS). PSS could ameliorate the symptoms of weight loss, high DAI score and colon length reduction compared to DSS-induced treatment. Colonic fragments were taken for H&E staining and histopathological scoring. PSS could significantly improve the pathological abnormality of colitis mice. 16S rRNA analysis showed that the intestinal microbial community of mice treated with DSS was significantly damaged. PSS could restore the richness and diversity of intestinal microbial flora, reduce the number of pathogenic bacteria, and increase the abundance of Lactobacillus spp. and Muribaculaceae, and improve the intestinal microbial flora disorder. Generally, PSS had an obvious effect in relieving colitis in mice. This study confirmed that Polygonatum sibiricum saponins play a therapeutic and palliative role in ulcerative colitis by regulating the microbiome balance.

Formation and In Vitro Simulated Digestion Study of Gelatinized Korean Pine Seed Oil Encapsulated with Calcified Wax.

Natural waxes have demonstrated exceptional potential as oil gels for saturated and trans fatty acids, but their application has been limited by issues such as temperature sensitivity, lack of stability and durability, and compatibility. In this study, three types of wax (Beeswax (BW), Rice bran wax (RBW), and Carnauba wax (CW)) were combined with calcium hydroxide to produce calcified wax. The calcified Korean pine seed oil gel obtained by heating and stirring with Korean pine seed oil is responsive to temperature and has environmental adaptability. The effects of critical gel concentration, temperature regulation, texture properties, microstructure, oil-holding capacity, and FT-IR on the quality parameters of oil gel were investigated. Additionally, an in vitro digestion model was developed to comprehend the decomposition rate of fat during gel structure digestion and transportation. The results demonstrated a close correlation between the critical gelation concentration and calcium ion content. Furthermore, after calcification, the hardness followed the order BW > CW > RBW. Moreover, there was an approximate 10 °C increase in wax melting point. Conversely, BW:Ca exhibited the lowest oil leakage. The microstructures revealed that the oil gels formed post-wax calcification exhibited similar fractal dimension (Db) values (<7 µm), and the intermolecular forces were characterized by van der Waals forces, which were consistent with those observed in the non-calcified group. In conjunction with the vitro digestion simulation, our findings demonstrated that RBW and CW oil gels gradually released 20%, 35%, and 35% of free fatty acids (FFA) within the initial 30 min of intestinal digestion. Importantly, the FFA release rate was significantly attenuated, thereby providing a foundation for developing wax-based gel processed foods that facilitate gentle energy release benefits for healthy weight management.

Hypoglycemic effects and modulation of gut microbiota of diabetic mice by saponin from Polygonatum sibiricum.

Polygonatum sibiricum is a medicinal and homologous plant grown in China, which is commercially available without the provision of medical prescription. Saponin is one of the biologically active components of Polygonatum sibiricum. This study aimed to extract saponin from Polygonatum sibiricum (PSS) and to investigate its hypoglycemic effect and effect on gut micorbiota in diabetic mice. Through single factor and orthogonal experiments, the extraction conditions of saponin were optimized, and the content of saponin in the extract was 3.07 ± 0.02 mg g-1. During the experiment evaluating the hypoglycemic ability, it was found that PSS could inhibit the activity of α-amylase and α-glucosidase at first. Then, HepG2 was used to observe the effect of the saponin on insulin resistance. The results showed that PSS could significantly improve the state of insulin resistance in IR-HepG2 cells, increase the glucose consumption and intracellular glycogen content of cells, and the activity of hexokinase (0.455 ± 0.007 µmol min-1 g-1) and pyruvate kinase (0.174 ± 0.038 U per g prot). Finally, it was found that PSS could alleviate the symptoms of polyphagia and polydipsia in diabetic mice, regulate the gut microbiota of diabetic mice, increase the number of probiotics, and reduce the number of harmful bacteria. In summary, PSS may play an important role in regulating diabetes and can be developed as a promising natural material for diabetes prevention and treatment.