Abstract
With the diversity of modern dietary lifestyles, digestive system disorders (DSD) have become a frequently occurring disease in recent years. Astragalus polysaccharide (APS) is a homogeneous polysaccharide extracted from Astragalus, which might ameliorate the digestive and absorptive functions. However, the treatment mechanisms remain unclear. In this study, rats with DSD were fed a high-fat–low-protein diet and subjected to weight-bearing swimming until exhaustion. When body weight and autonomous activities of the rats decreased, they were administered APS. After two weeks, serum metabolomics analysis based on LC-MS was performed to validate the therapeutic effect of APS and explore its mechanism. APS pharmacodynamics was determined in this study, and serum metabolomics analysis discovered and identified 16 significant, differentially produced metabolites involved in energy, amino acid, and lipid metabolism, including citric acid, lactic acid, alanine, phosphatidylcholine, phenylalanine. After treatment with APS, the levels of the above small-molecule metabolites were reversed. Our results show the efficacy of APS in DSD treatment through the regulation of perturbed metabolic pathways related to energy, amino acid, and lipid metabolism.
Highlights
Digestive system disorders (DSD) have become a widespread disease, and the prevalence of DSD has been increasing owing to irregular dietary habits and contaminated food
The ingested food and body weight of the rats in the Astragalus polysaccharide (APS)/model group drastically decreased, which was accompanied by mental sluggishness
APS as an important part of Radix Astragali has beneficial effects in the body, and our results suggest it is valuable for treating DSD
Summary
Digestive system disorders (DSD) have become a widespread disease, and the prevalence of DSD has been increasing owing to irregular dietary habits and contaminated food. The most important consequence of DSD is compromised nutrient absorption [1]. DSD can increase gastric sensitivity to distension and delay gut transit. Loss of appetite, inability to finish a meal, excessive postprandial fullness, bloating, nausea, retching, and vomiting are the main symptoms of DSD [3], which might favor the development of other diseases in the long run, including liver cirrhosis [2], mental disorders [4], etc.
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