AUTHOR=Fu Qiang , Huang Hui , Ding Aiwen , Yu Ziqi , Huang Yuping , Fu Guiping , Huang Yushan , Huang Xiaoliu 

TITLE=Portulaca oleracea polysaccharides reduce serum lipid levels in aging rats by modulating intestinal microbiota and metabolites

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Nutrition

VOLUME=9

YEAR=2022

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/nutrition/articles/10.3389/fnut.2022.965653

DOI=10.3389/fnut.2022.965653

ISSN=2296-861X

ABSTRACT=<p>Metabolic diseases characterized by dyslipidemia are common health problems for elderly populations. Dietary fiber intake is inversely associated with the risk of dyslipidemia. This study investigated the effects of <italic>Portulaca oleracea</italic> polysaccharide (POP) on the intestinal microbiota and its metabolites in aging rats using 16S rRNA sequencing and metabolomics techniques. Our results showed that POPs reduced the ratio of Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes (F/B), relative abundance of Fusobacteria, and levels of triglyceride (TG), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and gamma-glutamyl transferase (γ-GT) in the serum of aging rats. POP supplementation also reduced 5beta-cholestane-3alpha,7alpha,12alpha,25-tetrol, and vaccenic acid concentrations in lipids and lipoid-like molecules, while soyasapogenol E and monoacylglycerol (MG) (24:0/0:0/0:0) levels increased. This study demonstrated that POP’s beneficial effects on lipid levels in aging rats might be partially attributable to the modification of gut microbiota and related metabolites.</p>