Therapeutic effects of Panax ginseng polysaccharides on qi deficiency diabetes: Insights from microbiomics and metabolomics

Panax ginseng, a traditional medicinal and edible plant valued for its tonifying properties, exhibits diverse pharmacological activities, including anti-fatigue, anti-oxidation and anti-diabetes. Polysaccharides represent a key active ingredient of Panax ginseng, known for their immunomodulatory properties and potential for development as health foods. However, the effect and mechanism of Panax ginseng polysaccharides (GP) on improving qi deficiency diabetes (QDD) is still unclear. In this study, a multi-omics approach integrating microbiomics, untargeted and targeted metabolomics was used to elucidate the protective effect and mechanisms of GP based on the QDD rat model. Furthermore, the prebiotic effects of GP were explored through microbiome and metabolome profiling. GP demonstrated significant therapeutic efficacy in QDD rats, manifested by the amelioration of hyperlipidemia and insulin resistance, reduction of oxidative stress, enhancement of immune responses, and restoration of intestinal injury. Untargeted fecal metabolomics and 16S rRNA gene sequencing revealed that GP significantly altered the abundance of 31 metabolites and corrected gut microbiota dysbiosis in QDD rats. Additionally, GP ameliorated bile acid metabolism disorders, significantly increased short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) levels, and reduced branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) concentrations. Spearman correlation analysis further confirmed significant associations between gut microbes and metabolites. Thus, GP exerts its therapeutic effect on QDD by ameliorating intestinal flora imbalance and associated metabolic disorders involving bile acids, branched-chain amino acids, and short-chain fatty acids. Together, these findings provide a foundation for the further development of GP-based functional foods.