Sargassum fusiforme
polysaccharides (
SFP), an anti-digestive biologically active ingredient obtained from Sargassum fusiforme by ultrasound-assisted enzymatic extraction, have been proven to exhibit extremely strong
alpha-glucosidase inhibitory activity. In the current research, the potential anti-diabetic effects and molecular mechanisms of
SFP were investigated by classic biochemical analysis, high-throughput sequencing and molecular biology techniques in type 2 diabetic rats. The analysis of typical diabetic symptoms and serum profiles showed that
oral administration of
SFP could mitigate
hyperglycemia,
hyperinsulinemia,
dyslipidemia and oxidative stress in diabetic rats.
SFP also promoted
glycogen synthesis in the liver and skeletal muscles. H&E staining observation confirmed that
SFP intervention could partially repair liver and muscle
injuries caused by diabetes. Moreover,
16S rRNA gene sequencing analysis indicated that
SFP treatment could distinctly restore the beneficial composition of gut flora in diabetic rats. Furthermore, RT-qPCR analysis revealed that anti-diabetic effects of
SFP may be closely related to accelerating the absorption and utilization of
blood glucose in the liver and muscle and inhibiting hepatic
glucose production. In short, this study demonstrated that
SFP could be developed as functional foods or pharmaceutical supplements for the prevention or mitigation of diabetes and its complications.