Protective effect of polysaccharides from Ganoderma atrum against high fat diet-induced liver injury in mice

Abstract

High-fat diet (HFD) causes a series of health problems. Polysaccharides have been shown to alleviate liver damage caused by HFD. This study utilized RNA sequencing analysis and metabolomics to investigate the protective effects of polysaccharides from Ganoderma atrum (PSG) on the liver in HFD mice. Mice fed HFD for 10 weeks showed severe liver damage. Administration of PSG improved blood glucose homeostasis, corrected lipid abnormalities, and reduced liver fat accumulation and alanine aminotransferase and glutamine aminotransferase content. Further experiments revealed the changes of gene expression levels in the liver, showing enrichment of the NF-κB signaling pathway, and PSG downregulated proinflammatory genes (Tnfa, Il1b, Ccl2). PSG intervention also altered serum metabolite levels and host metabolism by increasing L-aspartic acid levels and enriching the alanine, aspartate, and glutamate metabolic pathways. These findings provide new insights into the protective effects of dietary fiber against liver damage induced by HFD.