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©The Author(s) 2025. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
Examining gut microbiota and metabolites to clarify mechanisms of Dimocarpus longan Lour leaf components against type 2 diabetes
Piao-Xue Zheng, Chun-Lian Lu, Yan-Li Liang, Yu-Ming Ma, Jia-Wen Peng, Jing-Jing Xie, Jia-Li Wei, Si-Si Chen, Zhi-Dong Ma, Hua Zhu, Jie Liang
Piao-Xue Zheng, Chun-Lian Lu, Yan-Li Liang, Yu-Ming Ma, Jia-Wen Peng, Jing-Jing Xie, Jia-Li Wei, Si-Si Chen, Zhi-Dong Ma, Jie Liang, College of Pharmacy, Guangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanning 530200, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China
Piao-Xue Zheng, Chun-Lian Lu, Hua Zhu, Jie Liang, Guangxi Key Laboratory of Zhuang and Yao Ethnic Medicine, Guangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanning 530200, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China
Piao-Xue Zheng, Chun-Lian Lu, Hua Zhu, Jie Liang, Collaborative Innovation Center of Zhuang and Yao Ethnic Medicine, Guangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanning 530200, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China
Piao-Xue Zheng, Chun-Lian Lu, Hua Zhu, Jie Liang, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region Ethnic Medicine Resources and Application Engineering Research Center, Guangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanning 530200, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China
Piao-Xue Zheng, Chun-Lian Lu, Yan-Li Liang, Yu-Ming Ma, Jia-Wen Peng, Jing-Jing Xie, Jia-Li Wei, Si-Si Chen, Zhi-Dong Ma, Jie Liang, Key Laboratory of TCM Extraction and Purification and Quality Analysis (Guangxi University of Chinese Medicine), Education Department of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Nanning 530200, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China
Co-first authors: Piao-Xue Zheng and Chun-Lian Lu.
Co-corresponding authors: Hua Zhu and Jie Liang.
Author contributions: Zheng PX and Lu CL performed the major experiments and wrote this manuscript; they contributed equally as co-first authors; Liang YL, Ma YM, Peng JW and Xie JJ participated in animal experiments and data analysis; Wei JL, Chen SS and Ma ZD revised the manuscript; Zhu H and Liang J, as co-corresponding authors, played important and integral roles in the design of the article and the preparation of the manuscript; Zhu H applied for and received funding for the research project; Liang J carried out the study design, reviewed and corrected the article and supervised the writing process of the manuscript. The collaboration between Zhu H and Liang J was essential for the publication of this manuscript and therefore qualifies them as co-corresponding authors of the paper. All the authors have read and approved the final manuscript.
Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China, No. 82160771; NATCM's Project of High-Level Construction of Key TCM Disciplines: Traditional Medicine of Chinese Minority (Zhuang Medicine), No. zyyzdxk-2023165; Guangxi One Thousand Young and Middle-Aged College and University Backbones Teachers Cultivation Program, No. [2019]5; Guangxi Traditional Chinese Medicine Multidisciplinary Cross Innovation Team Project, No. GZKJ2309; Guangxi Key R&D Plan Project, No. AB21196016; Guangxi Key Discipline of Traditional Chinese Medicine Zhuang Pharmacy, No. GZXK-Z-20-64; The First-Class Subject of Traditional Chinese Medicine (Ethnic Pharmacy) in Guangxi, No. [2018]12; Guangxi Science and Technology Base and Talent Special Project, No. AD20238058 and No. AD21238031; the Third Batch of Cultivating High-level Talent Teams in the “Qi Huang Project” of the Guangxi University of Chinese Medicine, No. 202406; and Huang Danian Style Teacher Team From Universities in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region “Traditional Chinese Medicine Inheritance and Innovation Teacher Team”, No. [2023]31.
Institutional animal care and use committee statement: Our study received approval from the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (Permission No. 20230830-157).
Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article.
ARRIVE guidelines statement: The authors have read the ARRIVE guidelines, and the manuscript was prepared and revised according to the ARRIVE guidelines.
Data sharing statement: The data used to support the findings of this study are included within the article.
Open Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See:
https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/ Corresponding author: Jie Liang, PhD, Professor, College of Pharmacy, Guangxi University of Chinese Medicine, No. 13 Wuhe Avenue, Qingxiu District, Nanning 530200, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China.
liangj2004@gxtcmu.edu.cn
Received: December 24, 2024
Revised: March 10, 2025
Accepted: June 12, 2025
Published online: July 15, 2025
Processing time: 204 Days and 18.5 Hours
BACKGROUND
Dimocarpus longan Lour leaf components (DLC) contain key active compounds such as quercetin, kaempferol, and quercitrin. They are effective for managing type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), though the exact mechanism by which DLC acts remains unclear.
AIM
To investigate the material basis and mechanism underlying the therapeutic effect of DLC in T2DM.
METHODS
T2DM was triggered in rats using a high-sugar, high-fat diet alongside 35 mg/kg streptozotocin. The effect of DLC on the intestinal microbiota in T2DM rats was analyzed via 16S rDNA sequencing. Targeted metabolomics was conducted to evaluate the impact of DLC on the levels of nine short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs). Untargeted metabolomics examined DLC-induced alterations in fecal metabolites and associated metabolic pathways. Additionally, Spearman’s correlation analysis assessed gut microbiota and fecal metabolite relationships.
RESULTS
DLC significantly attenuated pathological weight loss, reduced fasting blood glucose levels, restored blood sugar homeostasis, and ameliorated dyslipidemia in T2DM rats. The 16S rDNA sequencing revealed that DLC enhanced microbial diversity and reversed intestinal dysbiosis. Targeted metabolomics indicated decreased acetic acid and propionic acid levels and increased butyric acid, isobutyric acid, and 2-methylbutyric acid levels after DLC treatment. Untargeted metabolomics revealed 57 metabolites with altered expression associated with amino acid, carbohydrate, purine, and biotin pathways. The Spearman analysis demonstrated significant links between specific gut microbiota taxa and fecal metabolites.
CONCLUSION
DLC may exert hypoglycemic effects by modulating intestinal flora genera, SCFA levels, and fecal metabolites.
Core Tip: This study investigated the anti-type 2 diabetes mechanism of Dimocarpus longan Lour leaf components (DLC). Results showed that DLC modulated intestinal flora, short-chain fatty acids, and fecal metabolites. It might exert hypoglycemic effects via the gut microbiota-metabolite-host axis, offering new insights for diabetes treatment.
