Enteromorpha prolifera Polysaccharide Alleviates Acute Alcoholic Liver Injury in C57 BL/6 Mice through the Gut–Liver Axis and NF-κB Pathway

polysaccharide (EP2) protection against acute alcoholic liver injury (AALI) in mice was investigated. By integration of physiological indicators, gut microbiota, and short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), the mechanism of EP2 in alleviating AALI was disclosed. The results showed that EP2 significantly ameliorated alcohol-induced abnormal transaminase activities, liver and intestinal systemic inflammation, and intestinal environmental disorders. EP2 significantly reduces liver and serum LPS contents by 1.69-fold and 1.54-fold. Furthermore, inhibition of the NF-κB signaling pathway by EP2 reduced the production of proinflammatory cytokines such as TNF-α (1.83-fold), IL-6 (11.09-fold), and IL-1β (1.99-fold). EP2 restored SCFAs to normal levels by upregulating the abundance of beneficial bacteria (