Extraction of polysaccharides from Polygonum cuspidatum with activity against Type 2 Diabetes via alterations in gut microbiota

The exact etiology and pathogenesis of diabetes are still unclear, and there is a lack of effective targeted clinical treatments. A polysaccharide (PCPs-I) with a good activity on T2D was isolated from Polygonum cuspidatum. Its average molecular weight (Mw) was 68.208 kDa. And the results showed that PCPs-I composition included →4)-α-D-Glcp-(1→,→6)-α-D-Glcp-(1→ and a minute quantity of →4,6)-α-D-Glcp-(1→ to form the primary chain via methylation and nuclear magnetic resonance assessments. Furthermore, the branched chain was composed of β-D-Glcp-(1 → connected to the sugar residue (SR) O-6 site →4,6)-α-D-Glcp-(1→. PCPs-I strongly alleviated dysglycemia and regulated gut microbiota in diabetic mice. Taken together, our results show for the first time that PCPs-I regulate abnormal blood sugar and intestinal disorders in diabetic mice.