The Therapeutic Potential of Plant Polysaccharides in Metabolic Diseases

Figure 1. Chemical structures of representative PPS. (A) Aloe vera, (B) Angelica sinensis, (C) Schisandra chinensi, (D) Poria cocos, (E) Panax ginseng, (F) Pumpkin (Cucurbita moschata), (G) Tea (Camellia sinensis), (H) Dioscorea opposita, (I) Lycium barbarum.

Figure 2. The association between abdominal obesity and MetS. Excessive intake and reduced physical activity can lead to abdominal obesity. On the one hand, abdominal obesity leads to increased TNF-α, IL-6, and ROS and decreased adiponectin and nitric oxide through inflammatory pathways. On the other hand, an increase in FFA leads to gluconeogenesis, which increases fat and TG production and reduces glucose intake and insulin production. This leads to a series of metabolic diseases.

Figure 3. Common risk factors and various metabolic diseases. Risk factors for neurological disorders include obesity, high blood pressure, HDL-C, and high TG and IR. Risk factors for CVD include hypertension IR, increased waist circumference, low HDL, HDL-C, and high TG. Risk factors for NASH include obesity, diabetes, and MetS. Risk factors for diabetes include IR and abdominal obesity. Risk factors for cancer include central obesity and hypercholesterolemia. At the same time, drugs and environmental toxins can also affect human health from the respiratory tract and cause a series of metabolic diseases.

Figure 4. The mechanism of action of PPS in various metabolic diseases, including AD, T2DM, CFS, AS, NAFLD, anxiety, and obesity. The mechanism of action mainly involves the apoptotic, inflammatory and IR pathways and the regulation of metabolic pathways and gut bacteria.