Preclinical animal study reveals hawthorn polyphenol nanoparticles enhance endurance and gut microbiota in mice, suggesting functional sports food applications.
Key Points
To evaluate the efficacy and mechanisms of hawthorn polyphenol nanoparticles in enhancing bioavailability and alleviating exercise-induced fatigue in mice.
Synthesized hawthorn polyphenol nanoparticles (63.37 nm average size) using an antisolvent method and layer-by-layer self-assembly.
Evaluated in vitro radical scavenging, simulated intestinal retention, in vivo retention time, weight-loaded exhaustive swimming capacity, metabolic markers, gut microbiome composition, and gene expression in mice.
Nanoparticle encapsulation extended in vivo retention time to 19.7 h and increased exhaustive swimming time from 114 s in the control group to 225 s in the nanoparticle group (p < 0.05).
Nanoparticle treatment significantly lowered fatigue-related metabolites, increased antioxidant enzyme activity and energy reserves (p < 0.05), and altered gut microbiota while regulating AMPK, PI3K, Akt, and mTOR mRNA expression.