Xanthoceras sorbifolium Bunge leaves (XBL), traditionally consumed as herbal tea, have attracted increasing attention as potential functional food ingredients for managing type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). This study investigated the anti-diabetic effects of an aqueous XBL extract in T2DM rats induced with a high-fat, high-sucrose diet combined with streptozotocin. XBL administration significantly improved glycemic control, insulin sensitivity, lipid profiles, and pancreatic and renal histopathology. Integrated 16S rRNA sequencing and untargeted fecal metabolomics revealed the modulation of key metabolic pathways, including linoleic acid and histidine metabolism, and elevated production of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) such as acetate and propionate. XBL also enriched beneficial gut microbes including Prevotella, Lachnospiraceae_NK4A136_group, and [Eubacterium]_xylanophilum_group, whose abundance showed positive correlations with SCFA levels and metabolic improvements. These findings demonstrate that XBL ameliorates T2DM through gut microbiota–SCFA–metabolite interactions and suggest its potential as a natural, multi-target dietary strategy for metabolic health management.

Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is a major complication of diabetes, yet effective dietary interventions remain limited. Xanthoceras sorbifolium Bunge leaf extract (XBL) has shown promising bioactivities, but its active components and mechanisms are not well understood. In this study, a comprehensive investigation including chemical profiling, network pharmacology, in vivo validation, and renal multi-omics was conducted. The results show a diverse composition dominated by flavonoids, which were identified as key bioactive contributors. In the streptozotocin-induced DN rat model, XBL administration significantly improved metabolic disorders and renal injury. Integrated metabolomic and transcriptomic analyses demonstrated that XBL alleviates DN by coordinately regulating metabolic reprogramming and inflammation-related signaling pathways. Additionally, representative flavonoids showed α-glucosidase inhibitory activity, supporting their potential role in glucose metabolic regulation. The results from this study suggest that XBL is a promising functional food ingredient for DN intervention.