Natural polysaccharides, particularly galactomannans, are potential candidates for treatment of alcoholic liver diseases (ALD). However, applications are restricted due to the physicochemical properties associated with the high molecular weight. In this work, guar gum galactomannans were partially hydrolyzed by β-mannanase, and the molecular mechanisms of hepatoprotective effects were elucidated both in vitro and in vivo. Release of lactate dehydrogenase and cytochrome C were attenuated by partially hydrolyzed guar gum (PHGG) in HepG2 cells, due to protected cell and mitochondrial membrane integrity. PHGG co-administration decreased serum amino transaminases and cholinesterase levels of acute alcohol intoxicated mice, while hepatic pathologic morphology was depleted. Activity of superoxide dismutase, catalase, and glutathione peroxidase was recovered to 198.2, 34.5, 236.0 U/mg protein, respectively, while malondialdehyde level was decreased by 76.3% (PHGG, 1000 mg/kg∙day). Co-administration of PHGG induced a 4.4-fold increment of p-AMPK expression, and lipid metabolism was mediated. PHGG alleviated toll-like-receptor-4-mediated inflammation via the signaling cascade of MyD88 and IκBα, decreasing cytokine production. Moreover, mediated expression of Bcl-2 and Bax was responsible for inhibited acute alcohol-induced apoptosis with suppressed cleavage of caspase 3 and PARP. Findings gained suggest that PHGG can be used as functional food supplement for the treatment of acute alcohol-induced liver injury.

The purpose of this study was to assess the effectiveness of intervention with Yingyangbao (YYB) on hemoglobin (Hb) and anemia status among infants and young children (IYC) aged 6–23 months (mo) through a large-scale Nutrition Improvement Program for Children in Poor Areas (NIPCPA) in China from 2015 to 2020. Five rounds of cross-sectional surveys were conducted using a stratified and multi-stage probability proportional to size sampling of IYC in 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020. Multivariable regression analyses were fitted to determine the effectiveness of the YYB intervention on Hb and anemia, respectively. A total of 36,325, 40,027, 43,831, 44,375 and 46,050 IYC aged 6–23 mo were included, and the prevalence of anemia was 29.7%, 26.9%, 24.1%, 21.2% and 18.1% in 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020, respectively. Compared with the results in 2015, the Hb concentrations significantly improved and anemia prevalence significantly decreased among IYC in 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020 (p < 0.001). Regression analysis showed that higher YYB consumption was significantly associated with the increment in Hb concentration and reduction in anemia stratified by age group (p < 0.001). The most significant increment in Hb concentration of 2.189 mg/L and the most significant reduction in odds of anemia were observed among IYC aged 12–17 mo who consumed 270 to 359 sachets of YYB (OR: 0.671; 95% CI: 0.627, 0.719; p < 0.001). This study suggests that YYB intervention is a successful public health strategy for reducing the risk of anemia among IYC when delivered through a large-scale NIPCPA in China. It is necessary to continue to advance the program and increase the adherence of YYB.