Effects of green macroalgae 55% ethanolic extract Enteromorpha prolifera through an ultrafiltration membrane of 3 kDa (EPE3k) on antidiabetic activity, gut microbiota, and regulation mechanism were investigated in high-fat/high-sucrose diet and streptozocin-induced diabetic mice. The structural characterizations of its major compounds in EPE3k were determined by ultra-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole/time of flight mass spectrometry. Furthermore, the intestinal microflora modulation in diabetic mice was also investigated with high-throughput 16S rRNA gene sequencing. The proposed presence of polyphenols in EPE3k was confirmed. EPE3k could significantly decrease the fasting blood glucose and improve fasting glucose tolerance. The hypoglycemic effect of EPE3k was via activation of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase and suppression of c-Jun N-terminal kinase in liver. EPE3k treatment significantly increased the relative abundance of Akkermansia and decreased the proportion of Alistipes and Turicibacter. The above results indicated that EPE3k could be provided as a new potential therapy for the treatment of type 2 diabetic mellitus.

Effects of marine microalga Chlorella pyrenoidosa 55% ethanol extract (CPE55) on lipid metabolism, gut microbiota and regulation mechanism in high fat diet-fed induced hyperlipidaemia rats were investigated. Structure characterizations of major compounds in CPE55 were determined by ultra-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole/time of flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS). The compositions of gut microbiota in rats were analyzed by high-throughput next-generation 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Oral administration with CPE55 markedly alleviated dyslipidemia through improving adverse blood lipid profile and inhibiting hepatic lipid accumulation and steatosis. CPE55 has downregulated the gene expression levels of acetyl CoA carboxylase, sterol regulatory element-binding transcription factor-1c, and 3-hydroxy-3-methyl glutaryl coenzyme A reductase and upregulated adenosine 5′-monophosphate-activated protein kinase-α. It has also improved the abundance of bacteria Alistipes, Prevotella, Alloprevotella, and Ruminococcus1 and decreased the abundances of Turicibacter and Lachnospira. Turicibacter and Lachnospira were both positive correlations of metabolic phenotypes. The findings above illustrated that CPE55 might be developed as food ingredients to ameliorate lipid metabolic disorders and hyperlipidaemia.

Many delicious and nutritional macrofungi are widely distributed and used in East Asian regions, considered as edible and medicinal foods. In this study, 11 species of dried and fresh, edible and medicinal macrofungi, Ganoderma amboinense, Agaricus subrufescens, Dictyophora indusiata, Pleurotus sajor-caju, Pleurotus ostreatus, Pleurotus geesteranu, Hericium erinaceus, Stropharia rugosoannulata, Pleurotus sapidus, Antrodia camphorata, and Lentinus edodes (Berk.) Sing, were investigated to determine the content of their nutritional components, including proteins, fat, carbohydrates, trace minerals, coarse cellulose, vitamins, and amino acids. The amino acid patterns and similarity of macrofungi were distinguished through principal component analysis and hierarchical cluster analyses, respectively. A total of 103 metabolic small molecules of macrofungi were identified by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and were aggregated by heatmap. Moreover, the macrofungi were classified by principal component analysis based on these metabolites. The results show that carbohydrates and proteins are two main components, as well as the nutritional ingredients, that differ among various species and varied between fresh and dried macrofungi. The amino acid patterns in L. edodes and A. subrufescens were different compared with that of the other tested mushrooms.