Mulberry (<i>Morus alba</i>) Twig and Leaf Extracts Ameliorate Obesity-Related Metabolic Disorders via Gut Microbiota Modulation in High-Fat Diet-Fed Mice
Mulberry (<i>Morus alba</i>) twigs and leaves, rich in flavonoids, polyphenols, polysaccharides, and alkaloids with multi-target regulatory properties on glucose/lipid metabolism, were evaluated for their anti-obesity effects using methanol-extracted twigs (MTE) and aqueous-extracted lea...
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MDPI AG
2025-06-01
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| author | Wei Qian Jinyan Han Xiang Shi Xiaoqing Qin Feng Jiao Minjuan Zhang Lijun Bao Chao Su |
| author_facet | Wei Qian Jinyan Han Xiang Shi Xiaoqing Qin Feng Jiao Minjuan Zhang Lijun Bao Chao Su |
| author_sort | Wei Qian |
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| description | Mulberry (<i>Morus alba</i>) twigs and leaves, rich in flavonoids, polyphenols, polysaccharides, and alkaloids with multi-target regulatory properties on glucose/lipid metabolism, were evaluated for their anti-obesity effects using methanol-extracted twigs (MTE) and aqueous-extracted leaves (MLE) in high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obese mice. Both extracts significantly ameliorated obesity-related metabolic dysregulation, as evidenced by attenuated body weight gain, visceral fat accumulation, serum lipid profiles, homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), and hepatic inflammation compared to HFD controls (<i>p</i> < 0.05). Concurrently, MTE and MLE enhanced systemic antioxidant capacity and elevated high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels. Notably, high-dose MTE (MTEH, 1000 mg/kg) markedly reduced perirenal adiposity while increasing brown adipose tissue mass (<i>p</i> < 0.05). Mechanistic investigations revealed that MTEH reshaped gut microbiota composition by suppressing <i>Firmicutes</i> and <i>Enterococcus</i>, while enriching beneficial <i>Faecalibaculum</i> and <i>Bifidobacterium</i> spp. (<i>p</i> < 0.05). Furthermore, cecal short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) profiling demonstrated MTEH and MLEH-mediated metabolic reprogramming, characterized by increased propionic acid and decreased butyric acid, suggesting microbiota-dependent modulation of host energy metabolism. These findings collectively highlight the potential of mulberry extracts as multi-targeted nutraceuticals for obesity intervention via gut microbiota–SCFA axis regulation. |
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| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-06-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
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| series | Animals |
| spelling | doaj-art-f7f9ba39f1ca4e90aa8e6ca526d4e8112025-06-25T13:22:03ZengMDPI AGAnimals2076-26152025-06-011512176810.3390/ani15121768Mulberry (<i>Morus alba</i>) Twig and Leaf Extracts Ameliorate Obesity-Related Metabolic Disorders via Gut Microbiota Modulation in High-Fat Diet-Fed MiceWei Qian0Jinyan Han1Xiang Shi2Xiaoqing Qin3Feng Jiao4Minjuan Zhang5Lijun Bao6Chao Su7College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, ChinaCollege of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, ChinaCollege of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, ChinaCollege of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, ChinaCollege of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, ChinaCollege of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, ChinaCollege of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, ChinaCollege of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, ChinaMulberry (<i>Morus alba</i>) twigs and leaves, rich in flavonoids, polyphenols, polysaccharides, and alkaloids with multi-target regulatory properties on glucose/lipid metabolism, were evaluated for their anti-obesity effects using methanol-extracted twigs (MTE) and aqueous-extracted leaves (MLE) in high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obese mice. Both extracts significantly ameliorated obesity-related metabolic dysregulation, as evidenced by attenuated body weight gain, visceral fat accumulation, serum lipid profiles, homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), and hepatic inflammation compared to HFD controls (<i>p</i> < 0.05). Concurrently, MTE and MLE enhanced systemic antioxidant capacity and elevated high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels. Notably, high-dose MTE (MTEH, 1000 mg/kg) markedly reduced perirenal adiposity while increasing brown adipose tissue mass (<i>p</i> < 0.05). Mechanistic investigations revealed that MTEH reshaped gut microbiota composition by suppressing <i>Firmicutes</i> and <i>Enterococcus</i>, while enriching beneficial <i>Faecalibaculum</i> and <i>Bifidobacterium</i> spp. (<i>p</i> < 0.05). Furthermore, cecal short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) profiling demonstrated MTEH and MLEH-mediated metabolic reprogramming, characterized by increased propionic acid and decreased butyric acid, suggesting microbiota-dependent modulation of host energy metabolism. These findings collectively highlight the potential of mulberry extracts as multi-targeted nutraceuticals for obesity intervention via gut microbiota–SCFA axis regulation.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/15/12/1768mulberry extractglycolipid metabolismgut microbiologyobesity |
| spellingShingle | Wei Qian Jinyan Han Xiang Shi Xiaoqing Qin Feng Jiao Minjuan Zhang Lijun Bao Chao Su Mulberry (<i>Morus alba</i>) Twig and Leaf Extracts Ameliorate Obesity-Related Metabolic Disorders via Gut Microbiota Modulation in High-Fat Diet-Fed Mice Animals mulberry extract glycolipid metabolism gut microbiology obesity |
| title | Mulberry (<i>Morus alba</i>) Twig and Leaf Extracts Ameliorate Obesity-Related Metabolic Disorders via Gut Microbiota Modulation in High-Fat Diet-Fed Mice |
| title_full | Mulberry (<i>Morus alba</i>) Twig and Leaf Extracts Ameliorate Obesity-Related Metabolic Disorders via Gut Microbiota Modulation in High-Fat Diet-Fed Mice |
| title_fullStr | Mulberry (<i>Morus alba</i>) Twig and Leaf Extracts Ameliorate Obesity-Related Metabolic Disorders via Gut Microbiota Modulation in High-Fat Diet-Fed Mice |
| title_full_unstemmed | Mulberry (<i>Morus alba</i>) Twig and Leaf Extracts Ameliorate Obesity-Related Metabolic Disorders via Gut Microbiota Modulation in High-Fat Diet-Fed Mice |
| title_short | Mulberry (<i>Morus alba</i>) Twig and Leaf Extracts Ameliorate Obesity-Related Metabolic Disorders via Gut Microbiota Modulation in High-Fat Diet-Fed Mice |
| title_sort | mulberry i morus alba i twig and leaf extracts ameliorate obesity related metabolic disorders via gut microbiota modulation in high fat diet fed mice |
| topic | mulberry extract glycolipid metabolism gut microbiology obesity |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/15/12/1768 |
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