TITLE:
Study on the Effects of Erythropalum scandens Bl. Polysaccharides in Improving Glucose Metabolism Disorder in HUA Rats
AUTHORS:
Liyang Zhao, Qiaodan Pan, Yuanhe Hang, Lingying Zhu
KEYWORDS:
Erythropalum scandens Bl. Polysaccharides, Hyperuricemia, Glucose Metabolism Disorder
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Biosciences and Medicines,
Vol.14 No.4,
April
15,
2026
ABSTRACT: Objective: To investigate the extraction process of Erythropalum scandens Bl. polysaccharides (ESP) and its ameliorative effect on glucose metabolism in rats with hyperuricemia (HUA). Methods: ESP was extracted from Erythropalum scandens Bl. using hot water extraction combined with ethanol precipitation. The polysaccharide content was determined via the phenol-sulfuric acid method, and the protein content was measured using the Coomassie brilliant blue method; the yield of crude polysaccharide was employed as the core evaluation index. For in vivo animal experiments, a rat model of HUA complicated by glucose metabolism disorders was established in Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats by feeding a fructose-rich and high-fat diet combined with intraperitoneal injection of potassium oxonate (OXO, 200 mg/kg/d). Forty specific pathogen-free (SPF) male SD rats were randomly divided into four groups: the Control group, Model group, ESP low-dose group (ESP-L group), and ESP high-dose group (ESP-H group). Following successful model establishment, the rats were administered the corresponding interventions for 4 weeks. Serum levels of fasting blood glucose (FBG) and uric acid (UA) were detected, and pathological changes in the liver, kidney, and pancreatic tissues were observed by hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining. Results: The phenol-sulfuric acid method demonstrated that the polysaccharide content of crude ESP was 51.73%, with a protein removal rate of 80.83%. Compared with the Model group, ESP significantly reduced serum UA and FBG levels in rats, with a more pronounced effect observed in the ESP-H group. Histopathological findings indicated that ESP alleviated hepatic steatosis and mitigated damage and dysfunction of renal glomeruli, renal tubules, and pancreatic islet β-cells. Conclusion: ESP can promote glucose transport and enhance urate transport capacity, thereby ameliorating glucose and uric acid metabolic disorders in fructose-induced HUA rats. This study provides experimental evidence to support the development of ESP as an interventional agent for metabolic diseases.