Ultrasound-assisted degradation of polysaccharides from sweet corn cob can regulate gut microbiota and activate multiple pathways via the gut-liver axis to alleviate T2DM in mice.

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) has been rising in recent years, prompting interest in natural plant polysaccharides for their ability to mitigate the disease. To enhance its bioactivity, a degraded polysaccharide from sweet corn cob with ultrasonic-assisted enzymatic method (UE-DSCCP-A) was prepared, and its structure was also characterized. Furthermore, the significant alleviation effect of UE-DSCCP-A on T2DM has been explored and examined.

RESULTS: The results showed that UE-DSCCP-A was primarily composed of glucose, and with a molecular weight of 12.87 kDa. In vivo experiments showed that fasting blood glucose levels in T2DM mice was effectively reduced by UE-DSCCP-A. Additionally, hepatic glucose metabolism could also be regulated by UE-DSCCP-A through phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK) and glucose-6-phosphatase (G6Pase) expression. T2DM-induced hepatic oxidative stress injury and inflammatory responses could also be regulated by UE-DSCCP-A through the Nrf2/HO-1 and TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB pathways. Moreover, the gut microbiota in T2DM mice was positively influenced, with an increase in beneficial bacteria such as Lactobacillus, Faecalibaculum, Lachnospiraceae_NK4A136_group, Rikenellaceae_RC9_gut_group, and Alistipes, and a decrease in Romboutsia, Desulfovibrio, and Corynebacterium_1.

CONCLUSION: This study provided evidence that UE-DSCCP-A can regulate T2DM-induced liver damage and gut microbiota imbalances through the gut-liver axis, and the findings may act as a reference for the application of UE-DSCCP-A in functional food. © 2026 Society of Chemical Industry.