Untargeted Metabolomic Study on the Mechanism of Polygonatum sibiricum in Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease in Rats Using UPLC-Q-TOF/MS.

Polygonatum sibiricum (PS) has great medicinal value as a frequently used Chinese herbal medicine that can be used to treat fatigue, diabetes, and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). However, the mechanism related to NAFLD is poorly understood. The present work investigated the mechanism by which PS affects high-fat diet (HFD)-mediated NAFLD using an untargeted metabolomics approach. To establish an NAFLD rat model, an HFD was administered to the rats for 12 weeks, followed by treatment with different doses of PS for 12 weeks. The model and therapeutic efficacy were evaluated using blood biochemical parameters, liver lipid measurements, and histopathological examinations, and rat serum samples were analyzed using UPLC-Q-TOF/MS metabolomics methods. The results showed that PS could reverse HFD-induced metabolic disorders, and 25 biomarkers related to the mechanism of PS's effects on NAFLD were identified, involving metabolic pathways such as tyrosine metabolism, glycerophospholipid metabolism, and arachidonic acid metabolism. Our results shed more light on the multitarget therapeutic mechanism of PS in influencing NAFLD and information on how to prevent NAFLD.