Polysaccharides from Cyclocarya paliurus: Chemical composition and lipid-lowering effect on rats challenged with high-fat diet

The present study was performed to analyse the chemical composition of Cyclocarya paliurus polysaccharides (CPP) and investigate their lipid-lowering effects on high-fat diet (HFD)-induced hyperlipidaemic rats. CPP mainly consisted of two polysaccharides with an average molecular weight (MW) of 190.1 and 2.1 kDa, as well as 67.8% total sugar, 19.23% uronic acid, 6.56% proteins, and six monosaccharides. CPP treatment markedly reduced the plasma glucose level, restored lipid profile changes, modulated the activities of hepatic lipid-related enzymes, suppressed hypertrophy of visceral adipose tissue (VAT), and improved hepatic steatosis. In addition, CPP ameliorated glucose tolerance and insulin resistance, which could be attributed to the regulation of CCAAT/enhancer binding protein-α (C/EBPα), peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR)-γ, PPARδ, and c-Cbl-associated protein (CAP) expression. The present findings suggest that CPP exhibit a lipid-lowering effect by regulating the activities of hepatic lipid metabolism-related enzymes and alleviating insulin resistance.