Portulaca oleracea polysaccharide alleviates obesity in mice with long-term high-fat diet by regulating gut microbiota and metabolites

Qiang Fu; Chenglin Zhi; Siyi Cai; Zijian Li; Hui Luo; Hongying Gao; Elvis Agbo; Xiaoliu Huang; Yushan Huang

doi:10.3389/fnut.2026.1759556

Portulaca oleracea polysaccharide alleviates obesity in mice with long-term high-fat diet by regulating gut microbiota and metabolites

Front Nutr. 2026 Feb 27:13:1759556. doi: 10.3389/fnut.2026.1759556. eCollection 2026.

Authors

Qiang Fu^#^{1

2}, Chenglin Zhi^#¹, Siyi Cai¹, Zijian Li³, Hui Luo^{1

2}, Hongying Gao¹, Elvis Agbo¹, Xiaoliu Huang^{1

2}, Yushan Huang⁴

Affiliations

¹ College of Basic Medical Sciences, Jinggangshan University, Ji'an, China.
² Jiangxi Province Key Laboratory of Organ Development and Epigenetics, Clinical Medical Research Center, Affiliated Hospital of Jinggangshan University, Medical Department of Jinggangshan University, Ji'an, China.
³ Jiangxi Engineering Laboratory of Zebrafish Modeling and Drug Screening for Human Diseases, Key Laboratory of Jiangxi Province for Biological Invasion and Biosecurity, College of Life Sciences, Jinggangshan University, Ji'an, China.
⁴ Center for Evidence Based Medical and Clinical Research, First Affiliated Hospital of Gannan Medical University, Ganzhou, China.

^# Contributed equally.

Abstract

Background: Obesity is closely linked to gut microbiota dysbiosis and metabolic disorders. Portulaca oleracea polysaccharide (POP) has potential metabolic benefits, but its effects and mechanisms against obesity remain unclear. This study aimed to investigate the ameliorative effects of POP on high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obesity in mice.

Methods: C57BL/6J mice were fed an HFD supplemented with 3.2% POP for 17 weeks. Obesity-related parameters, gut microbiota, and serum metabolomics were analyzed.

Results: POP significantly reduced obesity, improved lipid profiles and glucose homeostasis, increased gut microbiota diversity, and normalized the Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio. It modulated several key gut microbiota genera and altered metabolites including LacCer (d18:1/12:0) and N-(4,7-Dihydroxy-8-Methyl-2-Oxo-2H-Chromen-3-Yl)-2,2-Dimethylchromane-6-Carboxamide (NDC), which strongly correlated with obesity-related indices.

Conclusion: POP may improve HFD-induced obesity by regulating gut microbiota and host metabolism. These results provide a theoretical basis for POP as a potential functional component against obesity.

Keywords: Portulaca oleracea polysaccharide; anti-obesity; gut microbiota; metabolites; mice.