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Chaga (Inonotus obliquus) and Cardiovascular / heart health: evidence and sources
Chaga polysaccharide lowered lipids in vivo and in vitro.
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Excessive lipid intake will cause hyperlipidemia, fatty liver metabolism disease, and endanger people’s health. Edible fungus polysaccharide is a natural active substance for lipid lowering. In this study, the HepG2 cell model induced by oleic acid and mice model induced by a high-fat diet was established. The lipid-lowering effects of Inonotus obliquus polysaccharide (IOP) was investigated in vivo and in vitro. Glucose (251.33 mg/g), rhamnose (11.53 mg/g), ribose (5.10 mg/g), glucuronic acid (6.30 mg/g), and galacturonic acid (2.95 mg/g) are present in IOP, at a ratio of 85.2:3.91:1.73:2.14:1. The molecular weight of IOP is 42.28 kDa. Treatment with 60 mg/L of IOP showed a significant lipid-lowering effect in HepG2 cells compared with the oleic acid-treated group. In the oil red O-stained images, the red fat droplets in the IOP-treated groups were significantly reduced. TC and TG levels of IOP-treated groups decreased. IOP can alleviate the lipid deposition in the mice liver due to high-fat diet, and significantly reduce their serum TC, TG, and LDL-C contents. IOP could activate AMPK but decrease the SREBP-1C, FAS, and ACC protein expression related to adipose synthesis in mice. IOP has a certain potential for lipid-lowering effects both in vivo and in vitro.
1 source supporting Chaga for Cardiovascular / heart health. Includes scientific publications, books, monographs and traditional-use references.
Mechanistic basis
This use is associated with the plant's lipid-lowering action. Further evidence for that pharmacology:
Inonotus obliquus has been traditionally used for treatment of metabolic diseases; however, the mechanism remains to be elucidated. In this study, we found that the water-soluble melanin complex extracted from I. obliquus improved insulin sensitivity and reduced adiposity in high fat (HF)-fed obese mice. When the melanin complex was treated to 3T3-L1 adipocytes, insulin-stimulated glucose uptake was increased significantly, and its phosphoinositide 3-kinase-dependent action was proven with wortmannin treatment. Additionally, dose-dependent increases in Akt phosphorylation and glucose transporter 4 translocation into the plasma membrane were observed in melanin complex-treated cells. Adiponectin gene expression in 3T3-L1 cells incubated with melanin complex increased which was corroborated by increased AMP-activated protein kinase phosphorylation in HepG2 and C2C12 cells treated with conditioned media from the 3T3-L1 culture. Melanin complex-treated 3T3-L1 cells showed no significant change in expression of several lipogenic genes, whereas enhanced expressions of fatty acid oxidative genes were observed. Similarly, the epididymal adipose tissue of melanin complex-treated HF-fed mice had higher expression of fatty acid oxidative genes without significant change in lipogenic gene expression. Together, these results suggest that the water-soluble melanin complex of I. obliquus exerts antihyperglycemic and beneficial lipid-metabolic effects, making it a candidate for promising antidiabetic agent.