Metabolomic profiling analysis reveals benefits of ginseng berry intake on mitochondrial function and glucose metabolism in liver of obese mice

Abstract

Abstract Introduction Ginseng berry (GB) has previously been demonstrated to improve systemic insulin resistance and regulate hepatic glucose metabolism and steatosis in mice with diet-induced obesity (DIO).Objectives In this study, the role of GB in metabolism was assessed using metabolomics analysis on the total liver metabolites of DIO mice.Methods Metabolomic profiling was performed using capillary electrophoresis time-of-flight mass spectrometry (CE-TOF/MS) of liver tissue from mice on a 12-wk normal chow diet (NC), high-fat diet (HFD), and HFD supplemented with 5% GB (HFD + GB). The detected metabolites, their pathways, and functions were analyzed through partial least square discriminant analysis (PLS-DA), the small molecular pathway database (SMPDB), and MetaboAnalyst 5.0.Results The liver metabolite profiles of the NC, HFD, and GB-fed mice (HFD + GB) were highly compartmentalized. The metabolites involved in major liver functions, such as mitochondrial function, gluconeogenesis/glycolysis, fatty acid metabolism, and primary bile acid biosynthesis, showed differences after GB intake. The metabolites that showed significant correlations with fasting blood glucose (FBG), insulin, and homeostatic model assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) were highly related to mitochondrial membrane function, energy homeostasis, and glucose metabolism. Ginseng berry intake increased the levels of metabolites involved in mitochondrial membrane function, decreased those involved in glucose metabolism, and was highly correlated with metabolic phenotypes.Conclusion This study demonstrated that long-term intake of GB changed the metabolite of hepatosteatotic livers in DIO mice, normalizing global liver metabolites involved in mitochondrial function and glucose metabolism and indicating the potential mechanism of GB in improving hyperglycemia in DIO mice.