Metallothionein-Kidney Bean Polyphenol Complexes Showed Antidiabetic Activity in Type 2 Diabetic Rats by Improving Insulin Resistance and Regulating Gut Microbiota.

Previous studies have shown that interaction between polyphenols and proteins can benefit health, but the mechanism of its antidiabetic effect has not been thoroughly elucidated. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the impact of the metallothionein (MT)-kidney bean polyphenol complex on the blood glucose levels and gut microbiota of rats with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) induced by a high-fat diet combined with streptozotocin (STZ). After 7 weeks of intervention, the MT-kidney bean polyphenol complex can significantly improve the loss of body weight, the increase in blood glucose and blood lipids, and insulin resistance caused by T2DM in rats. In addition, it can effectively alleviate the damage to the pancreas and liver in rats. The MT-kidney bean polyphenol complex also significantly increased the concentrations of six short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) in the intestinal contents of rats, especially acetic acid, propionic acid, and butyric acid (296.03%, 223.86%, and 148.97%, respectively). More importantly, the MT-kidney bean polyphenol complex can significantly reverse intestinal microflora dysbiosis in rats caused by T2DM, increase intestinal microorganism diversity, improve the abundance of various beneficial bacteria, and reshape the gut microbiota. In summary, the hypoglycemic effect of the MT-kidney bean polyphenol complex and its possible mechanism was expounded in terms of blood glucose level, blood lipid level, and gut microbiota, providing a new perspective on the development of the MT-kidney bean polyphenol complex as functional hypoglycemic food.

Kidney Bean Fermented Broth Alleviates Hyperlipidemic by Regulating Serum Metabolites and Gut Microbiota Composition.

Hyperlipidemia with fat accumulation and weight gain causes metabolic diseases and endangers human body health easily which is accompanied by metabolic abnormalities and intestinal flora disorders. In this study, the kidney bean fermented broth (KBF) was used in rats that were fed a high-fat diet to induce hyperlipidemia in order to subsequently analyse the serum metabolomics and gut microbiota modulatoration. The results show that the contents of the total polyphenols and total flavonoids in the KBF were up three and one times, while energy and carbohydrates decreased. In the HFD-induced hyperlipidemic model, body weight, organ weight, and the level of blood lipids (ALT, AST, TG, TC) were lower in rats treated with KBF than in the controls. Metabonomics indicate that there were significant differences in serum metabolomics between the KBF and the HFD. KBF could significantly improve the glycerophospholipids, taurine, and hypotaurine metabolism and amino acid metabolism of hyperlipidemic rats and then improve the symptoms of hypersterol and fat accumulation in rats. The relative abundance of beneficial bacteria increased while pathogenic bacteria decreased after the intervention of KBF. KBF ameliorates dyslipidemia of HFD-induced hyperlipidemic via modulating the blood metabolism and the intestinal microbiota. Collectively, these findings suggest that KBF could be developed as a functional food for anti-hyperlipidemia.

Beneficial Effect of Kidney Bean Resistant Starch on Hyperlipidemia-Induced Acute Pancreatitis and Related Intestinal Barrier Damage in Rats.

Accumulating attention has been focused on resistant starch (RS) due to its blood-lipid-lowering activities. However, reports on the potential bioactivities of RS for preventing hyperlipidemia acute pancreatitis (HLAP) are limited. Therefore, in this study, an acute pancreatitis model was set up by feeding a hyperlipidemia diet to rats, and subsequently evaluating the anti-HLAP effect of RS in kidney beans. The results show that the IL-6, IL-1ß, and TNF-α of serum in each RS group were decreased by 18.67-50.00%, 7.92-22.89%, and 8.06-34.04%, respectively, compared with the model group (MOD). In addition, the mRNA expression of tight junction protein ZO-1, occludin, and antibacterial peptides CRAMP and DEFB1 of rats in each RS group increased by 26.43-60.07%, 229.98-279.90%, 75.80-111.20%, and 77.86-109.07%, respectively. The height of the villi in the small intestine and the thickness of the muscle layer of rats were also increased, while the depth of the crypt decreased. The present study indicates that RS relieves intestinal inflammation, inhibits oxidative stress, and prevents related intestinal barrier damage. These results support the supplementation of RS as an effective nutritional intervention for HLAP and associated intestinal injury.