Gut microbiota’s role in the enhancement of type 2 diabetes treatment by a traditional Chinese herbal formula compared to metformin

• DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.02412-24
• Publication Date: 2025-03-31T13:20:02Z
• Authors: Chengdong Xia; Liya Yue; Yinyu Wang; Cuidan Li; Guannan Ma; Yingjiao Ju; Peihan Wang; Jie Wang; Xiaoyuan Jiang; Xiaotong Wang; Fei Chen
• Keywords: Akkermansia

ABSTRACT Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a rapidly increasing metabolic disorder that poses significant threat to global public health. Recent evidence suggests targeting the gut microbiota through dietary and pharmaceutical interventions can effectively manage T2DM. In this study, we developed novel Chinese herbal formula, CCM, specifically for T2DM, composed of Coptis rhizoma , Cinnamomi cortex Mume fructus . To evaluate CCM’s efficacy explore its underlying mechanisms, particularly role microbiota, diabetic C57/db/db mice were administered different doses CCM (low, medium, high) 4 weeks, with normal C57 as healthy controls metformin positive control. Comprehensive clinical indicators T2DM measured before after treatment. High-throughput sequencing was used assess changes in microbiome composition function. Our results showed treatment, especially at medium high doses, resulted more improvements blood glucose, lipid profiles, body weight compared metformin. The CCM-treated group also exhibited microbial community structure group, notably enriching three beneficial microbes (>40%): Bacteroidetes spp., Akkermansia Parabacteroides which correlated improved parameters. Further analysis identified all four pathways linked lowering glucose exclusively enriched group. Of 10 related levels, five unique CCM. These by may explain superior therapeutic effects, indicating distinct mechanisms modulating microbiota. IMPORTANCE study demonstrates outperforms managing key type model induces alterations Notably, uniquely samples enhanced effects Consequently, these findings suggest offers promising strategy further provide valuable insights into potential probiotic candidates (such spp.) newly functional chondroitin sulfate degradation, geraniol biotin biosynthesis, colonic acid building blocks biosynthesis vancomycin antibiotics) could be targeted intervention.