Integrated 16S rRNA Sequencing and Nontargeted Metabolomics Analysis to Reveal the Mechanisms of Yu-ye Tang on Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Rats

However, the specific mechanism by which YYT improves T2DM is not clear. The purpose of this study was to investigate the therapeutic effect of YYT on T2DM by establishing a rat model of T2DM. The mechanism of action of YYT was also explored through 16s rRNA gene sequencing and nontargeted metabolomics. The results showed that YYT exhibited significant anti-diabetic, anti-inflammatory and antioxidative effects on T2DM. Moreover, YYT could increase the abundance of Lactobacillus, Candidatus_Saccharimonas, UCG-005, Bacteroides and Blautia while decrease the abundance of and Allobaculum and Desulfovibrio in gut microbiota of T2DM rats. Nontargeted metabolomics analysis revealed that YYT treatment could regulate alanine, aspartate and glutamate metabolism, arachidonic acid metabolism, arginine and proline metabolism, glycerophospholipid metabolism, pentose and glucuronate interconversions, phenylalanine metabolism, steroid hormone biosynthesis, terpenoid backbone biosynthesis, tryptophan metabolism, and tyrosine metabolism in T2DM rats. In conclusion, our research showed that YYT has a wide range of therapeutic effects on T2DM rats, including anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory effects. Furthermore, YYT corrected the dysbiosis of gut microbiota and serum metabolites in T2DM rats. The study suggests that YYT may have a therapeutic impact on T2DM by regulating gut microbiota and modulating tryptophan and glycerophospholipid metabolism, which are potential key pathways in treating T2DM.