Ameliorating Effects of Water-Soluble Polysaccharides from Woody Ear (Auricularia auricula-judge Quel.) in Genetically Diabetic KK-Ay Mice

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We investigated the ameliorating effects of the three groups of water-soluble polysaccharides, a mixture of crude polysaccharides (FA), acidic polysaccharide fractions (FA-A), and neutral polysaccharide fractions (FA-N), obtained from the hot water extracts of the fruit bodies of Auricularia auricula-judae Quel. In genetically diabetic KK-Ay mice from 6 to 11 weeks of age. Male mice were divided into five dietary groups: 1) control group, given a basal diet; 2) FA group, given an FA diet (15 g FA/kg diet); 3) FA-A group, given an FA-A diet (8 g FA-A/kg diet); 4) low FA-N group, given a low FA-N diet (2 g FA-N/kg diet); and 5) high FA-N group, given a high FA-N diet (8 g FA-N/kg diet). Compared with the control diet, FA supplementation had significant effects in lowering fasting and nonfasting blood glucose, HbA1c, urinary glucose, food intake, and water intake. FA administration also improved glucose tolerance to intraperitoneal glucose loading, but it did not affect the nonfasting insulin level. FA-N supplementation had dose-dependent effects in lowering fasting and nonfasting food glucose, insulin, HbA1c, urinary glucose, food intake, and water intake. However, the glucose tolerance was not ameliorated by either the low or the high FA-N diet. FA-A administration showed no beneficial effects in KK-Ay mice.