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[Display omitted] • Spirulina platensis polysaccharides (SPLP) had significant hypolipidemic and hypoglycemic effects in HFD-fed rats. • SPLP intervention modulate the hepatic steatosis and mRNA expressions involved in lipid and carbohydrate metabolism. • SPLP altered the relative abundance of cecal short-chain fatty acids. • SPLP significantly modulated the intestinal microbiota dysbiosis. This study aimed to evaluate the possibility that Spirulina platensis crude polysaccharides may ameliorate the lipid and carbohydrate metabolism disorder, including obesity, hyperlipidemia, hyperglycemia, hepatic steatosis, and gut dysbiosis. The results showed Spirulina platensis crude polysaccharides could improve body weight, serum/liver lipid and carbohydrate indexes, and liver antioxidant parameters in high-sucrose and high-fat diet (HFD)-fed rats, which were accompanied by regulated liver mRNA expressions involved in lipid and carbohydrate metabolism disorder. In addition, SPLP intervention significantly decreased cecal level of propionic acid in HFD-fed rats. Notably, the SPLP could alter the relative abundance of Firmicutes, Bacteroides, Proteobacteria, and Actinobacteria at phylum levels. Based on Spearman's rank correlation coefficient, serum/liver lipid and carbohydrate profiles were found significantly positively correlated with genera Romboutsia , Allobaculum , Blautia , Phascolarctobacterium , Bifidobacterium , Coprococcus , Turicibacter , Erysipelotrichaceae_unclassified , Olsenella , Escherichia/Shigella , Coprobacillus , Lachnospiracea incertae , and Lactobacillus , but strongly negatively correlated with genera Atopostipes , Flavonifractor , Porphyromonadaceae_unclassified , Barnesiella , Oscillibacter , Paraprevotella , Jeotgalicoccus , Corynebacterium , Alloprevotella and Bacteroides. It was concluded that oral administration of SPLP could remarkably ameliorate the lipid and carbohydrate metabolism disorder and significantly modulate the intestinal microbiota in HFD-fed rats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Monascus spp. have been used for thousands of years as a traditional food additive in China. This mold can produce many different types of commercially valuable secondary metabolites of biological activity. Soluble starch and glycerol are the two principal carbon sources universally utilized by Monascus for the production of beneficial metabolites. In this study, the effects and regulation mechanisms of soluble starch and glycerol for M. purpureus FAFU618 on Monascus azaphilone pigments (MonAzPs) were investigated through ultra-performance liquid chromatography quadrupole time of flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-QTOF-MS/MS), comparative proteomics and quantitative real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). The production of intracellular and extracellular pigments was significantly different between the soluble starch group (SSG) and glycerol group (GCG). Additionally, the components of intracellular pigments revealed by UPLC-QTOF-MS/MS showed that Monascin and Ankaflavin increased significantly in the GCG, while Rubropunctatin and Monascorubrin increased in the SSG. Differentially expressed proteins of mycelia between SSG and GCG were analyzed by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE) and MALDI-TOF/TOF MS. We identified 27 proteins with statistically altered expression, of which 18 proteins associated with the EMP (glycolytic pathway), translation, energy generation, proteolysis, etc. were up-regulated, and 9 proteins, including ribosomal proteins, heat shock proteins (HSPs) and others, were down-regulated in GCG. Meanwhile, the expression levels of MonAzP biosynthetic genes were also analyzed by RT-qPCR, and the results showed that mppA , mppC , mppR1 and mppR2 were down-regulated, whereas genes MpPKS5 , MpFasA2 , MpFasB2 , mppB , mppD and mppE were up-regulated. Collectively, these findings illustrate that the regulation of MonAzPs is not only closely related to the expression levels of certain proteins in the polyketide synthesis pathway but also closely related to the concentration of primary metabolism-generated molecules that are used as substrates for polyketide synthesis. The present study provides insights into the regulation of different carbon sources on the metabolism of MonAzPs in M. purpureus FAFU618. These results may promote further development of functional foods or medicines from Monascus spp. fermented products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]