# Mechanisms of combined deer antler polysaccharides and postbiotics supplementation for regulating obesity in mice

## TL;DR

This study shows that combining deer antler polysaccharides and postbiotics can reduce obesity in mice by improving lipid metabolism and reducing inflammation.

## Contribution

The study reveals novel mechanisms of obesity regulation through combined supplementation of deer antler polysaccharides and postbiotics.

## Key findings

- Supplementation reduced weight gain and improved lipid profiles in obese mice.
- Gene expressions related to lipid synthesis decreased, while those related to lipid oxidation increased.
- Inflammation-related gene expressions were significantly reduced.

## Abstract

This study investigated the mechanisms related to lipid metabolism regulation after combined supplementation with deer antler polysaccharides and postbiotics.

Thirty-two male mice were divided into high-fat diet, HD + deer antler polysaccharides, HD + Bacillus coagulans postbiotics, and HD + deer antler polysaccharides + B. coagulans postbiotics groups. The diets contained 60% fat. After 9 weeks, the effects of deer antler polysaccharides and postbiotics on lipid metabolism were assessed through blood biochemical, histological tissue staining, and polymerase chain reaction analyses.

Supplementation with deer antler polysaccharides and postbiotics significantly inhibited weight gain in obese mice, reduced serum total cholesterol, triglyceride, and low-density lipoprotein levels and markedly increased the serum high-density lipoprotein level. Additionally, hepatic lipid droplet accumulation and adipocyte hypertrophy improved. The expressions of the lipid synthesis genes, sterol regulatory element-binding protein 1 (i.e. SREBP-1c), and fatty acid synthase (i.e. FAS), significantly decreased, while peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (i.e. PPAR-α) and acyl-CoA oxidase 1 (i.e. ACOX1) expression significantly increased. The expressions of the inflammation-related genes, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (i.e. TNF-α), interleukin (IL)-6, and IL-1 also significantly decreased.

Thus, combined deer antler polysaccharides and postbiotic supplementation regulated obesity in mice, potentially by modulating lipid synthesis and inflammation-related gene expression.