Mushroom polysaccharides regulate diet-induced obesity by targeting lipid metabolism, gut microbiota and mitochondria

Obesity, driven by unhealthy dietary patterns, has become a global health threat. Mushroom polysaccharides (MPs) exhibits promising protective effects against obesity. This review elucidate the potential anti-obesity mechanisms of MPs, focusing on their ability to modulate lipid metabolism, cholesterol homeostasis, gut microbiota, mitochondrial function, and oxidative stress. Specifically, MPs can protect against diet-induced obesity by improving lipid and cholesterol metabolism. Additionally, MPs improve obesity by modulating gut microbiota composition, which plays a pivotal role in lipid and energy metabolism. Moreover, diet-induced mitochondrial dysfunction, endoplasmic reticulum stress, and oxidative stress disrupt metabolic homeostasis through direct lipid dysregulation and inflammation-mediated pathways. MPs mitigate these effects by enhancing mitochondrial function, alleviating ER stress, and reducing oxidative stress, thereby restoring metabolic balance. This review presents a comprehensive discussion on MPs research as functional compounds utilized in food and medicine and could be beneficial for obesity and related metabolic disorders.