Chinese journal of natural medicinesAug 21, 2026

Astragalus polysaccharide may improve stroke outcomes by affecting gut bacteria and brain communication

Gut-Brain Axis Weekly Brief ↗PubMed ↗DOI ↗

Updated Aug 22, 2026

Abstract

Astragalus polysaccharide (ASP) significantly attenuated brain injury and intestinal barrier dysfunction in middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) mice.

ASP is associated with improved outcomes in MCAO-induced animal models of ischemic stroke.
The LPS-TLR4-MAPK pathway was identified as a key regulatory pathway affected by ASP in relation to intestinal barrier dysfunction.
ASP may modulate beneficial bacterial genera linked to short-chain fatty acid production and anti-inflammatory effects.
Neuroprotective effects of ASP in MCAO mice were confirmed to be dependent on the gut microbiota.
In clinical patients with ischemic stroke, levels of lipopolysaccharides (LPS) were found to be upregulated.

Simplified

Ischemic stroke (IS) remains a major contributor to global disability and mortality. Astragalus polysaccharide (ASP), a naturally active component derived from Astragalus membranaceus, exhibits therapeutic potential against IS. However, their mechanism against IS via the microbiota-gut-brain axis remains unclear. Our study aimed to evaluate the mechanism of ASP against IS by middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO)-induced animal models combined with antibiotics (ABX) and fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) experiments. In MCAO mice, our results showed that ASP significantly attenuated brain injury and intestinal barrier dysfunction. Transcriptomics, network pharmacology, and western blot identified LPS-TLR4-MAPK pathway as a key regulatory pathway in the regulation of IS-induced intestinal barrier dysfunction by ASP. Metagenomics and metabolomics indicated that ASP modulates SCFA-producing and anti-inflammatory bacterial genera (g_Anaerobutyricum and g_Caproiciproducens). Critically, ABX and FMT experiments confirmed that ASP's neuroprotective effects in MCAO mice receiving gut microbiota from IS patients, with this therapeutic benefit being microbiota-dependent. Additionally, LPS levels were upregulated in clinical patients with IS. In conclusion, our findings indicated that ASP alleviates IS-induced brain injury via the microbiota-gut-brain axis.

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Astragalus polysaccharide may improve stroke outcomes by affecting gut bacteria and brain communication

Abstract

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