Polysaccharides from the Fleshy Fruits ofCamellia oleiferaAttenuate the Kidney Injury in High-Fat Diet/Streptozotocin-Induced Diabetic Mice

The fleshy fruits ofCamellia oleiferaAbel are the immature fruits ofC. oleifera, which are infected byExobasidium vexansMassee and then turn to be intumescent and hollowed. They contain rich trace elements and vitamin C and are eaten directly as wild fruits in the Chinese countryside. Recent studies report thatC. oleiferahas anti-inflammatory and antioxidative effects. The current study, for the first time, evaluates the renal protective capacity of polysaccharides from the fleshy fruits ofC. oleifera(CFFP) in streptozotocin-induced diabetic mice fed high-fat diets. The diabetic mice were orally administered CFFP for 3 months to evaluate the renoprotective function of CFFP. Our results indicated that 250 mg/kg CFFP significantly alleviated diabetes-induced renal injury by decreasing serum creatine, blood urea nitrogen levels, the kidney/body weight ratio, expression of fibronectin and collagen, as well as the secretion of tumor necrosis factor-alpha and interleukin-6. Additionally, 250 mg/kg CFFP could significantly ameliorate renal oxidative stress through increasing glutathione levels and lowering malondialdehyde contents. We confirmed that CFFP could exert antioxidative, anti-inflammatory, and antifibrosis activities. CFFP might be a potential therapeutic agent, and the fleshy fruits ofC. oleiferamight be a diet therapy for diabetic patients in the future.