ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Nutr.

Sec. Nutrition and Microbes

Volume 12 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fnut.2025.1613132

This article is part of the Research TopicExploring Dietary Polysaccharides: Molecular Insights into Gastrointestinal Health and the Brain-Gut AxisView all 7 articles

Lycium barbarum-Probiotic Synergy Alleviates Chemotherapy-Induced Cancer-Related Fatigue via Gut Microbiota-Metabolic Axis Regulation in Mice

Provisionally accepted
Hexiang FengHexiang Feng1Linjun ZhongLinjun Zhong2Xinjian YangXinjian Yang1Haokun WuHaokun Wu1Qiankai SunQiankai Sun1Hao WeiHao Wei1Yinbo HeYinbo He3Linsen ZhouLinsen Zhou1Yusong ZhangYusong Zhang1Mei LiMei Li4*Yu SunYu Sun3*
  • 1West China School of Medicine, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China
  • 2Department of Thoracic Oncology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China
  • 3Department of Radiotherapy, Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China
  • 4Department of Medical Oncology, Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China

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Introduction: This study investigated the effects of a compound preparation combining Lycium barbarum and probiotics (LB-Pro) on chemotherapy-induced cancer-related fatigue (CRF) in a murine model. The aim was to explore potential mechanisms related to the gut microbiota-metabolic axis.A CRF model was established in C57BL/6NCr mice using 5-fluorouracil. Mice were divided into four groups receiving varying concentrations of LB-Pro. Over 14 days, interventions were administered, followed by treadmill exhaustion tests to assess fatigue levels. Body weight, serum biomarkers (TNF-α, GSH-Px, NAD-MDH, SOD), and gut microbiota composition were analyzed to evaluate physiological and metabolic changes.Results: Administration of medium-and high-concentration LB-Pro significantly improved fatiguerelated outcomes, including prolonged exhaustion times and enhanced antioxidant enzyme activities, compared to the control group. Low-concentration LB-Pro showed limited efficacy. Gut microbiota analysis revealed alterations in microbial composition, including enrichment of short-chain fatty acid-producing taxa, and metabolic pathways associated with energy metabolism and antioxidant defense were upregulated in probiotic-treated groups.LB-Pro alleviated chemotherapy-induced CRF in mice, likely through modulation of gut microbiota and enhancement of mitochondrial energy metabolism and antioxidant systems. These findings highlight the potential of integrative approaches combining traditional Chinese medicine and probiotics for managing CRF, emphasizing the gut microbiota-metabolic axis as a key therapeutic target.

Keywords: Probiotics, Lycium barbarum, Gut Microbiota, chemotherapy, Cancer-related fatigue

Received: 16 Apr 2025; Accepted: 10 Jun 2025.

Copyright: © 2025 Feng, Zhong, Yang, Wu, Sun, Wei, He, Zhou, Zhang, Li and Sun. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

* Correspondence:
Mei Li, Department of Medical Oncology, Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan Province, China
Yu Sun, Department of Radiotherapy, Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China

Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.

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