This paper aims to disclose the hyperglycaemic activity of the polysaccharides extracted from Morchella esculenta (M. esculenta) mycelia. To this end, M. esculenta mycelia were cultured submerged fermentation, and the acidic polysaccharides were extracted and purified by anion exchange chromatography gel permeation chromatography. Then, a group of healthy rats was prepared, together with several groups of diabetes mellitus (DM) rats intervened with different doses of M. esculenta acidic polysaccharides. Next, several Morris water maze (MWM) tests were performed to reveal the regulation effect of these polysaccharides on the mRNA expression of the nerve growth factor (NGF) of the rats. The main results are as follows. The fasting blood glucose (FBG) and serum insulin (INS) of Group D (intervened by 600 μg∙mL-1 of polysaccharide) plunged to 8.12mmol/L and 31.67mU/L, respectively, compared to those of the control group (P<0.01), indicating that the polysaccharides can promote INS secretion. Meanwhile, the relative mRNA expression level of Group D grew by from the level of the control group (p<0.01). Thus, the acidic M. esculenta polysaccharide must have triggered the expression of NGF protein. The research findings lay a solid basis for the development of anti-hyperglycaemia food based on M. esculenta polysaccharides.

Diabetes mellitus (DM), Morchella esculenta (M. esculenta), Acidic Polysaccharide, Nerve Growth Factor (NGF