Sasa quelpaertensis leaf extract mitigates fatigue and regulates the transcriptome profile in mice.

It has been reported that various plant species may enhance the elimination of fatigue-related metabolites. However, relatively few studies have directly addressed the potential anti-fatigue effects. The objective of this study was to investigate the anti-fatigue potential of a hot water extract of Sasa quelpaertensis Nakai leaf (SQH) in male ICR mice. The animals were divided into three groups. The normal control (NC) group was administered saline without exercise every day for 7 days. The exercise control (EC) and exercise with SQH (ES) groups were administered saline and SQH (50 mg/kg of body weight), respectively, every day for 7 days and underwent swimming exercise. RNA sequencing technology was used to analyze the transcriptome profiles of muscle. Swimming times were prolonged in the ES group compared with the EC group. The ES group had higher blood glucose and lower blood lactate levels, and higher muscular glycogen and lower muscular lactate levels, compared with the EC group. The groups did not differ in histopathological parameters of the muscle and liver, but muscle cell sizes were smaller in the EC group than in the ES and NC groups. RNA sequencing analysis revealed that SQH administration regulated genes associated with energy-generating metabolic pathways in skeletal muscle. These results suggest that SQH exerts anti-fatigue properties by balancing various biological systems and helping maintain the basic harmonious pattern of the body.