Metabolome and microbiome analyses of the anti-fatigue mechanism of leaves.

leaves, widely used as a vegetable and tea, are reported to be beneficial in treating neurological disorders. At present, their anti-fatigue effect remains to be established. In this study, we analyzed the composition of the extracts from leaves and confirmed their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties at the cellular level. In mice subjected to exhaustive running on a treadmill, supplementation with leaf extracts enhanced exercise performance and alleviated fatigue the reversal of exercise-induced 5-HT elevation, metabolic waste accumulation, organ damage, and glucose metabolism-related gene expression. The collective findings from microbiome and metabolomic analyses indicate that leaf extracts increase α-diversity, regulate microbial composition, and reverse exercise-mediated disruption of carbohydrate, creatine, amino acid, and trimethylamine metabolism. This study provides preliminary evidence for the utility of leaves as a promising anti-fatigue food and offers insights into the underlying mechanism.