Lactiplantibacillus plantarum LZU-J-Q21 enhanced the functional metabolic profile and bioactivity of Cistanche deserticola

Microbial fermentation is an effective method to enhance the bioavailability of herbs. This study utilized <i>Lactiplantibacillus plantarum</i> LZU-J-Q21 to ferment <i>Cistanche deserticola</i> and evaluated its metabolic properties and biological activity. Results showed that the contents of total acid and flavone, and the clearance rates of DPPH, ABTS and OH^- in fermented <i>Cistanche deserticola</i> (FCD) were increased by 142.74 %, 56.45 %, 58.1 %, 62.3 %，51.2 %, compared with non-fermented <i>Cistanche deserticola</i> (NFCD). The metabolic profile of FCD had remarkable changes, especially elevated glucose and adenosine (97.31 % and 59.18 %). Further, FCD increased the weight-bearing swimming time of mice by 88.57 %, reduced fatigue markers BUN, BLA, and MDA (18.47 %, 12.92 %, and 15.16 %), and enhanced liver/muscle glycogen and SOD (28.99 %, 28.57 %, and 14.47 %). The investigation into its anti-fatigue mechanism suggested that FCD enhanced GS protein expression by activating PI3K/AKT/GSK3β signaling. These findings suggest that FCD enhances anti-fatigue effects by modifying its metabolic properties and biological activity.