Astragalus membranaceus Extracts Can Serve as a Ketogenic Diet to Alleviate Chemotherapy Adverse Reactions Induced by...

The traditional ketogenic diet (KD) can cause side effects when applied in preventing chemotherapy adverse reactions (CARs) due to its unique dietary structure. This study aims to confirm that Astragalus membranaceus (HQ) can serve as a novel ketogenic approach and can be utilized to alleviate cyclophosphamide (CTX) induced CARs. After quantitatively analyzing the main components of HQ extracts, we demonstrated that oral administration of HQ extracts (3.2 g/kg) for 14 days effectively increased blood ketone body levels (648 nmol/mL) and β-hydroxybutyrate levels (479 nmol/mL) in rats while alleviating CTX (30 mg/kg via intraperitoneal injection for 5 consecutive days) that induced hematopoietic dysfunction and immune organ damages (evaluated via blood cell counts, histological examination, spleen index, and related inflammatory factors). Western blot results suggested that the mechanisms might involve the inhibition of caspase-1 activation and the expression of IL-1β and IL-18. Furthermore, compared to the KD, HQ extracts did not cause adverse reactions such as weight loss or diarrhea while exerting ketogenic effects. This study investigates the mechanisms by which HQ alleviates CARs from a ketogenic perspective and confirms its potential as natural functional food materials used in ketogenesis and the treatment of related diseases. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: This research proved that, compared to the traditional KD, HQ exhibited ketogenesis without altering the normal dietary structure and showed fewer adverse reactions. In terms of applications, HQ extracts significantly alleviated CARs. Consequently, HQ has the potential to be utilized as natural functional food materials for ketogenesis and could be employed in clinical complementary treatments, such as alleviating CARs.