Chinese Yam Polysaccharide Ameliorates Obesity by Promoting Lipolysis Via the cAMP/PKA Signaling Pathway

Obesity is associated with multiple health problems and has become a major public health challenge worldwide. In this study, the monosaccharide composition of CYP was determined using the PMP pre-column derivatization method. The results showed that CYP was composed of Glc, Gal, Ara, Man, and GlcA. In addition, the anti-obesity effects of CYP were evaluated using OP9 cells in vitro and a zebrafish obesity model in vivo. The findings revealed that CYP effectively promoted lipolysis, significantly modulated the expression of lipolysis-related proteins, and markedly reduced lipid accumulation in obese zebrafish. Subsequently, the potential molecular mechanism underlying the anti-obesity effects of CYP was explored via network pharmacology, molecular docking, and experimental validation. Protein-protein interaction network analysis identified five core targets, including STAT3, CASP3, PPARA, JUN, and MMP9. Moreover, KEGG enrichment analysis and molecular docking indicated that the cAMP signaling pathway may mediate the anti-obesity effects of CYP, with STAT3 serving as a potential therapeutic target. Furthermore, Western blot experiments demonstrated that CYP downregulated STAT3 expression and activated the cAMP/PKA signaling pathway, thereby ameliorating obesity. Collectively, these findings suggest that CYP holds promise as a novel anti-obesity agent.