Polygonatum sibiricum polysaccharide alleviates irritable bowel syndrome via multidimensional phenotypic improvement and sex-specific gut microbiota modulation in mice.
Zhang J, Li H, Tan J, Wu J, Liu Y
Medicinal Plants
Siberian Solomon's seal, a graceful woodland plant many gardeners grow for its arching stems and white bell flowers, turns out to contain gut-healing compounds that may one day offer a gentler alternative to pharmaceutical IBS treatments.
Researchers pulled a natural sugar-like compound from the root of Siberian Solomon's seal — a plant long used in traditional Asian medicine — and gave it to mice suffering from irritable bowel syndrome. The compound calmed gut inflammation, repaired the intestinal lining, and helped restore a healthy balance of gut bacteria. Interestingly, the way it reshaped gut bacteria differed between male and female mice, suggesting sex plays a role in how the plant medicine works.
Key Findings
Optimized extraction yielded 228.68 mg of polysaccharide per gram of plant material, composed of six different sugar building blocks.
Doses of 200–600 mg/kg significantly normalized stool moisture, reduced oxidative stress markers, and reversed intestinal mucosal damage in IBS model mice.
Network pharmacology predicted three key molecular targets (DRD1, TRPV1, HTR2) linked to a nerve-and-inflammation signaling pathway, and gut microbiota rebalancing occurred in a sex-specific pattern.
chevron_right Technical Summary
A polysaccharide extracted from Siberian Solomon's seal root significantly reduced irritable bowel syndrome symptoms in mice, restoring gut lining health, reducing inflammation, and rebalancing gut bacteria — with effects that differed between male and female animals.
Abstract Preview
Polygonatum sibiricum polysaccharide (PSP), as a major bioactive component of P. sibiricum Delar. ex Redoute (Liliaceae, PS), holds great potential for treating irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Howe...
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