Ancient medicinal fungus calms gut inflammation in mice
Cheng H, Peng F, Gong Y, Zhu J, Liao H
Medicinal Plants
The mushroom growing on old pine tree roots in the woods, known as Poria cocos or Fuling, has been used for gut health in Chinese herbal medicine for two thousand years, and this study shows exactly how it works at the molecular level.
Scientists gave mice with induced colitis an extract from Poria cocos, a fungus that grows on pine roots and has long been used in Chinese herbal medicine for digestive issues. The extract repaired the gut's protective lining, boosted a beneficial gut chemical called I3LA, and calmed down the inflammatory signals causing the disease. This gives modern scientific backing to an old herbal remedy and suggests the fungus could become a natural treatment for gut inflammation.
Key Findings
Poria cocos polysaccharides (PCP) reduced colitis severity in mice in a dose-dependent manner across 100, 200, and 400 mg/kg doses, restoring colon length and organ indices (P<0.05)
PCP boosted the gut metabolite indole-3-lactic acid (I3LA) by 5.5-fold, which activates the AhR receptor pathway to restore intestinal redox balance
Inflammatory markers IL-6 and TNF-alpha mRNA levels dropped by more than 70% (P<0.01), alongside increased tight junction proteins ZO-1, Occludin, and Claudin (P<0.01)
chevron_right Technical Summary
A polysaccharide extracted from Poria cocos, a fungus used in traditional Chinese medicine for centuries, significantly eased colitis symptoms in mice by rebalancing gut chemistry and reducing inflammation, offering a potential natural treatment lead for inflammatory bowel conditions.
Abstract Preview
Original paper
Poria cocos polysaccharides alleviate colitis via the tryptophan metabolism-AhR-redox axis.
Poria cocos (Fuling), a classic edible and medicinal fungus with a 2000-year clinical application history in traditional Chinese medicine, is well-documented for its core efficacies of "invigoratin...
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