O-acetylated glucomannan from Dendrobium officinale alleviates DSS-induced colitis through dual immune-oxidative regulation and gut-microbiota modulation.
Bian X, Bian X, Liu J, Yang X, Wang Q
Gut Microbiome
An orchid you might grow on your windowsill produces a natural compound that could one day help treat inflammatory bowel disease more gently than current drugs.
Scientists took a special type of sugar fiber from the stems of a medicinal orchid and gave it to mice with a condition similar to Crohn's disease or colitis. The fiber calmed inflammation, helped repair the gut lining, and encouraged good bacteria to thrive in the gut. This suggests that eating certain plant fibers — even from ornamental plants — might have real benefits for gut health.
Key Findings
DOP-a significantly reduced levels of three key inflammatory proteins (TNF-α, IL-6, IL-1β) in blood and colon tissue of colitis mice
The orchid fiber activated the Nrf2/HO-1 antioxidant pathway while simultaneously blocking the TLR4/NF-κB inflammatory signaling pathway
16S rRNA gut microbiota profiling showed DOP-a partially reversed harmful bacterial imbalances caused by DSS, enriching beneficial microbial taxa
chevron_right Technical Summary
A sugar compound extracted from Dendrobium orchid stems was found to reduce gut inflammation in mice by calming the immune system, boosting antioxidant defenses, and improving the balance of beneficial gut bacteria.
Abstract Preview
Plant-derived polysaccharides are promising phytotherapeutics for mucosal inflammation. We purified an O-acetylated glucomannan (DOP-a) from Dendrobium officinale and investigated its protective ef...
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Dendrobium is a genus of mostly epiphytic and lithophytic orchids in the family Orchidaceae. It is a very large genus, containing more than 1,800 species that are found in diverse habitats throughout much of south, east and southeast Asia, including China, Japan, India, the Philippines, Indonesia...