OpenAlex · 2026-09-01
Researchers propose a three-part delivery strategy to overcome key obstacles that prevent beneficial plant-derived polysaccharides — found in foods like goji berries, astragalus, and ginger — from reaching their targets in the body. By combining smarter carriers, precision targeting, and triggered release, the system could unlock the health potential of traditional food-medicine plants.
Three critical bottlenecks block food-medicine plant polysaccharides from working clinically: poor tissue targeting, low bioavailability from enzymatic degradation, and instability in gastrointestinal pH conditions.
A synergistic 'carrier adaptation–targeted modification–environmental response' strategy addresses all three barriers in combination, outperforming single-intervention approaches.
The framework is positioned to advance functional foods from general wellness products toward precision nutrition tools for chronic disease prevention.