Improving Digestive Health with Ball-Milled Poria Cocos Extract

Jim Crocker
8th August, 2024

Improving Digestive Health with Ball-Milled Poria Cocos Extract

Image Source: Natural Science News, 2024

Key Findings

  • The study from Tianjin University of Science and Technology found that ball milling reduced the particle size of Poria cocos pachyman (PAC) from 102 μm to 25.19 μm, making the particles more uniform
  • Ball milling for 7 hours improved the surface properties and reduced the crystallinity and thermal stability of PAC, enhancing its prebiotic potential
  • In mice, ball-milled PAC (BMP-7 h) significantly increased gut microbiota diversity and altered its composition, suggesting better prebiotic effects compared to untreated PAC
Poria cocos, a saprophytic fungus, has been traditionally used in Chinese and Japanese medicine for its various health benefits, including diuretic, sedative, and tonic effects. Recent research from Tianjin University of Science and Technology has investigated the effects of ball milling on the physicochemical properties and gut microbiota regulation of Poria cocos pachyman (PAC)[1]. This study aims to enhance the prebiotic potential of PAC, a water-insoluble polysaccharide, through ball milling, a mechanical process that reduces particle size. Ball milling reduced the particle size of PAC from 102 μm to 25.19 μm after 12 hours, leading to increased particle uniformity. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) revealed that ball milling caused surface roughening and fragmentation of PAC. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) indicated that ball milling reduced the crystallinity of PAC and increased the exposure of hydroxyl groups. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) showed that ball milling decreased the thermal stability of PAC. The optimal ball milling time was found to be 7 hours, with moisture contents in PAC and BMP-7 h (ball-milled PAC for 7 hours) being 10.30 ± 0.47% and 10.72 ± 0.12%, respectively, and carbohydrate contents being 81.02 ± 2.27% and 74.54 ± 1.46%, respectively. In vivo studies on mice demonstrated that both PAC and BMP-7 h increased the diversity and reshaped the composition of gut microbiota, with BMP-7 h showing a more pronounced effect. BMP-7 h reduced the Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio and increased the abundance of Bacteroides, suggesting an enhanced prebiotic potential. These findings highlight the role of ball milling in improving the physicochemical properties and prebiotic potential of water-insoluble polysaccharides and provide a theoretical basis for its broader application in the food and biopharmaceutical industries. The study builds on earlier research that has demonstrated the health benefits of Poria cocos. For instance, polysaccharides extracted from Poria cocos have shown potential prebiotic functions and have been found to alleviate antibiotic-associated diarrhea (AAD) in mice by restoring intestinal barrier function, improving short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) content, and modulating gut microbiota[2]. This aligns with the current study's findings that ball-milled PAC can enhance gut microbiota diversity and composition. Moreover, previous studies have highlighted the anti-inflammatory and immune-modulating properties of Poria cocos polysaccharides and triterpenoids[3]. The current study's findings on the enhanced prebiotic potential of ball-milled PAC could further support these health benefits by promoting a healthy gut microbiota, which is known to play a crucial role in immune function and inflammation regulation. In summary, the recent study from Tianjin University of Science and Technology provides valuable insights into the potential of ball milling to enhance the physicochemical properties and prebiotic potential of Poria cocos pachyman. By improving the particle size, surface properties, and gut microbiota modulation, ball-milled PAC could have broader applications in the food and biopharmaceutical industries, offering new avenues for developing functional foods and prebiotics to support gut health and overall well-being.

MedicineBiochemMycology

References

Main Study

1) Study on the physicochemical properties and gut microbiota regulation of Poria cocos pachyman treated by ball milling.

Published 5th August, 2024

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.134399

Related Studies

2) Water-Insoluble Polysaccharide Extracted from Poria cocos Alleviates Antibiotic-Associated Diarrhea Based on Regulating the Gut Microbiota in Mice.

https://doi.org/10.3390/foods12163080

3) Chemical constituents and pharmacological properties of Poria cocos.

https://doi.org/10.1055/s-0030-1270823


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