Abstract
Oral decoctions of traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs) serve for therapeutic and prophylactic management of diseases for centuries. Small molecules and polysaccharides are the dominant chemicals co-occurred in the TCM decoction. Small molecules are well-studied by multidisciplinary elaborations, whereas the role of polysaccharides remains largely elusive. Here we explore a gut microbiota-involved mechanism by which TCM polysaccharides restore the homeostasis of gut microbiota and consequently promote the systemic exposure of concomitant small molecules in the decoction. As a case study, ginseng polysaccharides and ginsenosides in Du-Shen-Tang, the decoction of ginseng, were investigated on an over-fatigue and acute cold stress model. The results indicated that ginseng polysaccharides improved intestinal metabolism and absorption of certain ginsenosides, meanwhile reinstated the perturbed holistic gut microbiota, and particularly enhanced the growth of Lactobacillus spp. and Bacteroides spp., two major metabolic bacteria of ginsenosides. By exploring the synergistic actions of polysaccharides with small molecules, these findings shed new light on scientization and rationalization of the classic TCM decoctions in human health care.
Highlights
Encoded in intestinal bacteria[13,14,15,16]
It has been fully evidenced that various diseases, such as obesity, diabetes and cancer, are able to change the compositions of gut microbiota[23], and that both the pathological symptoms and the gut microbiota dysbiosis can be alleviated by Traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs), including TCM polysaccharides, such functional connections are still less well understood[21,24]
The prepared ginseng polysaccharides were chemically characterized in terms of molecular weight distribution and monosaccharide compositions
Summary
Encoded in intestinal bacteria (frequently probiotics)[13,14,15,16]. By sufficient elaborations, small molecules are commonly deemed to be the crucial bioactive chemicals that are responsible for curative effects of TCM decoction. It has been fully evidenced that various diseases, such as obesity, diabetes and cancer, are able to change the compositions of gut microbiota[23], and that both the pathological symptoms and the gut microbiota dysbiosis can be alleviated by TCMs, including TCM polysaccharides, such functional connections are still less well understood[21,24] These facts described above encouraged us to address the hypothesis that polysaccharides in TCM decoction, indigestible when orally administered, potentially work directly (as prebiotics) and/ or indirectly (under certain pathological conditions) to induce favorable changes in the intestinal microbiota. The improved gut microbiota further enhances intestinal metabolism and absorption of the bioactive small molecular chemicals co-administered in the TCM decoction. We examined effects of ginseng polysaccharides on the intestinal metabolism and absorption of ginsenosides, and explored the gut microbiota-mediated mechanisms
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