Recently, through cooperation with Dr. Xu Wu from School of Pharmacy, Southwest Medical University, Dr. Bin Wei published an research article titled “Characterization of chemical composition and prebiotic effect of a dietary medicinal plant Penthorum chinense Pursh” on Food Chemistry. In this study, fifty polyphenolic compounds were rapidly identified using UPLC-HR-MS. Thirteen individual polyphenols were quantified, which accounted for 33.1% (w/w). P. chinense induced structural arrangement of microbial community in mice, showing increased microbiota diversity, elevated Bacteroidetes/Firmicutes ratio and enriched gut health-promoting bacteria. The results suggest that polyphenol-enriched P. chinense modulates gut microbiota and enhances antioxidant capacity in mice toward a beneficial environment for host health.
