Improvement of intestinal microflora balance by polysaccharide from Physalis alkekengi var. francheti.

A water‑soluble polysaccharide fraction (PPSB) was fractionated from Physalis alkekengi var. francheti and purified using DEAE‑52 Cellulose and Sephadex G‑200 chromatography. The physicochemical properties of PPSB and its molecular activities involved in the improvement of intestinal microflora balance were evaluated. PPSB (12.5‑25.0 mg/ml) was shown to promote the growth of Lactobacillus delbrueckii and to inhibit the growth of Escherichia coli. Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis analysis identified Bacteroides, Lactobacillus, Helicobacter, Prevotella, Enterococcus, Odoribacter, Alistipes and Akkermansia as dominant organisms in the intestinal tract of mice. PPSB exhibited stimulatory effects on the growth of probiotic bacteria but inhibitory effects on the growth of pathogenic bacteria in vitro. The number of species and quantity of the Lactobacillus genus increased significantly with increasing concentrations of PPSB in vivo. Experimental results of this study suggest that PPSB may improve intestinal microflora imbalances and therefore has strong potential as a natural agent for restoring the intestinal microflora balance.