Eat more lychees for a stronger gut

According to a study published in the Journal of Medicinal Food, Litchi chinensis (lychees) may help prevent and treat gastroesophageal inflammatory diseases. The authors posit that the fruit can cure conditions such as acute reflux esophagitis (RE) and gastric ulcer (GU).

•  L. chinensis contains a polyphenol called oligonol, which is produced by an oligomerization process that turns high-molecular-weight polyphenol polymers into low-molecular-weight oligomers. Study data implies that oligonol may offer health benefits because it has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.
• This study is the first of its kind to examine the antioxidative and anti-inflammatory effects of oligonol on gastroesophageal inflammatory models, specifically, surgically-induced acute reflux esophagitis (RE) and gastric ulcer (GU). Both conditions were induced in murine models via hydrochloric acid/ethanol (HCl/ethanol).
• For the in vitro study, 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,2?-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazolin-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) radical scavenging assays were conducted to establish the antioxidant activity of oligonol. DPPH is a dark-colored crystalline powder made up of stable free-radical molecules while ABTS is used to detect if molecules can bind with each other.
• The experimental groups included normal, vehicle, and oligonol groups. The RE rats and GU mice were given oral doses of oligonol (100 milligrams per kilogram body weight per day [mg/kg bw]) or distilled water as a vehicle.
• Oligonol had powerful free radical-scavenging capacities for DPPH and ABTS radicals, which was similar to the activities of ascorbic acid.
• The results of the in vivo study revealed that consuming oligonol can help prevent RE and GU formation in the murine subjects. Oligonol consumption also reduced gross mucosal injury from oxidative stress in the murine model.

The research team surmised that oligonol can be used as a preventive and therapeutic agent for gastroesophageal inflammatory diseases like RE and GU.

You can read more articles about L. chinensis and other natural cures for ulcers at Healing.news.

Journal Reference: 

Roh SS, Shin MR, Shin SH, Lee JY, Song YO, Woo M, Jeong KS, Noh JS. LOW-MOLECULAR-WEIGHT OLIGONOL, A POLYPHENOL DERIVED FROM LYCHEE FRUIT, ATTENUATES EXPERIMENTAL REFLUX ESOPHAGITIS AND HCL/ETHANOL-INDUCED GASTRIC ULCER. Journal of Medicinal Food. 2017;20(12):1214–1221. DOI: 10.1089/jmf.2017.3972