Korea Food Research Institute: parsnip extract raised gut bacteria growth up to 2x vs inulin in cell and animal tests
Parsnip root extract promoted beneficial gut bacteria and reduced liver fat in cell and animal experiments. Effects in humans have not yet been verified.
The Korea Food Research Institute reported on the 10th that a team led by Dr. Park Ho-young found that parsnip root extract promotes the growth of beneficial gut bacteria, strengthens the intestinal barrier and may reduce fat accumulation in the liver, according to biz.heraldcorp.com biz.heraldcorp.com
biz.heraldcorp.combiz.heraldcorp.comOpen source ↗. The study was done in cells and animals, and the results were published in the journal npj Science of Food.
Parsnip is a root vegetable of the celery family (Apiaceae), long used as food in Europe. Because it resembles a white carrot, it is called a "white carrot". It contains dietary fiber, polyphenols and other plant-derived compounds.
Intestinal barrier and mucus
The intestinal barrier prevents harmful substances from entering the blood. When gut microbial balance is disrupted, for example by a high-fat diet, the barrier weakens, and bacterial endotoxin can reach the liver through the blood. This is considered one of the causes of liver inflammation and fat accumulation.
The researchers treated intestinal mucus-secreting cells with the extract at 10 to 1000 µg/mL. Mucus production increased, as did expression of mucin-2, a protein involved in mucus formation biz.heraldcorp.com
biz.heraldcorp.combiz.heraldcorp.comOpen source ↗.
Animal results and prebiotic comparison
In animals fed a high-fat diet, those given the extract had lower blood endotoxin levels and less liver fat. The barrier protein ZO-1 and the inflammatory state of colon tissue also improved.
The extract promoted the growth of lactic acid bacteria and bifidobacteria isolated from the intestines of healthy Koreans. According to the researchers, the effect was 1.2 to 2 times higher than that of inulin, a standard prebiotic. The team said the results point to a positive influence on the gut-liver axis: growth of beneficial bacteria, a stronger barrier, less endotoxin entering the blood and less liver fat.
The work remains at the cell and animal stage, and whether the same effects occur in people requires further verification biz.heraldcorp.com
biz.heraldcorp.combiz.heraldcorp.comOpen source ↗. The team is currently running human efficacy tests. It plans to proceed through raw material standardization, safety evaluation and human trials toward a functional food ingredient, and is also pursuing commercialization linking domestic smart-farm cultivation with functional ingredient production.
Dr. Park said the water-soluble components of parsnip may improve beneficial bacteria growth, barrier function, endotoxin and liver health markers together.
