"Poor enough to eat soil"? The latest research shows that eating soil can cure intestinal diseases!

The interaction between the microbiota and its colonizing environment mediates a critical pathway
from biogeochemical cycles to human health homeostasis.
A soil chemistry system
consisting of nanostructured minerals, starch particles and liquid metals.
Through bottom-up synthesis, soil-inspired chemical systems enable chemical redistribution and regulation
of microbial communities.

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Author: kope

The soil-inspired system enriched the diversity of gut bacteria, corrected tetracycline-induced gut microbiome dysbiosis, and improved rodent colitis symptoms
induced by dextran sulfate in vivo rodent models.
A new study published in Nature Chemistry suggests that eating soil can regulate the gut microbiome and treat enteritis
.

Disorders of the intestinal flora

 01 

The human intestines are inhabited by a wide variety of microorganisms called intestinal flora
.
The intestinal flora is combined in a certain proportion, and the bacteria are mutually restrictive and interdependent, forming an ecological balance
in quality and quantity.
Once these flora are disturbed, people's intestines will also have some corresponding reactions, causing discomfort
.
So what are the symptoms of intestinal flora disorders?

There are a large number of immune cells living in the intestine, and when the intestinal flora is disturbed, these immune cells will also be affected, making the body's resistance to the outside world reduced, and it is more likely to have decreased immunity and easy to get sick
.
Most people who are prone to constipation or diarrhea are mostly unbalanced compared to healthy people, and this situation may be caused by food allergies, lactose intolerance, emotional environment and other reasons caused by intestinal dysfunction
.

When the number of beneficial bacteria in the human body declines, spoilage bacteria may multiply in the upper digestive tract, resulting in poor appetite, picky eating, anorexia, and even bad
breath.
Because immunity declines, the body's defense against external bacteria, viruses, pathogens, etc.
is weakened, giving these external forces the opportunity to increase the chance of the body being infected with viruses and bacterial influenza
.
The imbalance of intestinal flora is an important cause of
low immunity.

style="margin: 0px;padding: 0px;box-sizing: border-box;" _msthash="251144" _msttexthash="738244">Commonly known as "Guanyin Soil"

 02 

In life, I often hear people laugh at themselves: "Poor eat soil"! Is there any basis for this statement? Can soil really be eaten? For a long time, the scientific community has not been conclusive, but there are three explanatory conjectures: 1.
Clay will enter the digestive system and adsorb harmful and toxic substances, hindering the invasion
of pathogens.
2.
Clay can provide some nutrients
.
3.
Eating soil is a reaction
that occurs when you are extremely hungry.

Of course, the "soil" mentioned here is not a random grab of soil on the roadside and in the field, but a synthetic soil biomimetic material
by using three components: montmorillonite, starch particles, and liquid metal.
Among them, montmorillonite is the component of natural soil, commonly known as "Guanyin soil" - people used to eat this thing during ancient famines, but it cannot be digested
.

According to reports, this soil biomimetic material has the characteristics of regulating the function of microorganisms, which can not only improve the efficiency of microbial synthesis chemicals, but also regulate intestinal flora imbalance and restore intestinal microecology, which has great application potential
in the field of biomanufacturing and biomedicine.
This achievement was completed by the University of Chicago, with Professor Tian Bozhi as the corresponding author, Lin Yiliang as the first author and co-corresponding author, and Gao Xiang, associate researcher of the Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, as the co-first author
.

Broad application potential

 03 

The research team established a mouse model of intestinal microbial disorders, and after the mice ate the soil biomimetic material, the research team found that the disordered intestinal microbiota had recovered and re-established the ecological model.
In addition, the research team also found that the material can be used to treat acute enteritis
induced by dextran sodium sulfate.

Composite materials are characterized by 3D X-ray fluorescence and lamography tomography and electron microscopy imaging to confirm their structural similarity
to soil.
Post-synthetic modifications formed by laser irradiation lead to chemical heterogeneity
from the atomic to the macroscopic level.
This soil-inspired material has chemical, optical, and mechanical responsiveness to create write-erase functionality
in electrical properties.
The composite can also enhance in vitro microbial culture/biofilm growth and biofuel production
.

This new material with responsive and regulatory functions can not only improve the efficiency of microbial synthesis chemicals, but also regulate intestinal flora imbalance and restore intestinal microecology, which has application potential
in the fields of biomanufacturing and biomedicine.

Resources:

style="white-space: normal;margin: 0px;padding: 0px;box-sizing: border-box;">Note: This article is intended to introduce the progress of medical research and cannot be used as a reference
for treatment options.
If you need health guidance, please go to a regular hospital
.