Arabinogalactan

Arabinogalactan is a polysaccharide that is particularly abundant in the bark of the larch (Larix occidentalis). It has a skeleton consisting of galactan with side chains formed by glucose and arabinose. Galactose and arabinose are present in a molar ratio of 6:1.

Many plant fibres of a carbohydrate nature have prebiotic action, and these are mainly the oligosaccharides with prebiotic action (inulin, FOS and GOS), some types of malt dextrins and arabinogalactans and derivatives. In fact, these fibres have been amply demonstrated in numerous in vitro studies, in animals and humans, to have a remarkable prebiotic action, increasing the numerical size of Bifidobacteria and Lactobacilli populations and reducing that of anaerobes, particularly Clostridia and Bacteroides. Furthermore, these fibres have been shown to increase the faecal content of free fatty acids, particularly butyric and acetic. This promotes an improvement in gut function and may help reduce the incidence of malignancies of the large gut. All of these fibres possess the ability to stimulate hydration and thus the volume of faecal material, thereby promoting intestinal peristalsis and the expulsion of softer faeces. In this way, they tend to regularise bowel movements, acting in synergy with the intestinal bacterial flora. Finally, these fibres may improve, albeit moderately, the lipid balance in dyslipidaemic patients and may also reduce the postprandial glycaemic peak, particularly in patients with type II diabetes mellitus.

Given its qualitative-quantitative composition, arabinogalactan is a suitable remedy to promote the well-being of the Gut and immunocompetent cells it contains and with it that of the entire organism, of which intestinal transit is but one aspect. This indication is related to research carried out in recent years, which has shown that the gut is a major immunocompetent organ, with a high content of immunocompetent cells located mainly in Peyer's plaques.