Investigation of Chinese Herbal Decoctions with Enzymatic Hydrolysis and Sequential Fermentation as Potential Nutrient Supplements

Abstract

Chinese herbal medicine has attracted increasing attention due to its therapeutic effects. It demands increasing understanding of the processing methods and the generated changes to control quality and offer better final products. In this study, extraction differences were compared among direct plant extracts (DE), standard decoction (SD), spontaneous fermentation (SF) and inoculated sequential fermentation (IF). Results showed that the extraction with the transformation of probiotics positively contributed to the release of functional compounds from Chinese herbs. It provided the strongest antioxidant capacity and the best amino acid profile. The flavor and the compositions of the herbal decoctions were further characterized. Distinctive volatile differences were found, indicating that the different treatments profoundly altered the spectrum of volatile components. The most aromatic changes were in the IF group, which corresponded with the greatest number of upregulated and the lowest number of downregulated differential compounds. Beneficial intestinal microbiota with voluntary intake of herbal tea suggested a possible positive metabolism shift in the healthy host. In conclusion, the combination of enzymatic hydrolysis and sequential fermentation provided better extraction efficiency than direct plant extraction and traditional herbal decoction. It may enable a broader utilization of traditional Chinese herbs as potential nutrient supplements, such as antibiotic alternatives in animal husbandry.