Poria cocos polysaccharide ameliorates lung lesions in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease mice through mucosal immunization

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a common airway obstructive disease characterized by acute episodes triggered by respiratory infections such as colds, influenza, and secondary infections. The mucosal immune system is essential to fight off pathogenic infections and is mainly found in the epithelial tissues of the respiratory tract and digestive tract. Tuckahoe is an edible medicinal fungus that has been used as a traditional plant for medicinal purposes and as a food source in China for 2000 years, from which Tuckahoe polysaccharide (PCP) is extracted from the core of Tuckahoe. PCP has a variety of biological activities, including anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, immunomodulatory, anti-tumor, and liver protective properties. The aim of this study was to elucidate the potential of PCP as a prebiotic in the treatment of COPD and its potential mucosal immune-mediated molecular mechanism.