Our research into Reconfigured Lemnian Earth (R-LE) challenges the long-held assumption that Lemnian Earth (LE), the ancient therapeutic clay was purely a natural material. Instead, we proposed that LE was an artificially modified substance, created through a deliberate interaction between clay and fungi.

Based on the above hypothesis we co-cultured Penicillium purpurogenum (Pp), with two separate clays smectite and kaolin. We demonstrated that the leachate of the Pp+smectite co-culture is antibacterial in vitro, inhibiting the growth of both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. In vivo studies showed that supplementation with this leachate enhances intestinal microbial diversity in mice, stimulating the production of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) and amino acids, both of which play crucial roles in reducing systemic inflammation and promoting gut health. Pp+kaolin did not produce similar results.