Dietary fibers have been shown to exert immune effects via interaction with pattern recognition receptors (PRR) such as toll-like receptors (TLR) and nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain ...(NOD)-like receptors. Pectin is a dietary fiber that interacts with PRR depending on its chemical structure. Papaya pectin retains different chemical structures at different ripening stages. How this influence PRR signaling is unknown. The aim of this work was to determine how ripening influences pectin structures and their ability to interact with TLR2, 3, 4, 5 and 9, and NOD1 and 2. It was evaluated the interaction of the water-soluble fractions rich in pectin extracted from unripe to ripe papayas. The pectin extracted from ripe papayas activated all the TLR and, to a lesser extent, the NOD receptors. The pectin extracted from unripe papayas also activated TLR2, 4 and 5 but inhibited the activation of TLR3 and 9. The differences in pectin structures are the higher methyl esterification and smaller galacturonan chains of pectin from ripe papayas. Our finding might lead to selection of ripening stages for tailored modulation of PRR to support or attenuate immunity.
Papaya (Carica papaya L.) is a fleshy fruit that presents a rapid pulp softening during ripening. However, the timeline on how papaya pectinases act in polysaccharide solubilization and the ...consequent modification of the cell wall fractions during ripening is still not clear. In this work, the gene expression correlations between, on one hand, 16 enzymes potentially acting during papaya cell wall disassembling and, on the other hand, the monosaccharide composition of cell wall fractions during papaya ripening were evaluated. In order to explain differences in the ripening of papaya samplings, the molecular mass distribution of polysaccharides from water-soluble and oxalate-soluble fractions (WSF and OSF, respectively), as well as the oligosaccharide profiling from the WSF fraction, were evaluated by high performance size exclusion chromatography coupled to a refractive index detector and high performance anion-exchange chromatography coupled to pulse amperometric detection analyses, respectively. Results showed that up-regulated polygalacturonase and β-galactosidase genes were positively correlated with some monosaccharide profiles. In addition, an overall increase in the retention time of high molecular weight (HMW) and low molecular weight (LMW) polysaccharides in WSF and OSF was shown. The apparent disappearance of one HMW peak of the OSF may result from the conversion of pectin that were crosslinked with calcium into more soluble forms through the action of PGs, which would increase the solubilization of polysaccharides by lowering their molecular weight. Thus, the results allowed us to propose a detailed process of papaya cell wall disassembling that would affect sensorial properties and post-harvesting losses of this commercially important fruit.
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•Supplementary UV radiation changes metabolite profile of broccoli and C. cabbage.•UV-exposed plants had higher tryptophan levels and distinct glucosinolates profile.•Tryptophan ...metabolites increase upon colonic fermentation of UV-exposed plants.•Fermentation extracts of UV-exposed plants increase AhR activity in human cells.
While the “farm to fork” strategy ticks many boxes in the sustainability agenda, it does not go far enough in addressing how we can improve crop nutraceutical quality. Here, we explored whether supplementary ultraviolet (UV) radiation exposure during growth of broccoli and Chinese cabbage can induce bioactive tryptophan- and glucosinolate-specific metabolite accumulation thereby enhancing Aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) activation in human intestinal cells. By combining metabolomics analysis of both plant extracts and in vitro human colonic fermentation extracts with AhR reporter cell assay, we reveal that human colonic fermentation of UVB-exposed Chinese cabbage led to enhanced AhR activation in human intestinal cells by 23% compared to plants grown without supplementary UV. Thus, by exploring aspects beyond “from farm to fork”, our study highlights a new strategy to enhance nutraceutical quality of Brassicaceae, while also providing new insights into the effects of cruciferous vegetables on human intestinal health.
The human intestinal microbiome plays an important role in health due to the large number of beneficial effects related to the bacterial profile and the metabolites generated in the intestine. ...Arabinoxylans are compounds present in different cereals such as wheat and they can modulate the profile and functioning of some beneficial bacteria from human intestinal microbiota. In the present work, a colonic in vitro fermentation with human faecal inoculum was done using arabinoxylans extracted from Argentinian hard and soft wheat as substrates. Molecular size alteration of arabinoxylans were studied during fermentation and Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium abundance as well as short chain fatty acids concentrations were determined. The arabinoxylans fermentation was proved to induce the growth of Bifidobacterium and the release of short-chain fatty acids. The speed and efficiency of fermentation were different for each of the arabinoxylan extracted from both wheat genotypes, perhaps because of differences in their chemical and physical structures. The consumption of water-extractable arabinoxylans (WE-AX) (either supplemented or enriched) to maintain the balance or modulate in a favorable way the profile of Bifidobacterium can be an important contribution to the human health.
•The human faecal was capable of hydrolysing the WE-AX of wheat.•Colonic fermentation of WE-AX increased the short chain fatty acids.•Colonic fermentation of soft WE-AX stimulated the growth of Bifidobacterium.•Colonic fermentation of hard WE-AX increased butyric acid concentrations.•The fermentation profiles were different for the different WE-AX wheat genotypes.
Focused echocardiographic examinations performed by intensivists and emergency room physicians can be a valuable tool for diagnosing and managing the hemodynamic status of critically ill children. ...The aim of this study was to evaluate the learning curve achieved using a theoretical and practical training program designed to enable pediatric intensivists and emergency physicians to conduct targeted echocardiograms.
Theoretical and practical training sessions were conducted with 16 pediatric intensivist/emergency room physicians. The program included qualitative analyses of the left ventricular (LV) and right ventricular (RV) functions, evaluation of pericardial effusion/cardiac tamponade and valvular regurgitation and measurements of the distensibility index of the inferior vena cava (dIVC), ejection fraction (EF) and cardiac index (CI). The practical training sessions were conducted in the intensive care unit; each student performed 24 echocardiograms. The students in training were evaluated in a practical manner, and the results were compared with the corresponding examinations performed by experienced echocardiographers. The evaluations occurred after 8, 16 and 24 practical examinations.
The concordance rates between the students and echocardiographers in the subjective analysis of the LV function were 81.3% at the first evaluation, 96.9% at the second evaluation and 100% at the third evaluation (p < 0.001). For the dIVC, we observed a concordance of 46.7% at the first evaluation, 90.3% at the second evaluation and 87.5% at the third evaluation (p = 0.004). The means of the differences between the students' and echocardiographers' measurements of the EF and CI were 7% and 0.56 L/min/m2, respectively, after the third stage of training.
The proposed training was demonstrated to be sufficient for enabling pediatric physicians to analyze subjective LV function and to measure dIVC, EF and CI. This training course should facilitate the design of other echocardiography training courses that could be implemented in medical residency programs to improve these physicians' technical skills and the care of critically ill patients.
Background and objectives: Wheat bran is the largest by-product of wheat flour production and is mainly used in animal feed. However, wheat bran contains valuable dietary fibers with great potential ...to produce food ingredients with health-promoting properties. We previously upscaled the production of four different dietary fiber fractions from wheat bran in terms of molar mass and ferulic acid content; high molecular weight arabinoxylan with ferulic acid (FAX), high molecular weight AX without ferulic acid (AX), feruloylated xylo-oligosaccharides (FAXO), and xylo-oligosaccharides without ferulic acid (AXO). The objective of this study was to determine the effects of the wheat bran fiber fractions on microbiota composition and functioning, intestinal barrier function and colonic gene expression. Methods: In vitro fecal fermentations were conducted to investigate the effects of the wheat bran fiber fractions on microbiota composition and functioning. Fiber fermentation supernatants were added to Ussing chambers containing human colonic biopsies to assess their effects against stress-induced hyperpermeability. Quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) was used to evaluate the transcriptional response of the human colonic mucosa to the different wheat bran fiber fractions, focusing on genes related to oxidative stress, barrier function and inflammation. For a personalized approach, each set of experiments was conducted using feces and colonic biopsies obtained from the same subject (n = 12). Results: The fiber fractions had distinct effects on microbiota functionality with FAXO exhibiting the most pronounced effect on metabolites production. No effects on intestinal barrier function (stress-induced paracellular and transcellular permeability) were observed for any of the wheat bran fiber fractions. Metabolites generated by FAXO fermentation resulted in an increased gene expression level of interleukin-10 (IL-10) and glutathione peroxidase-2 (GPX2) when compared to control biopsies (P < 0.05). No effects on gene expression regulation were observed with AX, AXO and FAX. Discussion: Given that FAXO increased IL-10 and GPX2 gene expression in the research setting used in the current study, FAXO fermentation in the human colon may have the ability to modulate these genes. Hence, future studies on FAXO using in vivo research models are needed.
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