Several probiotics are known to bind aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) to their surfaces and to adhere to intestinal mucus. In this study, preincubation of two probiotic preparations with either AFB1 or mucus ...reduced the subsequent surface binding of mucus and AFB1, respectively, in a strain-dependent manner.
Effects of domestic processing and storage on the flavonols quercetin, myricetin, and kaempferol in five berries were studied using an optimized RP-HPLC method with UV and diode array detection after ...an acid hydrolysis of the corresponding glycosides. In fresh berries, the total content of flavonols was highest in lingonberry (169 mg/kg) and black currant (157 mg/kg), intermediate in bilberry (41 mg/kg) and strawberry (17 mg/kg), and lowest in red raspberry (9.5 mg/kg). Cooking strawberries with sugar to make jam resulted in minor losses (quercetin 15%, kaempferol 18%). During cooking of bilberries with water and sugar to make soup, 40% of quercetin was lost. Traditional preservation of crushed lingonberries in their own juice caused a considerable (40%) loss of quercetin. Only 15% of quercetin and 30% of myricetin present in unprocessed berries were retained in juices made by common domestic methods (steam-extracted black currant juice, unpasteurized lingonberry juice). Cold-pressing was superior to steam-extraction in extracting flavonols from black currants. During 9 months of storage at −20 °C, quercetin content decreased markedly (40%) in bilberries and lingonberries, but not in black currants or red raspberries. Myricetin and kaempferol were more susceptible than quercetin to losses during storage. Keywords: Flavonoid; flavonol; quercetin; myricetin; kaempferol; processing; storage; berry; fruit; HPLC
Deoxynivalenol (DON) contamination of cereal crops occurs frequently, and may cause acute exposure at high levels or chronic more moderate exposure. DON has proven toxicity including restriction of ...enterocyte differentiation, which may play a part in DON induced gastroenteritis. The probiotic bacteria Lactobacillus rhamnosus strain GG (GG) can bind DON, and therefore potentially restrict bioavailability of this toxin. Binding efficacy is not significantly altered by heat treatment, and therefore this in vitro study evaluated whether heat inactivated GG could restore the differentiation process in Caco-2 cells, using alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity as a marker of differentiation. DON (200ng/mL) caused a significant (p<0.001) 36% reduction in ALP activity (1598±137U/mg protein) compared to untreated cells (2502±80U/mg). A dose dependant restoration of ALP activity was observed where DON treated cells were co-incubated with heat inactivated GG (1719±84; 2007±142; 2272±160U/mg for GG at 1×104 (p>0.9), 1×107 (p<0.001), and 1×1010CFU/mL (p<0.001), respectively). Co-incubation of the non-binding strain, LC-705 (1×1010CFU/mL), with DON did not significantly restore the ALP (1841±97U/mg, p<0.077) compared to DON only treated cells. When viable GG were co-incubated with DON a similar restoration of ALP activity was observed as seen for heat inactivated GG. These combined data suggest that the major effect of GG on restoring ALP activity, and therefore Caco-2 cell differentiation, was due to specific binding of DON, with possibly a more minor role of non-specific bacterial interference.
Obesity and its consequences on cardiometabolic health have been associated to low-grade inflammation. Anthocyanins are anti-inflammatory compounds in diet, and the major group of polyphenols found ...in wild European blueberries, bilberries (Vaccinium myrtillus). We have studied the effects of a bilberry-rich diet on inflammation and gene expression profile in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) in subjects with features of the metabolic syndrome. In a randomized, controlled dietary intervention study the bilberry group (n=15) consumed bilberries or berry products equivalent to 400 g of fresh berries daily for 8 weeks, while the participants in the control group (n=12) maintained their habitual diets. Inflammatory markers were measured before and after the intervention. The microarray profiling was done from 3 subjects in the bilberry group and further QPCR expression analyses from all subjects in both groups at both timepoints. From 50 differentially expressed transcripts for mRNA (P<0.005), five candidate genes; WDSUB1, COX7B, RGS18, DAPP1 and TICAM1, were randomly selected for QPCR analyses. To further explore the interplay of dietary change and the affected pathways additional genes of LBP, TNFRSF12A, RIPK-1, Ly96 (MD2), TAB-2 (Toll-like receptor pathway); CD19, CD72 (B-cell receptor pathway) MMD, CCR2 (Monocyte and macrophage associated genes) were selected for QPCR analyses. Bilberries tended to decrease plasma concentrations of hsCRP, IL-6 and LPS (lipopolysaccharide, endotoxin). An inflammation score based on these markers and TNF-alpha showed different trends between the bilberry and control groups. These changes were accompanied by differential expression in PBMCs of MMD and CCR2, transcripts associated with monocyte activation and recruitment, respectively. Our results indicate that high regular bilberry intake may reduce endotoxemia and chronic inflammation, the latter especially by directing the immunity away from overactive innate cell mediated responsiveness. Bilberry consumption may therefore decrease the long term risk of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases.
Background: Certain strains of lactobacilli may promote recovery from acute diarrhea. Lactobacillus reuteri is of human origin and is a natural colonizer of gastrointestinal tract. In this trial, ...exogenously administered L. reuteri was studied as a therapeutic agent in acute diarrhea. Methods: Forty patients between 6 and 36 months of age hospitalized with acute diarrhea (75% rotavirus) were studied. After parental consent, the patients were randomized to one of two treatment groups to receive either 10(10) to 10(11) colony-forming units of L. reuteri or a matching placebo daily for the length of hospitalization or up to 5 days. The clinical outcome of diarrhea and colonization of L. reuteri were evaluated. Results: The mean (SD) duration of watery diarrhea after 2.9 (2.3) days in the placebo group (p = 0.07). On the second day of treatment only 26% of patients receiving L. reuteri had watery diarrhea, compared with 81% of those receiving placebo (p = 0.0005). Cultures of lactobacilli from stool samples demonstrated that administration of L. reuteri resulted in colonization of the gastrointestinal tract. Lactobacillus reuteri accounted for 75% of the total lactobacilli found in children fed with this product. Conclusions: Lactobacillus reuteri is effective as a therapeutic agent in acute rotavirus diarrhea in children. Further studies are warranted to confirm the present finding and to explore the full therapeutic potential of L. reuteri in acute viral diarrhea
The objective of this study was to determine the hypocholesterolemic effects of whole meal rye and white wheat breads in healthy humans with elevated serum cholesterol concentrations, and the changes ...in plasma glucose and insulin concentrations during rye and wheat bread periods. The subjects were 18 men and 22 women with baseline serum cholesterol concentration of 6.4+/-0.2 mmol/L. The study design was a 2x4-wk crossover trial during which each subject randomly consumed rye and wheat breads (20% of daily energy) as part of their usual diet for 4 wk. The bread periods were separated by a 4-wk washout period. Blood samples (after fasting) were collected on two consecutive days at the beginning and end of the bread periods. Serum total cholesterol decreased by 8% (P = 0.002) in men but was not significantly altered in women during the rye bread period. The wheat bread period did not affect any of the variables studied. Analysis of the serum lipids in tertiles of rye bread consumption confirmed the reduction in total cholesterol (P = 0.048) in men and revealed the reduction in LDL cholesterol (P = 0.032); both were dependent on the amount of rye bread consumed (-2, -14 and -10% in total cholesterol and 0, -12 and -12% in LDL cholesterol). Neither rye nor wheat bread influenced the concentrations of glucose and insulin. In conclusion, rye bread is effective in reducing serum total and LDL cholesterol concentrations in men with elevated serum cholesterol. Good compliance with consuming a relatively large amount of rye bread in the usual diet indicates that rye bread offers a practical dietary means of reducing serum cholesterol in men.
The reactions involved in the binding (adsorption) and release (desorption) of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) to and from the surface of bacteria were investigated. Viable and heat-killed Lactobacillus ...rhamnosus GG, L. rhamnosus LC-705, and Propionibacterium freudenreichii subsp. shermanii JS were incubated in phosphate-buffered saline containing variable concentrations (0.0017 to 13.3 microg/ml) of AFB1. The relationship between the bacterial surface hydrophobicity and the AFB1 adsorption affinity was also investigated. A linear relationship was observed between the specific rate of AFB1 adsorption and the AFB1 concentration for all bacteria. The nature of desorption of adsorbed AFB1 was investigated by repetitive aqueous washes. A linear relationship was observed between the natural log value of the concentration of AFB1 adsorbed and the number of washes for all bacteria studied. The desorption constants were strain-dependent and were lower for heat-killed bacteria than for viable bacteria. Heat treatment appears to alter the surface properties of the bacteria rather than expose new adsorption sites. No correlation was found between the hydrophobicity and the AFB1 adsorption affinity.
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