ABSTRACT
Several probiotics are known to bind aflatoxin B
1
(AFB
1
) to their surfaces and to adhere to intestinal mucus. In this study, preincubation of two probiotic preparations with either AFB
1
...or mucus reduced the subsequent surface binding of mucus and AFB
1
, respectively, in a strain-dependent manner.
Both epidemiological and experimental evidence suggests a protective effect of dietary fiber against disease, such as cancer and cardiovascular disease. The effects of fiber on lipoproteins are ...modest, indicating that other mechanisms may be involved. As the hemostatic effects of different types of fiber are poorly known, we compared the effects of wholemeal rye bread and low-fiber wheat bread on factors related to coagulation, fibrinolysis and platelet function.
Subjects consumed rye and wheat bread as part of their habitual diet in a cross-over manner for 4 weeks, with a 4 week washout period between the diet periods.
Forty healthy subjects (18 men, 22 women), aged 43+/-2 y.
Mean daily intake of fiber during the rye bread period was 31 g for men and 26 g for women, while the respective figures for the wheat bread period were 15 g and 12 g. However, no significant differences between the two periods were seen in factor VII coagulant activity (FVIIc), fibrinogen, prothrombin fragments 1+2 (F1+2), tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 (PAI-1) or 2,3,-dinor-thromboxane B2. Fibrin degradation products, D-dimers, were slightly lower after the wheat period (P=0.046).
The results indicate that wheat and rye bread do not differ in their effects on coagulation, fibrinolysis or platelet function.
Fazer Bakeries Ltd, Lahti Finland; Vaasan & Vaasan Ltd, Helsinki, Finland.
Epidemiological studies have shown that high intake of carotenoid-rich vegetables and fruits and high blood levels of β-carotene are associated with decreased risk of cancer. In western countries, ...carrot is the most important source of dietary β-carotene. In the present study, the serum response to chronic ingestion of β-carotene from raw carrots, carrot juice and capsules containing purified β-carotene was studied. The subjects were 38 healthy, non-smoking female volunteers, aged 20–53 years. They were instructed to consume low-carotenoid diets for 10 days before starting the supplementation and throughout the study. According to food frequency questionnaires, the average habitual intake of β-carotene was 4.5 mg/day, whereas the low-carotenoid diet provided only 0.4 mg/day. After the 10-day depletion period, the average serum β-carotene concentration fell to 53% of the habitual level. The participants were assigned into three groups with similar mean serum β-carotene concentrations. Each group was supplemented for 6 weeks with approximately 12 mg of β-carotene/day, either as raw carrots (120 g/day), carrot juice (1 dl/day) or β-carotene capsules (2 capsules/day). The increase in serum β-carotene level was determined after 3 and 6 weeks of supplementation. The mean serum β-carotene concentration increased significantly in all test groups, the response being greatest in the group receiving β-carotene capsules. No difference in the serum response between carrot and carrot juice was detected. However, there was a wide variation in the individual response of serum β-carotene to supplementation, regardless of the source. Variation was especially large — ranging from a lack of response to over 8-fold increase in the serum β-carotene concentration — in the group receiving β-carotene capsules. These data indicate that 1) serum response is lower after ingestion of natural β-carotene than after ingestion of purified β-carotene from capsules, and 2) equal intake of β-carotene, whether from carrot, carrot juice or capsules, elicits very different serum responses in different individuals.
The effect of orally administered lactobacilli on acute rotavirus diarrhea was tested in 42 well-nourished children ages 5-28 months. After oral rehydration, the patients were randomized to a study ...group, receiving human Lactobacillus casei strain GG 10(10) colony-forming units twice daily for five days, or a control group not given lactobacilli. Lactobacillus GG was found in the feces in 83% of the study group. The diarrheal phase was shortened in that group. Dietary supplementation with lactobacilli significantly influenced the bacterial enzyme profile: urease activity during diarrhea transiently increased in the control group but not in the study group; F = 8.6, P = 0.01. No intergroup differences were found in beta-glucuronidase, beta-glucosidase, and glycocholic acid hydrolase levels. We suggest that rotavirus infection gives rise to biphasic diarrhea, the first phase being an osmotic diarrhea and the second associated with overgrowth of specifically urease-producing bacteria. Oral bacteriotherapy appears a promising means to counteract the disturbed microbial balance.
The aim of the present study was to identify reasons why cardiac patients do not follow nutritional advice which is given during rehabilitation. Barriers or expected problems in nutritional advice ...perceived during rehabilitation were obtained via a structured interview. Forty-eight cardiac patients (41-82 years; 15 females, 33 males) were interviewed during rehabilitation. The majority of patients (54%) reported one or more barriers. The most frequently reported barriers were associated with situations in which the patients were eating in company (52%), or in which there was too much food available (44%). Another common reason for non-compliance was that healthy foods did not taste good (42%). On the other hand, barriers were seldom associated with disinterest (4%) or lack of knowledge (4%). These results indicate that non-compliance in nutritional counselling may be associated with emotional responses related to eating and with lack of social skills to manage eating in social situations.
The effect of dietary therapy with a human Lactobacillus strain GG (ATCC 53103), bovine colostrum, or bovine immune colostrum with specific antibodies against anaerobic intestinal bacteria on gut ...defence mechanisms were studied in juvenile chronic arthritis. Thirty patients with juvenile chronic arthritis were randomly allocated to receive a freeze-dried powder of Lactobacillus GG, or bovine colostrum, or bovine immune colostrum, for a two-week period. Immunologic and non-immunologic gut defence mechanisms were indirectly investigated in blood and faecal samples. In patients receiving Lactobacillus GG, the median (interquartile range) frequency of immunoglobulin-secreting cells, determined by enzyme-linked immunospot assay, increased in the IgA class from 1840 (690-2530) to 3480 (1030-13 170)/10(6) cells; p=0.02. Likewise the median (interquartile range) frequency of specific antibody-secreting cells against dietary antigens increased during the Lactobacillus GG therapy in the IgM class from 3.8 (1.4-5.0) to 11.2 (5.0-30.0)/10(6) cells; p=0.02. In addition, Lactobacillus GG therapy decreased the median (interquartile range) activity of faecal urease, which has been associated with mucosal tissue damage, from 40.3 (21.7-54.3) to 28.6 (24.5-49.4) nmol. min(-1) (mg protein)(-1); p=0.10, while, in patients receiving bovine colostrum, faecal urease activity increased (from 42.2 to 80.6; p=0.04). All findings were transient. We suggest that gut defence mechanisms are disturbed in juvenile chronic arthritis and we further suggest that orally administered Lactobacillus GG has a potential to reinforce the mucosal barrier mechanisms in juvenile chronic arthritis.
European diets provide a suboptimal intake of eicosapentaenoic (20:5n3) and docosahexaenoic (22:6n3) acids, which are derived mainly from fish oils. The present study indicates that black currant ...seed oil, which contains 14.5% α-linolenic (18:3n3), 12.6% γ-linolenic (18:3n6), 47.5% linoleic (18:2n6) and 2.7% stearidonic (18:4n3) acids, could potentially serve as alternative to fish oil as a n3 fatty acid source. Fifteen healthy females participated in a randomized, double-blind, crossover study including two 4-week periods with either 3 g/day of black currant seed oil or 2.8 g/day of fish oil separated by a 4-week washout period. The results show that black currant seed oil supplementation increased the proportion of 18:3n6 in triacylglycerols (TAG) and cholesteryl esters (CE), and that of dihomo-γ-linolenic (20:3n6) in TAGs, CEs and glycerophospholipids (GPL) (
P<.05). Proportion of 18:3n6 was higher (
P<.05) after black currant seed oil than after fish oil in TAGs and CEs, and that of 20:3n6 in TAGs, CEs and GPLs. Black currant seed oil supplementation caused only minor changes in the proportions of 20:5n3 or 22:6n3. Serum levels of LDL cholesterol were lower (
P<.05) after black currant seed oil compared to fish oil. Plasma glucose concentration decreased during the fish oil supplementation (
P<.05).
To evaluate the development of intestinal flora in young infants, and especially to estimate the influence of mode of delivery and type of feeding on the establishment of intestinal microflora, ...faecal flora was studied indirectly by measuring prospectively the faecal bacterial enzyme activities (β‐glucosidase, β‐glucuronidase and urease) in 29 full‐term, healthy infants during the first 6 months of life. Mode of delivery had no influence on the faecal enzyme activities. In contrast, infants receiving formula feeds were more often urease positive at 1–2 months of age (70%vs 25%, p=0.043) and had higher median activity of β‐glucuronidase at 6 months of age (0.90 and 0.19 nmoles/mg protein × min, p=0.0043) than exclusively breast‐fed infants. Through indirect methods to measure the development of a faecal microflora our results indicate that the type of milk that infants receive during the first months of life may have an important role in the development of intestinal flora.
Patients with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, autoimmune thyroid disease, Addison's disease, and alopecia areata are at increased risk of celiac disease. We investigated whether patients with ...more than one autoimmune endocrinologic disorder are even more susceptible to celiac disease or have celiac-type mucosal inflammation. All 62 patients found to have such multiple diseases in 1994-1996 were investigated. Small bowel biopsy was performed on all voluntary nonceliac subjects. The villous structure and density of intraepithelial lymphocytes were examined, and HLA-DQ alleles were determined. Seven (11%) patients had celiac disease: six cases were detected earlier and there was one new case; in addition, two had minor villous deterioration and five an increased density of mucosal intraepithelial gammadelta+ T-cells. HLA-DQ2 or DQ8 alleles were found in all subjects with mucosal changes. Patients with multiple autoimmune disorders clearly run an increased risk of developing celiac disease, and some of them have minor mucosal changes compatible with the early signs of the disease.
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