Physicochemical properties, consumer acceptance, antioxidant and angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitory activities of infusions and fermented beverages of
and
were compared. Among ...physicochemical parameters, only the pH of fermented beverages decreased compared with the unfermented infusions. No relevant changes were reported in consumer preference between infusions and fermented beverages. Phenolic profile measured by UPLC MS/MS analysis demonstrated significant concentration changes of these compounds in plant infusions and fermented beverages. Fermentation induced a decrease in the concentration required to stabilize 50% of DPPH radical (
.
. lower IC
). Additionally, it enhanced the antioxidant activity measured by the nitric oxide scavenging assay (14% of
and 49% of
); whereas relevant improvements in the fermented beverage were not observed in the lipid oxidation assay compared with unfermented infusions. The same behaviour was observed in the inhibitory activity of ACE; however, both infusions and fermented beverages had lower IC
than positive control (captopril). The present study demonstrated that fermentation has an influence on the concentration of phenolics and their potential bioactivity.
and
can be considered as natural sources of biocompounds with antihypertensive potential used either as infusions or fermented beverages.
Physical exercise can produce changes in the microbiota, conferring health benefits through mechanisms that are not fully understood. We sought to determine the changes driven by exercise on the gut ...microbiota and on the serum and fecal metabolome using 16S rRNA gene analysis and untargeted metabolomics. A total of 85 serum and 12 fecal metabolites and six bacterial taxa (Romboutsia, Escherichia coli TOP498, Ruminococcaceae UCG-005, Blautia, Ruminiclostridium 9 and Clostridium phoceensis) were modified following a controlled acute exercise session. Among the bacterial taxa, Ruminiclostridium 9 was the most influenced by fecal and serum metabolites, as revealed by linear multivariate regression analysis. Exercise significantly increased the fecal ammonia content. Functional analysis revealed that alanine, aspartate and glutamate metabolism and the arginine and aminoacyl-tRNA biosynthesis pathways were the most relevant modified pathways in serum, whereas the phenylalanine, tyrosine and tryptophan biosynthesis pathway was the most relevant pathway modified in feces. Correlation analysis between fecal and serum metabolites suggested an exchange of metabolites between both compartments. Thus, the performance of a single exercise bout in cross-country non-professional athletes produces significant changes in the microbiota and in the serum and fecal metabolome, which may have health implications.
Physical exercise is a tool to prevent and treat some of the chronic diseases affecting the world's population. A mechanism through which exercise could exert beneficial effects in the body is by ...provoking alterations to the gut microbiota, an environmental factor that in recent years has been associated with numerous chronic diseases. Here we show that physical exercise performed by women to at least the degree recommended by the World Health Organization can modify the composition of gut microbiota. Using high-throughput sequencing of the 16s rRNA gene, eleven genera were found to be significantly different between active and sedentary women. Quantitative PCR analysis revealed higher abundance of health-promoting bacterial species in active women, including Faecalibacterium prausnitzii, Roseburia hominis and Akkermansia muciniphila. Moreover, body fat percentage, muscular mass and physical activity significantly correlated with several bacterial populations. In summary, we provide the first demonstration of interdependence between some bacterial genera and sedentary behavior parameters, and show that not only does the dose and type of exercise influence the composition of gut microbiota, but also the breaking of sedentary behavior.
The health benefits attributed to pomegranate have been associated with its high content in polyphenols, particularly ellagitannins. This is also the case for other ellagitannin-containing fruits and ...nuts including strawberry, raspberry, blackberry, walnuts, and muscadine grapes. The bioavailability of ellagitannins and ellagic acid is however very low. These molecules suffer extensive metabolism by the gut microbiota to produce urolithins that are much better absorbed. Urolithins circulate in plasma as glucuronide and sulfate conjugates at concentrations in the range of 0.2–20 μM. It is therefore conceivable that the health effects of ellagitannin-containing products can be associated with these gut-produced urolithins, and thus the evaluation of the biological effects of these metabolites is essential. Recent research, mostly based on in vitro testing, has shown preliminary evidence of the anti-inflammatory, anticarcinogenic, antiglycative, antioxidant, and antimicrobial effects of urolithins, supporting their potential contribution to the health effects attributed to pomegranate and ellagitannin-rich foods. The number of in vivo studies is still limited, but they show preventive effects of urolithins on gut and systemic inflammation that encourage further research. Both in vivo and mechanistic studies are necessary to clarify the health effects of these metabolites. Attention should be paid when designing these mechanistic studies in order to use the physiologically relevant metabolites (urolithins in gut models and their conjugated derivatives in systemic models) at concentrations that can be reached in vivo.
Resveratrol (3,5,4'-trihydroxy-trans-stilbene) is a non-flavonoid polyphenol that may be present in a limited number of foodstuffs such as grapes and red wine. Resveratrol has been reported to exert ...a plethora of health benefits through many different mechanisms of action. This versatility and presence in the human diet have drawn the worldwide attention of many research groups over the past twenty years, which has resulted in a huge output of in vitro and animal (preclinical) studies. In line with this expectation, many resveratrol- based nutraceuticals are consumed all over the world with questionable clinical/scientific support. In fact, the confirmation of these benefits in humans through randomized clinical trials is still very limited. The vast majority of preclinical studies have been performed using assay conditions with a questionable extrapolation to humans, i.e. too high concentrations with potential safety concerns (adverse effects and drug interactions), short-term exposures, in vitro tests carried out with non-physiological metabolites and/or concentrations, etc. Unfortunately, all these hypothesis-generating studies have contributed to increased the number of 'potential' benefits and mechanisms of resveratrol but confirmation in humans is very limited. Therefore, there are many issues that should be addressed to avoid an apparent endless loop in resveratrol research. The so-called 'Resveratrol Paradox', i.e., low bioavailability but high bioactivity, is a conundrum not yet solved in which the final responsible actor (if any) for the exerted effects has not yet been unequivocally identified. It is becoming evident that resveratrol exerts cardioprotective benefits through the improvement of inflammatory markers, atherogenic profile, glucose metabolism and endothelial function. However, safety concerns remain unsolved regarding chronic consumption of high RES doses, specially in medicated people. This review will focus on the currently available evidence regarding resveratrol's effects on humans obtained from randomized clinical trials. In addition, we will provide a critical outlook for further research on this molecule that is evolving from a minor dietary compound to a possible multi-target therapeutic drug.
The search for complementary treatments in primary prevention of cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a high-priority challenge. Grape and wine polyphenol resveratrol confers CV benefits, in part by ...exerting anti-inflammatory effects. However, the evidence in human long-term clinical trials has yet to be established. We aimed to investigate the effects of a dietary resveratrol-rich grape supplement on the inflammatory and fibrinolytic status of subjects at high risk of CVD and treated according to current guidelines for primary prevention of CVD. Seventy-five patients undergoing primary prevention of CVD participated in this triple-blinded, randomized, parallel, dose–response, placebo-controlled, 1-year follow-up trial. Patients, allocated in 3 groups, consumed placebo (maltodextrin), a resveratrol-rich grape supplement (resveratrol 8 mg), or a conventional grape supplement lacking resveratrol, for the first 6 months and a double dose for the next 6 months. In contrast to placebo and conventional grape supplement, the resveratrol-rich grape supplement significantly decreased high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (−26%, p = 0.03), tumor necrosis factor-α (−19.8%, p = 0.01), plasminogen activator inhibitor type 1 (−16.8%, p = 0.03), and interleukin-6/interleukin-10 ratio (−24%, p = 0.04) and increased anti-inflammatory interleukin-10 (19.8%, p = 0.00). Adiponectin (6.5%, p = 0.07) and soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (−5.7%, p = 0.06) tended to increase and decrease, respectively. No adverse effects were observed in any patient. In conclusion, 1-year consumption of a resveratrol-rich grape supplement improved the inflammatory and fibrinolytic status in patients who were on statins for primary prevention of CVD and at high CVD risk (i.e., with diabetes or hypercholesterolemia plus ≥1 other CV risk factor). Our results show for the first time that a dietary intervention with grape resveratrol could complement the gold standard therapy in the primary prevention of CVD.
Quince (
Mill.) is a potential source of polyphenolic compounds related with beneficial biological processes. In this study polyphenols from quince fruit were extracted with aqueous acetone at ...different ratios. A polyphenol profile was identified and quantified by LC-ESI-QqQ. The antioxidant capacity (ORAC and DPPH) and anti-inflammatory effect (inhibition of COX-2 cyclooxygenase) were evaluated in vitro. The results indicated an effect of the aqueous acetone ratio on the extraction of polyphenolic compounds. The higher extraction yields of polyphenolic compounds were attained with 60-75% aqueous acetone. However, extracts obtained with 85% aqueous acetone promoted higher antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. Optimal scaling analysis indicated that hydroxycinnamic acids (quinic and chlorogenic), hydroxybenzoic acids (vanillic and syringic), flavonoids (quercetin and kaempferol), dihydrochalcones (neohesperidin) and flavones (acacetin) are related to the antioxidant activity of quince. While phenolic acids, flavonols (kaempferol-3-O-glucoside and rutin) and flavanols (epicatechin) generated the anti-inflammatory effect by inhibiting 52.3% of the COX-2 enzyme. Therefore, a selective extraction of phenolic mix can reduce oxidative stress or inflammatory processes. This suggests the use of quince as a natural source with significant nutraceutical potential.
The polyphenols in fruits and vegetables may be partly responsible for the health-promoting effects attributed to fruit and vegetable intake. Although their properties have been relatively well ...studied, the activity of their metabolites, produced after ingestion, has been poorly investigated. Thus, the aim of this work was to study the potential anti-inflammatory effect of 18 polyphenol metabolites, derived from colon microbiota. They were screened by measuring prostaglandin E₂ (PGE₂) production by CCD-18 colon fibroblast cells stimulated with IL-1β. Metabolites that inhibited more than 50% PGE₂ production were hydrocaffeic (HCAF), dihydroxyphenyl acetic (dOHPA), and hydroferulic acid (HFER), that subsequently were tested with the writhing and paw pressure test in rodents where all three compounds showed an anti-inflammatory effect. The effect of HCAF administered orally (50 mg/kg) was also tested in the dextran sodium sulfate (DSS)-induced colitis model. Weight loss and fecal water content were more pronounced in DSS rats than in DSS-HCAF treated rats. HCAF treatment diminished the expression of the cytokines IL-1β, IL-8, and TNF-α, reduced malonyldialdehyde (MDA) levels and oxidative DNA damage (measured as 8-oxo-2'-deoxyguanosine levels) in distal colon mucosa. These results indicate that HCAF, dOHPA, and HFER have anti-inflammatory activity in vitro and in vivo.
The significance of viable but non-culturable (VBNC) cells in the food industry is not well known, mainly because of the lack of suitable detection methodologies to distinguish them from dead cells. ...The study aimed at the selection of the method to differentiate dead and VBNC cells of
in process wash water (PWW) from the fruit and vegetable industry. Different methodologies were examined including (i) flow cytometry, (ii) viability quantitative polymerase chain reaction (v-qPCR) using an improved version of the propidium monoazide (PMAxx) dye as DNA amplificatory inhibitor, and (iii) v-qPCR combining ethidium monoazide (EMA) and PMAxx. The results showed that the flow cytometry, although previously recommended, was not a suitable methodology to differentiate between dead and VBNC cells in PWW, probably because of the complex composition of the water, causing interferences and leading to an overestimation of the dead cells. Based on results obtained, the v-qPCR combined with EMA and PMAxx was the most suitable technique for the detection and quantification of VBNC cells in PWW. Concentrations of 10 μM EMA and 75 μM PMAxx incubated at 40°C for 40 min followed by a 15-min light exposure inhibited most of the qPCR amplification from dead cells. For the first time, this methodology was validated in an industrial processing line for shredded lettuce washed with chlorine (10 mg/L). The analysis of PWW samples allowed the differentiation of dead and VBNC cells. Therefore, this method can be considered as a rapid and reliable one recommended for the detection of VBNC cells in complex water matrixes such as those of the food industry. However, the complete discrimination of dead and VBNC cells was not achieved, which led to a slight overestimation of the percentage of VBNC cells in PWW, mostly, due to the complex composition of this type of water. More studies are needed to determine the significance of VBNC cells in case of potential cross-contamination of fresh produce during washing.
Nutritional supplements are popular among athletes to improve performance and physical recovery. Protein supplements fulfill this function by improving performance and increasing muscle mass; ...however, their effect on other organs or systems is less well known. Diet alterations can induce gut microbiota imbalance, with beneficial or deleterious consequences for the host. To test this, we performed a randomized pilot study in cross-country runners whose diets were complemented with a protein supplement (whey isolate and beef hydrolysate) (
= 12) or maltodextrin (control) (
= 12) for 10 weeks. Microbiota, water content, pH, ammonia, and short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) were analyzed in fecal samples, whereas malondialdehyde levels (oxidative stress marker) were determined in plasma and urine. Fecal pH, water content, ammonia, and SCFA concentrations did not change, indicating that protein supplementation did not increase the presence of these fermentation-derived metabolites. Similarly, it had no impact on plasma or urine malondialdehyde levels; however, it increased the abundance of the
phylum and decreased the presence of health-related taxa including
,
, and
. Thus, long-term protein supplementation may have a negative impact on gut microbiota. Further research is needed to establish the impact of protein supplements on gut microbiota.
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