Bacteria-host interactions are mediated by different microbial associated molecular patterns which are most often surface structures such as, among others, exopolysaccharides (EPSs). In this work, ...the capability of two isogenic EPS-producing
subsp.
strains to modulate the gut microbiota of healthy mice, was assessed. Each strain produces a different type of polymer; the ropy strain S89L synthesized a rhamnose-rich, high-molecular weight EPS in highest abundance than the non-ropy DMS10140 one. BALB/c mice were orally fed for 10 days with milk-bifidobacterial suspensions and followed afterward for 7 post-intervention days (wash-out period). The colonic content of mice was collected in several sampling points to perform a metataxonomic analysis. In addition, the influence of specific microbial clades, apparently stimulated by the ropy and non-ropy strains, on mouse plasmatic cytokine levels was investigated through hierarchical association testing. Analysis of 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that the abundance of
phylum significantly increased 7 days after cessing the treatment with both strains. The relative abundance of
genus also rose, but after shorter post-treatment times (3 days for both DMS10140 and S89L strains). Some bacterial clades were specifically modulated by one or another strain. As such, the non-ropy DMS10140 strain exerted a significant influence on
genus, which increased after 4 post-administration days. On the other hand, feeding with the ropy strain S89L led to an increase in sequences of
genus at 4 post-treatment days, while the abundance of
and
families increased for prolonged times. Association testing revealed that several lactobacilli and bifidobacterial significantly stimulated by ropy S89L strain were positively associated with the levels of certain cytokines, including IL-5 and IL-27. These results highlight relevant changes in mice gut microbiota produced after administration of the ropy S89L strain that were associated to a potential immune modulation effect.
Limosilactobacillus reuteri INIA P572 is a strain able to produce the antimicrobial compound reuterin in dairy products, exhibiting a protective effect against some food-borne pathogens. In this ...study, we investigated some probiotic properties of this strain such as resistance to gastrointestinal passage or to colonic conditions, reuterin production in a colonic environment, and immunomodulatory activity, using different in vitro and in vivo models. The results showed a high resistance of this strain to gastrointestinal conditions, as well as capacity to grow and produce reuterin in a human colonic model. Although the in vitro assays using the RAW 264.7 macrophage cell line did not demonstrate direct immunomodulatory properties, the in vivo assays using a Dextran Sulphate Sodium (DSS)-induced colitic mice model showed clear immunomodulatory and protective effects of this strain.
Increased levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and a low-grade chronic inflammation in multiple organs have been demonstrated in obesity. Morus alba leaves extracts (MAEs) have been used in ...traditional medicine as anti-inflammatory agents. In this work, the bioactive compounds of different genotypes of M. alba L. (Filipina, Valenciana Temprana, Kokuso, and Italia) were analyzed not only by reverse phase high performance liquid chromatography–electrospray ionization-time of flight-mass spectrometry (RP-HPLC-ESI-TOF-MS) and hydrophilic interaction chromatography–electrospray ionization-time of flight-mass spectrometry (HILIC-ESI-TOF-MS), but also screened for in vitro and in vivo antioxidant activity by means of DPPH• radical scavenging assay and Caenorhabditis elegans model. These MAEs were administered daily in a model of diet-induced obesity in mice. Filipina and Italia genotypes significantly reduced weight gain, the glycemic levels in high fat diet, as well as, levels of LDL-cholesterol and triglycerides. Filipina and Italia MAEs also reduced the expression of proinflammatory mediators such as Tnf-α, Il-1β, Il-6 and increased the levels of adiponectin and AMPK, which exert anti-inflammatory effects. Moreover, Italia genotype ameliorated the intestinal barrier function. In conclusion, Filipina and Italia methanolic extracts show the highest antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effect, due to the presence of compounds such as protocatechuic acid or quercetin-3-glucoside, and they could be developed as a complementary treatment for obesity and metabolic disorders.
Nowadays, there is an increasing interest in alternative therapies in the treatment of metabolic syndrome that combine efficacy and safety profiles. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the effect ...of an extract of Thymus serpyllum, containing rosmarinic acid, on high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obesity mice, highlighting the impact of its antioxidant activity on the inflammatory status and gut dysbiosis. The extract was administered daily (50, 100 and 150 mg/kg) in HFD-fed mice. The treatment reduced body weight gain, glucose and lipid metabolic profiles. Moreover, the extract ameliorated the inflammatory status, with the c-Jun N-terminal kinases (JUNK) pathway being involved, and showed a significant antioxidant effect by the reduction of radical scavenging activity and the mitigation of lipid peroxidation. Moreover, the extract was able to modulate the altered gut microbiota, restoring microbial richness and diversity, and augmenting the counts of short-chain fatty acid producing bacteria, which have been associated with the maintenance of gut permeability and weight regulation. In conclusion, the antioxidant activity of Thymus serpyllum extract displayed a positive impact on obesity and its metabolic alterations, also reducing systemic inflammation. These effects may be mediated by modulation of the gut microbiota.
Obesity is a global health issue, in which modifications in gut microbiota composition have a key role. Different therapeutic strategies are being developed in combination with diet and exercise, ...including the use of plant extracts, such as those obtained from
L. leaves. Recent studies have revealed their anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. The aim of the present work was to evaluate whether the beneficial effects of
L. leaf extract in high-fat diet-induced obesity in mice is correlated with its impact on gut microbiota. The extract reduced body weight gain and attenuated lipid accumulation, as well as increased glucose sensitivity. These effects were associated with an amelioration of the obesity-associated inflammatory status, most probably due to the described antioxidant properties of the extract. Moreover,
L. leaf extract mitigated gut dysbiosis, which was evidenced by the restoration of the
/
ratio and the decrease in plasma lipopolysaccharide (LPS) levels. Specifically, the extract administration reduced
and increased
abundance, these effects being correlated with the beneficial effects exerted by the extract on the obesity-associated inflammation. In conclusion, anti-obesogenic effects of
L. leaf extract may be mediated through the amelioration of gut dysbiosis.
Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs) are chronic inflammatory disorders characterized by relapsing intestinal inflammation, but many details of pathogenesis remain to be fully unraveled. Glucocorticoid ...(GC)‐induced leucine zipper (GILZ) is a mediator of the anti‐inflammatory effects of GCs, the most powerful drugs for IBD treatment, but they cause several unwanted side effects. The fusion protein TAT‐GILZ has been successfully used in some pre‐clinical models of inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. To test the efficacy of TAT‐GILZ for treating dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)‐induced colitis and explore its impact on the gut microbiome, colitis was induced by DSS in C57BL/6J mice and treated with TAT‐GILZ or dexamethasone. Various hallmarks of colitis were analyzed, including disease activity index, gut permeability, and expression of pro‐inflammatory cytokines and tight junction proteins. TAT‐GILZ treatment showed a therapeutic effect when administered after the onset of colitis. Its efficacy was associated with improved gut permeability, as evidenced by zonula occludens‐1 and CD74 upregulation in inflamed colonic tissue. TAT‐GILZ also ameliorated the changes in the gut microbiota induced by the DSS, thus potentially providing an optimal environment for colonization of the mucosa surface by beneficial bacteria. Overall, our results demonstrated for the first time that TAT‐GILZ treatment proved effective after disease onset allowing restoration of gut permeability, a key pathogenic feature of colitis. Additionally, TAT‐GILZ restored gut dysbiosis, thereby contributing to healing mechanisms. Interestingly, we found unprecedented effects of exogenous GILZ that did not overlap with those of GCs.
Obesity is a worldwide public health problem whose prevalence rate has increased steadily over the last few years. Therefore, it is urgent to improve the management of obesity and its comorbidities, ...and plant-based treatments are receiving increasing attention worldwide. In this regard, the present study aimed to investigate a well-characterized extract of
(LME) in an experimental model of obesity in mice and explore the underlying mechanisms. Interestingly, the daily administration of LME reduced weight gain as well as improved insulin sensitivity and glucose tolerance. Additionally, LME ameliorated the inflammatory state in both liver and adipose tissue by decreasing the expression of various proinflammatory mediators (
,
,
,
,
,
, and
) and prevented increased gut permeability by regulating the expression of mucins (
,
, and
) and proteins implicated in epithelial barrier integrity maintenance (
,
, and
). In addition, LME showed the ability to reduce oxidative stress by inhibiting nitrite production on macrophages and lipid peroxidation. These results suggest that LME may represent a promising complementary approach for the management of obesity and its comorbidities.
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Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic and idiopathic inflammatory disorder affecting the gastrointestinal tract. The pharmacological treatments used currently for its ...treatment lack efficacy, so new therapeutic strategies should be developed. In this context, flavonoids loaded in biopolymeric nanoparticles can be considered as novel promising candidates. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the intestinal anti-inflammatory effects of quercetin when is administered loaded in silk fibroin nanoparticles (QSFN) in the dextran sulphate sodium experimental model of mouse colitis, which displays some similarities to human IBD. Previously characterized quercetin-loaded silk fibroin nanoparticles (QSFN). QSFN showed a reversible aggregation profile induced by the acidification of the solution but did not affect the loaded quercetin. Daily administration of QSFN significantly reduced disease activity index values compared to the control colitic group. This beneficial effect was not only corroborated by the histological examination of the colonic specimens but also the improvement of the colonic expression of the different proinflammatory cytokines (Tnf-α, Il-1β, Il-6, Mcp-1, Icam-1, Nlrp3 and iNOS). Therefore, these data suggest that QSFN could be a promising alternative to current treatments as a drug delivery system for IBD treatment.
Obesity is one of the main features of metabolic syndrome, where a low-grade chronic inflammation and gut dysbiosis contribute to the development of the related metabolic dysfunctions. Different ...probiotics have demonstrated beneficial effects on this condition, increasing the interest in the development of probiotic treatments. Lactobacillus fermentum CECT5716 has shown anti-inflammatory effects and capacity to modulate microbiota composition in different experimental models. In this study, L. fermentum CECT5716 was evaluated in a model of high fat diet-induced obesity in mice. It exerts anti-obesity effects, associated with its anti-inflammatory properties and amelioration of endothelial dysfunction and gut dysbiosis. The probiotic restores Akkermansia sp. abundance and reduced Erysipelotrichi class and Clostridium spp presence as well as increased Bacteroides proportion. In conclusion, this probiotic represents a very interesting approach. Our findings describe, for the first time, the ability of this probiotic to ameliorate experimental obesity through microbiome modulation, affecting different bacteria that have been reported to play a key role in the pathogenesis of obesity. Therefore, this suggests a potential use of L. fermentum CECT5716 in clinical practice, also taking into account that probiotic treatments have demonstrated to be relatively safe and well tolerated.
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•Lactobacillus fermentum improves obesity-associated inflammation by shaping microbiome.•L.f. supplementation enhances plasma biochemical profile and endothelial function.•L.f. restores the intestinal barrier function and prevents bacterial translocation.•Probiotic beneficial effects could be attributed to enrichment of Akkermansia spp.
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•HSE improved diet-induced obesity-associated inflammation in mice.•This study shows for the first time that HSE modulates the microbiota in obese mice.•Administration of HSE ...ameliorated gut dysbiosis in diet-induced obesity in mice.•Prebiotic properties of HSE could mediate its beneficial effects in obesity.•HSE could be developed as a potential functional food for the metabolic syndrome.
The metabolic syndrome has been associated with an alteration of intestinal microbiota, which can be considered as a target for the management of these patients. Phenolic extracts from Hibiscus sabdariffa have shown beneficial effects on obesity and its related complications. However, their effects on gut microbiota have not been investigated yet. This study evaluates the effects of a chemically characterized polyphenolic extract of H. sabdariffa (HSE) in an experimental model of diet-induced obesity (DIO) in mice. HSE was administered daily by oral gave for 42 days. HSE reduced weight increase in high fat diet (HFD)-fed mice, and improved glucose tolerance, insulin sensitivity and normalized LDL/HDL cholesterol ratio. It also enhanced the inflammatory state in the liver, reducing the expression of different adipokines and proinflammatory mediators, and reinforced gut integrity by increasing the expression of mucins and proteins involved in the maintenance of mucosal barrier. Moreover, HSE had a prebiotic effect, ameliorating the changes in the gut microbiota induced by the HFD. Thus, HSE improved the Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio, which may contribute to the beneficial effects. Consequently, HSE could be considered for the development of a complementary treatment for the metabolic syndrome due to its beneficial properties.
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