The information on microbiota composition in the human gastrointestinal tract predominantly originates from the analyses of human faeces by application of next generation sequencing (NGS). However, ...the detected composition of the faecal bacterial community can be affected by various factors including experimental design and procedures. This study evaluated the performance of different protocols for collection and storage of faecal samples (native and OMNIgene.GUT system) and bacterial DNA extraction (MP Biomedicals, QIAGEN and MO BIO kits), using two NGS platforms for 16S rRNA gene sequencing (Ilumina MiSeq and Ion Torrent PGM). OMNIgene.GUT proved as a reliable and convenient system for collection and storage of faecal samples although favouring Sutterella genus. MP provided superior DNA yield and quality, MO BIO depleted Gram positive organisms while using QIAGEN with OMNIgene.GUT resulted in greatest variability compared to other two kits. MiSeq and IT platforms in their supplier recommended setups provided comparable reproducibility of donor faecal microbiota. The differences included higher diversity observed with MiSeq and increased capacity of MiSeq to detect Akkermansia muciniphila, Odoribacteraceae, Erysipelotrichaceae and Ruminococcaceae (primarily Faecalibacterium prausnitzii). The results of our study could assist the investigators using NGS technologies to make informed decisions on appropriate tools for their experimental pipelines.
Challenging periods like the COVID-19 pandemic require fast and efficient adaptations of the healthcare system. It is vital that every patient has access to nutritional care as a part of primary ...healthcare services, even if social distancing measures are adopted. Therefore, we propose a simple remote nutritional screening tool and practical guidance for nutritional care in primary practice, and their implementation into telemedicine processes and digital platforms suitable for healthcare providers. The acronym for the tool is R-MAPP, as for Remote – Malnutrition APP, while the tool will be available also as an app. This protocol consists of two simple validated clinical tools for identifying nutritional risk and loss of muscle mass and function –Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool (‘MUST’) and SARC-F (5-item questionnaire: Strength, Assistance with walking, Rise from a chair, Climb stairs and Falls) - and additional practical guidance on nutritional interventions for family physicians.
The healthy intestine represents a remarkable interface where sterile host tissues come in contact with gut microbiota, in a balanced state of homeostasis. The imbalance of gut homeostasis is ...associated with the onset of many severe pathological conditions, such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), a chronic gastrointestinal disorder increasing in incidence and severely influencing affected individuals. Despite the recent development of next generation sequencing and bioinformatics, the current scientific knowledge of specific triggers and diagnostic markers to improve interventional approaches in IBD is still scarce. In this review we present and discuss currently available and emerging therapeutic options in modulating composition and metabolic activity of gut microbiota in patients affected by IBD. Therapeutic approaches at the microbiota level, such as dietary interventions alone or with probiotics, prebiotics and synbiotics, administration of antibiotics, performing fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) and the use of nematodes, all represent a promising opportunities towards establishing and maintaining of well-being as well as improving underlying IBD symptoms.
Trudnoća je vrlo osjetljivo razdoblje u životu žene, osobito kada se uz trudnoću veže dijagnoza kronične bolesti. Upalne bolesti crijeva su kronične autoimune bolesti koje nastaju kao rezultat ...interakcija između genetskih i okolišnih čimbenika. Upalne bolesti crijeva obuhvaćaju ulcerozni kolitis, Crohnovu bolest, mikroskopski kolitis i neklasificiranu upalnu bolest crijeva. Vršak incidencije upalnih bolesti crijeva javlja se između 15. i 30. godine života. Kod velikog broja žena bolest se javlja upravo u generativnoj dobi, što može značajno utjecati na odluku o ostvarivanju trudnoće. Osobe oboljele od upalnih bolesti crijeva nakon postavljanja dijagnoze i u razdoblju pogoršanja kliničke slike vrlo često isključuju pojedine namirnice ili skupine namirnica iz prehrane kako bi ublažili simptome bolesti, pa nedostatak nutrijenata nije rijetkost. Razdoblje pripreme za trudnoću, sama trudnoća i dojenje razdoblja su u životu žene koja su povezana s povećanim potrebama za energijom i određenim nutrijentima koji se smatraju ključnima za rast i razvoj djeteta te za zdravlje majke. Cilj ovog rada bio je ispitati kakvoću prehrane trudnica i žena koje planiraju trudnoću s dijagnozom upalnih bolesti crijeva u Republici Hrvatskoj, kako bi se utvrdila učestalost provođenja eliminacijskih dijeta koje mogu rezultirati narušavanjem nutritivnog statusa. Informacije o učestalosti konzumiranja različitih skupina namirnica, korištenju dodataka prehrani, provođenju eliminacijskih dijeta, te karakteristikama trudnoće prikupljene su putem anketnog upitnika. U istraživanju je sudjelovalo 15 ispitanica oboljelih od upalnih bolesti crijeva u dobi od 21 do 39 godina. Prema rezultatima, više od polovice ispitanica (53,3 %) iz svoje prehrane isključuje određene namirnice, najviše iz skupine povrća, mlijeka i mliječnih proizvoda, mesa, te voća. Također, vidljivo je kako dijagnoza rezultira značajnijim prehrambenim promjenama kod većine ispitanica (60 %). Uočen je nedovoljan unos folne kiseline, kako kod žena koje planiraju trudnoću, tako i kod trudnica tijekom prvih 12 tjedana trudnoće. Ovakvi rezultati ukazuju da važnost pravilne prehrane i unos folne kiseline prije začeća i tijekom trudnoće u Republici Hrvatskoj još uvijek nisu dovoljno prepoznati.
Pregnancy is a very sensitive period in a woman’s life, especially when it is associated with a diagnosis of a chronic disease. Inflammatory bowel diseases are chronic autoimmune disorders that result from the interplay of genetic and environmental factors, including ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease, microscopic colitis and unclassified inflammatory bowel disease. The peak incidence of inflammatory bowel diseases occurs between the ages of 15 and 30. Many women are diagnosed with the disease during their reproductive years, which can significantly impact their decision to become pregnant. Individuals with inflammatory bowel diseases often exclude certain foods or food groups from their diet to alleviate symptoms, particularly after diagnosis or during periods of active disease, leading to nutrient deficiencies. The period of preparing for pregnancy, pregnancy itself, and breastfeeding are phases in a woman’s life associated with increased energy and specific nutrient requirements crucial for the growth and development of the child as well as the mother’s health. Therefore, the aim of this study was to examine the dietary quality of pregnant women and women planning pregnancy with a diagnosis of inflammatory bowel diseases in the Republic of Croatia, to determine the frequency of elimination diets that may compromise nutritional status. Information on the frequency of consuming different food groups, the use of dietary supplements, implementation of elimination diets, and pregnancy characteristics were collected through a questionnaire. The study included 15 female participants with inflammatory bowel diseases aged 21 to 39 years. According to the results, more than half of the participants (53.3%) exclude certain foods from their diet, mainly from the vegetable, dairy, meat, and fruit groups. Additionally, the diagnosis leads to significant dietary changes for the majority of participants (60%). Insufficient folic acid intake was observed among women planning pregnancy as well as during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy. These results indicate that the importance of proper nutrition and folic acid intake before conception and during pregnancy in the Republic of Croatia is still not adequately recognized.
The Mediterranean diet (MD) and the Nordic diet (ND) share more similarities than differences. Both diets are based on typical local and seasonal foods, share similar nutritional recommendations ...based on plant-based dietary principles, and are both now orienting toward environmental protection and sustainability. The main difference between the two diets is the primary fat source. Olive oil is the synonym for MD while the ND uses more rapeseed/canola oil. While longitudinal epidemiological studies support adherence to MD as a way to prevent chronic diseases, ND still needs more such studies because the current results are discrepant. Notably, studies that assessed the association between both diets and lower risks of chronic diseases, disability, and mortality from specific and all causes, implied that ND could also have an advantageous effect as MD. Hopefully, there will be more longitudinal and large prospective studies in the future that will provide more evidence-based recommendations.
The knowledge on how gut microbes contribute to the inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) at the onset of disease is still scarce. We compared gut microbiota in newly diagnosed, treatment-naïve adult IBD ...(Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC)) to irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) patients and healthy group. Mucosal and fecal microbiota of 49 patients (13 UC, 10 CD, and 26 IBS) before treatment initiation, and fecal microbiota of 12 healthy subjects was characterized by 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Mucosa was sampled at six positions, from terminal ileum to rectum. We demonstrate that mucosal microbiota is spatially homogeneous, cannot be differentiated based on the local inflammation status and yet provides bacterial footprints superior to fecal in discriminating disease phenotypes. IBD groups showed decreased bacterial diversity in mucosa at all taxonomic levels compared to IBS. In CD and UC, Dialister was significantly increased, and expansion of Haemophilus and Propionibacterium characterized UC. Compared to healthy individuals, fecal microbiota of IBD and IBS patients had increased abundance of Proteobacteria, Enterobacteriaceae, in particular. Shift toward reduction of Adlercreutzia and butyrate-producing taxa was found in feces of IBD patients. Microbiota alterations detected in newly diagnosed treatment-naïve adult patients indicate that the microbiota changes are set and detectable at the disease onset and likely have a discerning role in IBD pathophysiology. Our results justify further investigation of the taxa discriminating between disease groups, such as H. parainfluenzae, R. gnavus, Turicibacteriaceae, Dialister, and Adlercreutzia as potential biomarkers of the disease.
The primary aims of this study were to evaluate the changes in dietary behavior among the Croatian adult population during the COVID-19 outbreak and to explore the impact of confinement on cooking ...habits.
The study was based on results from COVIDiet_Int cross-sectional study-a part of COVIDiet project (NCT04449731). A self-administered online questionnaire was used to assess the frequency of food consumption, eating habits, and sociodemographic information. A total number of 4,281 participants (80.5% females and 19.4% males) completed the questionnaire.
The Mediterranean Diet Adherence Screener (MEDAS) score before the confinement was 5.02 ± 1.97, while during the confinement, the MEDAS score increased to 5.85 ± 2.04. Participants who had higher adherence to the Mediterranean diet (MedDiet) during the confinement were mostly females (88.8%), aged between 20 and 50 years, with the highest level of education (66.3%) and normal BMI (70.6%). The majority of participants maintained their dietary behavior as it was before COVID-19 confinement, while 36.9% decreased their physical activity. Participants with higher MEDAS score were more eager to increase their physical activity. Additionally, higher median values of MEDAS score were noted for participants with body mass index values below 24.9 kg/m
(6.0 vs. 5.0 for participants with BMI above 25 kg/m
). Participants in all residence places increased their cooking frequency during the confinement (53.8%), which was associated with an increase in vegetables, legumes, as well as fish and seafood consumption.
According to our findings, Croatian adults exhibited medium adherence to the MedDiet during the COVID-19 confinement. The results suggest that cooking frequency could be positively associated with overall dietary quality, which is of utmost importance in these demanding times.
Osteoarthritis (OA) is nowadays the most common musculoskeletal progressive condition. In recent decades, incidence and prevalence of OA have increased significantly. It is estimated that the ...prevalence of OA among adults older than 60 is 12%, affecting about 240 million people globally. The cause has not been fully elucidated, and therefore, there is no cure at the moment. It is a multifactorial degenerative disease with an inflammatory component mediated by numerous proinflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines, chemokines, and growth factors. OA is not yet fully understood; therefore, therapeutic interventions are aimed primarily at reducing symptoms and slowing the progression of joint destruction. Of the therapeutic options available, the most often prescribed are nonsteroidal antirheumatic drugs, which have numerous side effects. Therefore, a need for a safe, effective substance is differentiated, which will be used in adjuvant treatment, but also in disease prevention, and which will comparatively have no or fewer side effects. One such substance is curcumin, a hydrophobic polyphenol that forms the active component of the rhizome of the Curcuma longa plant. Several studies have shown its potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effect, non-toxicity, and safety at high daily doses. In addition to blocking chondrocyte apoptosis, curcumin also blocks the expression of cyclooxygenase, prostaglandin E-2 and proinflammatory cytokines in chondrocytes, potentially alleviating symptomatic diseases. Although there are significant variations in quality, methodology, and research results conducted on curcumin efficiency in OA treatment, curcumin is primarily recommended as systematic short-term and medium-term adjuvant therapy that reduces inflammatory biochemical factors. Reducing inflammation leads to better pain regulation and improved joint function, significantly reducing standard prescribed doses of drugs. The most researched daily doses of curcumin intake are 1000–2000 mg/day, which would also be the doses that most of the authors recommend. Further research is needed to determine the preventive role of curcumin in the pathogenesis of OA, the effects of long-term usage of curcumin in preventive purposes and treatment of osteoarthritis, as well as to determine optimal therapeutic dosages.
•Adults from 16 countries adopted healthier dietary patterns during the confinement.•The adherence to the Mediterranean diet (MedDiet) increased in all countries.•52,1% of participants cooked more ...during the COVID-19 confinement.•57,8% of participants decreased the intake of fast food during the confinement.•Stricter contingency restrictions led to a higher increase in the MedDiet adherence.
We aimed to evaluate the changes in eating behaviours of the adult population across 16 European countries due to the COVID-19 confinement and to evaluate whether these changes were somehow related to the severity of the containment measures applied in each country. An anonymous online self-reported questionnaire on socio-demographic characteristics, validated 14-items Mediterranean diet (MedDiet) Adherence Screener (MEDAS) as a reference of a healthy diet, eating and lifestyle behaviours prior to and during the COVID-19 confinement was used to collect data. The study included an adult population residing in 16 European countries at the time of the survey. Aggregated Stringency Index (SI) score, based on data from the Oxford COVID-19 Government Response Tracker, was calculated for each country at the time the questionnaire was distributed (range: 0–100). A total of 36,185 participants completed the questionnaire (77.6% female, 75.2% with high educational level and 42.7% aged between 21 and 35 years). In comparison to pre-confinement, a significantly higher adherence to the MedDiet during the confinement was observed across all countries (overall MEDAS score prior to- and during confinement: 5.23 ± 2.06 vs. 6.15 ± 2.06; p < 0.001), with the largest increase seen in Greece and North Macedonia. The highest adherence to MedDiet during confinement was found in Spain and Portugal (7.18 ± 1.84 and 7.34 ± 1.95, respectively). Stricter contingency restrictions seemed to lead to a significantly higher increase in the adherence to the MedDiet. The findings from this cross-sectional study could be used to inform current diet-related public health guidelines to ensure optimal nutrition is followed among the population, which in turn would help to alleviate the current public health crisis.
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