Molecular Nutrition & Food Research最新文献

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) have long been a significant source of the global disease burden and a leading cause of death and disability. In recent years, the precise microbiome modulation of the gut has made remarkable progress as a new strategy for treating CVDs, especially its production of short-chain fatty acids, the primary way the gut flora affects the organism. Butyrate, one of the critical metabolites of short-chain fatty acids, butyrate uniquely restores intestinal barrier function, suppresses systemic inflammation, promotes immune tolerance, and regulates energy metabolism while antagonizing the pro-atherogenic metabolite trimethylamine-N-oxide (TMAO) via the gut–heart axis. Preclinical studies consistently show that butyrate supplementation mitigates heart failure (HF), atherosclerosis, myocardial infarction, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, hypertension, and cancer-related cardiac injury, and concurrently ameliorates metabolic syndrome, dyslipidaemia, and hyperglycaemia. However, clinical translation is currently hampered by a lack of large-scale human randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and an insufficient understanding of human dose-response relationships. This review synthesizes knowledge on butyrate's cardiovascular actions, details the underlying mechanisms, and highlights critical evidence gaps to inform future translational research.

Functional foods with antidiabetic and lipid-lowering properties may serve as a nutritional strategy for metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH), especially when coexisting with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). This study evaluates whether the consumption of silicon-enriched restructured meat (Si-RM) could alleviate hepatic injury and metabolic disturbances in a late-stage T2DM rat model. Early-stage (ED, n = 8) and late-stage (LD, n = 16) T2DM were induced following a high-saturated-fat diet or a high-saturated-fat, high-cholesterol diet plus streptozotocin/nicotinamide injection, respectively, both diets containing a control meat. After confirming hyperglycemia, half of LD rats received Si-RM for 5 weeks (LD-Si, n = 8). Metabolic indices, liver histology, oxysterols, hepatic ChREBP/SREBP-1c, proliferation/apoptosis balance, and antioxidant defenses were assessed. LD rats developed clear histopathological and biochemical MASH. Si-RM consumption partially ameliorated these alterations, showing reduced lobular inflammation, improved serum oxysterol profile (decreased 25- and 27-hydroxycholesterols, increased 7-hydroxylated cholesterols), downregulated hepatic ChREBP, restored SREBP-1c, rebalanced proliferation to apoptosis ratio, and enhanced antioxidant defenses. Si-RM mitigated MASH severity and improved hepatic oxidative and metabolic status in a late-stage T2DM. These findings support the therapeutic potential of Si-RM as a promising and accessible nutritional adjuvant strategy against MASH.

Allium mongolicum Regel (AMR), a traditional edible and medicinal herb widely consumed in Asian cuisines, presents an important but understudied food safety concern due to its allergenic potential. This study bridges the gap between food science and health impacts by characterizing the first major allergen in AMR. Through an integrated approach combining transcriptome sequencing and immunological techniques, we identified glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) as a novel food allergen. The recombinant GAPDH protein exhibited clinically relevant IgE reactivity in 48.1% (13/27) of allergic individuals' sera, establishing its role in food allergy. Notably, we demonstrated that this food-derived allergen triggers distinct inflammatory pathways in human gastrointestinal (Caco-2) and respiratory (BEAS-2B) epithelial cells—key interfaces for food-host interactions. Transcriptomic analysis revealed tissue-specific responses: intestinal cells upregulated immunemodulatory genes (EPHB1, CD226, CD59), while lung cells activated interferon signaling, offering theoretical explanations for how dietary components may influence mucosal immunity. These findings significantly advance our understanding of herbal food allergies and pave the way for developing safer functional foods and targeted allergy management strategies.

Intestinal barrier dysfunction is a key driver of obesity pathogenesis. This study aimed to elucidate the anti-obesity mechanism of mulberry leaf extract (MLE) by investigating its effects on the intestinal barrier, including the mechanical, immune, and microbial barriers. A high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obese mouse model was employed and treated with MLE. We systematically assessed obesity phenotypes, glucolipid metabolic parameters, systemic and intestinal inflammation, intestinal tight junction proteins and mucus secretion, and gut microbiota composition. The results showed that MLE significantly reduced body weight by over 5%, and ameliorated dyslipidemia, hepatic steatosis, and glucose intolerance. Concurrently, MLE activated PPARα/CPT-1 fatty acid β-oxidation and PI3K/AKT signaling while suppressing SREBP-1c lipogenesis. Mechanistically, MLE enhanced intestinal mechanical barriers, as evidenced by the upregulation of tight junction proteins, increased mucus secretion, and reduced serum levels of intestinal permeability markers (diamine oxidase and endotoxin). Furthermore, MLE suppressed systemic and intestinal inflammation (TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6). Furthermore, MLE improved gut microbiota dysbiosis, reducing the Firmicutes/Bacteroidota ratio by 61.39%, enriching beneficial Alloprevotella and Muribaculaceae_norank, and depleting Faecalibaculum and Lachnoclostridium. Correlation analysis revealed significant associations between MLE-modulated microbiota and improved metabolic and barrier parameters. Collectively, MLE alleviated obesity by synergistically modulating glucolipid metabolism, gut microbiota, intestinal mechanical barrier and inflammation.

The present study investigated the potential beneficial effect of probiotic Lacticaseibacillus paracasei DG I1572 (L. paracasei DG I1572) in a murine model of vascular inflammaging. Aged (40-weeks-old) and young (10-weeks-old) Sprague-Dawley rats were treated with L. paracasei DG I1572 for 3 months. Vascular functions were assessed by pressurized myography, while intravascular ROS and NO production, as well as inflammatory parameters (IL-1β, IL-6, IL-10, and TNF), were measured using dihydroethidium, 4-amino-5-methylamino-2′,7′-difluorofluorescein dyes, and ELISA, respectively. Malondialdehyde (MDA) and claudin-1 were examined. Old rats showed: (1) vascular endothelial dysfunctions due to a reduced NO availability; (2) increase in intravascular ROS, (3) the presence of systemic inflammation and oxidative stress, as documented by increased plasma levels of IL-6 and MDA, respectively; (4) a slight decrease in claudin-1 colonic expression, as compared with young rats. Treatment with L. paracasei DG I1572 in old rats improved: (1) endothelial function, increasing NO bioavailability; (2) systemic and in situ oxidative stress in vessels, reducing MDA and intravascular ROS production, respectively; (3) inflammatory parameters, reducing IL-1β and IL-6 as well as increasing IL-10; (4) colonic expression of claudin-1. L. paracasei DG I1572 supplementation can mitigate the low-grade inflammation, and the vascular dysfunctions associated with age, likely through antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.

Polyphenols, a diverse group of phytochemicals abundant in plant-derived foods, are being increasingly recognized for their regulatory effects on inflammation and metabolic disorders. Their interaction with the gut microbiota (GM) is complex and bidirectional: Polyphenols influence microbial composition by promoting the growth of beneficial bacteria and inhibiting pathogenic strains, while gut microbes metabolize polyphenols into bioactive metabolites that enhance their bioavailability. This dynamic interaction has profound implications for host metabolism, inflammation regulation, and disease prevention. Polyphenol-rich dietary sources, such as tea, berries, grapes, and pomegranates, exert prebiotic-like effects by selectively enriching commensal bacteria, including Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium spp., while downregulating harmful genera such as Clostridium. These compounds attenuate inflammatory responses through the modulation of intracellular signaling cascades, suppression of pro-inflammatory cytokines, and mitigation of oxidative stress via activation of anti-oxidant pathways. Despite growing evidence supporting the beneficial health effects of polyphenols and their microbiota-derived metabolites, further mechanistic and longitudinal studies are warranted to elucidate the specific pathways involved and to assess their long-term impact on human health. This review highlights the role of polyphenols and gut-associated metabolites on various inflammatory pathways and associated metabolic syndrome.