Molecular Nutrition & Food Research最新文献

Arsenic exposure from contaminated food and water is a global nutritional issue. Nutritional interventions indicate that dietary polyphenols, such as quercetin, may reduce these toxic effects via antioxidant and immunomodulatory properties. This study examined the protective effect of quercetin against arsenic-induced toxicity in a Wistar rat model. Twenty-four adult Wistar rats were divided into four groups as follows: control (G0), arsenic-exposed (G1; 5 mg/kg/day NaAsO₂), quercetin-treated (G2; approximately 50 mg/kg/day), and co-treated (G3; arsenic + quercetin). Over 28 days, catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), glutathione S-transferase (GST), superoxide dismutase (SOD), cytokine gene expression (IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α, IL-4, IL-10, TGF-β), claudin, occludin (CLDN1, OCLN), and fecal microbial profiles (q-PCR, diversity index) were assessed. Our results demonstrate that arsenic exposure significantly reduces antioxidant enzyme levels, elevates pro-inflammatory cytokines, disrupts tight junction protein expression, and causes dysbiosis and proliferation of Proteobacteria and E. coli, ultimately damaging intestinal structure. Quercetin treatment, especially in G3, restored antioxidant levels, balanced cytokine profiles, normalized tight junction gene expression, and maintained gut microbial diversity. Histopathological and correlation analyses also confirmed structural and functional recovery of gut tissues. These findings support quercetin's potential as a dietary intervention to counteract heavy metal–induced gut disorders, reinforcing its nutritional relevance in environmental toxins.

SWM-008 red mold rice, fermented by Monascus pilosus SWM-008, upregulates Akkermansia and supports gut barrier function and metabolic health, suggesting prebiotic-like and postbiotic-like effects. Its dual role suggests value for metabolic disorder management. Few interventions simultaneously enhance both Akkermansia and butyrate-producing bacteria, which underscores the unique potential of SWM-008. SWM-008 red mold rice, and its functional compound were administered to a high-fat diet (HFD)-induced nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) model in C57BL/6 mice for 18 weeks. In a HFD-induced NAFLD mouse model, SWM-008 and its bioactive compounds monascinol (Msol) and monascin (MS) reduced hepatic triglycerides (TG) (14.5% for SWM-008, 13.0% for Msol; p < 0.05), improved steatosis, and modulated gut microbiota. SWM-008 activated AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and adipose triglyceride lipase (ATGL) while suppressing sterol regulatory element binding protein 1c (SREBP-1c) and fatty acid synthase (FASN), indicating reduced lipogenesis and enhanced lipolysis. Msol lowered cluster of differentiation 36 (CD36) and stimulated the AMPK/ATGL/peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator 1-alpha (PGC-1α)/carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1 (CPT-1) pathway. SWM-008 increased butyrate-producing Roseburia and Eubacterium, and Msol and MS raised fecal butyrate to over 2%, supporting gut-liver health. These findings support SWM-008 as a promising dietary strategy for gut-liver health in NAFLD.

This study aimed to investigate the effect of innovative dietary fiber mixtures, comprised predominantly of resistant dextrin together with insoluble citrus fibers, fructooligosaccharides, long-chain inulin, and gum arabic, with or without curcumin or resveratrol/grape seed extract, on the intestinal microbiota of a mouse model with T2DM. The applied innovative formulations resulted in the desired changes in the distribution of gut microbiome species associated with T2DM, as revealed by QIIME2 and additionally confirmed by ANCOM. This effect was particularly pronounced in the curcumin-supplemented formulation, as evident from the enrichment of the Verrucomicrobiota representative Akkermansia muciniphila and short-chain fatty acid producers Faecalibaculum and Dubosiella, while also leading to a decrease in Patescibacteria, as well as Chlamydia muridarum, Desulfovibrio, Candidatus Saccharimonas, and Alistipes species. The administration of the examined innovative dietary fiber formulations statistically reduced the alpha diversity and altered the beta diversity of the gut microbiota in a mouse model with T2DM, in terms of abundance and presence of species analyzed with MicrobiomeAnalyst. Due to the strong influence on the composition of the gut microbiota, the innovative dietary formulations can be further evaluated for inclusion in food for special medical purposes specifically designed for the dietary management of diabetes.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the primary liver tumor that arises from various risk factors, including hepatitis, excessive alcohol consumption, and obesity. These risk factors induce pathophysiological alterations in the liver, such as inflammation, fibrosis, cirrhosis, fatty liver, abnormal regeneration, and angiogenesis. Although procedures like ablation and transplantation hold promise for addressing this malignancy, the recurrence and metastasis rates limit the long-term efficacy of these surgical interventions. Thus, natural compounds exhibit great potential in enhancing clinical interventions, managing the disease effectively, and improving survival rates in HCC. Compounds such as silymarin, silibinin, resveratrol, curcumin, quercetin, genistein, naringenin, cucurbitacin, lycopene, crocin, aronia, Nigella sativa, epigallocatechin-3-gallate, and ginger (Zingiber officinale) demonstrate promise in HCC treatment, primarily through mechanisms involving the suppression of inflammation, regulation of oxidative stress, and promotion of apoptosis. This study searched PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Google Scholar, and ClinicalTrials.gov databases to evaluate the molecular mechanisms by which natural compounds are associated with HCC. The literature search was performed using the keywords “hepatocellular carcinoma,” “angiogenesis,” “inflammation,” “oxidative stress,” “natural products,” and “apoptosis.” By evaluating the findings cumulatively, the aim was to reveal the up-to-date scientific evidence for using natural compounds as potential therapeutic agents in treating HCC.

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has emerged as a leading cause of chronic liver disease worldwide, correlating with increased obesity and metabolic disorders. Gut microbiota dysbiosis and impaired intestinal barrier integrity are key factors in NAFLD pathogenesis. Active hexose correlated compound (AHCC), a standardized extract from cultured Lentinula edodes mycelia, has shown immunomodulatory effects, but its impact on gut microbiota and intestinal function in NAFLD remains unclear. This study evaluated AHCC supplementation's effects on gut microbiota composition and intestinal barrier integrity in a high-fat (HF) diet-induced NAFLD rat model. Thirty-two male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into control diet (CD), HF diet, and HF diet + 2% AHCC groups for 6 weeks. AHCC supplementation significantly altered gut microbiota, increasing alpha diversity and shifting clustering patterns. It increased Blautia hansenii and Blautia producta abundance, known for antiinflammatory and antiobesity properties. These changes correlated with improved intestinal barrier integrity, evidenced by upregulation of Mucin 2 (MUC2) and a trend toward increased tight junction protein expression. AHCC reduced local inflammation in the colon and liver and attenuated systemic inflammation. These findings suggest that AHCC supplementation can modulate gut microbiota composition, thereby mitigating oxidative stress, regulating inflammation, and improving intestinal barrier integrity in HF diet-induced NAFLD.

The present study sought to elucidate the potentiality of oil extracted from Opisthopterus tardoore (OT, marine fish available in Bay of Bengal region) on diet induced obesity and explored into the primary molecular process that underlies these effects. Male Swiss albino mice were fed a high-fat diet for 12 weeks to develop obesity, and different doses of OT (200, 400, and 600 mg/kg/day) oil was administered orally for 4 weeks. Following treatment, body weight, biochemical, histological, and genomic parameters were assessed from liver and adipose tissues (ATs). Significant reductions were observed in body weight, lipid profiles, blood glucose, liver, and visceral AT weight, correlated with decreased adipocyte size by supplementation with OT oil. The fish oil significantly upregulates mRNA levels of lipolytic factors such as adiponectin, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-α, carnitine palmitoyl transferase-1, lipoprotein lipase, and antiinflammatory cytokines, including interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1Ra), IL-10, than those of high-fat diet group. Concomitantly, adipogenesis and fatty acid synthesis were arrested by reduction of lipogenic genes, including leptin, fatty acid synthase, sterol regulatory element binding protein-1c, and proinflammatory markers (tumor necrosis factor-α, IL-6, inducible nitric oxide synthase, and IL-1β) in adipocytes. The results therefore concluded that OT oil exhibited lipid-lowering along with antiinflammatory properties.

Soy has been a fundamental component of human diets for thousands of years. This umbrella review aims to evaluate the existing evidence for associations between soy food consumption and multiple health outcomes. By summarizing the effects of different types of soy foods, this study seeks to provide a comprehensive understanding of the potential benefits and risks associated with increased dietary soy consumption. We identified 23 meta-analyses of observational research with 39 unique health outcomes and one meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials with four unique outcomes by searching six databases in English (PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews), and three databases in Chinese (China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang database, and Sinomed) from January 1, 2014 to April 22, 2024 for meta-analyses that investigated the association between soy food consumption and any health outcome. Generally, dietary soy food consumption is more beneficial than harmful, especially in cancer and cardiometabolic diseases. However, it is important to note that the benefits of fermented soy products were inconclusive, and even some studies indicated their possible adverse effects. In the future, more studies that explore the effects of dietary soy food consumption on biological indicators are needed.

Traditional probiotics such as Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium have long supported gut health, but recent advances in microbiome research have introduced next-generation probiotics (NGPs) such as Akkermansia muciniphila and Faecalibacterium prausnitzii. These strains are associated with more specific functions, including mucin degradation, butyrate production, enhanced gut barrier integrity, immune regulation, and modulation of host metabolism and inflammation. Unlike conventional probiotics, which mainly promote general digestive balance, NGPs demonstrate targeted mechanisms that link them to metabolic, inflammatory, and even neurological conditions. This review provides a critical comparison of traditional and NGPs, highlighting mechanistic distinctions and functional advancements. It also explores recent innovations in synthetic biology, including programmable gene circuits, and examines how artificial intelligence and microbiome profiling are paving the way toward personalized probiotic therapies, though widespread clinical application remains in its early stages. Key safety, regulatory, and translational challenges are also addressed, outlining barriers to clinical adoption. By integrating omics technologies and precision medicine, NGPs represent a promising frontier with the potential to advance personalized nutrition and therapeutic strategies.