Food & Function最新文献

Over the past two decades, the occurrence of hyperuricemia and its influence on health have drawn lots of concern all over the world. Despite significant advances in understanding the pathogenesis of hyperuricemia in various studies, effective medications without side effects are not available. Nutraceutical supplements have attracted much attention due to their beneficial and non-toxic side effects compared to chemical compounds. In the present study, mice with hyperuricemia induced by potassium oxalate and hypoxanthine were given hydrolysate of goat milk casein (HGMC) to investigate its beneficial effects on hyperuricemia. HGMC significantly alleviated body weight loss and abnormal water consumption in hyperuricemic mice. Further study showed that HGMC effectively eliminated renal histological damage in mice with hyperuricemia. Real-time PCR and western blot results revealed that HGMC alleviated protein levels of inflammation-associated proteins and cellular pyroptosis-associated proteins, including NLRP3, TNF-α, Caspase1 and TGF-β. Intestinal microbial sequencing showed that supplementation of HGMC increased the abundance of beneficial bacteria and decreased pathogenic flora. In conclusion, our results suggest that the beneficial effects of HGMC on hyperuricemia are associated with regulating inflammation and modulating intestinal bacteria in mice.

A high-salt diet (HSD) can result in numerous health issues, including exacerbation of intestinal inflammation. Therefore, there is an immediate necessity of developing dietary supplements that can mitigate colitis exacerbated by a HSD. This study examined the impact of Lactobacillus plantarum HGD228 on colitis exacerbated by a HSD and the mechanisms underlying its alleviation. HGD228 treatment significantly enhanced colonic goblet cells and MUC2, upregulated ZO-1 and occludin, inhibited epithelial cell apoptosis, and mitigated colitis exacerbated by a HSD. Moreover, HGD228 significantly regulated oxidative stress-related enzymes, including SOD, GSH-PX, and CAT. HGD228 treatment significantly suppressed the NF-κB pathway induced by a HSD and regulated the levels of cytokines, including TNF-α, IL-10, and IL-1β. Furthermore, HGD228 reestablished the gut microbiota altered by HSDDSS, increasing Bifidobacterium while decreasing Escherichia–Shigella and Clostridium sensu stricto 1. HGD228 treatment also enhanced the production of butyric acid and acetic acid, suppressed pro-inflammatory cytokines, and strengthened the intestinal mucosal barrier. Therefore, HGD228 enhanced the production of beneficial metabolites by regulating inflammatory cytokines and oxidative stress, preserving the mucosal barrier, and enhancing gut microbiota, and mitigated colitis aggravated by a HSD. These results will aid in clinical trials of probiotics and the development of dietary supplements for colitis, with promising application value.

The primary etiology of liver disease is non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), which can progress to non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, cirrhosis, and ultimately hepatocellular carcinoma. The efficacy of plant-derived polyphenolic compounds has been extensively demonstrated with respect to various aspects and recently proved to be effective at preventing and treating NAFLD. To describe the sources and functions of polyphenolic constituents and clarify the therapeutic effects of polyphenolic constituents on NAFLD, resveratrol (RSV), which has significant therapeutic effects, was selected for a comprehensive analysis. Bibliometric and network pharmacology analyses revealed a strong correlation between insulin resistance (IR), oxidative stress, steatosis, and NAFLD, as well as the significance of intestinal flora and therapeutic interventions for NAFLD. This study reviewed the mechanisms by which RSV acted against NAFLD and explored techniques to enhance its bioavailability. These findings offer new insights into the treatment of NAFLD and the development of innovative RSV formulations.

Rambutan peel is rich in polyphenols such as ellagic acid, corilagin, geraniin, quercetin, and rutin, which contribute to its diverse health benefits, including antioxidant, antimicrobial, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, hypoglycemic, and potential anticancer properties. The polyphenols present in the rambutan peel demonstrate potential for delaying cellular aging by mitigating oxidative stress within cells. Moreover, no study has systematically explored the anti-aging effects and the underlying mechanisms of polyphenols derived from rambutan peel. Drosophila melanogaster has often been used in aging studies to reveal the mechanisms of aging onset and development. Using Drosophila melanogaster as an in vivo aging model, the aim of the present study was to probe whether rambutan peel polyphenol extracts (RPPEs) exert a lifespan extending effect in vivo and to gain insights into the mechanism of action. Results highlighted that the optimized concentration of RPPEs for the anti-aging treatment in Drosophila melanogaster was 5 mg mL⁻¹. In addition, RPPEs extended the lifespan of Drosophila melanogaster in a manner that was related to the dose and gender. Meanwhile, RPPEs improved the climbing ability and sleep and maintained the antioxidant capacity of aged Drosophila. RPPEs also ameliorated intestinal barrier damage in aging Drosophila. Transcriptome sequencing analysis showed that RPPEs extended the lifespan of Drosophila by down-regulating the Toll/IMD signaling pathway.

Prolonged exposure to high temperatures can cause oxidative stress in the body, negatively impacting human health. Alpha-lipoic acid (ALA) is a naturally occurring antioxidant prevalent in both plant and animal foods, exhibiting bioactivity comparable to that of vitamins. Although its roles in antioxidant defense and metabolic regulation have been extensively studied, its potential to mitigate heat stress in organisms is less explored and deserves further study. Our research demonstrates that ALA significantly improves the survival rates of Caenorhabditis elegans under heat stress. ALA achieves this by activating heat shock factor 1 (HSF-1) and promoting mitochondrial fission and mitophagy through the transcription factor HLH-30. These processes help alleviate oxidative damage from heat stress, maintain mitochondrial function, and stabilize cellular energy metabolism. Furthermore, the activation of HSF-1 and enhanced mitophagy by dietary ALA depend on the insulin-like signaling peptide 19 (INS-19), suggesting that ALA may target the insulin-like signaling pathway to combat heat stress and maintain homeostasis. These findings indicate that ALA could serve as a valuable dietary supplement for enhancing heat stress resistance in organisms and may inspire the development of novel food ingredients with protective properties against thermal challenges.

Excessive intake of a high fat diet (HFD) leads to accumulation of fat and obesity. Ergosterol (ERG) is a characteristic sterol of fungi with various bioactive functions; however, there are few studies on the ERG function of ameliorating obesity and following cognitive impairment. It was previously found that Zhashui Auricularia auricula (AA) is rich in ERG; therefore it was selected to enrich ERG through the intervention of exogenous inducers of rice bran oil (RBO), methyl jasmonate (Me JA) and salicylic acid (SA). The accumulated ERG was used to investigate alleviative effects on mouse obesity and cognitive impairment. According to LEfSe analysis of intestinal flora species, ERG reduced the abundance of obesity or inflammation-related intestinal microbial genera, while increasing the relative abundance of beneficial bacteria. The ERG sourced from AA significantly ameliorated HFD-induced mouse obesity by reducing lipid levels and liver oxidative stress, recovering memory and learning abilities of the mice by restoring the hippocampus function and downregulating inflammatory factors.

Excessive intake of fructose has been widely reported to cause glycolipid metabolism disorders, and it is unclear whether long-term consumption of ice wine, a sweet wine with high sugar content, is beneficial for health. In this study, 6-week-old male C57BL/6J mice were divided into pure water, ice wine, fructose, fructose + succinic acid, fructose + malic acid and fructose + alcohol groups to study the effects and mechanisms of organic acids on glycolipid metabolism. The results indicated that long-term consumption of ice wine did not lead to disorders of glycolipid metabolism, and organic acids inhibited the negative effects of fructose and reduced hepatic fat synthesis by decreasing the mRNA expression of hepatic ACC1, SREBP-1c, and ChREBP-β, as well as controlling the protein expression of KHK-C. These findings provide a theoretical basis for the healthy consumption of ice wine, helping consumers enjoy wine more scientifically and promoting the high-quality development of the industry.

The gut microbiome influences the availability of micronutrients in the gastrointestinal tract. However, our insights into how colonic fermentation of prebiotic fibers and lactose is modulated by the presence of micronutrients and local pH environment are limited. Here, we investigated the influence of different calcium salts (calcium phosphate (CaPi), calcium citrate (CaCi), and calcium carbonate (CaCa)) on gut microbiome composition and metabolism using inulin and lactose as carbohydrate sources under low, medium, and high in vitro colonic pH gradients. Our results showed that in vitro colonic pH gradient had a significant effect on gut microbiome diversity (observed ASVs and Shannon diversity index, p < 0.05). After 24 hours of fermentation, the calcium sources had a significant effect on beta diversity at all colonic pH gradients (adjusted p < 0.05). Although changes in GM composition were more pronounced after 24 hours, after 6 hours of fermentation, the CaPi group exhibited a higher abundance of Leuconostoc than other groups. After 24 hours of fermentation, the CaPi group exhibited a higher Blautia abundance at high colonic pH gradient and lower Bacteroides abundance at all colonic pH gradient levels. The CaCi and CaCa groups exhibited a pH-dependent decrease in the abundance of Bacteroides. In addition, Bifidobacterium abundance remained over 1% regardless of colonic pH gradient, calcium source, or fermentation time. In addition, short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) production was dependent on the calcium source. For instance, compared to the control group, the CaCi group exhibited higher acetate production at low and high colonic pH gradients, while the CaPi and CaCa groups showed enhanced lactate production at medium and low pH gradients. These findings can increase our understanding of the impacts of calcium-rich diets on the human gut microbiome and its metabolic activity.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a group of heterogeneous neurodevelopmental disorders characterized by social deficits and repetitive behaviors. Increasing evidence suggests that the gut microbiota influences neurodevelopment and behavior. In this study, we established an ASD model by administering valproic acid (VPA) to pregnant females, with male offspring receiving a daily synbiotic intervention for four weeks post-weaning. The results indicate that the synbiotic combination of 2′-Fucosyllactose (2′-FL) and Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis BB-12 (BB-12) outperformed that of 2′-FL and Lactobacillus paracasei L9300BH (L9300BH) in alleviating social deficits, repetitive behaviors, neuronal damage, and dysregulated expression of social-related genes and neuroinflammatory markers in ASD mice. Additionally, the intervention with 2′-FL and BB-12 improved gut morphology and barrier integrity, reduced gut inflammation, and optimized the gut microbiota structure by increasing the abundance of Bifidobacteria and Akkermansia, known producers of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs). Notably, levels of acetate, propionate, and butyrate were significantly elevated in fecal samples. In summary, the synbiotic combination of 2′-FL and BB-12 supports gut microbiota homeostasis, enhances fecal SCFA levels, and mitigates neurodevelopmental abnormalities in ASD mice.

Apples (Malus domestica Borkh.) are one of the most consumed fruits around the world with a high production of peels as wastes and by-products. In this work, peels from different commercial and local apple samples are explored as a source of phenolic bioactive compounds that could be directly related to the prevention of type 2 diabetes. Six different cultivars from local and commercial apple samples were processed to obtain the phenolic compounds by ultrasonication of the peels using methanol as the solvent. The phenolic content was explored using the Folin-Ciocalteu assay and the quantification of 37 individual phenolic compounds was carried out by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS). Cellular viability was determined by performing the MTT assay in Caco-2 cell cultures exposed to the phenolic extracts. Subsequently, the capacity to inhibit α-glucosidase, α-amylase and pancreatic lipase enzymes, as well as antiglycation and antioxidant activities, was evaluated. These apple peel samples were considered a source of phenolic compounds with hyperoside, delphinidin 3,5-diglucoside, chlorogenic acid, phlorizin, epicatechin and procyanidin B2 as the main constituents. All samples neutralized the production of advanced glycation end-products and exhibited antiradical activities in a dose-dependent manner; four samples (Amarilla de Octubre, Manzana Helada, Verde Doncella and Pinova) inhibited α-glucosidase but only the sample known as "Amarilla de Octubre" was successful in inhibiting pancreatic α-amylase. Cytotoxicity was discarded in Caco-2 cell cultures at physiological concentrations considering these extracts as a source of phenolic compounds with antidiabetic, antiglycation and antioxidant properties.