Bioscience of microbiota, food and health最新文献

Single-strain Bifidobacterium species are commonly used as probiotics with low birth weight neonates. However, the effectiveness and safety of multi-strain Bifidobacterium supplementation are not well known. Thirty-six neonates weighing less than 2,000 g (558-1,943 g) at birth and admitted to a neonatal intensive care unit were randomly assigned to receive a single strain or triple strains of Bifidobacterium with lactulose enterally for 4 weeks from birth. The relative abundances of Staphylococcus and Bifidobacterium in the fecal microbiota at weeks 1, 2, and 4 were investigated. Based on the study results, no significant difference was detected between the two groups in the abundance of Staphylococcus; however, the triple-strain group had significantly high abundances of Bifidobacterium at weeks 2 and 4. The fecal microbiota in the triple-strain group had significantly lower alpha diversity (Bifidobacterium-enriching) after week 4 and was different from that in the single-strain group, which showed a higher abundance of Clostridium. No severe adverse events occurred in either group during the study period. Although no significant difference was detected between single- and multi-strain bifidobacteria supplementation in the colonization of Staphylococcus in the fecal microbiota of the neonates, multi-strain bifidobacteria supplementation contributed toward early enrichment of the microbiota with bifidobacteria and suppression of other pathogenic bacteria, such as Clostridium spp.

Cumulative evidence suggests that intermittent fasting (IF) has beneficial effects on human metabolic health. It has been indicated that its impact on the gut microbiota may mediate these beneficial effects. As a result, we hypothesized that IF may impact the human gut microbiota. A systematic review was carried out according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) protocol using the PubMed, Scopus, and CINAHL databases. We registered our systematic review protocol in PROSPERO under registration number CRD42021270050. Human intervention studies published until April 30, 2023, were included. The quality of the included studies was assessed using National Institutes of Health (NIH) quality assessment study tools for intervention studies. The search in the database returned 166 studies, of which 13 matched all criteria for the final qualitative analysis. The body of evidence suggests that IF modulates human gut microbiota alpha and beta diversity in lean (relatively healthy) and relatively healthy overweight/obese individuals but not in individuals with metabolic syndrome. Furthermore, IF also alters human gut microbiota composition in all phenotypes. Of interest, the gut microbiota taxa or microbial metabolites after an IF intervention are associated with metabolic markers. According to this review, IF influences the diversity and taxonomic levels of the human gut microbiota. Individual metabolic phenotypes may alter the effect of IF on the diversity and taxonomic levels of the gut microbiota.

This research investigated and compared the prebiotic properties of a rice bran extract obtained through commercial xylanase extraction in comparison with water extraction. Prebiotic properties were evaluated by probiotic growth stimulation (Lacticaseibacillus casei and Lactiplantibacillus plantarum) and gastrointestinal pathogen inhibition (Bacillus cereus and Escherichia coli). The rice bran extract obtained with xylanase (RB1) displayed significantly higher total polysaccharide and total reducing sugar contents than those obtained with water (RB2; p<0.05). After extraction for 30 min, RB1 exhibited the highest total polysaccharide and total reducing sugar contents. HPLC (high performance liquid chromatography) analysis revealed that RB1 primarily contained xylose, while RB2 contained less glucose and lacked other sugar derivatives. RB1 proved effective in stimulating the growth of L. casei and L. plantarum, surpassing even inulin (a commercial prebiotic). Furthermore, it demonstrated a high potential for inhibiting the growth of pathogenic B. cereus and E. coli, comparable to inulin. In contrast, RB2 exhibited lower inhibitory capacity against B. cereus and E. coli.

Ulva, an edible green alga, contains sulfated polysaccharides and oligosaccharides that possess immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory properties. The objective of this study was to investigate the anti-allergic effects of Ulva-derived samples of polysaccharides (UP), oligosaccharides (UO), and residues (UR) on delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) in mice. Oral treatment of mice with UP, UO, and UR (250 mg/kg body weight) daily noticeably improved the DTH reaction as evidenced by attenuation of footpad swelling and cell infiltration at the allergen-challenge site. Although the Ulva samples had limited impacts on the production of serum total IgG, decreased concentrations of allergen-specific IgG and IgG_2a and an increased concentration of IgG₁ were observed in the treated mice. Moreover, treatment with them suppressed allergen-induced IFN-γ and TNF-α secretion and elevated IL-4 secretion. However, none of the Ulva sample treatments could modulate the production of IL-10. Concordantly, the in situ data reveal that the Ulva sample treatments suppressed IFN-γ and TNF-α expression at the allergen-injection site. These findings collectively suggest the potential of UP, UO, and UR as functional food candidates for the management of delayed-type hypersensitivity.

Lactiplantibacillus plantarum subsp. plantarum N793 (N793) is a lactic acid bacterium (LAB) isolated from corn. We previously showed that N793 increases the level of keratinocyte growth factor, which is required for hair growth, in the culture supernatant of human follicle dermal papilla cells. Additionally, an open-label, single-arm study reported that applying a lotion containing N793 to the scalp for 24 weeks improved hair density in men and women with thinning hair. The present study was a double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group study aimed at verifying the efficacy of N793 for thinning hair. A lotion containing N793, and a control lotion (placebo) were applied once daily for 24 weeks to 104 healthy Japanese men and women. Analysis of all participants revealed no difference in hair density between the N793 and placebo groups. However, an additional analysis limited to participants with relatively mild progression of thinning hair showed a significantly better hair density in the N793 group than in the placebo group. These findings suggest that topical application of N793 improves thinning hair in men and women when the condition's progression is relatively mild.

Kimoto-type Japanese rice wine (sake) has a wide variety of flavors, as the predominant microbes, including lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and nitrate-reducing bacteria, that spontaneously proliferate in the fermentation starter vary depending on the brewery. In this study, we traced the microbiota in four lots of starters manufactured in a newly established brewery and evaluated the lot-to-lot variation and characteristics of the microbiota in the brewery. The results of a 16S ribosomal RNA amplicon analysis showed that the starters brewed in the second brewing year had a more diverse microbiota than those in the first brewing year. Among the LAB predominated at the middle production stage, lactococci, including Leuconostoc spp., were detected in all the lots, while lactobacilli predominated for the first time in the second year. These results suggest that repeated brewing increased microbial diversity and altered the microbial transition pattern in the kimoto-style fermentation starters. Phylogenetic analyses for the LAB isolates from each starter identified Leuconostoc suionicum, Leuconostoc citreum, and Leuconostoc mesenteroides as predominant lactococci as well as a unique lactobacillus in place of Latilactobacillus sakei. We also found that a rice koji-derived Staphylococcus gallinarum with nitrate-reducing activity was generally predominant during the early production stage, suggesting that there was a case in which staphylococci played a role in nitrite production in the starters. These findings are expected to contribute to the understanding of the diversity of microbiota in kimoto-type sake brewing and enable control of the microbiota for consistent sake quality.

Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is a specific autoimmune disease related to genetic and autoimmune factors. Recent studies have found that the intestinal flora is one of the important environmental factors in the development of T1D. The gut microbiota is the largest microbiota in the human body and has a significant impact on material and energy metabolism. Related studies have found that the intestinal floras of T1D patients are unbalanced. Compared with normal patients, the abundance of beneficial bacteria is reduced, and various pathogenic bacteria are significantly increased, affecting the occurrence and development of diabetes. Medicinal and food homologous traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has a multicomponent, multitarget, and biphasic regulatory effect. Its chemical composition can increase the abundance of beneficial bacteria, improve the diversity of the intestinal flora, reduce blood sugar, and achieve the purpose of preventing and treating T1D by regulating the intestinal flora and its metabolites. Therefore, based on a review of T1D, intestinal flora, and TCM derived from medicine and food, this review describes the relationship between T1D and the intestinal flora, as well as the research progress of TCM interventions for T1D through regulation of the intestinal flora. Medicine and food homologous TCM has certain advantages in treating diabetes and regulating the intestinal flora. It can be seen that there is still great research space and broad development prospects for the treatment of diabetes by regulating the intestinal flora with drug and food homologous TCM.

Emerging research indicates the potential involvement of gut bacteria in the etiology of Graves' Disease (GD). However, the evidence regarding this matter is still conflicting. The primary objective of this investigation was to examine the correlation between gut microbiota and GD. A comprehensive search was conducted of the Cochrane Library, Scopus, Europe PMC, and Medline databases up until August 1, 2023, utilizing a combination of relevant keywords. This review incorporates literature that examined the composition of gut microbiota in patients with GD. We employed random-effect models to analyze the standardized mean difference (SMD) and present the outcomes together with their corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs). A total of ten studies were incorporated. The results of our meta-analysis indicated that patients with GD have a reduced alpha diversity of gut microbiota as evidence by a significant reduction of Chao1 (std. mean difference -0.58; 95% CI -0.90, -0.26, p=0.0004; I² =61%), ACE (std. mean difference -0.64; 95% CI -1.09, -0.18, p=0.006; I² =77%), and Shannon index (std. mean difference -0.71; 95% CI -1.25, -0.17, p=0.01; I² =90%) when compared with healthy controls. At the phylum level, the abundance of Firmicutes was reduced in GD patients, while that of Bacteroidetes was increased. This study suggests a notable decrease in the richness and variety of gut microbiota among people diagnosed with GD in comparison with healthy controls.

In Japan, the growing interest in anti-aging skin care is associated with the unprecedented aging society. Skin aging can be attributed to various factors, including the activation of hyaluronidase enzyme in subcutaneous tissues exposed to ultraviolet radiation. This enzyme breaks down hyaluronic acid, leading to skin sagging. Therefore, hyaluronidase inhibitors can effectively prevent skin aging. Previously, food components have been actively explored to search for hyaluronidase inhibitors considering the high safety of these materials. Although lactic acid bacteria (LAB)-fermented foods inhibit this enzyme, their active compounds responsible for hyaluronidase inhibition remain unknown. Thus, in this study, we aimed to explore the mechanism underlying the LAB-mediated inhibition of hyaluronidase activity. Supernatants of a LAB-fermented milk-based beverage were subjected to a hyaluronidase inhibition assay, followed by purification and separation using hydrophobic adsorbents and high-performance liquid chromatography, respectively. Subsequently, liquid chromatograph time-of-flight mass analysis was performed, revealing α-ketoglutarate (AKG) as the inhibitor of this enzyme. The half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC₅₀) of AKG was approximately 0.13-fold that of the known strong hyaluronidase inhibitor disodium cromoglycate (DSCG). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on hyaluronidase inhibition mediated by AKG, a metabolic product of LAB. Additionally, Lactobacillus acidophilus JCM1132 was identified as a highly effective AKG-producing LAB (63.9 µg/mL) through LC-MS/MS-based quantitative analyses using various LAB-fermented milk samples. We anticipate that the findings of this study will potentially support the development of functional foods and cosmetics enriched with AKG.

Pulmonary fibrosis is an end-stage respiratory disease characterized by fibroblast proliferation and accumulation of extracellular matrix and collagen, which is accompanied by inflammatory damage. The disease is mainly based on pulmonary dysfunction and respiratory failure, the incidence of it is increasing year by year, and the current treatment methods for it are limited. In recent years, it has been found that gut microbes play a crucial role in the pathogenesis and development of pulmonary fibrosis. The microecological disturbance caused by changes in the composition of the intestinal flora can affect the course of pulmonary fibrosis. The regulatory network or information exchange system for gut-lung crosstalk is called the "gut-lung axis". This review focuses on the frontier research on entero-pulmonary regulation in pulmonary fibrosis and on intervention strategies for changing the gut microbiota to improve pulmonary fibrosis, including fecal microbiota transplantation, traditional Chinese medicine interventions, and supplementation with probiotics. In addition, the present problems in this field are also raised in order to provide strong theoretical and strategic support for the future exploration of regulatory mechanisms and therapeutic drug development. This paper reviews the interaction of the intestinal flora with pulmonary fibrosis, introduces the research progress for improving pulmonary fibrosis through interventions targeted at the intestinal flora, and provides new ideas for the treatment of pulmonary fibrosis.