Project description:The objectives of this study were to understand the effect of phenolic compounds from fermented berry beverages on hyperglycemia and obesity in vivo using mice fed a high fat diet. Our hypothesis was that consumption of a fermented blueberry-blackberry beverage and its phenolic compounds would reduce the development of obesity and hyperglycemia in diet-induced obese mice. Body composition, histomorphological analysis of pancreatic islets and liver, and expression of genes involved in obesity and hyperglycemia were evaluated in order to explain the modulation of diet-induced obesity and hyperglycemia due to treatments.
Project description:The consumption of fermented food has been linked to positive health outcomes due to a variety of functional properties. Fermented dairy constitutes a major dietary source and contains lactoseas main carbohydrate and living starter cultures. To investigate whether nutritional and microbial modulation impacted intestinal microbiota composition and activity, we employed fecal microbiota fermentations and a dairy model system consisting of lactose and β-galactosidase positive and negative Streptococcus thermophilus. Based on 16S rRNA gene based microbial community analysis, we observed that lactose addition increased the abundance of Bifidobacteriaceae, and of Veillonellaceae and Enterobacteraceae in selected samples. The supplied lactose was hydrolysed within 24 h of fermentation and led to higher expression of community indigenous β-galactosidases. Targeted protein analysis confirmed that bifidobacteria contributed most β-galactosidases together with other taxa including Escherichia coli and Anaerobutyricum hallii. Lactose addition led to 1.1-1.8 fold higher levels of butyrate compared to controls likely due to (i) lactate-crossfeeding and (ii) direct lactose metabolism by butyrate producing Anaerobutyricum and Faecalibacterium spp. Representatives of both genera used lactose to produce butyrate in single cultures. When supplemented at around 5.5 log cells mL-1, S. thermophilus or its beta-galactosidase negative mutant outnumbered the indigenous Streptococcaceae population at the beginning of fermentation but had no impact on lactose utilisation and final SCFA profiles. This study brings forward new fundamental insight into interactions of major constituents of fermented dairy with the intestinal microbiota. We provide evidence that lactose addition increases fecal microbiota production of butyrate through cross-feeding and direct metabolism without contribution of starter cultures.
Project description:The objectives of this study were to understand the effect of phenolic compounds from fermented berry beverages on hyperglycemia and obesity in vivo using mice fed a high fat diet. Our hypothesis was that consumption of a fermented blueberry-blackberry beverage and its phenolic compounds would reduce the development of obesity and hyperglycemia in diet-induced obese mice. Body composition, histomorphological analysis of pancreatic islets and liver, and expression of genes involved in obesity and hyperglycemia were evaluated in order to explain the modulation of diet-induced obesity and hyperglycemia due to treatments. Total RNA was extracted from frozen pancreatic tissue of mice after 12 weeks of high-fat diet, 5 groups treated with sitagliptin, alcohol-free berry beverage (AFFB), 0.1X phenolic extract, 1X phenolic extract and 3X phenolic extract respectively, were compared to the control (water). Four replicates were included for each one of the treatments.
Project description:In this study, we have characterized and compared the effects of differently prepared chamomile extracts and characteristic pure compounds on the T cell redox milieu as well as on the migration, activation, proliferation, and cytokine production of primary human T cells. Futhermore, nCounter based gene expression profiling was performed on the most promising extracts (Chamomile aqueous total fermented-CT, aqueous toot fermented-CR, and ethanolic flower-CF) and pure compounds (Apigenin-Ap and Chamazulene-Cz) to identify the genes related to different T cell functions, that were targeted by the different treatment conditions.
Project description:The increasing aquaculture production volumes have caused an escalating demand for alternative protein feed ingredients. Agro-industrial by-products such as sunflower meal are relatively abundant and cheap, but the inclusion levels are limited due to the presence of antinutritional factors and fiber. Solid state fermentation is a processing method with the aim of reducing the content of fiber and antinutritional factors and improving nutritional value in plant protein raw materials. In this study, Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) at two commercial-like fish farms were fed diets containing 5% non-fermented sunflower meal (as a control diet) and two experimental diets with 5% or 10% fermented sunflower meal. The field trial lasted for eight and 11 months in a coastal and fjord location, respectively with the aim of comparing the effect of fermented diets on growth performance, gut microbiota, distal intestine histology and gene expression of Atlantic salmon under different environmental conditions. The findings revealed that diets with fermented sunflower meal sustained growth performance, improved intestinal health by reducing the prevalence of prominent inflammation and ectopic goblet cells and promoted gut lactic acid bacteria Lactiplantibacillus and Lactobaccilaceae after long-term feeding. Our results suggest that fermented sunflower meal is suitable as a protein source for Atlantic salmon when included at a level of up to 10% in the diet.
Project description:On the example of the biosynthetically exhausted landomycin A cluster we demonstrate unbalancing of gene transcription as an efficient method for the generation of new compounds. Decoupled from the native regulators LanI and LanK, all landomycin A structural genes were set under the control of a single synthetic promoter and expressed in a heterologous host Streptomyces albus J1074. Previously being both temporarily and quantitatively regulated, these genes were transcribed as a single polycistronic mRNA leading to the production of four novel and two known compounds. No glycosylated landomycins were detected though the entire biosynthetic cluster was transcribed, showing the crucial role of the balanced gene expression for the production of landomycin A. Two new compounds, fridamycin F and G, isolated in this study were shown to originate from the interplay between the expressed biosynthetic pathway and metabolic network of the heterologous host. Structure activity studies of the isolated compounds as well as results of transcriptome sequencing are discussed in this article.