Phosphatidylcholine Surface Hydration-Dependent Adsorption to Mucin Enhances Intestinal Mucus Barrier Function.

The crucial role of zwitterionic phosphatidylcholines (PC) within mucus gel is essential for maintaining intestinal homeostasis, while the underlying mechanism remains incompletely understood. Herein, we compared the dynamic interfacial adsorption behavior of saturated dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) and unsaturated dioleoylphosphatidylcholine (DOPC) to intestinal mucin and their impact on the intestinal mucus barrier function. Results of quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation showed that the highly surface-hydrated DPPC vesicles exhibited significantly faster and more extensive adsorption to purified intestinal mucin than the slightly surface-hydrated DOPC vesicles. Utilizing an intestinal Caco-2/HT29-MTX coculture model, we observed that DPPC vesicles adsorbed much more to the mucus gel compared to DOPC vesicles. Additionally, DPPC vesicle adsorption displayed increased wetting, and converse for DOPC vesicles. Interestingly, both of them exhibited nearly the same protective effects against cell injury induced by peptic-tryptic digests of gliadin (PTG). The partial mechanism involved the binding of PTG to DPPC and DOPC within the mucus gel, thereby restricting PTG contact with the underlying epithelial cells. These findings shed light on the intricate interfacial dynamics of PC adsorption to mucin and their implications for maintaining the integrity of the intestinal mucus barrier.

Enhanced biomass production and harvesting efficiency of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii under high-ammonium conditions by powdered oyster shell.

Chlamydomonas reinhardtii prefers ammonium (NH4+) as a nitrogen source, but its late-stage growth under high-NH4+ concentrations (0.5 âˆ¼ 1 g/L) is retarded due to medium acidification. In this study, oyster shell powders were shown to increase the tolerance of C. reinhardtii to NH4+ supplementation at 0.7 g/L in TAP medium in 1-L bubble-column bioreactors, resulting in a 22.9 % increase in biomass production, 62.1 % rise in unsaturated fatty acid accumulation, and 19.2 % improvement in harvesting efficiency. Powdered oyster shell mitigated medium acidification (pH 7.2-7.8) and provided dissolved inorganic carbon up to 8.02 × 103 µmol/L, facilitating a 76.3 % NH4+ consumption, release of up to 189 mg/L of Ca2+, a 42.1 % reduction in ζ-potential and 27.7 % increase in flocculation activity of microalgae cells. This study highlights a promising approach to utilize powdered oyster shell as a liming agent, supplement carbon source, and bio-flocculant for enhancing biomass production and microalgae harvesting in NH4+-rich environments.

Formation of small-granule starch oleogels based on capillary force: Impact of starch surface lipids on lubrication performance.

Starch granule oleogels were prepared and their rheological properties were precisely tuned using the capillary bridging phenomenon. The addition of a small amount of water to an oily suspension of starch granules can lead to starch granule bridging and network formation, transitioning it from a fluid-like to a gel-like state. Small-granule starches with high specific surface area and interfacial area exhibited a greater number of liquid bridges and stronger starch granules interactions, making them more prone to forming structurally stable oleogel systems. By increasing the content of water and starch granule, the starch oleogels exhibited three distinct structural states: pendular state (water ≤ 3.28 %, starch ≤ 17.85 %), pendular bridging network (water: 4.92 %, starch: 24.59 %), and capillary aggregates (water ≥ 6.56 %, starch > 24.59 %). Furthermore, the influence of starch granule surface lipids on the lubrication performance of the oleogel system was investigated. Surface roughness increased after extraction of surface lipids, and the friction coefficient also showed a significant increase. Overall, capillary suspension system can potentially be used to design novel fat food products, and our findings have established the correlation between starch granule surface properties and sensory perception in food, providing valuable insights for adjusting the oral processing characteristics of food.

Condensation of Soy Protein Peptides Contributes to Sequester Bile Acids and Mitigate LPS-Induced Inflammation.

Soy protein is widely known to have serum triglyceride (TG) and cholesterol-lowering effects associated with a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease. Recent studies highlighted that the extension region (ER) domain of soy 7S globulin (ß-conglycinin) is a key component responsible for the serum TG-lowering effect via modulation of bile acid (BA) homeostasis. Here, we studied the sequestration of BAs by ER peptides during intestinal digestion in vitro and assessed the anti-inflammatory effects of ER peptides using Caco-2/HT29-MTX/RAW264.7 triple-cell cocultures as an intestine cell model. Results show that ER peptides, which share characteristics of intrinsically disordered regions (IDRs), are capable of forming peptide condensates and exhibit the capability to sequester BA-containing colloidal structures during intestinal digestion in vitro. Moreover, BAs enhance the penetration of peptide condensates within the mucus layer, enabling ER peptides to mitigate lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced gut inflammation. These results provide a possible explanation for the molecular mechanisms underlying the modulation of BA homeostasis by soybean proteins.

Extension Region Domain of Soybean 7S Globulin Contributes to Serum Triglyceride-Lowering Effect via Modulation of Bile Acids Homeostasis.

SCOPE: Soybean 7S globulin (ß-conglycinin), a major soybean storage protein, has been demonstrated to exert remarkable triglyceride (TG) and cholesterol-lowering effects, yet the underlying mechanism remains controversial. METHODS AND RESULTS: A comparative investigation is performed to assess the contribution of different structural domains of soybean 7S globulin, including core region (CR) and extension region (ER) domains, to biological effects of soybean 7S globulin using a high-fat diet rat model. The results show that ER domain mainly contributes to the serum TG-lowering effect of soybean 7S globulin, but not for CR domain. Metabolomics analysis reveals that oral administration of ER peptides obviously influences the metabolic profiling of serum bile acids (BAs), as well as significantly increased the fecal excretion of total BAs. Meanwhile, ER peptides supplementation reshapes the composition of gut microbiota and impacts the gut microbiota-dependent biotransformation of BAs which indicate by a significantly increased secondary BAs concentration in fecal samples. These results highlight that TG-lowering effects of ER peptides mainly stem from their modulation of BAs homeostasis. CONCLUSION: Oral administration of ER peptides can effectively lower serum TG level by regulating BAs metabolism. ER peptides have potential to be used as a candidate pharmaceutical for the intervention of dyslipidemia.

Bile Acid Profile Influences Digestion Resistance and Antigenicity of Soybean 7S Protein.

Soybean 7S storage protein (ß-conglycinin) is the most important allergen, exhibits resistance in gastrointestinal (GI) digestion, and causes allergies in humans and animals. A previous study has demonstrated that 7S proteins contained innate amyloid aggregates, but the fate of these specific protein aggregates in intestinal digestion and correlation to allergenicity are unclear. In this study, via a modified INFOGEST static in vitro digestion and IgE binding test, we illustrate that the survived amyloid aggregates of soybean 7S protein in GI digestion might be dominant IgE epitopes of soybean protein in humans. The impact of conjugated primary bile acid salt (BS) profile on digestion resistance and immunogenicity of soybean protein is assessed, regarding the binding affinity of BS to protein aggregates with consideration of the BS composition and the physiologically relevant colloidal structure. The results show that chenodeoxycholate-containing colloidal structures exhibit high affinity and unfolding capacity to protein amyloid aggregates, promoting proteolysis by pancreatic enzymes and thus mitigating the antigenicity of soybean protein. This study presents a novel understanding of bile acid profile and colloidal structure influence on the digestibility and antigenicity of dietary proteins. It should be helpful to design in vitro digestion protocol and accurately replicate physiologically relevant digestion conditions.

Polyphenol-Enriched Protein Oleogels as Potential Delivery Systems of Omega-3 Fatty Acids.

Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 FAs) are essential nutrients and are considered effective in improving human health. Recent studies highlight the importance of the combination of n-3 FAs and polyphenols for limiting the oxidation of n-3 FAs and exhibiting synergistic beneficial effects. Herein, we developed a novel formulation technology to prepare oleogels that could be used for the codelivery of n-3 FAs and polyphenols with high loading efficacy and oxidative stability. These oleogels are made from algal oil with polyphenol-enriched whey protein microgel (WPM) particles as gelling agents via simple and scalable ball milling technology. The oxidative status, fatty acid composition, and volatiles of protein oleogels during accelerated storage were systematically assessed by stoichiometry and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. These results showed that protein oleogels could overcome several challenges associated with the formulation of n-3 oils, including long-term oxidative stability and improved sensory and textural properties. The protein oleogel system could provide an excellent convenience for formulating multiple nutrients and nutraceuticals with integrating health effects, which are expected to be used in the care of highly vulnerable populations, including children, the elderly, and patients.

Digestion Resistance of Soybean 7S Protein and Its Implications for Reinforcing the Gastric Mucus Barrier.

Previous studies have found that soybean protein, especially soybean 7S protein (ß-conglycinin), exhibits digestion resistance, but the mechanism of digestion resistance and its implications for human health are still unclear. Here, we show that the extracted soybean 7S protein contains both oligomer globulins and amyloid aggregates, while the gastric digested soybean 7S protein only contains amyloid aggregates and thus exhibits digestion resistance. An animal experiment shows that un-digestible soybean 7S protein effectively prevents aspirin-induced acute gastric mucosa damage. The impacts of un-digestible soybean 7S protein on gastric mucus barrier properties are investigated using quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation (QCM-D), Langmuir monolayer, and multiple particle tracking (MPT). Results show that these un-digestible protein aggregates can penetrate into gastric mucus, increase the viscosity and compactness of the mucin layer, and reinforce the gastric mucus barrier properties. The findings are helpful to understand that high consumption of non-fermented soybean foods is associated with a decreased risk of gastric cancer.

Interaction of Pyrogallol-Containing Polyphenols with Mucin Reinforces Intestinal Mucus Barrier Properties.

High consumption of polyphenol-rich green tea, coffee, fruits, and vegetables is associated with a low risk of human chronic diseases. Recent studies highlight the relevance of polyphenol-mediated gut microbiota modulation and its impact on mucus barrier. Herein, we study the direct interaction of epicatechin (EC), epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), and tannic acid (TA) with intestinal mucin by isothermal titration calorimetry and multiple particle tracking and the impact on mucus barrier using ex vivo mucus and Caco-2/HT29-MTX cocultures. Results show that pyrogallol-containing polyphenols EGCG and TA exhibit strong binding to intestinal mucin and reinforce mucus barrier, whereas EC does not. ECGG and TA also mitigate gliadin-mediated cytotoxicity and inflammation. The chemical binding of EGCG and TA to the nucleophilic thiol groups of mucins shows their roles as cross-linkers of mucin networks. These results bring a novel understanding of the health benefits of polyphenols and provide support for the consumption of pyrogallol-containing beverages like green tea as a potential dietary therapy for gluten-related disorders.

Undigestible Gliadin Peptide Nanoparticles Penetrate Mucus and Reduce Mucus Production Driven by Intestinal Epithelial Cell Damage.

Wheat protein is the most consumed plant protein in our diet, and there is an increased prevalence of wheat/gluten intolerance and adherence to a gluten-free diet in many countries. Despite the known immunodominant effect of undigested gliadin peptides responsible for gluten-related intolerance, it remains unclear if and how gliadin peptides self-assemble into ordered nanostructures during gastrointestinal digestion, as well as their biological impact on the mucus barrier function. In this study, we purified undigestible gliadin peptide nanoparticles (UGPNs) by ultracentrifugation and characterized their structural and physiochemical properties. The results demonstrate that the UGPNs are self-assembled nanostructures generated by cationic amino acids (Lys and Arg)-capped surfactant-like peptides (SLPs), mainly derived from γ-gliadin and α-gliadin. SLPs trigger the concentration-dependent self-assembly driven by ß-sheet conformational transitions above their critical aggregation concentration (cac, ∼0.1 mg/mL). UGPNs can easily penetrate the mucus layer in Caco-2/HT29-MTX cocultures with a high Papp value (∼5.7 × 10-6 cm/s) and reduce the production and thickness of the mucus layer driven by intestinal epithelial cell damage. Isothermal titration calorimetry and Langmuir monolayer studies indicate that the self-assembled state of UGPNs significantly affects their binding to DPPC/DOPE lipid membrane models. These results highlight the relevance of the self-assembly of gliadin peptides as a trigger of mucosal inflammation-related wheat/gluten intolerance.

Salt reduction in bread via enrichment of dietary fiber containing sodium and calcium.

The high intake of sodium and low intake of dietary fiber are two major dietary risk factors for preventable deaths worldwide, highlighting the need and implementations for developing health foods with low-salt/high-dietary fibers. Bread as a staple food contributes about 25% to the daily intake of sodium in many countries, and salt reduction in bread still remains a great technical challenge. In this study, we developed a simple method to reformulate the white bread in terms of reducing salt contents via dietary fiber fortification, while maintaining the taste and texture qualities. Low molecular weight water-extractable arabinoxylans (LMW-WEAX) as a soluble dietary fiber was first hydrated in salt water before dough mixing, leading to an inhomogeneous spatial distribution of sodium in bread and accelerating the release of sodium ions from crumbs, allowing 20% salt reduction in bread without impacting the salt perception. Data from the moisture content, crumb structure, water distribution, dough rheology and bread texture properties suggest that the pre-hydrated incorporation of LMW-WEAX mitigates the detrimental effect of dietary fiber on the dough and bread quality. The modulation of Ca2+ on the permeability of Na+ through the mucus layer and implication in salt enhancement of the bread were investigated. Results show that the pre-hydrated incorporation of WEAX containing Na+ and Ca2+ (1.0%) makes it possible to reduce 30% salt content in breads, which have implications in the large-scale production of low-salt/high-dietary fiber bread.

Stabilization and delivery of bioavailable nanosized iron by fish sperm DNA.

Nanosized iron is a promising candidate as an iron fortificant due to its good solubility and bioavailability. Here, ferric hydrolysis in the presence of salmon/herring sperm DNA yielded irregularly shaped, highly negatively charged DNA-stabilized ferric oxyhydroxide nanoparticles (DNA-FeONPs) aggregated from 2-4 nm primary spherical monomers, in which phosphodioxy groups of the DNA backbone served as the iron-nucleation sites with high molecular weight (>500 bp), double-stranded winding, and acidic environmental pH disfavoring DNA's iron-loading capacity. The calcein fluorescence-quenching kinetics of polarized Caco-2 cells revealed the involvement of divalent transporter 1, macropinocytosis and nucleolin-mediated endocytosis in intestinal iron absorption from DNA-FeONPs with low molecular weight (<500 bp) favoring the performance of DNA in aiding iron absorption. In anemic rats, dietary DNA-FeONPs showed >80% relative iron bioavailability compared to FeSO4 as per hemoglobin regeneration efficiencies and delivered intestinally available nanosized iron, as determined by luminal iron speciation analysis. Overall, fish sperm DNA is promising in stabilizing and delivering bioavailable nanosized iron.

Chondroitin sulfate and its nanocomposites with protamine or chitosan stabilize and deliver available nanosized iron.

Nanostructured iron (III) compounds are promising candidates for iron fortification applications due to their good solubility, bioavailability, and redox inertia. The current study synthesized ferric oxyhydroxide nanoparticles (FeONPs) based on chondroitin sulfate (ChS) and its nanocomposites with protamine sulfate (PS) or chitosan (CS) in neutral aqueous solution under ambient conditions, and evaluated their iron availability to polarized human intestinal epithelial (Caco-2) cells. Ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering, transmission electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy showed that ChS-FeONPs were wave-like anionic particles where FeONPs attached on the polysaccharide chains and PS/ChS-FeONPs and CS/ChS-FeONPs were irregular anionic nanoparticles where FeONPs scattered across the entire region. The calcein-fluorescence-quenching assay in polarized Caco-2 cells showed good iron uptake from ChS-FeONPs, PS/ChS-FeONPs and CS/ChS-FeONPs mainly via endocytosis, with the latter two exhibiting better iron absorption. Overall, our study provides a more facile and greener alternative route to synthesize the bioavailable nano-sized iron.

Microalgae aqueous extracts exert intestinal protective effects in Caco-2 cells and dextran sodium sulphate-induced mouse colitis.

Microalgae are emerging as a good source of natural nutraceuticals. Here, we examined the intestinal protective effects of microalgae aqueous extracts (MAEs) from Chlorella pyrenoidosa, Spirulina platensis, and Synechococcus sp. PCC 7002 in human intestinal epithelial Caco-2 cells and dextran sodium sulphate (DSS)-induced colitis in C57BL/6 mice. MAEs displayed intestinal barrier-protective activities in Caco-2 cells by increasing the expression of heat shock protein (Hsp)-27 and tight junction proteins of occludin and claudin-4 and attenuating the H2O2-induced intracellular reactive oxygen species production, plasma membrane impairment and apoptosis. They also showed anti-inflammatory potential in tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α-, interleukin (IL)-1ß- and H2O2-stimulated Caco-2 cells by suppressing the secretion of IL-8 and the expression of cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS). The 8 d daily intragastric administration of MAEs during and after 4 d DSS exposure effectively alleviated colitis symptoms of weight loss, diarrhea, rectal bleeding, and colon shortening and histopathology, protected intestinal barrier function by increasing colonic Hsp-25, occludin and claudin-4, and attenuated colonic and systemic inflammation by suppressing colonic myeloperoxidase activity, production of TNF-α, IL-1ß and IL-6, expression of COX-2 and iNOS, and peripheral leukocytosis, monocytosis and granulocytosis. Microalgae can thus serve as a functional food to maintain gut health.

Prevention of Zinc Precipitation with Calcium Phosphate by Casein Hydrolysate Improves Zinc Absorption in Mouse Small Intestine ex Vivo via a Nanoparticle-Mediated Mechanism.

Casein phosphopeptides are known to enhance zinc absorption, but the underlying mechanism remains unclear. Here, a gastrointestinal casein hydrolysate (CH) was found to keep zinc in solution despite heavy precipitation of calcium and phosphate, the omnipresent mineral nutrients that could co-precipitate zinc out of solution instantly and almost completely under physiologically relevant conditions. Dynamic light scattering, transmission electron microscopy, and energy-dispersive X-ray analysis displayed the CH-mediated formation of zinc/calcium phosphate (Zn/CaP) nanocomplexes aggregated from rather small nanoclusters. The ex vivo mouse ileal loop experiments revealed enhanced intestinal zinc absorption by CH's prevention of zinc co-precipitation with CaP, and the treatments with specific inhibitors unveiled the involvement of macropinocytic internalization, lysosomal degradation, and transcytosis in the intestinal uptake of zinc from Zn/CaP nanocomplexes. A low calcium-to-phosphorus ratio adversely affected CH's efficiency to enhance zinc solubility and absorption. Overall, our study provides a new paradigm for casein phosphopeptides to improve zinc bioavailability.

Platinum Nanoparticles As A Therapeutic Agent Against Dextran Sodium Sulfate-Induced Colitis In Mice.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to evaluate the anti-colitis potential of platinum nanoparticles (PtNPs). MATERIALS AND METHODS: 5-, 30- and 70-nm PtNPs were administered to C57BL/6 mice once daily by intragastric gavage for 8 d during and after 5-d dextran sodium sulfate treatment. RESULTS: According to body weight change, stool blood and consistency, and colon length and histopathology, PtNPs size-dependently alleviated DSS-induced murine colitis. PtNPs enhanced gut-barrier function by upregulating the colonic expressions of heat-shock protein 25 and tight junction proteins. Based on colonic myeloperoxidase activity, colonic and peripheral levels of interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor-α, and peripheral counts of white blood cells, PtNPs attenuated colonic and systemic inflammation. By suppressing lipopolysaccharide-triggered production of proinflammatory mediators, including nitric oxide, tumor necrosis factor-α and interleukin-6, PtNPs exerted direct anti-inflammatory activities in RAW264.7 macrophages through a mechanism involving intracellular reactive oxygen species scavenging and Toll-like receptor 4/NF-κB signaling suppression. High-throughput 16S rRNA sequencing of fecal samples unveiled that PtNPs induced gut dysbiosis by unfavorably altering α-diversity, Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio, and richness of certain specific bacteria. CONCLUSION: PtNPs are a promising anti-colitis agent, but may negatively impact gut-microbiota.

Thermal Gel Degradation (Modori) in Sturgeon (Acipenseridae) Surimi Gels.

Sturgeon meat has been found to be suitable as surimi raw materials. The present study determined the modori phenomenon in sturgeon surimi gels and identified its relationship with cathepsins. In all heat-treated gels (25 to 90 °C, at 5 °C intervals), the 40 °C-incubated sturgeon surimi gel showed the weakest gel properties and water-holding capacity (P < 0.05), a rough protein gel network under SEM, and the highest protein solubility and trichloroacetic acid-soluble peptides content (P < 0.05). SDS-PAGE indicated that the myosin heavy chain band of sturgeon surimi gels was almost completely degraded at 40 °C. Moreover, the highest cathepsin L activity was observed in 40 °C-treated sturgeon surimi gels (P < 0.05). Our results suggested that the modori phenomenon in sturgeon surimi gels occurred at 40 °C, which was partially attributed to cathepsin L, thereby allowing for the better exploitation and utilization of sturgeon surimi.

Glycated fish protein supplementation modulated gut microbiota composition and reduced inflammation but increased accumulation of advanced glycation end products in high-fat diet fed rats.

This study first investigates how the intake level of glycated fish protein (GP), enriched with Amadori products, affects gut health by modifying the fermentation of gut microbiota and accumulation of advanced glycation end products (AGEs) in rats fed a high-fat diet. Hyperlipidemic rats were fed a fish protein (FP) control diet, 6% low-level GP (L-GP) diet, and 12% high-level GP (H-GP) diet for four weeks. Compared to the FP diet, the GP diet greatly changed the pattern of protein fermentation and reduced inflammation markers and blood lipids, but increased the AGE plasma accumulation and fecal excretion. Furthermore, the GP supplementation significantly decreased Ruminiclostridium_6 and Desulfovibrio (p < 0.05), and the L-GP diet showed more effects on the increase of butyrate-producing Ruminococcus_1 and Roseburia, while the H-GP diet considerably decreased Helicobacter and Lachnospiraceae_NK4A136_group. Correlation-type principal-component analysis (PCA) clearly indicated that these biological effects of intake of GP were related to the modulation of gut microbiota composition and fermentation metabolite profiles. Overall, the low intake level of glycated fish protein may have a more beneficial effect on gut health.

Catalase-mimetic gold nanoparticles inhibit the antagonistic action of Lactobacillus gasseri toward foodborne enteric pathogens in associative cultures.

Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) have been previously shown to induce gut dysbiosis during colitis in mice, but the underlying mechanism is not clear yet. Here, we evaluated the effects of AuNPs (5 nm diameter, coated with tannic acid, polyvinylpyrrolidone or citrate) on H2O2 accumulation and pathogen antagonization by an intestinal strain of Lactobacillus gasseri under aerobic cultural conditions. AuNPs (0.65 µg/mL) reduced over 50% of H2O2 accumulation by L. gasseri, and significantly inhibited the antagonistic action of L. gasseri on growth of four foodborne enteric pathogens, i.e. Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium, Escherichia coli, Listeria monocytogenes, and Staphylococcus aureus in associative cultures.

Effect of α-Tocopherol on the Physicochemical Properties of Sturgeon Surimi during Frozen Storage.

This study investigated the effects of α-tocopherol (α-TOH) on the physicochemical properties of sturgeon surimi during 16-week storage at -18 °C. An aliquot of 0.1% (w/w) of α-TOH was added into the surimi and subjected to frozen storage, and 8% of a conventional cryoprotectant (4% sorbitol and 4% sucrose, w/w) was used as a positive control. Based on total viable count, pH and whiteness, α-TOH exhibited a better protection for frozen sturgeon surimi than cryoprotectant during frozen storage. According to soluble protein content, carbonyl content, total sulfhydryl content, and surface hydrophobicity, α-TOH and cryoprotectant showed the same effects on retarding changes of proteins. The results of breaking force, deformation, gel strength, water-holding capacity and microstructure of sturgeon surimi indicated that the gel properties of frozen sturgeon surimi were retained by α-TOH. Our results suggest that α-TOH is an attractive candidate to maintain the quality of sturgeon surimi during frozen storage.