Effect of pine bark extract and its phenolic compounds on selected pathogenic and probiotic bacterial strains.

Introduction: Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) comprises a heterogeneous group of chronic diseases as ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's disease (CD). IBD is the result of a dysregulation of intestinal homeostasis with a host's loss of tolerance toward normal enteric microflora. Plant-based extracts as phenolic compounds can play a role by modulating the intestinal inflammation response. Methods: The in vitro antimicrobial activity of French maritime pine bark extract (PBE) and its phenolic constituents has been investigated in this study. Furthermore, the ability of PBE and phenolic compounds (caffeic acid, chlorogenic acid, ferulic acid, gallic acid and taxifolin) to modulate the microbiota has been assessed. Results: Phenolic compounds and PBE showed a great inhibitory effect on the pathogens growth at the highest concentration assessed (1.25 mg/mL). The growth of E. sakazakii and E. faecalis were affected by the effect of caffeic acid and ferulic acid. Taxifolin showed a very strong activity against Listeria sp. (with a reduction ~98%). Gallic acid revealed antibacterial effect on S. aureus at different concentrations. The inhibitory effect of PBE was highly significant on the growth of E. coli O157:H7. PBE, caffeic acid and chlorogenic acid seem to provide the greatest beneficial effect on the probiotic bacteria. However, the highest concentrations of taxifolin may have impaired the growth of beneficial microbiota. Conclusion: Present findings could be of interest for considering PBE and/or its phenolic constituents as protectors against gastrointestinal disturbances which lead to ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease.

Three main factors define changes in fecal microbiota associated with feeding modality in infants.

OBJECTIVES: There are many differences in the fecal infant microbiota associated with various feeding methods. The aim of this study was to examine the major differences in the fecal microbiota of breast-fed (BF) and formula-fed (FF) infants and to describe the principal bacterial components that would explain the variability in the predominant bacterial families and genus clusters. METHODS: Fecal samples from 58 infants, 31 of whom were exclusively BF and 27 of whom were exclusively FF with a standard formula in agreement with the European Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition recommendations, were analyzed by fluorescent in situ hybridization combined with flow cytometry. Principal component analysis was used to maximize the information gained for the predominant bacterial families and genus clusters using a minimal number of bacterial groups. RESULTS: The predominant detected group was Bifidobacterium, followed by Enterobacteriaceae and Bacteroides in both BF and FF infants. The Lactobacillus group was the only independent variable associated with FF infants. We also found that 3 principal components were sufficient to describe the association between the bacterial group, genus, and species studied in BF and FF infants; however, these components differed between BF and FF infants. For the former, the 3 factors found were Bifidobacterium/Enterobacteriaceae, Lactobacillus/Bacteroides, and Clostridium coccoides/Atopobium; for the latter, Bifidobacterium/Enterobacteriaceae, Bacteroides and C coccoides were observed. CONCLUSIONS: There is a clear clustering of components of infant microbiota based on the feeding method.

Evaluation of antioxidant activity and antiproliferative effect of fruit juices enriched with Pycnogenol® in colon carcinoma cells. The effect of in vitro gastrointestinal digestion.

The aim of this study was to examine the effect of in vitro gastrointestinal digestion on the antioxidant and antiproliferative effect of fruit juices enriched with Pycnogenol® (0.5 g/L) on a colon carcinoma cell line (Caco-2). The total phenolic concentration (TPC), antioxidant activity and inhibition cell growth were studied in fresh and digested pineapple juice and red fruits juice (both enriched with pine bark extract and not). After in vitro digestion the level of detectable phenolic compounds (expressed as gallic acid equivalent) was higher in both pineapple and red fruits juices enriched with Pycnogenol® than in non-enriched commercial juices (155.6 mg/100 mL vs 94.6 mg/100 mL and 478.5 mg/100 mL vs 406.9 mg/100 mL, respectively). Increased antioxidant activity (measured by 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) (ABTS) and oxygen radical absorbance capacity assay (ORAC) methods) was observed in digested enriched juices with respect to the same samples before digestion. Pycnogenol® enrichment led to a high antiproliferative effect between 24 and 72 h of incubation with undigested pineapple juice compared with the non-enriched juice. It can be concluded that enrichment of fruit juices with Pycnogenol® provides a source of phenolic compounds with high stability to in vitro gastrointestinal conditions; however, the antioxidant properties of fruit juices were affected to a different extent.

Adherence to the Mediterranean Diet and Determinants Among Pregnant Women: The NELA Cohort.

The Mediterranean diet represents one of the most studied dietary patterns; however, there is no single tool for measuring the grade of adherence and no single set of criteria for adapting these indices to pregnant women. We characterized the adherence to the Mediterranean diet (MDA) of pregnant women participating in the NELA (Nutrition in Early Life and Asthma) cohort and identified the sociodemographic determinants and lifestyle habits associated with a higher risk of a low MDA. Maternal diet during gestation was assessed by a validated Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ) (n = 665). We estimated the Relative Mediterranean Diet score (rMED), Alternative Mediterranean Diet score (aMED), and the Alternate Healthy Eating Index-2010 (AHEI-2010). Multivariate regression models were performed to identify the sociodemographic and lifestyle factors associated with each index. Mothers with a lower age and more previous deliveries had a greater probability of low MDA (p < 0.05). For the aMED index only, mothers with university education and/or who practiced sport activities for two or more hours per week had a lower probability of a low MDA (p < 0.01). The three indices classified the NELA cohort as having a medium level of adherence. These results may be improved by designing intervention strategies and dietary recommendations for both maternal and offspring health.