Impact of Oropharyngeal Administration of Colostrum in Preterm Newborns' Oral Microbiome.

The initial colonization of the human microbiota is of paramount importance. In this context, the oropharyngeal administration of colostrum is a safe, viable, and well-tolerated practice even by the smallest preterm infants. Therefore, this study evaluated the effects of oropharyngeal administration of colostrum on the establishment of preterm infants' oral microbiota. A longitudinal observational study was carried out with 20 premature neonates, divided into two groups: one receiving the protocol (Oropharyngeal Administration of Colostrum; OAC) and the other one receiving Standard Caare (SC). Saliva samples were collected from the newborns weekly during the study period (from the day of birth until the 21st day of life) for analysis of oral microbiota through 16S rRNA gene sequencing. We observed that the colonization of the oral microbiota of preterm newborns preseanted a higher relative abundance of Staphylococcus on the 7th day of life, mainly in the OAC group. Additionally, an increased abundance of Bifidobacterium and Bacteroides was observed in the OAC group at the first week of life. Regarding alpha and beta diversity, time was a key factor in the oral modulation of both groups, showing how dynamic this environment is in early life.

Response of the Human Milk Microbiota to A Maternal Prebiotic Intervention is Individual and Influenced by Maternal Age.

Maternal bacteria are shared with infants via breastfeeding. Prebiotics modulate the gut microbiota, promoting health benefits. We investigated whether the maternal diet supplementation with a prebiotic (fructooligosaccharides, FOS) could influence the milk microbiota. Twenty-eight lactating women received 4.5 g of fructooligosaccharides + 2 g of maltodextrin (FOS group) and twenty-five received 2 g of maltodextrin (placebo group) for 20 days. Breast-milk samples were taken before and after the intervention. The DNA from samples was used for 16S rRNA sequencing. No statistical differences between the groups were found for the bacterial genera after the intervention. However, the distances of the trajectories covered by paired samples from the beginning to the end of the supplementation were higher for the FOS group (p = 0.0007) indicating greater changes in milk microbiota compared to the control group. Linear regression models suggested that the maternal age influenced the response for FOS supplementation (p = 0.02). Interestingly, the pattern of changes to genus abundance upon supplementation was not shared between mothers. We demonstrated that manipulating the human milk microbiota through prebiotics is possible, and the maternal age can affect this response. .

Milk fat protects Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis Bb-12 from in vitro gastrointestinal stress in potentially synbiotic table spreads.

The viability and the in vitro gastrointestinal survival of Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis Bb-12 (Bifidobacterium Bb-12) in table spreads with different proportions of milk fat (MF) and palm olein (PO) (MF : PO 40 : 60 and MF : PO 20 : 80) were investigated for up to 28 days of storage at 5 °C. Moreover, qPCR alone and combined with propidium monoazide (PMA) were compared with the traditional plate count method for determining the in vitro gastrointestinal survival of Bifidobacterium Bb-12 in table spreads after 35 days of storage. Formulations showed probiotic viabilities ranging from 8 to 9 log CFU g-1 across the whole storage period, and the milk fat and palm olein in different concentrations did not affect this viability. Bifidobacterium Bb-12 showed good survival after six hours under in vitro simulated gastrointestinal conditions during the studied storage period, with average reductions of 1.70 (MF : PO 40 : 60) and 2.16 log CFU g-1 (MF : PO 20 : 80). The results of the qPCR with PMA treatment and the plate count method were similar and the qPCR without PMA treatment was shown to overestimate the Bifidobacterium Bb-12 populations. However, the MF : PO 40 : 60 spread showed a Bb-12 population between 0.76 and 1.43 log CFU g-1 higher than that of MF : PO 20 : 80. Thus, the results showed that table spreads, especially food matrices with a higher proportion of milk fat, are suitable for the incorporation of Bifidobacterium Bb-12.

Impact of the maternal diet and the intervention with fructooligosaccharide on thehuman milk microbiota / Impacto da dieta materna e da intervenção com fruto-oligossacarídeo sobre a microbiota do leite humano

Human milk is recognized as the main component for growth, metabolism, and immune development in infants. Furthermore, during lactation, human milk is an important source of microorganisms for the intestinal colonization of newborns. Mother-related factors have been associated with the human milk microbiota composition. Nevertheless, apparently, there has not been any study in which the maternal diet was evaluated as a modulator of the human milk microbiota. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the impact of the maternal diet on the human milk microbiota composition of healthy women, and subsequently, to evaluate the effect of fructooligosaccharides supplementation on the human milk microbiota. This study consisted of two parts; the first was a cross-sectional study, including 94 lactating women recruited at the University Hospital of the University of São Paulo (HU/USP), to investigate the association between the maternal nutrient intake during pregnancy and lactation over the first month and the human milk microbiota. The second part consisted of a randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial with 53 lactating, classified as FOS group (n = 28), which received 4.5 g of fructooligosaccharides + 2 g of maltodextrin or placebo group (n = 25), which received 2 g of maltodextrin, over a period of 20 days. The DNA was isolated and used as template for amplification and sequencing by the Illumina MiSeq® System. Overall, the maternal diet during lactation ("short-term" food intake) influenced specific bacterial groups, including positive correlations between polyunsaturated fatty acids/linoleic fatty acids and Bifidobacterium. However, only the maternal diet during pregnancy ("long-term" food intake) was statistically significant (p = 0.02) for the clustering analyzes (community structure analyzes), in which higher levels of vitamin C intake during pregnancy was related to cluster 2, driven by the Staphylococcus genus. After the intervention period on the maternal diet, no differences were found for relative abundance of genera between the placebo and the FOS groups. However, the distances of the trajectories covered by the samples from the beginning to the end of the supplementation was higher for the FOS group (p = 0.0007). According to our results, the maternal age affects the response for FOS supplementation (p = 0.02), though no patterns in the differences of relative abundances were found between the groups. Our results suggest that the maternal diet may influence the human milk microbiota, and the diet during pregnancy is a stronger factor over the bacterial community structure. Minor changes were found by the maternal short-term food intake or the maternal intervention with the prebiotic, and the changes seem to be individual-dependent and influenced by the maternal age, particularly in the intervention study

O leite humano é, reconhecidamente, o principal componente para o crescimento e o desenvolvimento metabólico e imunológico de lactentes. Adicionalmente, durante a lactação, o leite humano consiste em uma importante fonte de micro-organismos para a formação da microbiota intestinal de neonatos. Fatores relacionados à mãe têm sido associados à composição da microbiota do leite humano. Entretanto, poucos estudos avaliaram a dieta materna como componente modulador da microbiota do leite humano. Os objetivos deste estudo foram investigar o impacto da dieta materna sobre a composição da microbiota do leite humano de mães saudáveis e, posteriormente, avaliar a influência da intervenção com fruto-oligossacarídeo na microbiota do leite humano, durante 20 dias de lactação. O estudo foi dividido em duas partes; a primeira parte consistiu de um estudo transversal, com 94 lactantes atendidas no Hospital Universitário da Universidade de São Paulo (HU/USP), a fim de investigar a associação entre o consumo materno de nutrientes durante a gestação e durante o primeiro mês de lactação e a microbiota do leite humano. A segunda parte consistiu em um ensaio clínico, aleatorizado, placebo-controlado, com 53 lactantes, classificadas em grupo FOS, que recebeu 4.5 g de fruto-oligossacarídeo + 2 g de maltodextrina (n = 28) ou grupo placebo, que recebeu 2 g de maltodextrina (n = 25), suplementados por 20 dias. O DNA das amostras de leite foi isolado e utilizado como molde para amplificação e sequenciamento em Illumina MiSeq® System. Em geral, a dieta materna durante a lactação (consumo a curto prazo) apresentou influência pontual sobre diversos grupos de micro-organismos, incluindo correlações positivas entre ácidos graxos poli-insaturados/linoleico e o gênero Bifidobacterium. No entanto, somente a dieta materna durante a gestação (consumo a longo prazo) foi estatisticamente significante (p = 0.02) para as análises de agrupamento das amostras (análises de estrutura de comunidade), sendo o maior teor de vitamina C consumido durante a gestação relacionado ao agrupamento 2, direcionado por maiores populações do gênero Staphylococcus. Após o período de intervenção na dieta materna, não foram encontradas diferenças entre a abundância relativa de gêneros entre os grupos placebo e FOS. No entanto, as distâncias do percurso das amostras do início até o final da suplementação foram maiores para o grupo FOS (p = 0.0007). De acordo com os resultados, a idade materna influencia essa resposta à suplementação por FOS (p = 0.02), embora, não tenham sido encontrados padrões nítidos nas diferenças de abundância relativa entre os grupos. Os resultados obtidos sugerem que a dieta materna consiste em um fator de modulação da microbiota do leite humano, sendo a dieta durante a gestação um fator mais intenso sobre a estrutura da comunidade bacteriana do leite humano. No entanto, o consumo a curto prazo ou a intervenção alimentar com prebiótico sobre a dieta materna apresentou influência pontual sobre a dinâmica da microbiota do leite, ainda que mudanças observadas sejam indivíduo-dependentes e influenciadas pela idade materna, como no caso do estudo de intervenção

Antiinflammatory properties of Morus nigra leaves.

The aim of the present study was to investigate antiinflammatory activity of the methylene chloride extract of Morus nigra in animal models. Carrageenan-induced paw edema as well as fibrovascular tissue growth induced by s.c. cotton pellet implantation were used to investigate the antiinflammatory activity of Morus nigra extract (MnE) in rats. A HPLC fingerprint was used for phytochemical analysis of the extracts. The MnE at test doses of 100-300 mg/kg p.o. clearly demonstrated antiinflammatory effects by reduced paw edema induced by carragenan and significantly inhibited the formation of granulomatous tissue. In addition, chemical compounds isolated from Morus nigra, including betulinic acid, ß-sitosterol and germanicol, may be responsible for the antiinflammatory effect of the extract.

Estudo farmacobotânico das folhas de amoreira-preta, Morus nigra L., Moraceae

Morus nigra L., Moraceae, é uma espécie pertencente à família Moraceae, conhecida comumente como amoreira-preta. Na medicina popular é empregada nos casos de ondas de calor e até mesmo indicada como terapia de reposição hormonal. Possui atividade antioxidante, hipoglicemiante, antiinflamatória e antimicrobiana. O presente trabalho trata da caracterização estrutural da folha, de modo a contribuir na morfodiagnose para o controle de qualidade. Amostras do material vegetal foram seccionadas, fixadas e coradas com fucsina e toluidina. A folha apresenta estômatos anomocíticos na face abaxial, tricomas tectores, mesofilo bifacial, drusas, nervura central semi-convexa e o pecíolo exibe feixes vasculares em arco fechado.

Morus nigra L., Moraceae, is a species usually known as a black mulberry tree. In traditional medicine, M. nigra is used in cases of heat waves and even suitable as a therapy of hormonal replacement. This specie has antioxidant, hypoglycemic, anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial activities. This work has dealt with the structural diagnosis of the leaf, in order to contribute to its quality control. Samples of the botanical material were sectioned, fixed and stained with fuchsine and toluidine. The leaf has anomocytic stomata on the abaxial side, non-glandular trichomes, biface mesophyll, druses, semiconvex midrib and the petiole exhibits a vascular bundle in a closed arch shape.

Antidepressant-like activity of Sonchus oleraceus in mouse models of immobility tests.

The aim of the present work is to evaluate the putative antidepressant-like effects of hydroethanolic and dichloromethanic extracts from the aerial parts of Sonchus oleraceus (Family Asteraceae) on the performance of male mice in the forced swimming test (FST) and tail suspension test (TST) models predictive of depression. The hydroethanolic and dichloromethanic extracts, both in doses of 30, 100, and 300 mg/kg, were orally administered 1 hour before carrying out the FST or the TST. The immobility time in both the FST and the TST was significantly reduced by acute oral treatment with the extracts (dose range, 100-300 mg/kg), without accompanying changes in ambulation, as assessed in an open-field test. This excluded the possibility that the effect of the extracts is due to an activation of locomotion. The efficacy of the extracts was found to be comparable to that of amitriptyline (10 mg/kg, p.o.). The present study provides evidence for an antidepressant-like effect of the active principle(s) present in the extracts of S. oleraceus in mice. Therefore, a standardized S. oleraceus extract or its purified constituents could be of potential interest for the treatment of depressive disorders.

Anti-inflammatory activity of aqueous and alkaline extracts from mushrooms (Agaricus blazei Murill).

The effects of aqueous and alkaline extracts from Agaricus blazei Murill, an edible mushroom used as folk medicine in Brazil, Japan, and China to treat several illnesses, were investigated on the basis of the inflammatory process induced by different agents. Oral administration of A. blazei extracts marginally inhibited the edema induced by nystatin. In contrast, when complete Freund's adjuvant was used as the inflammatory stimulus, both extracts were able to inhibit this process significantly (P < .05, analysis of variance followed by Tukey-Kramer multiple comparison post hoc test), although it inhibited the granulomatous tissue induction moderately. These extracts were able to decrease the ulcer wounds induced by stress. Also, administration of extracts inhibited neutrophil migration to the exudates present in the peritoneal cavity after carrageenin injection. Therefore, it is possible that A. blazei extracts can be useful in inflammatory diseases because of activation of the immune system and its cells induced by the presence of polysaccharides such as beta-glucans.

Evaluation of the antinociceptive activity of extracts of Sonchus oleraceus L. in mice.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Sonchus oleraceus L. has been used to relieve pain in Brazilian folk medicine. AIM OF THE STUDY: Sonchus oleraceus L. has been used to relieve pain in Brazilian folk medicine. This study was conducted to establish the antinociceptive properties of hydroethanolic and dichloromethane extracts from aerial parts of Sonchus oleraceus in mice using chemical and thermal models of nociception. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The formalin, hot plate, and tail immersion tests as well as acetic acid-induced writhing were used to investigate the antinociceptive activity in mice. RESULTS: Given orally, the extracts at test doses of 30-300 mg/kg, produced significant inhibitions on chemical nociception induced by intraperitoneal acetic acid and subplantar formalin since decreased the number of writhing episodes and the time licking. Treatment with the extracts in the same doses produced a significant increase of the reaction time in tail immersion and in the hot plate test. The extracts administered at 300 mg/kg, p.o. had a stronger antinociceptive effect than indomethacin (5mg/kg, p.o.) and morphine (10mg/kg, p.o.). CONCLUSION: The extracts of Sonchus oleraceus markedly demonstrated antinociceptive action in mice, which supports previous claims of its traditional use.

Antinociceptive effect of the extract of Morus nigra leaves in mice.

Morus nigra has been used to relieve pain in Brazilian folk medicine. This study was conducted to establish the antinociceptive properties of dichloromethane extract from leaves of M. nigra. The formalin, hot plate, and tail immersion tests as well as acetic acid-induced writhing were used to investigate the antinociceptive activity in mice. The extract at test doses of 100 and 300 mg/kg, p.o. clearly demonstrated antinociceptive activity in all tests. The extract administered at 300 mg/kg, p.o. had a stronger antinociceptive effect than indomethacin (5 mg/kg, p.o.) and morphine (10 mg/kg, p.o.), which supports previous claims for its traditional use.