Effects of dietary amylose/amylopectin ratio and amylase on growth performance, energy and starch digestibility, and digestive enzymes in broilers.

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of dietary amylose/amylopectin (AM/AP) ratio and amylase on growth performance, apparent digestibility of energy and starch, serum biochemical index, and digestive enzymes. The experiment used a 4 × 3 factor design, and 960 one-day-old Arbor Acres (AA) broilers were randomly divided into 12 groups fed diets containing different AM/AP ratio of 0.11, 0.23, 0.35 and 0.47 and combined with 0, 3,000 and 6,000 U/kg amylase. Results showed that 0.23-0.35 AM/AP ratio increased growth performance, while dietary addition of 6,000 U/kg amylase significantly reduced average daily weight gain in broilers. The energy digestibility was significantly reduced along with the increase of dietary AM/AP ratio and in the 6,000 U/Kg amylase-supplemented groups. The digestibility of starch also decreased significantly with the increase of dietary AM/AP ratio, but high dose (6,000 U/Kg) of amylase increased. High AM/AP diet reduced serum insulin concentration, which was increased in amylase-supplemented groups. Furthermore, exogenous amylase increased amylase activity in the jejunal chyme. In conclusion, dietary 0.23-0.35 AM/AP ratio was suggested to maintain a higher growth performance in broilers and high AM/AP ratio diets reduced energy and starch digestibility and serum insulin concentration, which was reversed by dietary amylase.

High-Amylose Maize, Potato, and Butyrylated Starch Modulate Large Intestinal Fermentation, Microbial Composition, and Oncogenic miRNA Expression in Rats Fed A High-Protein Meat Diet.

High red meat intake is associated with the risk of colorectal cancer (CRC), whereas dietary fibers, such as resistant starch (RS) seemed to protect against CRC. The aim of this study was to determine whether high-amylose potato starch (HAPS), high-amylose maize starch (HAMS), and butyrylated high-amylose maize starch (HAMSB)-produced by an organocatalytic route-could oppose the negative effects of a high-protein meat diet (HPM), in terms of fermentation pattern, cecal microbial composition, and colonic biomarkers of CRC. Rats were fed a HPM diet or an HPM diet where 10% of the maize starch was substituted with either HAPS, HAMS, or HAMSB, for 4 weeks. Feces, cecum digesta, and colonic tissue were obtained for biochemical, microbial, gene expression (oncogenic microRNA), and immuno-histochemical (O6-methyl-2-deoxyguanosine (O6MeG) adduct) analysis. The HAMS and HAMSB diets shifted the fecal fermentation pattern from protein towards carbohydrate metabolism. The HAMSB diet also substantially increased fecal butyrate concentration and the pool, compared with the other diets. All three RS treatments altered the cecal microbial composition in a diet specific manner. HAPS and HAMSB showed CRC preventive effects, based on the reduced colonic oncogenic miR17-92 cluster miRNA expression, but there was no significant diet-induced differences in the colonic O6MeG adduct levels. Overall, HAMSB consumption showed the most potential for limiting the negative effects of a high-meat diet.

Amylose resistant starch (HAM-RS2) supplementation increases the proportion of Faecalibacterium bacteria in end-stage renal disease patients: Microbial analysis from a randomized placebo-controlled trial.

INTRODUCTION: Many of the deleterious effects associated with chronic kidney disease (CKD) are secondary to the resultant systemic inflammation. The gut microbial changes caused by CKD are thought to perpetuate systemic inflammation. Therefore, strategies aimed at modulating the gut microbiota may be helpful in reducing complications associated with CKD. We hypothesized that supplementation with high-amylose maize resistant starch type 2 (HAM-RS2) would beneficially alter the gut microbiome and lead to lower levels of systemic inflammation. METHODS: A double-blind, parallel, randomized, placebo-controlled trial was performed comparing dietary supplementation of HAM-RS2 with placebo in patients with end-stage CKD. Fecal microbial data were obtained from a subset of patients after DNA extraction and 16s sequencing. FINDINGS: Supplementation of HAM-RS2 led to a decrease in serum urea, IL-6, TNFα, and malondialdehyde (P < 0.05). The Faecalibacterium genus was significantly increased in relative abundance following HAM-RS2 supplementation (HAM-RS2-Day 0: 0.40 ± 0.50 vs. HAM-RS2-Day 56: 3.21 ± 4.97 P = 0.03) and was unchanged by placebo (Control-Day 0: 0.72 ± 0.72 vs. Control-Day 56: 0.83 ± 1.57 P = 0.5). DISCUSSION: Supplementation of amylose resistant starch, HAM-RS2, in patients with CKD led to an elevation in Faecalibacterium and decrease in systemic inflammation. Microbial manipulation in CKD patients by using the prebiotic fiber may exert an anti-inflammatory effect through an elevation in the bacterial genera Faecalibacterium.

Interaction between amylose and tea polyphenols modulates the postprandial glycemic response to high-amylose maize starch.

High-amylose maize starch (HAM) is a common source material to make resistant starch with its high content of amylose (>70%). In the current investigation, the self-assembly of amylose in the presence of bioactive tea polyphenols (TPLs) and resulting slow digestion property of starch were explored. The experimental results using a mouse model showed a slow digestion property can be achieved with an extended and moderate glycemic response to HAM starch cocooked with TPLs. Further studies using a dilute aqueous amylose solution (0.1%, w/v) revealed an increased hydrodynamic radius of amylose molecules, indicating that TPLs could bridge them together, leading to increased molecular sizes. On the other hand, the bound TPLs interrupted the normal process of amylose recrystallizaiton evidenced by a decreased viscosity and storage modulus (G') of HAM (5%) gel, a rough surface of the cross-section of HAM film, and decreased short-range orders examined by Fourier transform infrared spectral analysis. Single-step degradation curves in the thermal gravimetric profile demonstrated the existence of a self-assembled amylose-TPL complex, which is mainly formed through hydrogen bonding interaction according to the results of iodine binding and X-ray powder diffraction analysis. Collectively, the amylose-TPL complexation influences the normal self-assembling process of amylose, leading to a low-ordered crystalline structure, which is the basis for TPLs' function in modulating the digestion property of HAM starch to produce a slowly digestible starch material that is beneficial to postprandial glycemic control and related health effects.

[The study on the extraction and the antivirus activity of amylose extracted from Grateloupia filicina].

OBJECTIVE: To determine the activity of anti-Herpes simplex II virus (HSV-2) of amylose extracted from Grateloupia filicina. METHODS: Grateloupia filicina amylose was extracted by five kinds of abstraction methods and its suppression on Herpes simplex II virus was observed on cell level in three aspects: the drug activity of protecting cell, the drug influence of HSV-2 proliferation and the drug synthesis action of HSV-2. RESULTS: Grateloupia filicina had prominence anti-Herpes simplex II virus activity, IC50 of amylose extracted by water distilling and ethanol sedimentation was 5.80 microg/ml. CONCLUSION: It suggest that the antivirus activity happen in the stage of HSV-2 binding, adsorption and ingression with Vero cell.

[Screening of glucosidase inhibitors from various fractions of Mulberry leaves].

OBJECTIVE: To search for glucosidase inhibitors of various fractions extracted from mulberry leaves. METHOD: The constituents of mulberry leaves water fraction were prepared by the process of boiling, condensing, precipitating, exchanging with resins and rinsing. In vitro glucosidase inhibitory activities were examined by photometric bioassay derived from rats. To investigate in vivo effect of lowering blood glucose, the mouse blood glucose level was assayed by glucose tolerance experiments. RESULT: The glucosidase inhibitory activities were found in all the constituents of alkaloids, flavones and amyloses, the alkaloid constituent being the strongest. CONCLUSION: The effect of reducing blood glucose of mulberry leaves is related to the inhibitory activities against glucosidase of different constituents.

Interactions of high amylose starch and deoxycholic acid on gut functions in rats.

OBJECTIVE: This study evaluated whether high amylose cornstarch (HAS) could prevent adverse physiologic effects induced by deoxycholic acid (DCA) in the gut of rats. METHODS: Thirty-two male Sprague-Dawley rats were provided with a low amylose cornstarch (LAS) diet or a 50/50 mixture of LAS and HAS diets for 4 wk; each of these diets was supplemented with 0 or 2 g of DCA per kilogram of diet. Therefore, there were four groups. RESULTS: Cecal content pH was lower in rats fed the HAS diets compared with rats fed the LAS diets (P < 0.05). Bifidobacteria number in cecal contents, cecal pools of acetate, butyrate, and total short-chain fatty acids were highest in rats fed the HAS diet; moreover, the HAS/DCA diet resulted in increased Bifidobacteria growth and short-chain fatty acid production numerically compared with the LAS/DCA diets (P = 0.06). Production of prostaglandin-E2 in colonic mucosa was highest in rats fed the LAS/DCA diet, and the intake of HAS significantly decreased prostaglandin-E2 levels (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: In this study, DCA may have inhibited fermentation in the large intestine and increased prostaglandin-E2 production, and concurrent administration of HAS and DCA may have decreased the adverse effects on the gut induced by DCA.

Prevention and treatment of experimental osteomyelitis in dogs with ciprofloxacin-loaded crosslinked high amylose starch implants.

Crosslinked high amylose starch (CLHAS) matrix was used as a biodegradable drug delivery implant for the prevention and treatment of osteomyelitis. Thirty-two dogs underwent the femoral insertion of a screw inoculated with Staphylococcus aureus and were then randomly assigned to four groups: (A) prevention with ciprofloxacin-CLHAS implants, (B) surgical debridement (positive control), (C) surgical debridement and oral ciprofloxacin treatment and (D) surgical debridement and treatment with ciprofloxacin-CLHAS implants. At week 4 the osteomyelitis was confirmed, the infected site debrided and respective treatments initiated for groups B, C and D. Radiographs, macroscopic evaluations, bacterial cultures and histopathological examinations were used to evaluate the femora at week 10. Femora from preventive group A were almost normal. Dogs of both ciprofloxacin treatment groups C and D showed better bone healing, less periosteal reaction and less screw mobility than dogs from group B. Eradication of infection was observed at proximal/distal sites in B: 25%/12%, C: 37%/62% and D: 62%/75%. Both ciprofloxacin treated groups improved radiographically from week 4 to week 10. Periosteal and marrow neutrophilic and lymphoplasmocytic infiltrations were less severe in groups C and D versus group B. These data suggest that biodegradable ciprofloxacin-CLHAS implants are a safe and efficient modality for the prevention and treatment of osteomyelitis.

Potato and high-amylose maize starches are not equivalent producers of butyrate for the colonic mucosa.

Portal appearance of short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) produced from fermentation of three different resistant starch (RS) sources (raw potato starch, high-amylose maize starch and retrograded high-amylose maize starch) was investigated in pigs. The catheterization technique coupled with determination of portal blood flow was used to estimate SCFA uptake by the colonic mucosa. Our hypothesis was that these three RS were not equivalent butyrate providers for the colonic mucosa and that butyrate uptake would therefore be different after in vivo fermentation of each starch. The starches induced different patterns of appearance of SCFA in the portal blood; raw potato starch was the only RS source to show a significant appearance of butyrate in the portal blood. Thus, uptake of butyrate by the colonic mucosa apparently differed between starches. This finding suggests that butyrate uptake does not only depend on the flow of butyrate appearing in the lumen. Indeed, for unexplained reasons, utilization of butyrate by the colonic mucosa appeared to be less efficient when the butyrate was produced from fermentation of potato starch than when it was produced from fermentation of the other RS sources.

Starch flavor: apparent discrimination between amylopectin and amylose by rats.

Rats given a choice between dilute suspensions of corn amylopectin and corn amylose generally preferred amylopectin. The preference threshold for amylopectin was lower than the preference threshold for amylose (0.1% and 0.5%, respectively). Two sources of evidence indicate that the difference in preference for these two types of starch is due to an off-taste component in corn amylose rather than to an ability to discriminate between amylopectin and amylose per se: 1) rats given a choice of purified amylopectin and amylose from potato did not show a significant preference, and 2) aqueous extracts of amylose reduce preference for water and amylopectin, respectively. Extensive washing of corn amylose with ammonia-methanol, water and methanol did not completely remove the off-taste of corn amylose. Despite the difference in off-taste, rats trained to avoid amylopectin also avoided amylose. It is proposed that starch has two flavor components: a component due to starch itself that induces preference, and a component due to impurities that reduces preference.