Diversity of dung beetle-associated yeasts from pristine environments of Botswana.

Yeast-insect interactions are increasingly becoming an attractive source of discovery for previously unknown, unique, diverse, and industrially relevant yeast species. Despite a wealth of studies that have recently focused on yeasts in symbiotic association with Hymenopteran insects, yeasts associated with Coleopteran insects, such as lignocellulosic-rich dung-dependent beetles, remain poorly studied. Trends in yeast discovery suggest that species richness and diversity can be attributed to the ecological niche of the insect. Here, we considered the potential of dung beetles inhabiting the extreme environments of Botswana, characterized by desert-like conditions (semi-arid to arid and hot) as well as protected pristine environments, as possible attribute niches that can shape the extremophilic and diverse life history strategies of yeasts. We obtained a total of 97 phylogenetically diverse yeast isolates from six species of dung beetles from Botswana's unexplored environments, representing 19 species belonging to 11 genera. The findings suggest that the guts of dung beetles are a rich niche for non-Saccharomyces yeast species. Meyerozyma and Pichia were the most dominant genera associated with dung beetles, representing 55% (53 out of 97) of the yeast isolates in our study. Trichosporon and Cutaneotrichosporon genera represented 32% (31 out of 97) of the isolates. The remaining isolates belonged to Apiotrichum, Candida, Diutina, Naganishia, Rhodotorula, and Wickerhamiella genera (12 out of 97). We found out that about 62% (60 out of 97) of the isolates were potentially new species because of their low internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequence similarity when compared to the most recent optimal species delineation threshold. A single isolate was unidentifiable using the ITS sequences. Using an in silico polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism approach, we revealed that there was genetic diversity within isolates of the same species. Our results contribute to the knowledge and understanding of the diversity of dung beetle-associated yeasts.

Dung beetle-associated yeasts display multiple stress tolerance: a desirable trait of potential industrial strains.

BACKGROUND: Stress-tolerant yeasts are highly desirable for cost-effective bioprocessing. Several strategies have been documented to develop robust yeasts, such as genetic and metabolic engineering, artificial selection, and natural selection strategies, among others. However, the significant drawbacks of such techniques have motivated the exploration of naturally occurring stress-tolerant yeasts. We previously explored the biodiversity of non-conventional dung beetle-associated yeasts from extremophilic and pristine environments in Botswana (Nwaefuna AE et.al., Yeast, 2023). Here, we assessed their tolerance to industrially relevant stressors individually, such as elevated concentrations of osmolytes, organic acids, ethanol, and oxidizing agents, as well as elevated temperatures. RESULTS: Our findings suggest that these dung beetle-associated yeasts tolerate various stresses comparable to those of the robust bioethanol yeast strain, Saccharomyces cerevisiae (Ethanol Red™). Fifty-six percent of the yeast isolates were tolerant of temperatures up to 42 °C, 12.4% of them could tolerate ethanol concentrations up to 9% (v/v), 43.2% of them were tolerant to formic acid concentrations up to 20 mM, 22.7% were tolerant to acetic acid concentrations up to 45 mM, 34.0% of them could tolerate hydrogen peroxide up to 7 mM, and 44.3% of the yeasts could tolerate osmotic stress up to 1.5 M. CONCLUSION: The ability to tolerate multiple stresses is a desirable trait in the selection of novel production strains for diverse biotechnological applications, such as bioethanol production. Our study shows that the exploration of natural diversity in the search for stress-tolerant yeasts is an appealing approach for the development of robust yeasts.

Semi-Targeted Profiling of the Lipidome Changes Induced by Erysiphe Necator in Disease-Resistant and Vitis vinifera L. Varieties.

The ascomycete Erysiphe necator is a serious pathogen in viticulture. Despite the fact that some grapevine genotypes exhibit mono-locus or pyramided resistance to this fungus, the lipidomics basis of these genotypes' defense mechanisms remains unknown. Lipid molecules have critical functions in plant defenses, acting as structural barriers in the cell wall that limit pathogen access or as signaling molecules after stress responses that may regulate innate plant immunity. To unravel and better understand their involvement in plant defense, we used a novel approach of ultra-high performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC)-MS/MS to study how E. necator infection changes the lipid profile of genotypes with different sources of resistance, including BC4 (Run1), "Kishmish vatkhana" (Ren1), F26P92 (Ren3; Ren9), and "Teroldego" (a susceptible genotype), at 0, 24, and 48 hpi. The lipidome alterations were most visible at 24 hpi for BC4 and F26P92, and at 48 hpi for "Kishmish vatkhana". Among the most abundant lipids in grapevine leaves were the extra-plastidial lipids: glycerophosphocholine (PCs), glycerophosphoethanolamine (PEs) and the signaling lipids: glycerophosphates (Pas) and glycerophosphoinositols (PIs), followed by the plastid lipids: glycerophosphoglycerols (PGs), monogalactosyldiacylglycerols (MGDGs), and digalactosyldiacylglycerols (DGDGs) and, in lower amounts lyso-glycerophosphocholines (LPCs), lyso-glycerophosphoglycerols (LPGs), lyso-glycerophosphoinositols (LPIs), and lyso-glycerophosphoethanolamine (LPEs). Furthermore, the three resistant genotypes had the most prevalent down-accumulated lipid classes, while the susceptible genotype had the most prevalent up-accumulated lipid classes.

Comparison of chemometric strategies for potential exposure marker discovery and false-positive reduction in untargeted metabolomics: application to the serum analysis by LC-HRMS after intake of Vaccinium fruit supplements.

Untargeted liquid chromatographic-high-resolution mass spectrometric (LC-HRMS) metabolomics for potential exposure marker (PEM) discovery in nutrikinetic studies generates complex outputs. The correct selection of statistically significant PEMs is a crucial analytical step for understanding nutrition-health interactions. Hence, in this paper, different chemometric selection workflows for PEM discovery, using multivariate or univariate parametric or non-parametric data analyses, were comparatively tested and evaluated. The PEM selection protocols were applied to a small-sample-size untargeted LC-HRMS study of a longitudinal set of serum samples from 20 volunteers after a single intake of (poly)phenolic-rich Vaccinium myrtillus and Vaccinium corymbosum supplements. The non-parametric Games-Howell test identified a restricted group of significant features, thus minimizing the risk of false-positive retention. Among the forty-seven PEMs exhibiting a statistically significant postprandial kinetics, twelve were successfully annotated as purine pathway metabolites, benzoic and benzodiol metabolites, indole alkaloids, and organic and fatty acids, and five (i.e. octahydro-methyl-ß-carboline-dicarboxylic acid, tetrahydro-methyl-ß-carboline-dicarboxylic acid, citric acid, caprylic acid, and azelaic acid) were associated to Vaccinium berry consumption for the first time. The analysis of the area under the curve of the longitudinal dataset highlighted thirteen statistically significant PEMs discriminating the two interventions, including four intra-intervention relevant metabolites (i.e. abscisic acid glucuronide, catechol sulphate, methyl-catechol sulphate, and α-hydroxy-hippuric acid). Principal component analysis and sample classification through linear discriminant analysis performed on PEM maximum intensity confirmed the discriminating role of these PEMs.

Two apples a day modulate human:microbiome co-metabolic processing of polyphenols, tyrosine and tryptophan.

PURPOSE: Validated biomarkers of food intake (BFIs) have recently been suggested as a useful tool to assess adherence to dietary guidelines or compliance in human dietary interventions. Although many new candidate biomarkers have emerged in the last decades for different foods from metabolic profiling studies, the number of comprehensively validated biomarkers of food intake is limited. Apples are among the most frequently consumed fruits and a rich source of polyphenols and fibers, an important mediator for their health-protective properties. METHODS: Using an untargeted metabolomics approach, we aimed to identify biomarkers of long-term apple intake and explore how apples impact on the human plasma and urine metabolite profiles. Forty mildly hypercholesterolemic volunteers consumed two whole apples or a sugar and energy-matched control beverage, daily for 8 weeks in a randomized, controlled, crossover intervention study. The metabolome in plasma and urine samples was analyzed via untargeted metabolomics. RESULTS: We found 61 urine and 9 plasma metabolites being statistically significant after the whole apple intake compared to the control beverage, including several polyphenol metabolites that could be used as BFIs. Furthermore, we identified several endogenous indole and phenylacetyl-glutamine microbial metabolites significantly increasing in urine after apple consumption. The multiomic dataset allowed exploration of the correlations between metabolites modulated significantly by the dietary intervention and fecal microbiota species at genus level, showing interesting interactions between Granulicatella genus and phenyl-acetic acid metabolites. Phloretin glucuronide and phloretin glucuronide sulfate appeared promising biomarkers of apple intake; however, robustness, reliability and stability data are needed for full BFI validation. CONCLUSION: The identified apple BFIs can be used in future studies to assess compliance and to explore their health effects after apple intake. Moreover, the identification of polyphenol microbial metabolites suggests that apple consumption mediates significant gut microbial metabolic activity which should be further explored.

Improving the reporting quality of intervention trials addressing the inter-individual variability in response to the consumption of plant bioactives: quality index and recommendations.

PURPOSE: The quality of the study design and data reporting in human trials dealing with the inter-individual variability in response to the consumption of plant bioactives is, in general, low. There is a lack of recommendations supporting the scientific community on this topic. This study aimed at developing a quality index to assist the assessment of the reporting quality of intervention trials addressing the inter-individual variability in response to plant bioactive consumption. Recommendations for better designing and reporting studies were discussed. METHODS: The selection of the parameters used for the development of the quality index was carried out in agreement with the scientific community through a survey. Parameters were defined, grouped into categories, and scored for different quality levels. The applicability of the scoring system was tested in terms of consistency and effort, and its validity was assessed by comparison with a simultaneous evaluation by experts' criteria. RESULTS: The "POSITIVe quality index" included 11 reporting criteria grouped into four categories (Statistics, Reporting, Data presentation, and Individual data availability). It was supported by detailed definitions and guidance for their scoring. The quality index score was tested, and the index demonstrated to be valid, reliable, and responsive. CONCLUSIONS: The evaluation of the reporting quality of studies addressing inter-individual variability in response to plant bioactives highlighted the aspects requiring major improvements. Specific tools and recommendations favoring a complete and transparent reporting on inter-individual variability have been provided to support the scientific community on this field.

Impact in Plasma Metabolome as Effect of Lifestyle Intervention for Weight-Loss Reveals Metabolic Benefits in Metabolically Healthy Obese Women.

Little is known regarding metabolic benefits of weight loss (WL) on the metabolically healthy obese (MHO) patients. We aimed to examine the impact of a lifestyle weight loss (LWL) treatment on the plasma metabolomic profile in MHO individuals. Plasma samples from 57 MHO women allocated to an intensive LWL treatment group (TG, hypocaloric Mediterranean diet and regular physical activity, n = 30) or to a control group (CG, general recommendations of a healthy diet and physical activity, n = 27) were analyzed using an untargeted 1H NMR metabolomics approach at baseline, after 3 months (intervention), and 12 months (follow-up). The impact of the LWL intervention on plasma metabolome was statistically significant at 3 months but not at follow-up and included higher levels of formate and phosphocreatine and lower levels of LDL/VLDL (signals) and trimethylamine in the TG. These metabolites were also correlated with WL. Higher myo-inositol, methylguanidine, and 3-hydroxybutyrate, and lower proline, were also found in the TG; higher levels of hippurate and asparagine, and lower levels of 2-hydroxybutyrate and creatine, were associated with WL. The current findings suggest that an intensive LWL treatment, and the consequent WL, leads to an improved plasma metabolic profile in MHO women through its impact on energy, amino acid, lipoprotein, and microbial metabolism.

Meta-Analysis of the Effects of Foods and Derived Products Containing Ellagitannins and Anthocyanins on Cardiometabolic Biomarkers: Analysis of Factors Influencing Variability of the Individual Responses.

Understanding interindividual variability in response to dietary polyphenols remains essential to elucidate their effects on cardiometabolic disease development. A meta-analysis of 128 randomized clinical trials was conducted to investigate the effects of berries and red grapes/wine as sources of anthocyanins and of nuts and pomegranate as sources of ellagitannins on a range of cardiometabolic risk biomarkers. The potential influence of various demographic and lifestyle factors on the variability in the response to these products were explored. Both anthocyanin- and ellagitannin-containing products reduced total-cholesterol with nuts and berries yielding more significant effects than pomegranate and grapes. Blood pressure was significantly reduced by the two main sources of anthocyanins, berries and red grapes/wine, whereas waist circumference, LDL-cholesterol, triglycerides, and glucose were most significantly lowered by the ellagitannin-products, particularly nuts. Additionally, we found an indication of a small increase in HDL-cholesterol most significant with nuts and, in flow-mediated dilation by nuts and berries. Most of these effects were detected in obese/overweight people but we found limited or non-evidence in normoweight individuals or of the influence of sex or smoking status. The effects of other factors, i.e., habitual diet, health status or country where the study was conducted, were inconsistent and require further investigation.

Urinary 1H Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Metabolomic Fingerprinting Reveals Biomarkers of Pulse Consumption Related to Energy-Metabolism Modulation in a Subcohort from the PREDIMED study.

Little is known about the metabolome fingerprint of pulse consumption. The study of robust and accurate biomarkers for pulse dietary assessment has great value for nutritional epidemiology regarding health benefits and their mechanisms. To characterize the fingerprinting of dietary pulses (chickpeas, lentils, and beans), spot urine samples from a subcohort from the PREDIMED study were stratified using a validated food frequency questionnaire. Urine samples of nonpulse consumers (≤4 g/day of pulse intake) and habitual pulse consumers (≥25 g/day of pulse intake) were analyzed using a 1H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) metabolomics approach combined with multi- and univariate data analysis. Pulse consumption showed differences through 16 metabolites coming from (i) choline metabolism, (ii) protein-related compounds, and (iii) energy metabolism (including lower urinary glucose). Stepwise logistic regression analysis was applied to design a combined model of pulse exposure, which resulted in glutamine, dimethylamine, and 3-methylhistidine. This model was evaluated by a receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC > 90% in both training and validation sets). The application of NMR-based metabolomics to reported pulse exposure highlighted new candidates for biomarkers of pulse consumption and the impact on energy metabolism, generating new hypotheses on energy modulation. Further intervention studies will confirm these findings.

Intensity drift removal in LC/MS metabolomics by common variance compensation.

UNLABELLED: Liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (LC/MS) has become widely used in Metabolomics. Several artefacts have been identified during the acquisition step in large LC/MS metabolomics experiments, including ion suppression, carryover or changes in the sensitivity and intensity. Several sources have been pointed out as responsible for these effects. In this context, the drift effects of the peak intensity is one of the most frequent and may even constitute the main source of variance in the data, resulting in misleading statistical results when the samples are analysed. In this article, we propose the introduction of a methodology based on a common variance analysis before the data normalization to address this issue. This methodology was tested and compared with four other methods by calculating the Dunn and Silhouette indices of the quality control classes. The results showed that our proposed methodology performed better than any of the other four methods. As far as we know, this is the first time that this kind of approach has been applied in the metabolomics context. AVAILABILITY AND IMPLEMENTATION: The source code of the methods is available as the R package intCor at http://b2slab.upc.edu/software-and-downloads/intensity-drift-correction/. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.

Novel multimetabolite prediction of walnut consumption by a urinary biomarker model in a free-living population: the PREDIMED study.

The beneficial impact of walnuts on human health has been attributed to their unique chemical composition. In order to characterize the dietary walnut fingerprinting, spot urine samples from two sets of 195 (training) and 186 (validation) individuals were analyzed by an HPLC-q-ToF-MS untargeted metabolomics approach, selecting the most discriminating metabolites by multivariate data analysis (VIP ≥ 1.5). Stepwise logistic regression analysis was used to design a multimetabolite prediction biomarker model. The global performance of the model and each included metabolite in it was evaluated by receiver operating characteristic curves, using the area under the curve (AUC) values. Dietary exposure to walnuts was characterized by 18 metabolites, including markers of fatty acid metabolism, ellagitannin-derived microbial compounds, and intermediate metabolites of the tryptophan/serotonin pathway. The predictive model of walnut exposure included at least one compound of each class. The AUC (95% CI) for the combined biomarker model was 93.4% (90.1-96.8%) in the training set and 90.2% (85.9-94.6%) in the validation set. The AUCs for individual metabolites were ≤85%. As far as we know, this is the first study proposing a combination of biomarkers of walnut exposure in a population under free-living conditions, as considered in epidemiological studies examining associations between diet and health outcomes.

Urinary metabolomic fingerprinting after consumption of a probiotic strain in women with mastitis.

Infectious mastitis is a common condition among lactating women, with staphylococci and streptococci being the main aetiological agents. In this context, some lactobacilli strains isolated from breast milk appear to be particularly effective for treating mastitis and, therefore, constitute an attractive alternative to antibiotherapy. A (1)H NMR-based metabolomic approach was applied to detect metabolomic differences after consuming a probiotic strain (Lactobacillus salivarius PS2) in women with mastitis. 24h urine of women with lactational mastitis was collected at baseline and after 21 days of probiotic (PB) administration. Multivariate analysis (OSC-PLS-DA and hierarchical clustering) showed metabolome differences after PB treatment. The discriminant metabolites detected at baseline were lactose, and ibuprofen and acetaminophen (two pharmacological drugs commonly used for mastitis pain), while, after PB intake, creatine and the gut microbial co-metabolites hippurate and TMAO were detected. In addition, a voluntary desertion of the pharmacological drugs ibuprofen and acetaminophen was observed after probiotic administration. The application of NMR-based metabolomics enabled the identification of the overall effects of probiotic consumption among women suffering from mastitis and highlighted the potential of this approach in evaluating the outcomes of probiotics consumption. To our knowledge, this is the first time that this approach has been applied in women with mastitis during lactation.

Circulating low-molecular-weight (poly)phenol metabolites in the brain: unveiling in vitro and in vivo blood-brain barrier transport.

Circulating metabolites resulting from colonic metabolism of dietary (poly)phenols are highly abundant in the bloodstream, though still marginally explored, particularly concerning their brain accessibility. Our goal is to disclose (poly)phenol metabolites' blood-brain barrier (BBB) transport, in vivo and in vitro, as well as their role at BBB level. For three selected metabolites, benzene-1,2-diol-3-sulfate/benzene-1,3-diol-2-sulfate (pyrogallol-sulfate - Pyr-sulf), benzene-1,3-diol-6-sulfate (phloroglucinol-sulfate - Phlo-sulf), and phenol-3-sulfate (resorcinol-sulfate - Res-sulf), BBB transport was assessed in human brain microvascular endothelial cells (HBMEC). Their potential in modulating in vitro BBB properties at circulating concentrations was also studied. Metabolites' fate towards the brain, liver, kidney, urine, and blood was disclosed in Wistar rats upon injection. Transport kinetics in HBMEC highlighted different BBB permeability rates, where Pyr-sulf emerged as the most in vitro BBB permeable metabolite. Pyr-sulf was also the most potent regarding BBB properties improvement, namely increased beta(ß)-catenin membrane expression and reduction of zonula occludens-1 membrane gaps. Whereas no differences were observed for transferrin, increased expression of caveolin-1 upon Pyr-sulf and Res-sulf treatments was found. Pyr-sulf was also capable of modulating gene and protein expression of some solute carrier transporters. Notably, each of the injected metabolites exhibited a unique tissue distribution in vivo, with the remarkable ability to almost immediately reach the brain.

Impact of meteorological conditions, canopy shading and leaf removal on yield, must quality, and norisoprenoid compounds content in Franciacorta sparkling wine.

Climate change is a major concern in agriculture; in grapevine production, climate change can affect yield and wine quality as they depend on the complex interactions between weather, plant material, and viticultural techniques. Wine characteristics are strongly influenced by microclimate of the canopy affecting primary and secondary metabolites of the grapevine. Air temperature and water availability can influence sugar and acid concentration in grapes and relative wines, and their content of volatile compounds such as norisoprenoids. This becomes relevant in sparkling wine production where grapes are generally harvested at a relatively low pH, high acidity, and low sugar content and where the norisoprenoids significantly contributes to the final aroma of the wine. The effect of climate change on grapevine and wine, therefore, calls for the implementation of on-field adaptation strategies. Among them canopy management through leaf removal and shading have been largely investigated in the wine growing sector. The present study, conducted over 4 years (2010-2013) aims at investigating how leaf removal and artificial shading strategies affect grape maturation, must quality and the production of norisoprenoids, analyzed using an untargeted approach, in sparkling wine. Specifically, this paper investigates the effect of meteorological conditions (i.e., water availability and temperatures) and the effect of leaf removal and shading on Vitis vinifera L. cv. Chardonnay and Pinot noir, which are suitable to produce sparkling wine in the DOCG Franciacorta wine growing area (Lombardy, Italy). The effect of leaf removal and shading practices on norisoprenoids has been the focus of the study. No defoliation and artificial shading treatments play an important role in the preservation of the acidity in warm seasons and this suggests calibrating defoliation activities in relation to the meteorological trend without standardized procedures. This is particularly relevant in the case of sparkling wine, where the acidity is essential to determine wine quality. The enhanced norisoprenoid aromas obtained with a total defoliation represent a further element to direct defoliation and shading strategies. The obtained results increase knowledge about the effect of different defoliation and artificial shading applications in relation to meteorological condition supporting the management decision-making in the Franciacorta wine growing area.

Untargeted lipidomic profiling of grapes highlights the importance of modified lipid species beyond the traditional compound classes.

The aim of this paper is to provide a detailed characterisation of grape lipidome. To achieve this objective, it starts by describing a pipeline implemented in R software to allow the semi-automatic annotation of the detected lipid species. It also provides an extensive description of the different properties of each molecule (such as retention time dependencies, mass accuracy, adduct formation and fragmentation patterns), which allowed the annotations to be made more accurately. Most annotated lipids in the grape samples were (lyso)glycerophospholipids and glycerolipids, although a few free fatty acids, hydroxyceramides and sitosterol esters were also observed. The proposed pipeline also allowed the identification of a series of methylated glycerophosphates never previously observed in grapes. The current results highlight the importance of expanding chemical analyses beyond the classical lipid categories.

The combination elexacaftor/tezacaftor/ivacaftor (ETI) modulates the de novo synthethic pathway of ceramides in a genotype-independent manner.

We report here how the triple combination of drugs elexacaftor/tezacaftor/ivacaftor (ETI) alters the balance of the de-novo synthethic pathway of sphingolipids in primary cells of human bronchial epithelium. The treatment with ETI roughly doubles the levels of dihydrosphingolipids, possibly by modulating the delta(4)-desaturase enzymes that convert dihydroceramides into ceramides. This appears to be an off-target effect of ETI, since it occurs in a genotype-independent manner, for both cystic fibrosis (CF) and non-CF subjects.

Biomarkers of moderate alcohol intake and alcoholic beverages: a systematic literature review.

The predominant source of alcohol in the diet is alcoholic beverages, including beer, wine, spirits and liquors, sweet wine, and ciders. Self-reported alcohol intakes are likely to be influenced by measurement error, thus affecting the accuracy and precision of currently established epidemiological associations between alcohol itself, alcoholic beverage consumption, and health or disease. Therefore, a more objective assessment of alcohol intake would be very valuable, which may be established through biomarkers of food intake (BFIs). Several direct and indirect alcohol intake biomarkers have been proposed in forensic and clinical contexts to assess recent or longer-term intakes. Protocols for performing systematic reviews in this field, as well as for assessing the validity of candidate BFIs, have been developed within the Food Biomarker Alliance (FoodBAll) project. The aim of this systematic review is to list and validate biomarkers of ethanol intake per se excluding markers of abuse, but including biomarkers related to common categories of alcoholic beverages. Validation of the proposed candidate biomarker(s) for alcohol itself and for each alcoholic beverage was done according to the published guideline for biomarker reviews. In conclusion, common biomarkers of alcohol intake, e.g., as ethyl glucuronide, ethyl sulfate, fatty acid ethyl esters, and phosphatidyl ethanol, show considerable inter-individual response, especially at low to moderate intakes, and need further development and improved validation, while BFIs for beer and wine are highly promising and may help in more accurate intake assessments for these specific beverages.

Functional Characterization of khadi Yeasts Isolates for Selection of Starter Cultures.

Yeasts play an important role in spontaneous fermentation of traditional alcoholic beverages. Our previous study revealed that a mixed-consortia of both Saccharomyces and non-Saccharomyces yeasts were responsible for fermentation of khadi, a popular, non-standardized traditional beverage with an immense potential for commercialization in Botswana. Functional characterization of isolated fermenting yeasts from mixed consortia is an indispensable step towards the selection of potential starter cultures for commercialization of khadi. In this study, we report the characterization of 13 khadi isolates for the presence of brewing-relevant phenotypes such as their fermentative capacity, ability to utilize a range of carbon sources and their ability to withstand brewing-associated stresses, as a principal step towards selection of starter cultures. Khadi isolates such as Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Saccharomycodes ludwigii and Candida ethanolica showed good brewing credentials but Lachancea fermentati emerged as the isolate with the best brewing attributes with a potential as a starter culture. However, we were then prompted to investigate the potential of L. fermentati to influence the fruity aromatic flavor, characteristic of khadi. The aroma components of 18 khadi samples were extracted using headspace solid phase micro-extraction (HSSPME) and identified using a GC-MS. We detected esters as the majority of volatile compounds in khadi, typical of the aromatic signature of both khadi and L. fermentati associated fermentations. This work shows that L. fermentati has potential for commercial production of khadi.

Integrated Metabolomics, Lipidomics, and Genomics Reveal the Presence of a New Biomarker, Butanediol Glucuronide, Associated with the Activation of Liver Ketogenesis and Lipid Oxidation by Tomato-Based Sofrito in Obese Rats.

The increasing prevalence of obesity worldwide has promoted research on human metabolism and foods such as sofrito, a tomato and olive oil-based sauce from the Mediterranean diet, has shown beneficial effects on obesity and related complications. Sofrito has been associated with better cardiovascular health, metabolic syndrome, and anti-inflammatory effects. The aim of this study was to understand how sofrito intake could contribute to the control of energy metabolism in obese rats. For this purpose, integrative untargeted lipidomics, metabolomics, and targeted gene expression approaches were used in the liver and adipose tissue to identify metabolic changes and the mechanism of action promoted by sofrito intake. A new biomarker was identified in the liver, butanediol glucuronide, an indicator of ketogenic activation and lipid oxidation after the sofrito intervention. Gene expression analysis revealed an increase in the uptake and liver oxidation of lipids for energy production and ketogenesis activation as fuel for other tissues in sofrito-fed animals. Sofrito altered the lipidomic profile in the fat depots of obese rats. This multiomics study identifies a new biomarker linked to the beneficial actions of sofrito against obesity and provides further insight into the beneficial effect of the Mediterranean diet components.

Metabolomics unveils urinary changes in subjects with metabolic syndrome following 12-week nut consumption.

Through an HPLC-Q-TOF-MS-driven nontargeted metabolomics approach, we aimed to discriminate changes in the urinary metabolome of subjects with metabolic syndrome (MetS), following 12 weeks of mixed nuts consumption (30 g/day), compared to sex- and age-matched individuals given a control diet. The urinary metabolome corresponding to the nut-enriched diet clearly clustered in a distinct group, and the multivariate data analysis discriminated relevant mass features in this separation. Metabolites corresponding to the discriminating ions (MS features) were then subjected to multiple tandem mass spectrometry experiments using LC-ITD-FT-MS, to confirm their putative identification. The metabolomics approach revealed 20 potential markers of nut intake, including fatty acid conjugated metabolites, phase II and microbial-derived phenolic metabolites, and serotonin metabolites. An increased excretion of serotonin metabolites was associated for the first time with nut consumption. Additionally, the detection of urinary markers of gut microbial and phase II metabolism of nut polyphenols confirmed the understanding of their bioavailability and bioactivity as a priority area of research in the determination of the health effects derived from nut consumption. The results confirmed how a nontargeted metabolomics strategy may help to access unexplored metabolic pathways impacted by diet, thereby raising prospects for new intervention targets.