Non-invasive VOCs detection to monitor the gut microbiota metabolism in-vitro.

This work implemented a non-invasive volatile organic compounds (VOCs) monitoring approach to study how food components are metabolised by the gut microbiota in-vitro. The fermentability of a model food matrix rich in dietary fibre (oat bran), and a pure prebiotic (inulin), added to a minimal gut medium was compared by looking at global changes in the volatilome. The substrates were incubated with a stabilised human faecal inoculum over a 24-h period, and VOCs were monitored without interfering with biological processes. The fermentation was performed in nitrogen-filled vials, with controlled temperature, and tracked by automated headspace-solid-phase microextraction coupled with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. To understand the molecular patterns over time, we applied a multivariate longitudinal statistical framework: repeated measurements-ANOVA simultaneous component analysis. The methodology was able to discriminate the studied groups by looking at VOCs temporal profiles. The volatilome showed a time-dependency that was more distinct after 12 h. Short to medium-chain fatty acids showed increased peak intensities, mainly for oat bran and for inulin, but with different kinetics. At the same time, alcohols, aldehydes, and esters showed distinct trends with discriminatory power. The proposed approach can be applied to study the intertwined pathways of gut microbiota food components interaction in-vitro.

Anticandidal Activity of Various Probiotic Lactobacillus Strains and Their Efficacy Enhanced by Prebiotic Supplementation.

Probiotics and prebiotics have been considered as alternative approaches for promoting health. This study aimed to investigate the anticandidal potential of various probiotic Lactobacillus strains and their cell-free supernatants (CFSs). The study assessed the impact of inulin and some fruits as prebiotics on the growth of selected probiotic strains in relation to their anticandidal activity, production of short-chain fatty acids, total phenolic content, and antioxidant activity. Results revealed variations in anticandidal activity based on the specific strains and forms of probiotics used. Non-adjusted CFSs were the most effective against Candida strains, followed by probiotic cells and adjusted CFSs (pH 7). Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus SD4, L. rhamnosus SD11 and L. rhamnosus GG displayed the strongest anticandidal activity. Non-adjusted CFSs from L. rhamnosus SD11, L. rhamnosus SD4 and L. paracasei SD1 exhibited notable anticandidal effects. The adjusted CFSs of L. rhamnosus SD11 showed the highest anticandidal activity against all non-albicans Candida (NAC) strains, whereas the others were ineffective. Supplementation of L. rhamnosus SD11 with prebiotics, particularly 2% (w/v) mangosteen, exhibited positive results in promoting probiotic growth, short-chain fatty acids production, total phenolic contents, and antioxidant activity, and the subsequent enhancing anticandidal activity against both C. albicans and NAC strains compared to conditions without prebiotics. In conclusion, both live cells and CFSs of tested strains, particularly L. rhamnosus SD11, exhibited the best anticandidal activity. Prebiotics supplementation, especially mangosteen, enhanced probiotic growth and beneficial metabolites against Candida growth. These finding suggested that probiotics and prebiotic supplementation may be an effective alternative treatment for Candida infections.

Dietary fiber induces a fat preference associated with the gut microbiota.

Eating behavior is essential to human health. However, whether future eating behavior is subjected to the conditioning of preceding dietary composition is unknown. This study aimed to investigate the effect of dietary fiber consumption on subsequent nutrient-specific food preferences between palatable high-fat and high-sugar diets and explore its correlation with the gut microbiota. C57BL/6NJcl male mice were subjected to a 2-week dietary intervention and fed either a control (n = 6) or inulin (n = 6) diet. Afterward, all mice were subjected to a 3-day eating behavioral test to self-select from the simultaneously presented high-fat and high-sugar diets. The test diet feed intakes were recorded, and the mice's fecal samples were analyzed to evaluate the gut microbiota composition. The inulin-conditioned mice exhibited a preference for the high-fat diet over the high-sugar diet, associated with distinct gut microbiota composition profiles between the inulin-conditioned and control mice. The gut microbiota Oscillospiraceae sp., Bacteroides acidifaciens, and Clostridiales sp. positively correlated with a preference for fat. Further studies with fecal microbiota transplantation and eating behavior-related neurotransmitter analyses are warranted to establish the causal role of gut microbiota on host food preferences. Food preferences induced by dietary intervention are a novel observation, and the gut microbiome may be associated with this preference.

Can Diet Alter the Intestinal Barrier Permeability in Healthy People? A Systematic Review.

Dietary factors can modify the function of the intestinal barrier, causing permeability changes. This systematic review analyzed evidence on the link between diet or dietary interventions and changes in intestinal barrier permeability (IBP) in healthy individuals. A systematic search for primary studies was conducted using the virtual databases EMBASE, PubMed, Web of Science, CINAHL, and Scopus. This review adhered to PRISMA 2020 guidelines, assessing the methodological quality using the Newcastle-Ottawa scale for observational studies and ROB 2.0 for randomized clinical trials. Out of 3725 studies recovered, 12 were eligible for review. Chicory inulin and probiotics reduced IBP in adults with a moderate GRADE level of evidence. The opposite result was obtained with fructose, which increased IBP in adults, with a very low GRADE level of evidence. Only intervention studies with different dietary components were found, and few studies evaluated the effect of specific diets on the IBP. Thus, there was no strong evidence that diet or dietary interventions increase or decrease IBP in healthy individuals. Studies on this topic are necessary, with a low risk of bias and good quality of evidence generated, as there is still little knowledge on healthy populations.

Engineered inulin-based hybrid biomaterials for augmented immunomodulatory responses.

Modified biopolymers that are based on prebiotics have been found to significantly contribute to immunomodulatory events. In recent years, there has been a growing use of modified biomaterials and polymer-functionalized nanomaterials in the treatment of various tumors by activating immune cells. However, the effectiveness of immune cells against tumors is hindered by several biological barriers, which highlights the importance of harnessing prebiotic-based biopolymers to enhance host defenses against cancer, thus advancing cancer prevention strategies. Inulin, in particular, plays a crucial role in activating immune cells and promoting the secretion of cytokines. Therefore, this mini-review aims to emphasize the importance of inulin in immunomodulatory responses, the development of inulin-based hybrid biopolymers, and the role of inulin in enhancing immunity and modifying cell surfaces. Furthermore, we discuss the various approaches of chemical modification for inulin and their potential use in cancer treatment, particularly in the field of cancer immunotherapy.

Monolayer Adsorption of Ciprofloxacin on Magnetic Inulin/Mg-Zn-Al Layered Double Hydroxide: Advanced Interpretation of the Adsorption Process.

In this study, magnetic inulin/Mg-Zn-Al layered double hydroxide (MILDH) was synthesized for the adsorption of ciprofloxacin. The application of various analytical techniques confirmed the successful formation of MILDH. For the optimization of controllable factors, Taguchi design was applied and optimum values were obtained as equilibrium time─100 min, adsorbent dose─20 mg, and ciprofloxacin concentration─30 mg/L. The highest capacity of the material was recorded as 196.19 mg/g at 298 K. Langmuir model (R2 = 0.9669-0.9832) fitted best as compared to the Freundlich model (R2 = 0.9588-0.9657), concluded the monolayer adsorption of ciprofloxacin on MILDH. Statistical physics model M 2 was found to fit best to measured data (R2 = 0.9982-0.9989), indicating that the binding of ciprofloxacin took place on two types of receptor sites (n1 and n2). The multidocking mechanism with horizontal position was suggested on the first receptor site (n1 < 1), while multimolecular adsorption of ciprofloxacin lying vertically on the second receptor site (n2 > 1) at all temperatures. The adsorption energies (E1 = 22.79-27.20 kJ/mol; E2 = 18.00-19.46 kJ/mol) illustrated that the adsorption of ciprofloxacin onto MILDH occurred through physical forces. Best fitting of the fractal-like pseudo-first-order kinetic model (R2 = 0.9982-0.9992) indicated that the adsorption of ciprofloxacin happened on the MILDH surface having different energies. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis further confirmed the adsorption mechanism of ciprofloxacin onto MILDH.

Pomegranate Juice Supplemented with Inulin Modulates Gut Microbiota and Promotes the Production of Microbiota-Associated Metabolites in Overweight/Obese Individuals: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial.

Pomegranate juice (PJ) and inulin have been reported to ameliorate diet-induced metabolic disorders by regulating gut microbiota dysbiosis. However, there was a lack of clinical evidence for the combined effects of PJ and inulin on regulating gut microbiota in individuals with metabolic disorders. A double-blind, parallel, randomized, placebo-controlled trial was conducted, and 68 overweight/obese individuals (25 ≤ BMI ≤ 35 kg/m2) were randomly assigned to receive 200 mL/d PJ, PJ supplemented with inulin, or placebo for 3 weeks. Our results showed that PJ and PJ+inulin did not significantly alter the levels of anthropometric and blood biochemical indicators after 3 weeks of treatment. However, there was an increasingly significant impact from placebo to PJ to PJ+inulin on the composition of gut microbiota. Detailed bacterial abundance analysis further showed that PJ+inulin treatment more profoundly resulted in significant changes in the abundance of gut microbiota at each taxonomic level than PJ. Moreover, PJ+inulin treatment also promoted the production of microbiota-associated short-chain fatty acids and pomegranate polyphenol metabolites, which correlated with the abundance of the bacterial genus. Our results suggested that PJ supplemented with inulin modulates gut microbiota composition and thus promotes the production of microbiota-associated metabolites that exert potential beneficial effects in overweight/obese subjects.

Serum-Derived Bovine Immunoglobulin Promotes Barrier Integrity and Lowers Inflammation for 24 Human Adults Ex Vivo.

Serum-derived bovine immunoglobulin (SBI) prevents translocation and inflammation via direct binding of microbial components. Recently, SBI also displayed potential benefits through gut microbiome modulation. To confirm and expand upon these preliminary findings, SBI digestion and colonic fermentation were investigated using the clinically predictive ex vivo SIFR® technology (for 24 human adults) that was, for the first time, combined with host cells (epithelial/immune (Caco-2/THP-1) cells). SBI (human equivalent dose (HED) = 2 and 5 g/day) and the reference prebiotic inulin (IN; HED = 2 g/day) significantly promoted gut barrier integrity and did so more profoundly than a dietary protein (DP), especially upon LPS-induced inflammation. SBI also specifically lowered inflammatory markers (TNF-α and CXCL10). SBI and IN both enhanced SCFA (acetate/propionate/butyrate) via specific gut microbes, while SBI specifically stimulated valerate/bCFA and indole-3-propionic acid (health-promoting tryptophan metabolite). Finally, owing to the high-powered cohort (n = 24), treatment effects could be stratified based on initial microbiota composition: IN exclusively stimulated (acetate/non-gas producing) Bifidobacteriaceae for subjects classifying as Bacteroides/Firmicutes-enterotype donors, coinciding with high acetate/low gas production and thus likely better tolerability of IN. Altogether, this study strongly suggests gut microbiome modulation as a mechanism by which SBI promotes health. Moreover, the SIFR® technology was shown to be a powerful tool to stratify treatment responses and support future personalized nutrition approaches.

Commensal bacterial outer membrane protein A induces interleukin-22 production.

Interleukin (IL)-22 promotes host-microbiota homeostasis. We sought to identify microbiota metabolite(s) that drive intestinal IL-22 production. We observed that exposing Peyer's patch cells (PPCs), ex vivo, to fecal supernatants (FSs) recapitulates fermentable fiber- and microbiota-dependent IL-22 production, and cellular sources thereof, thus supporting the use of this model. An interrogation of FSs generated from mice fed the fermentable fiber inulin (FS-Inu) revealed that its IL-22-inducing activity is mediated by heat-labile protein. Fractionation of FS-Inu by ion-exchange chromatography, and subsequent proteomic analysis of IL-22-inducing fractions, indicates that outer membrane protein A (OmpA) might be a microbial driver of IL-22 expression. Concomitantly, recombinant OmpA from Parabacteroides goldsteinii, which is enriched by an inulin diet, induces IL-22 production and expression of the IL-22-dependent genes REG3γ and -ß, in PPCs and mice. Thus, OmpA is one bacterial inducer of IL-22 expression, potentially linking diet, mucosal immune homeostasis, and gut health.

The genomes of Dahlia pinnata, Cosmos bipinnatus, and Bidens alba in tribe Coreopsideae provide insights into polyploid evolution and inulin biosynthesis.

BACKGROUND: The Coreopsideae tribe, a subset of the Asteraceae family, encompasses economically vital genera like Dahlia, Cosmos, and Bidens, which are widely employed in medicine, horticulture, ecology, and food applications. Nevertheless, the lack of reference genomes hinders evolutionary and biological investigations in this tribe. RESULTS: Here, we present 3 haplotype-resolved chromosome-level reference genomes of the tribe Coreopsideae, including 2 popular flowering plants (Dahlia pinnata and Cosmos bipinnatus) and 1 invasive weed plant (Bidens alba), with assembled genome sizes 3.93 G, 1.02 G, and 1.87 G, respectively. We found that Gypsy transposable elements contribute mostly to the larger genome size of D. pinnata, and multiple chromosome rearrangements have occurred in tribe Coreopsideae. Besides the shared whole-genome duplication (WGD-2) in the Heliantheae alliance, our analyses showed that D. pinnata and B. alba each underwent an independent recent WGD-3 event: in D. pinnata, it is more likely to be a self-WGD, while in B. alba, it is from the hybridization of 2 ancestor species. Further, we identified key genes in the inulin metabolic pathway and found that the pseudogenization of 1-FEH1 and 1-FEH2 genes in D. pinnata and the deletion of 3 key residues of 1-FFT proteins in C. bipinnatus and B. alba may probably explain why D. pinnata produces much more inulin than the other 2 plants. CONCLUSIONS: Collectively, the genomic resources for the Coreopsideae tribe will promote phylogenomics in Asteraceae plants, facilitate ornamental molecular breeding improvements and inulin production, and help prevent invasive weeds.

Identification of carbohydrate gene clusters obtained from in vitro fermentations as predictive biomarkers of prebiotic responses.

BACKGROUND: Prebiotic fibers are non-digestible substrates that modulate the gut microbiome by promoting expansion of microbes having the genetic and physiological potential to utilize those molecules. Although several prebiotic substrates have been consistently shown to provide health benefits in human clinical trials, responder and non-responder phenotypes are often reported. These observations had led to interest in identifying, a priori, prebiotic responders and non-responders as a basis for personalized nutrition. In this study, we conducted in vitro fecal enrichments and applied shotgun metagenomics and machine learning tools to identify microbial gene signatures from adult subjects that could be used to predict prebiotic responders and non-responders. RESULTS: Using short chain fatty acids as a targeted response, we identified genetic features, consisting of carbohydrate active enzymes, transcription factors and sugar transporters, from metagenomic sequencing of in vitro fermentations for three prebiotic substrates: xylooligosacharides, fructooligosacharides, and inulin. A machine learning approach was then used to select substrate-specific gene signatures as predictive features. These features were found to be predictive for XOS responders with respect to SCFA production in an in vivo trial. CONCLUSIONS: Our results confirm the bifidogenic effect of commonly used prebiotic substrates along with inter-individual microbial responses towards these substrates. We successfully trained classifiers for the prediction of prebiotic responders towards XOS and inulin with robust accuracy (≥ AUC 0.9) and demonstrated its utility in a human feeding trial. Overall, the findings from this study highlight the practical implementation of pre-intervention targeted profiling of individual microbiomes to stratify responders and non-responders.

Inulin supplementation exhibits increased muscle mass via gut-muscle axis in children with obesity: double evidence from clinical and in vitro studies.

Gut microbiota manipulation may reverse metabolic abnormalities in obesity. Our previous studies demonstrated that inulin supplementation significantly promoted Bifidobacterium and fat-free mass in obese children. We aimed to study gut-muscle axis from inulin supplementation in these children. In clinical phase, the plasma samples from 46 participants aged 7-15 years, were analyzed for muscle biomarkers before and after 6-month inulin supplementation. In parallel, the plausible mechanism of muscle production via gut-muscle axis was examined using macrophage cell line. Bifidobacterium was cultured in semi-refined medium with inulin used in the clinical phase. Cell-free supernatant was collected and used in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced macrophage cell line to determine inflammatory and anti-inflammatory gene expression. In clinical phase, IL-15 and creatinine/cystatin C ratio significantly increased from baseline to the 6th month. In vitro study showed that metabolites derived from Bifidobacterium capable of utilizing inulin contained the abundance of SCFAs. In the presence of LPS, treatment from Bifidobacterium + inulin downregulated TNF-α, IL-6, IL-1ß, and iNOS, but upregulated FIZZ-1 and TGF-ß expression. Inulin supplementation promoted the muscle biomarkers in agreement with fat-free mass gain, elucidating by Bifidobacterium metabolites derived from inulin digestion showed in vitro anti-inflammatory activity and decreased systemic pro-inflammation, thus promoting muscle production via gut-muscle axis response.Clinical Trial Registry number: NCT03968003.

Molecular modeling and simulation approaches to characterize potential molecular targets for burdock inulin to instigate protection against autoimmune diseases.

In the current study, we utilized molecular modeling and simulation approaches to define putative potential molecular targets for Burdock Inulin, including inflammatory proteins such as iNOS, COX-2, TNF-alpha, IL-6, and IL-1ß. Molecular docking results revealed potential interactions and good binding affinity for these targets; however, IL-1ß, COX-2, and iNOS were identified as the best targets for Inulin. Molecular simulation-based stability assessment demonstrated that inulin could primarily target iNOS and may also supplementarily target COX-2 and IL-1ß during DSS-induced colitis to reduce the role of these inflammatory mechanisms. Furthermore, residual flexibility, hydrogen bonding, and structural packing were reported with uniform trajectories, showing no significant perturbation throughout the simulation. The protein motions within the simulation trajectories were clustered using principal component analysis (PCA). The IL-1ß-Inulin complex, approximately 70% of the total motion was attributed to the first three eigenvectors, while the remaining motion was contributed by the remaining eigenvectors. In contrast, for the COX2-Inulin complex, 75% of the total motion was attributed to the eigenvectors. Furthermore, in the iNOS-Inulin complex, the first three eigenvectors contributed to 60% of the total motion. Furthermore, the iNOS-Inulin complex contributed 60% to the total motion through the first three eigenvectors. To explore thermodynamically favorable changes upon mutation, motion mode analysis was carried out. The Free Energy Landscape (FEL) results demonstrated that the IL-1ß-Inulin achieved a single conformation with the lowest energy, while COX2-Inulin and iNOS-Inulin exhibited two lowest-energy conformations each. IL-1ß-Inulin and COX2-Inulin displayed total binding free energies of - 27.76 kcal/mol and - 37.78 kcal/mol, respectively, while iNOS-Inulin demonstrated the best binding free energy results at - 45.89 kcal/mol. This indicates a stronger pharmacological potential of iNOS than the other two complexes. Thus, further experiments are needed to use inulin to target iNOS and reduce DSS-induced colitis and other autoimmune diseases.

Enhancing storage and gastroprotective viability of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum encapsulated by sodium caseinate-inulin-soy protein isolates composites carried within carboxymethyl cellulose hydrogel.

Probiotics are subjected to various edible coatings, especially proteins and polysaccharides, which serve as the predominant wall materials, with ultrasound, a sustainable green technology. Herein, sodium caseinate, inulin, and soy protein isolate composites were produced using multi-frequency ultrasound and utilized to encapsulateLactiplantibacillus plantarumto enhance its storage, thermal, and gastrointestinal viability. The physicochemical analyses revealed that the composites with 5 % soy protein isolate treated with ultrasound at 50 kHz exhibited enough repulsion forces to maintain stability, pH resistance, and the ability to encapsulate larger particles and possessed the highest encapsulation efficiency (95.95 %). The structural analyses showed changes in the composite structure at CC, CH, CO, and amino acid residual levels. Rheology, texture, and water-holding capacity demonstrated the production of soft hydrogels with mild chewing and gummy properties, carried the microcapsules without coagulation or sedimentation. Moreover, the viability attributes ofL. plantarumevinced superior encapsulation, protecting them for at least eight weeks and against heat (63 °C), reactive oxidative species (H2O2), and GI conditions.

The Influence of Soy Isoflavones and Soy Isoflavones with Inulin on Kidney Morphology, Fatty Acids, and Associated Parameters in Rats with and without Induced Diabetes Type 2.

Diabetes mellitus resulting from hyperglycemia stands as the primary cause of diabetic kidney disease. Emerging evidence suggests that plasma concentrations of soy isoflavones, substances with well-established antidiabetic properties, rise following supplemental inulin administration. The investigation encompassed 36 male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats segregated into two cohorts: non-diabetic and diabetic, induced with type 2 diabetes (high-fat diet + two intraperitoneal streptozotocin injections). Each cohort was further divided into three subgroups (n = 6): control, isoflavone-treated, and isoflavone plus inulin-treated rats. Tail blood glucose and ketone levels were gauged. Upon termination, blood samples were drawn directly from the heart for urea, creatinine, and HbA1c/HbF analyses. One kidney per rat underwent histological (H-E) and immunohistochemical assessments (anti-AQP1, anti-AQP2, anti-AVPR2, anti-SLC22A2, anti-ACC-alpha, anti-SREBP-1). The remaining kidney underwent fatty acid methyl ester analysis. Results unveiled notable alterations in water intake, body and kidney mass, kidney morphology, fatty acids, AQP2, AVPR2, AcetylCoA, SREBP-1, blood urea, creatinine, and glucose levels in control rats with induced type 2 diabetes. Isoflavone supplementation exhibited favorable effects on plasma urea, plasma urea/creatinine ratio, glycemia, water intake, and kidney mass, morphology, and function in type 2 diabetic rats. Additional inulin supplementation frequently modulated the action of soy isoflavones.

The effects of inulin on solubilizing and improving anti-obesity activity of high polymerization persimmon tannin.

High polymerization persimmon tannin has been reported to have lipid-lowering effects. Unfortunately, the poor solubility restricts its application. This research aimed to investigate the effect and mechanism of inulin on solubilizing of persimmon tannin. Furthermore, we examined whether the addition of inulin would affect the attenuated obesity effect of persimmon tannin. Transmission electron microscope (TEM), Isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) results demonstrated that inulin formed a gel-like network structure, which enabled the encapsulation of persimmon tannin through hydrophobic and hydrogen bond interactions, thereby inhibiting the self-aggregation of persimmon tannin. The turbidity of the persimmon tannin solution decreased by 56.2 %, while the polyphenol content in the supernatant increased by 60.0 %. Furthermore, biochemical analysis and 16s rRNA gene sequencing technology demonstrated that persimmon tannin had a significant anti-obesity effect and improved intestinal health in HFD-fed mice. Moreover, inulin was found to have a positive effect on enhancing the health benefits of persimmon tannin, including improving hepatic steatosis and gut microbiota dysbiosis. it enhanced the abundance of beneficial core microbes while decreasing the abundance of harmful bacteria. Our findings expand the applications of persimmon tannin in the food and medical sectors.

Dietary fibre supplementation enhances radiotherapy tumour control and alleviates intestinal radiation toxicity.

BACKGROUND: Non-toxic approaches to enhance radiotherapy outcomes are beneficial, particularly in ageing populations. Based on preclinical findings showing that high-fibre diets sensitised bladder tumours to irradiation by modifying the gut microbiota, along with clinical evidence of prebiotics enhancing anti-cancer immunity, we hypothesised that dietary fibre and its gut microbiota modification can radiosensitise tumours via secretion of metabolites and/or immunomodulation. We investigated the efficacy of high-fibre diets combined with irradiation in immunoproficient C57BL/6 mice bearing bladder cancer flank allografts. RESULT: Psyllium plus inulin significantly decreased tumour size and delayed tumour growth following irradiation compared to 0.2% cellulose and raised intratumoural CD8+ cells. Post-irradiation, tumour control positively correlated with Lachnospiraceae family abundance. Psyllium plus resistant starch radiosensitised the tumours, positively correlating with Bacteroides genus abundance and increased caecal isoferulic acid levels, associated with a favourable response in terms of tumour control. Psyllium plus inulin mitigated the acute radiation injury caused by 14 Gy. Psyllium plus inulin increased caecal acetate, butyrate and propionate levels, and psyllium alone and psyllium plus resistant starch increased acetate levels. Human gut microbiota profiles at the phylum level were generally more like mouse 0.2% cellulose profiles than high fibre profiles. CONCLUSION: These supplements may be useful in combination with radiotherapy in patients with pelvic malignancy. Video Abstract.

Impact of Prebiotic on Viability of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum D-2 by Encapsulation through Spray Drying and Its Commercialization Potential.

This study investigated the impact of inulin (INL) on viability of L. plantarum D-2 (LPD2) by encapsulation through spray drying (SD) and its commercialization potential to alternative of conventional wall material maltodextrin (MD). LPD2, derived from sea tangle (Saccharina japonica) kimchi, is probiotics exhibiting significant attributes like cholesterol reduction, antioxidant properties, and resilience to acidic and bile environments. To enhance storage viability and stability of LPD2, encapsulation was applied by SD technology. The optimum encapsulation condition with MD was 10% MD concentration (MD10) and inlet temperature (96°C). The optimum concentration ratio of MD and INL was 7:3 (INL3) for alternative of MD with similar encapsulation yield and viability of LPD2. Viability of LPD2 with INL3 exhibited almost 8% higher than that with MD10 after 50 days storage at 25°C. Physicochemical characteristics of the encapsulated LPD2 (ELPD2) with MD10 and INL3 had no significant different between flowability and morphology. But, ELPD2 with INL3 had lower water solubility and higher water absorption resulting in extension of viability of LPD2 compared to that with MD10. The comprehensive study results showed that there was no significant difference in the encapsulation yield and physicochemical properties between ELPD2 with MD10 and INL3, except of water solubility index (WSI) and water absorption index (WAI). INL have the potential to substitute of MD as a commercial wall material with prebiotic functionality to enhance the viability of LPD2 by encapsulation.

Raspberry-liked Pickering emulsions based inulin microparticles for enhanced antibacterial performance of essential oils.

Pickering emulsions seem to be an effective strategy for encapsulation and stabilization of essential oils. In this work, a novel raspberry-liked Pickering emulsion (RPE) loading Mosla chinensis 'Jiangxiangru' essential oil (MJO) was successfully engineered by using ethyl lauroyl arginate (ELA) decorated nanosilica (ELA-NS) as particles emulsifier. And the ELA-NS-stabilized MJO Pickering emulsion (MJO-RPE) was further prepared into inulin-based microparticles (MJO-RPE-IMP) by spray-drying, using inulin as matrix formers. The concentration of ELA-NS could affect the formation and stabilization of MJO-RPE, and the colloidal behavior of ELA-NS could be modulated at the interfaces with concentration of ELA, thus providing unique role on stabilization of MJO-RPE. The results indicated that the MJO-RPE stabilized ELA-NS with 2 % NS modified by 0.1 % ELA had long-term stability. MJO-RPE exhibited a raspberry-liked morphology on the surface, attributed to ELA-NS covered in the droplet surface. The inulin-based matrix formers could effectively prevent MJO-RPE from agglomeration or destruction during spray-drying, and 100 % concentration of inulin based microparticles formed large composite particles with high loading capacity (98.54 ± 1.11 %) and exhibited superior thermal stability and redispersibility of MJO-RPE. The MJO-RPE exhibited strong antibacterial efficacy against Escherichia coli (E. coli), Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus), and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa), owing to the adhesion to bacterial membrane dependent on the raspberry-liked surface of MJO-RPE, whose minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of the above three bacteria were (0.3, 0.45, and 1.2 µL/mL), respectively, lower than those (0.45, 0.6 and 1.2 µL/mL) of MJO. Therefore, the Pickering emulsion composite microparticles seemed to be a promising strategy for enhancing the stability and antibacterial activity of MJO.

Characterization of a novel inulosucrase from Lactiplantibacillus plantarum.

Fructansucrases produce fructans by polymerizing the fructose moiety released from sucrose. Here, we describe the recombinant expression and characterization of a unique fructansucrase from Lactiplantibacillus plantarum DKL3 that showed low sequence similarity with previously characterized fructansucrases. The optimum pH and temperature of fructansucrase were found to be 4.0 and 35 °C, respectively. Enzyme activity increased in presence of Ca2+ and distinctly in presence of Mn2+. The enzyme was characterized as an inulosucrase (LpInu), based on the production of an inulin-type fructan as assessed byNMR spectroscopy and methylation analysis. In addition to ß-2,1-linkages, the inulin contained a few ß-2,1,6-linked branchpoints. High-performance size exclusion chromatography with refractive index detection (HPSEC-RI) revealed the production of inulin with a lower molecular weight compared to other characterized bacterial inulin. LpInu and its inulin product represent novel candidates to be explored for possible food and biomedical applications.