Relationship among oral health status, bolus formation and food comfortability during consumption of model cheeses in elderly.

The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of oral impairment on chewing behaviour, food bolus properties and food comfortability during elderly consumption of model cheeses. Seventy-two elderly persons (aged 66 to 88) was recruited and classified into two groups according to dental status (poor vs. satisfactory). They showed a wide range of salivary flow rates whatever their dental status (stimulated: 0.2-3.8 mL min-1, resting: 0.1-0.8 mL min-1). Standardized bites of four model cheeses with an identical composition but different textures (soft, hard, processed and whipped) were tested. The time and number of chewing cycles required to form a bolus were measured. The rheological properties of the bolus were studied, as was saliva moistening. Food comfortability was assessed by means of a questionnaire composed of 5 sections (1-oral comfort, 2-bolus formation, 3-pain, 4-texture and 5-flavour perception). The chewing parameters measured were not modified by the oral health. However, elderly with poor dentition formed harder boluses than elderly with satisfactory dentition. Moreover, for elderly with poor dentition, the quantity of saliva incorporated into the bolus was correlated with the stimulated salivary flow rate, which was not the case for elderly with satisfactory dentition. General oral comfort and its different attributes were poorly associated with the oral health of the elderly. A multifactorial analysis performed on an average cheese showed that food comfortability is independent of changes in the hardness and moistening of the bolus, regardless of dental status. In particular, poor dental status increases the hardness of the bolus without modifying its comfortability.

Osmolality of a fortified human preterm milk: The effect of fortifier dosage, gestational age, lactation stage, and hospital practices.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the dose-dependent effect of human milk fortifier (HMF) on the osmolality of various preterm human milks (PHMs) at different gestational and lactation stages, and with different storage and treatment conditions that are routinely used in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs). STUDY DESIGN: Twenty-four mothers who had given birth to their baby before 28 or between 29 and 31 weeks of pregnancy participated in the study after 1-2 weeks or 3-4 weeks breastfeeding after delivery. The study was a prospective, multicenter, comparative, and noninterventional study. Osmolality of fresh or pasteurized human milk stored at 4°C was measured (cryoscopy) at baseline, and 24hours after adding Suppletine® Human Milk fortifier (SHMF) at 3%, 4%, 4.5%, and 5% (w/v). RESULTS: PHM without supplementation had an osmolality (mean±SD) of 301±8 mOsm/kgH2O (n=40; 95% CI: [298; 303]). Adding 3-5% SHMF induced a linear increase of osmolality (P<0.001; r2=0.975). With 4% SHMF, the osmolality measure was 443±13mOsm/kg H2O (95% CI: [439-447]). Neither a 24-hour storage at 4°C nor pasteurization induced a modification of osmolality compared to the fresh samples. CONCLUSION: Whatever the origin and quality of milk as well as hospital practices, adding up to 4% (w/v) SHMF to PHM increases its nutritional quality and osmolality without exceeding 450mOsm/kgH2O, which is generally recognized as safe.

Bolus quality and food comfortability of model cheeses for the elderly as influenced by their texture.

The aim of this study was to examine the influence of the texture of dairy products on bolus properties and food comfortability as perceived by elderly persons. Four cheese models identical in terms of their nutritional composition but different by the type of texture (Soft, Hard, Processed and Whipped) were developed to resemble market cheese. Study was performed with a panel of 38 elderly persons without dental impairment but with variable rate of saliva flow. The time of chewing required to form the bolus was measured. The rheological properties of the bolus obtained were studied as well as the quantity of saliva incorporated. Food comfortability was assessed by means of a questionnaire asking about in-mouth comfort, bolus formation, pain, and perceived texture and flavor. Results showed that food comfortability was positively correlated to the ease of forming the bolus which depended on the food texture. Thus, the bolus formed with the Whipped product which required more saliva, was harder than the other three products and so judged the least comfortable. This product was characterized by a dry and sticky texture. On the other hand, the Soft and Processed products led to a softer food bolus that was more easily formed, and thus were judged as more comfortable. Their textures were perceived as soft, fatty and melting. This work highlights the importance of considering food bolus formation and related properties when looking for the link between food product characteristics and the enjoyment of eating in the case of the elderly population.

L. fermentum CECT 5716 prevents stress-induced intestinal barrier dysfunction in newborn rats.

BACKGROUND: Intestinal epithelial barrier (IEB) dysfunction plays a critical role in various intestinal disorders affecting infants and children, including the development of food allergies and colitis. Recent studies highlighted the role of probiotics in regulating IEB functions and behavior in adults, but their effects in the newborn remain largely unknown. We therefore characterized in rat pups, the impact of Lactobacillus fermentum CECT 5716 (L. fermentum) on stress-induced IEB dysfunction, systemic immune response and exploratory behavior. METHODS: Newborn rats received daily by gavage either L. fermentum or water. Intestinal permeability to fluorescein sulfonic acid (FSA) and horseradish peroxidase (HRP) was measured following maternal separation (MS) and water avoidance stress (WAS). Immunohistochemical, transcriptomic, and Western blot analysis of zonula occludens-1 (ZO-1) distribution and expression were performed. Anxiety-like and exploratory behavior was assessed using the elevated plus maze test. Cytokine secretion of activated splenocytes was also evaluated. KEY RESULTS: L. fermentum prevented MS and WAS-induced IEB dysfunction in vivo. L. fermentum reduced permeability to both FSA and HRP in the small intestine but not in the colon. L. fermentum increased expression of ZO-1 and prevented WAS-induced ZO-1 disorganization in ileal epithelial cells. L. fermentum also significantly reduced stress-induced increase in plasma corticosteronemia. In activated splenocytes, L. fermentum enhanced IFNγ secretion while it prevented IL-4 secretion. Finally, L. fermentum increased exploratory behavior. CONCLUSIONS & INFERENCES: These results suggest that L. fermentum could provide a novel tool for the prevention and/or treatment of gastrointestinal disorders associated with altered IEB functions in the newborn.