In-vitro colonic fermentation of Kakadu plum (Terminalia ferdinandiana) fruit powder: Microbial biotransformation of phenolic compounds and cytotoxicity.

Kakadu plum (Terminalia ferdinandiana) (KP) is an indigenous fruit used as a functional ingredient in powdered form. Three KP doses (1, 2.5 and 5 g) were digested in a dynamic in vitro gut digestion model over 48 h. Faecal water digests from the colonic reactors were assessed for total soluble polyphenols (TSP), ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), phenolic metabolites and short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs). Effects of digests on cell viability were tested against Caco-2 intestinal and HepG2 hepatic cells. All doses of KP fermentation produced castalagin, corilagin, chebulagic acid, chebulinic acid, and gallic acid. TSP and FRAP significantly increased in 5 g KP digests at 0 and 48 h of fermentation. SCFA concentrations significantly increased after 48 h. Cytotoxic effects of 2.5 and 5 g KP digests diminished significantly after 12 h. Overall, colonic fermentation increased antioxidant activity and polyphenolic metabolites of 5 g KP powder for 48 h.

Characterisation of the protein quality and composition of water kefir-fermented casein.

This study aimed to assess the technique of natural fermentation by applying water kefir to the casein protein. The diverse microorganisms and their enzymes found naturally in the water kefir can influence casein's characteristics. The fermented casein's protein quality (digestibility and secondary protein structure) and composition (total soluble solids and nutritive and non-nutritive substances) were investigated. Our findings revealed that the fermented casein's protein digestibility and total phenolic content increased from 82.46 to 88.60 % and 7.6 to 8.0 mg gallic acid equivalent/100 g, respectively. In addition, their surface charge and hydrophobicity changed from -30.06 to -34.93 mV and 286.9 to 213.7, respectively. Furthermore, the fermented casein's secondary protein components, α-helix (decreased from 13.66 to 8.21 %) and random coil (increased from 16.88 to 19.61 %), were also altered during the fermentation. Based on these findings, the water kefir fermentation approach could be an effective, practical, non-thermal approach for improving casein's protein quality and composition.

Evaluation of structure, quality, physicochemical properties, and phenolics content of pea proteins: A novel strategy through the incorporation of fermentation.

The utilization of pea proteins (PPs) is limited due to their relatively low protein digestibility (∼81%) compared to animal-based proteins, such as whey. The present investigation involved the fermentation of PPs at a concentration of 1% (w/v) using 5% (w/v) water kefir for 60 h at 25°C to improve the functional properties of PPs. The results showed a significant (p < 0.05) increase in lactic acid and acetic acid production during fermentation. These findings suggest that PPs can be effectively fermented using water kefir as a starter culture for the increased protein digestibility of PPs. The PP conformation underwent modifications, including secondary and tertiary protein structure alterations. The total phenolic compounds increased throughout the fermentation, reaching around 695.32 ± 15 mg gallic acid equivalent/100 g after 24 h of fermentation. Furthermore, the fermentation process has culminated in significant (p < 0.05) changes in the surface charge and hydrophobic properties of the fermented PPs, from -38.1 to -45.73 and 362.7 to 550.2, respectively. Fermentation using water kefir is a promising technique for improving the digestibility, protein structure, and nutritional values of PPs.

Designing novel industrial and functional foods using the bioactive compounds from Nigella sativa L. (black cumin): Biochemical and biological prospects toward health implications.

Nigella sativa is one of the nutraceuticals that has gained popularity and studied extensively in recent decades as it is considered a safe medicinal plant for use as a dietary supplement. N. sativa contains a wide variety of bioactive substances, which include polyphenols, volatile oils (thymoquinone and p-cymene), proteins, and peptides. The biological attributes of N. sativa include antioxidant, antimicrobial, antifungal, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, antidiabetic, antihypertensive, hypolipidemic, and antioxidant activities, which have potential applications for the prevention of a variety of chronic diseases. In the food industry, N. sativa improves the sensory qualities, shelf life, strength, and freshness of foods, such as bread, pizza, biscuits, cookies, and cakes. This review discusses the industrial use of N. sativa, which includes processing technologies to enhance its health-promoting properties as well as the isolation of nutraceutical components.

Current perspectives on fenugreek bioactive compounds and their potential impact on human health: A review of recent insights into functional foods and other high value applications.

Despite long-standing uses in several food and medicine traditions, the full potential of the leguminous crop fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum L.) remains to be realized in the modern diet. Not only its seeds, which are highly prized for their culinary and medicinal properties, but also its leaves and stems abound in phytochemicals with high nutritional and health promoting attributes. Fenugreek dual food-medicine applications and reported metabolic activities include hypoglycemic, antihyperlipidemic, antioxidative, anti-inflammatory, antiatherogenic, antihypertensive, anticarcinogenic, immunomodulatory, and antinociceptive effects, with potential organ-protective effects at the cardiovascular, digestive, hepatic, endocrine, and central nervous system levels. Effectiveness in alleviating certain inflammatory skin conditions and dysfunctions of the reproductive system was also suggested. As a food ingredient, fenugreek can enhance the sensory, nutritional, and nutraceutical qualities of a wide variety of foods. Its high nutritive density can assist with the design of dietary items that meet the demand for novelty, variety, and healthier foods. Its seeds provide essential protective nutrients and other bioactive compounds, notably galactomannans, flavonoids, coumarins, saponins, alkaloids, and essential oils, whose health benefits, alone or in conjunction with other bioactives, are only beginning to be tapped into in the food industries. This review summarizes the current state of evidence on fenugreek potential for functional food development, focusing on the nutrients and non-nutrient bioactive components of interest from a dietary perspective, and their applications for enhancing the functional and nutraceutical value of foods and beverages. New developments, safety, clinical evidence, presumed mechanisms of action, and future perspectives are discussed. HIGHLIGHTS: Fenugreek seeds and leaves have long-standing uses in the food-medicine continuum. Fenugreek phytochemicals exert broad-spectrum biological and pharmacological activities. They show high preventive and nutraceutical potential against common chronic diseases. Current evidence supports multiple mechanisms of action mediated by distinct bioactives. Opportunities for fenugreek-based functional foods and nutraceuticals are expanding.

Sustainable healthy diet modeling for a plant-based dietary transitioning in the United States.

The potential environmental and nutritional benefits of plant-based dietary shifts require thorough investigation to outline suitable routes to achieve these benefits. Whereas dietary consumption is usually in composite forms, sustainable healthy diet assessments have not adequately addressed composite diets. In this study, we build on available data in the Food4HealthyLife calculator to develop 3 dietary concepts (M) containing 24 model composite diet scenarios (S) assessed for their environmental and nutritional performances. The Health Nutritional Index (HENI) and Food Compass scoring systems were used for nutritional quality profiling and estimates of environmental impact were derived from previously reported midpoint impact values for foods listed in the What We Eat in America database. The diets were ranked using the Kruskal‒Wallis nonparametric test, and a dual-scale data chart was employed for a trade-off analysis to identify the optimal composite diet scenario. The results showcased a distinct variation in ranks for each scenario on the environment and nutrition scales, describing an inherent nonlinear relationship between environmental and nutritional performances. However, trade-off analysis revealed a diet with 10% legumes, 0.11% red meat, 0.28% processed meat and 2.81% white meat could reduce global warming by 54.72% while yielding a diet quality of 74.13 on the Food Compass Scoring system. These observations provide an interesting forecast of the benefits of transitioning to an optimal plant- and animal-based dieting pattern, which advances global nutritional needs and environmental stewardship among consumers.

Three-Dimensional Printing of Foods: A Critical Review of the Present State in Healthcare Applications, and Potential Risks and Benefits.

Three-dimensional printing is one of the most precise manufacturing technologies with a wide variety of applications. Three-dimensional food printing offers potential benefits for food production in terms of modifying texture, personalized nutrition, and adaptation to specific consumers' needs, among others. It could enable innovative and complex foods to be presented attractively, create uniquely textured foods tailored to patients with dysphagia, and support sustainability by reducing waste, utilizing by-products, and incorporating eco-friendly ingredients. Notable applications to date include, but are not limited to, printing novel shapes and complex geometries from candy, chocolate, or pasta, and bio-printed meats. The main challenges of 3D printing include nutritional quality and manufacturing issues. Currently, little research has explored the impact of 3D food printing on nutrient density, bioaccessibility/bioavailability, and the impact of matrix integrity loss on diet quality. The technology also faces challenges such as consumer acceptability, food safety and regulatory concerns. Possible adverse health effects due to overconsumption or the ultra-processed nature of 3D printed foods are major potential pitfalls. This review describes the state-of-the-art of 3D food printing technology from a nutritional perspective, highlighting potential applications and current limitations of this technology, and discusses the potential nutritional risks and benefits of 3D food printing.

Collagen Hydrolysates: A Source of Bioactive Peptides Derived from Food Sources for the Treatment of Osteoarthritis.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common joint disorder, with a social and financial burden that is expected to increase in the coming years. Currently, there are no effective medications to treat it. Due to limited treatment options, patients often resort to supplements, such as collagen hydrolysates (CHs). CHs are products with low molecular weight (MW) peptides, often between 3 and 6 kDa, and are a result of industrialized processed collagen. Collagen extraction is often a by-product of the meat industry, with the main source for collagen-based products being bovine, although it can also be obtained from porcine and piscine sources. CHs have demonstrated positive results in clinical trials related to joint health, such as decreased joint pain, increased mobility, and structural joint improvements. The bioactivity of CHs is primarily attributed to their bioactive peptide (BAP) content. However, there are significant knowledge gaps regarding the digestion, bioavailability, and bioactivity of CH-derived BAPs, and how different CH products compare in that regard. The present review discusses CHs and their BAP content as potential treatments for OA.

Functional and Bioactive Properties of Wheat Protein Fractions: Impact of Digestive Enzymes on Antioxidant, α-Amylase, and Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibition Potential.

This research aimed to determine the biofunctional properties of wheat flour (WF) protein fractions and modifications to the antioxidant, anti-α-amylase and anti-angiotensin-I converting enzyme (ACE) activities induced by the action of digestive endopeptidases in vitro. A molecular characterization of the most abundant protein fractions, i.e., albumins, glutelins-1, glutelins-2 and prolamins, showed that low- and high-MW polypeptides rich in cysteine, glutamic acid and leucine were present in albumins and glutelins, whereas low-MW subunits with a high proportion of polar amino acids prevailed in prolamins. Prolamins exhibited the second-highest water holding capacity (54%) after WF (84%), while albumins provided superior foam stability (76%). Prolamins, glutenins-1 and globulins demonstrated the highest antioxidant activity (up to 95%, 68% and 59%, respectively) both before and after hydrolysis with pepsin (P-H) or trypsin-chymotrypsin (TC-H). Prolamins, globulins and WF strongly inhibited α-amylase (>90%) before and after TC-H, and before P-H (55-71%). Moreover, P-H significantly increased α-amylase inhibition by albumins from 53 to 74%. The fractions with strong ACE inhibitory activity (70-89%) included prolamins and globulins after TC-H or P-H, as well as globulins before TC-H and WF before P-H. This novel evidence indicates that WF protein fractions and their peptide-enriched P and TC hydrolysates are excellent sources of multifunctional bioactives with antioxidant, antihyperglycemic and antihypertensive potential.

Anthocyanin-rich blue potato meals protect against polychlorinated biphenyl-mediated disruption of short-chain fatty acid production and gut microbiota profiles in a simulated human digestion model.

Background: Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are ubiquitous environmental pollutants associated with a wide variety of adverse human health outcomes. PCB 126 and PCB 153 are among the most prevalent congeners associated with human exposure. Emerging studies have suggested that PCB exposure leads to lower gut microbial diversity although their effects on microbial production of health promoting short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) has been scarcely studied. Blue potatoes are rich in anthocyanins (ACNs), which is a class of polyphenols that promote the growth of beneficial intestinal bacteria such as Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus and increase the generation of SCFAs. A batch-culture, pH-controlled, stirred system containing human fecal microbial communities was utilized to assess whether human gut microbiota composition and SCFA production are affected by: (a) PCB 126 and PCB 153 exposure; and (b) ACN-rich digests in the presence and absence of the PCB congeners. Methods: Anthocyanin-rich blue potato meals (11.03 g) were digested over 12 h with and without PCB 126 (0.5 mM) and PCB 153 (0.5 mM) using an in vitro simulated gut digestion model involving upper gastrointestinal digestion followed by metabolism by human fecal microbiota. Fecal digests were collected for analysis of gut microbial and SCFA profiles. Results: Polychlorinated biphenyl-exposed fecal samples showed a significant (p < 0.05) decrease in species richness and a significantly (p < 0.05) different microbial community structure. PCB treatment was associated with an increased (p < 0.05) relative abundance of Akkermansia, Eggerthella, and Bifidobacterium and a decreased (p < 0.05) relative abundance of Veillonella, Streptococcus, and Holdemanella. ACN digests counteracted the altered abundances of Akkermansia and Bifidobacterium seen with the PCB treatment. PCB exposure was associated with a significant (p < 0.05) decrease in total SCFA and acetate concentrations. ACN digests were associated with significantly (p < 0.05) higher SCFA and acetate concentrations in the presence and absence of PCBs. Conclusion: Human fecal matter exposed to PCB 126 and PCB 153 led to decreased abundance and altered gut microbiota profiles as well as lowered SCFA and acetate levels. Importantly, this study showed that prebiotic ACN-rich potatoes counteract PCB-mediated disruptions in human gut microbiota profiles and SCFA production.

Hypomagnesemia and the Metabolic Syndrome among Apparently Healthy Kuwaiti Adults: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Magnesium plays a key role in metabolic disorder development, and hypomagnesemia may be implicated in the pathogenesis of metabolic syndrome (MetS) and its components. In this cross-sectional study, we investigated the associations between hypomagnesemia, MetS, and MetS components among 231 adults (193 women and 38 men) living in Kuwait who were apparently healthy without chronic diseases. We used the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) and the United States National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III (ATP III) criteria to define participants with MetS. The Ministry of Health cutoff for hypomagnesemia (<0.74 mmol/L) was employed. IDF- and ATP III-defined MetS prevalence was 22.1% and 15.2%, respectively. Hypomagnesemia occurred in 33.3% of all participants and 53.2% of participants with MetS (p < 0.001). Magnesemia correlated negatively with body mass index, waist circumference, systolic blood pressure [SBP], diastolic blood pressure (DBP), fasting blood glucose (FBG), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol level, and triglyceride level; magnesemia correlated positively with high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels (p < 0.001). Multivariate logistic regression, adjusting for BMI, age, and sex, showed that hypomagnesemia was associated with a 12- and 5-fold greater odds of getting IDF-defined (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 11.70; 95% confidence interval [CI] 4.87−28.14) and ATP-defined (aOR 5.44; 95% CI 2.10−14.10) MetS, respectively, in the study population. Hypomagnesemia was significantly associated with a 3.62, 9.29, 7.01, 2.88, 3.64, and 3.27 higher odds of an increased waist circumference (95% CI 1.48−8.85), elevated serum triglyceride level (95% CI 3.97−21.73), elevated FBG (95% CI 3.25−15.11), elevated SBP (95% CI 1.16−7.11), elevated DBP (95% CI: 1.22−10.89), and lowered HDL-C level (95% CI 1.69−6.32), respectively. Hypomagnesemia could be a consequence of the pathophysiology of MetS and its individual components among adults in Kuwait.

3D Food Printing Applications Related to Dysphagia: A Narrative Review.

Dysphagia is a condition in which the swallowing mechanism is impaired. It is most often a result of a stroke. Dysphagia has serious consequences, including choking and aspiration pneumonia, which can both be fatal. The population that is most affected by it is the elderly. Texture-modified diets are part of the treatment plan for dysphagia. This bland, restrictive diet often contributes to malnutrition in patients with dysphagia. Both energy and protein intake are of concern, which is especially worrying, as it affects the elderly. Making texture-modified diets more appealing is one method to increase food intake. As a recent technology, 3D food printing has great potential to increase the appeal of textured foods. With extrusion-based printing, both protein and vegetable products have already been 3D printed that fit into the texture categories provided by the International Dysphagia Diet Standardization Initiative. Another exciting advancement is 4D food printing which could make foods even more appealing by incorporating color change and aroma release following a stimulus. The ultra-processed nature of 3D-printed foods is of nutritional concern since this affects the digestion of the food and negatively affects the gut microbiome. There are mitigating strategies to this issue, including the addition of hydrocolloids that increase stomach content viscosity and the addition of probiotics. Therefore, 3D food printing is an improved method for the production of texture-modified diets that should be further explored.

Commensal and Pathogenic Bacterial-Derived Extracellular Vesicles in Host-Bacterial and Interbacterial Dialogues: Two Sides of the Same Coin.

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) cause effective changes in various domains of life. These bioactive structures are essential to the bidirectional organ communication. Recently, increasing research attention has been paid to EVs derived from commensal and pathogenic bacteria in their potential role to affect human disease risk for cancers and a variety of metabolic, gastrointestinal, psychiatric, and mental disorders. The present review presents an overview of both the protective and harmful roles of commensal and pathogenic bacteria-derived EVs in host-bacterial and interbacterial interactions. Bacterial EVs could impact upon human health by regulating microbiota-host crosstalk intestinal homeostasis, even in distal organs. The importance of vesicles derived from bacteria has been also evaluated regarding epigenetic modifications and applications. Generally, the evaluation of bacterial EVs is important towards finding efficient strategies for the prevention and treatment of various human diseases and maintaining metabolic homeostasis.

Development of a nutrition management software based on selected Middle Eastern and Mediterranean dishes to support personalized diet and weight management.

The nutrient composition of 50 commonly consumed Jordanian food dishes was determined to support the development of a novel nutrition management system designed to assist with dietary intake assessment and diet management. Composite dishes were selected by interviewing households located in the northern region of Jordan. For each dish, five different recipes were collected from experienced chefs and the typical recipe was formulated based on the average weights of ingredients and net weight of the dish. Proximate composition as well as vitamin and mineral contents were determined and related to ingredient composition and cooking conditions. The newly created food composition database was used to develop a user-centric nutrition management software tailored to reflect the characteristics of the Jordanian diet with representative items from this diet. This novel nutrition management system is customizable, enabling users to build daily meal plans in accordance with personalized dietary needs and goals.

Assessment of Bioavailability after In Vitro Digestion and First Pass Metabolism of Bioactive Peptides from Collagen Hydrolysates.

Collagen hydrolysates (CHs) are composed of bioactive peptides (BAPs), which possess health enhancing properties. There is a knowledge gap regarding the bioavailability of these BAPs that involves intestinal transport and hepatic first pass effects. A simulated gastrointestinal model was used to generate digesta from two CHs (CH-GL and CH-OPT), which were applied to a novel transwell co-culture of human intestinal epithelium cell line-6 (HIEC-6) and hepatic (HepG2) cells to simulate in vivo conditions of absorption and first pass metabolism. Peptide transport, hepatic first pass effects, and bioavailability were determined by measuring BAPs (Gly-Pro, Hyp-Gly, Ala-Hyp, Pro-Hyp, Gly-Pro-Hyp) using an innovative capillary electrophoresis method. All peptides were transported across the intestinal cell layer to varying degrees with both CHs; however, Gly-Pro-Hyp was transported only with CH-GL, but not CH-OPT. Notable hepatic production was observed for Ala-Hyp with both CH treatments, and for Pro-Hyp and Gly-Pro with CH-GL only. All peptides were bioavailable (>10%), except for Gly-Pro-Hyp after CH-OPT. Overall, a high degree of transport and hepatic first pass effects on CH-derived BAPs were observed. Further research is needed to explore the hepatic mechanisms related to the production of BAPs and the bifunctional effects of the bioavailable BAPs noted in this study.

A White Paper on Collagen Hydrolyzates and Ultrahydrolyzates: Potential Supplements to Support Joint Health in Osteoarthritis?

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common forms of arthritis in the general population, accounting for more pain and functional disability than any other musculoskeletal disease. There are currently no approved disease modifying drugs for OA. In the absence of effective pharmacotherapy, many patients with OA turn to nutritional supplements and nutraceuticals, including collagen derivatives. Collagen hydrolyzates and ultrahydrolyzates are terms used to describe collagens that have been broken down into small peptides and amino acids in the presence of collagenases and high pressure. RECENT FINDINGS: This article reviews the relevant literature and serves as a White Paper on collagen hydrolyzates and ultrahydrolyzates as emerging supplements often advertised to support joint health in OA. Collagen hydrolyzates have demonstrated some evidence of efficacy in a handful of small scale clinical trials, but their ability to treat and reverse advanced joint disease remains highly speculative, as is the case for other nutritional supplements. The aim of this White Paper is to stimulate research and development of collagen-based supplements for patients with OA and other musculoskeletal diseases at academic and industrial levels. This White Paper does not make any treatment recommendations for OA patients in the clinical context, but simply aims to highlight opportunities for scientific innovation and interdisciplinary collaboration, which are crucial for the development of novel products and nutritional interventions based on the best available and published evidence.

Probiotic Supplementation and Micronutrient Status in Healthy Subjects: A Systematic Review of Clinical Trials.

Micronutrient deficiencies are a worldwide public health concern. Emerging evidence supports the ability of probiotics to enhance micronutrient status, which could aid in the prevention of non-communicable disease-associated malnutrition. This systematic review evaluated evidence of the efficacy of probiotic supplementation to improve micronutrient status in healthy subjects. The authors searched for published English language peer-reviewed journal articles in PubMed, Scopus, Embase, and Google Scholar databases from inception to July 2020 using Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. The quality of eligible studies was assessed using the Revised Cochrane Risk-of-Bias tool (RoB)2 and Risk of Bias in Non-Randomized Studies of Interventions tool (ROBINS-I tool). Fourteen original studies out of 2790 met the inclusion criteria. The results indicated that, despite varying degrees of efficacy, the intake of certain probiotics in healthy subjects was associated with a positive impact on the status of certain micronutrients (vitamin B12, calcium, folate, iron and zinc). A limitation was that studies were widely heterogeneous in terms of participant age, probiotic strain, species, dosage, intervention duration, and form of administration. Additional clinical trials are warranted to determine the most effective strains of probiotics, doses and durations of interventions.

Gastrointestinal Digestion Model Assessment of Peptide Diversity and Microbial Fermentation Products of Collagen Hydrolysates.

Osteoarthritis (OA), the most common form of arthritis, is associated with metabolic diseases and gut microbiome dysbiosis. OA patients often take supplements of collagen hydrolysates (CHs) with a high peptide content. Following digestion, some peptides escape absorption to induce prebiotic effects via their colonic fermentation to generate short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), branched-chain fatty acids (BCFAs) and colonic gases (NH4 and H2S). The capacity of CHs to generate microbial metabolites is unknown. Proteomic analysis of two CHs (CH-GL and CH-OPT) demonstrated different native peptide profiles with increased peptide diversity after in vitro gastric and small intestinal digestion. Subsequent 24 h fermentation of the CH digests in a dynamic gastrointestinal (GI) digestion model containing human fecal matter showed that CH-OPT increased (p < 0.05) H2S, SCFAs (propionic, butyric and valeric acids), BCFAs, and decreased NH4 in the ascending colon reactor with no major changes seen with CH-GL. No major effects were observed in the transverse and descending vessels for either CH. These findings signify that CHs can induce prebiotic effects in the ascending colon that are CH dependent. More studies are needed to determine the physiological significance of CH-derived colonic metabolites, in view of emerging evidence connecting the gut to OA and metabolic diseases.

A novel, scalable, and modular bioreactor design for dynamic simulation of the digestive tract.

In vitro gut model systems permit the growth of gut microbes outside their natural habitat and are essential to the study of gut microbiota. Systems available today are limited by a lack of scalability and flexibility in the mode of operation. Here, we describe the development of a versatile bioreactor module that can be easily adjusted for culture size and capable of sensing and controlling of environmental parameters such as pH control of culture medium, rate of influx and efflux of the culture medium, and aerobic/anaerobic atmosphere. Bioreactor modules can be operated as single units or linked in series to construct a model of a digestive tract with multiple compartments to allow the growth of microbiota in vitro. We tested the growth of synthetic and natural bacterial communities in a multicompartment continuous dynamic culture model simulation of the mammalian gut. The distal compartments of a sterile system inoculated with the synthetic bacterial community at the proximal module attained a stable bacterial density by 24 h, and all the genera present in the inoculum were firmly established in the distal modules simulating the large intestine at 5 days of continuous culture. A natural bacterial community simultaneously inoculated into the distal modules attained a stable bacterial composition at the phylum level by Day 7 of continuous culture. The findings illustrate the utility of the system to culture mixed bacterial communities which can be used to study the collective biological activities of the cultured microbiota in the absence of host influence.

Food insecurity and the double burden of malnutrition in Colombian rural households.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to examine in Colombian rural households the association between different severity levels of household food insecurity and the presence of the double burden of malnutrition (SCOWT), defined as the coexistence of a stunted child under 5 years of age and an overweight or obese (OWOB) mother. DESIGN: A secondary data analysis was conducted using cross-sectional data from the Colombian National Nutritional Survey (ENSIN) 2015. Household food insecurity status was assessed by using the Latin-American and Caribbean Food Security Scale (ELCSA). The household SCOWT status (child stunting and OWOB mother) was determined using anthropometric data from a mother and her child. SETTING: Rural Colombia. PARTICIPANTS: Totally, 2·350 mother-child pairs living in the same household. RESULTS: Sixty-two per cent of the households were food-insecure and SCOWT was present in 7·8 % of the households. Moderate (OR: 2·39, 95 % CI (1·36, 4·21)) and severe (OR: 1·86, 95 % CI (1·10, 3·15)) food insecurity was associated with SCOWT in an unadjusted logistic regression. Only moderate food insecurity remained significantly associated with SCOWT in a multivariate logistic regression (adjusted OR: 2·41, 95 % CI (1·24, 4·68)). CONCLUSIONS: Colombian rural areas are not exempt from the worldwide concern of increasing OWOB rates while stunting is still persistent. These results highlight the need of implementing double-duty rural actions targeting the most vulnerable households to SCOWT, particularly in terms of overcoming food insecurity beyond hunger satisfaction to prevent all forms of malnutrition.