RESUMO
This study compared gut (fecal) microbiota profiles between pre-term and full-term infants, assuming that pre-term infants without feeding intolerance would have gut microbiota similar to those of full-term infants. A total of 13 pre-term infants (gestational age < 37 weeks, birthweight ≤ 2500 g) and 10 full-term infants were included. The pre-term infants were assigned to the feeding tolerance (FT) group (n = 7) if their daily intake exceeded 100 mL/kg/day at two weeks after birth, or the feeding intolerance (FI) group (n = 6). Microbial DNA from weekly fecal samples was analyzed. The microbiota profiles of the pre-term infants and full-term infants were significantly different (p = 0.0001), as well as the FT and FI groups (p = 0.0009). The full-term group had more diversity, with higher concentrations of facultative anaerobes such as Bifidobacteriaceae and Lactobacteriaceae. The FT group's gut microbiota matured over four weeks, with higher levels of digestion-related bacteria, while the FI group had more pathogens. In the FI group, a significant difference was observed between the first and second weeks, with no significant differences noted between the first week and the third or fourth weeks. The delay in the development of the pre-term infants' gut microbiota may be associated with the FI.
RESUMO
Early intervention can significantly improve the colorectal cancer survival rate. Foods rich in phenolic compounds, such as jaboticaba (Myrciaria cauliflora), may prevent tumorigenesis. We investigated the effectivity of jaboticaba whole fruit ethanolic extract (FEX) in suppressing aberrant crypt foci (ACF), the earliest lesion of colorectal cancer (CRC), in 1,2-dimethylhydrazine (DMH)-induced rats and the underlying mechanisms related to the gut microbiota composition and short chain fatty acid (SCFA). This study was approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) of Providence University (Trial Registration Number 20180419A01, registration date: 22 December 2018). The FEX contains gallic acid and an especially high ellagic acid concentration of 54.41 ± 1.80 and 209.79 ± 2.49 mg/100 g FEX. The highest total ACF number (150.00 ± 43.86) was recorded in the DMH control (D) group. After 56 days of oral FEX treatment, the total ACF number in the low FEX dosage (DL) group was significantly lower compared to the D group (p < 0.05). The large-sized ACF (> 5 foci), which has a higher probability of progressing to later stage, was significantly decreased in the high FEX dosage (DH) group. The 16s rDNA metagenomic sequencing of the cecal material revealed that the CRC biomarker Lachnoclostridium was significantly suppressed in the DH group (p < 0.05), whereas some SCFA-producing taxa and the cecal butyrate concentration were significantly elevated in the DL and DH groups (p < 0.05). This study demonstrated the potential of jaboticaba whole fruit in CRC prevention, especially in the initial stage, by shifting gut microbiota composition and improving cecal butyrate level.
