Ginger Polyphenols Reverse Molecular Signature of Amygdala Neuroimmune Signaling and Modulate Microbiome in Male Rats with Neuropathic Pain: Evidence for Microbiota-Gut-Brain Axis.

Emerging evidence shows that the gut microbiota plays an important role in neuropathic pain (NP) via the gut-brain axis. Male rats were divided into sham, spinal nerve ligation (SNL), SNL + 200 mg GEG/kg BW (GEG200), and SNL + 600 mg GEG/kg BW (GEG600) for 5 weeks. The dosages of 200 and 600 mg GEG/kg BW for rats correspond to 45 g and 135 g raw ginger for human daily consumption, respectively. Both GEG groups mitigated SNL-induced NP behavior. GEG-supplemented animals had a decreased abundance of Rikenella, Muribaculaceae, Clostridia UCG-014, Mucispirillum schaedleri, RF39, Acetatifactor, and Clostridia UCG-009, while they had an increased abundance of Flavonifactor, Hungatella, Anaerofustis stercorihominis, and Clostridium innocuum group. Relative to sham rats, Fos and Gadd45g genes were upregulated, while Igf1, Ccl2, Hadc2, Rtn4rl1, Nfkb2, Gpr84, Pik3cg, and Abcc8 genes were downregulated in SNL rats. Compared to the SNL group, the GEG200 group and GEG600 group had increases/decreases in 16 (10/6) genes and 11 (1/10) genes, respectively. GEG downregulated Fos and Gadd45g genes and upregulated Hdac2 genes in the amygdala. In summary, GEG alleviates NP by modulating the gut microbiome and reversing a molecular neuroimmune signature.

Absorption and Metabolism of Ginger Compounds in Broiler Chicks.

Bioavailability is critical in ensuring bioefficacy of ginger compounds, which have not been studied in chicks. In this study, day-old chicks were treated with ginger root extract at 0.0, 0.4, 0.8, 1.5, and 3.0% for 42 days. The gingerols and shogaols in chick samples were analyzed by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. The primary phase-I metabolic pathway for gingerols and shogaols was the reduction of ketone groups into hydroxyl groups. Shogaols were also metabolized through thiol conjugation and hydrogenation of double-bond pathways. Within the bloodstream, gingerols and their metabolites predominantly existed as glucuronidate or sulfate conjugates. However, the levels of the free form and conjugates were comparable for shogaols. In breast meat, the quantities of both the free form and conjugates for all compounds were similar. In plasma, more than 50% of absorbed 6-gingerol (6G) and 90% of absorbed 6-shogaol underwent reduction to their respective metabolites. However, in breast meat, the percentage of reduction for absorbed 6G was less than 50%, and for absorbed 6-shogaol, it was less than 60%. Ginger compounds were absorbed into chick plasma ranging from 1.4 to 8.5 µg/mL and breast meat ranging from 7.1 to 114.6 µg/100 g across the 0.4-3.0% dose range in a dose-dependent manner.

Fermented Oats as a Novel Functional Food.

Fermented oats are gaining popularity due to their nutritional value and the increasing consumer demand for health-conscious foods. These oats are believed to offer enhanced phytochemical and nutritional profiles compared to unfermented oats. The increased nutritional content of fermented oats is associated with various health benefits, including anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities, which could potentially reduce the risk of chronic diseases. Further investigations are warranted to elucidate the nutritional benefits of fermented oats in human nutrition. This mini review provides a comprehensive overview of fermented oat products available on the market and the various production methods employed for fermenting oats. Furthermore, this review investigates how fermentation affects the chemical composition and biological functions of oats. Additionally, this manuscript presents some future perspectives on fermented oat products by discussing potential research directions and opportunities for further development. The findings presented in this review contribute to the expanding body of knowledge on fermented oats as a promising functional food, paving the way for future studies and applications in the field of nutrition and health.

Supplementation of ginger root extract into broiler chicken diet: effects on growth performance and immunocompetence.

Ginger contains bioactive compounds that possess anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties. In this study, 432-day-old Ross 708 broiler male chicks were randomly allocated to 6 dietary treatments to investigate the effect of ginger root extract (GRE) on immunocompetence and growth performance to 6 wk of age. Treatment 1 (CON) consisted of chicks fed a corn-soybean meal (SBM), a base diet without GRE. Treatment 2 (MX) chicks were given basal diets containing bacitracin methylene disalicylate (BMD) at 0.055 g/kg. Treatments 3 (GRE-0.375%), 4 (GRE-0.75%), 5 (GRE-1.5%), and 6 (GRE-3%) were fed similar diet to control with GRE supplemented at 0.375%, 0.75%, 1.5%, and 3%, respectively. Moreover, HPLC analysis of GRE was carried out to determine the concentration of bioactive compounds found in GRE. Each treatment consisted of 6 replicate pens with 12 chicks/pen. Bodyweight (BW) and feed conversion ratio (FCR) were recorded. Results show that the concentration of bioactive compounds increased with increasing GRE supplementation. Likewise, dietary GRE supplementation did not have any detrimental effect on growth performance parameters up to 1.5%, as values for BWG was not different from CON and MX; however, 3% GRE had the poorest FCR and a lower BWG as compared to other treatments. On d 27 and d 41, fecal and cecal concentrations of total bacteria count (TBC), Escherichia coli, Lactobacillus spp., and Bifidobacterium spp enumerated using selective plating media showed that GRE supplementation significantly reduced (P < 0.05) the amount of TBC and E. coli but increased the number of beneficial microorganisms such as Lactobacillus spp. and Bifidobacterium spp. On d 20, no significant differences were observed (P > 0.05) among all treatments for antibody titer against Newcastle disease virus and total IgY antibodies; however, on d 27, GRE-0.75% had the highest value for both immune indicators and was not different from MX. Dietary supplementation of GRE up to 1.5% enhanced the immune system and suppressed E. coli while promoting the growth of healthy bacteria, without any detrimental effect on growth performance.

Detoxification of the Lipid Peroxidation Aldehyde, 4-Hydroxynonenal, by Apple Phloretin In Vitro and in Mice.

4-Hydroxy-2-nonenal (4-HNE) is a secondary cytotoxic product generated from lipid peroxidation of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs). The accumulation of 4-HNE can covalently modify biomolecules, such as DNA and proteins, leading to various pathological conditions. Apple phloretin has been shown to be able to trap 4-HNE in vitro, but the trapping mechanisms of 4-HNE by phloretin are not fully understood. Moreover, whether the in vitro trapping efficacy of phloretin toward 4-HNE could be transferred into in vivo environments has never been investigated. In the present study, we observed the formation of 4-HNE conjugates of phloretin increased as phloretin decreased during the in vitro incubation. We then purified and characterized three mono-4-HNE-conjugates of phloretin using NMR and LC-MS/MS techniques. We thereafter demonstrated that apple phloretin could scavenge in vivo 4-HNE via the formation of at least three mono-4-HNE-conjugates of phloretin in a dose-dependent manner in mice after oral administration of three doses of phloretin (25, 100, and 400 mg/kg). The findings from this study pave the way to understanding how dihydrochalcones could act as effective scavengers of 4-HNE by working as sacrificial nucleophiles in vivo, thereby preventing or reducing the risk of 4-HNE-associated chronic diseases.

Barley Phenolamides Effectively Scavenge Harmful Methylglyoxal In Vitro and in Mice.

SCOPE: Methylglyoxal (MGO), a harmful reactive dicarbonyl, is involved in the pathogenesis and development of diabetes and diabetic complications. The goal of this study is to determine whether bioactive phenolamides in barley, p-coumaroylagmatine (pCAA) and feruloylagmatine (FAA), which share a similar guanidine group to diabetic drug metformin, have the capacity to detoxify MGO. METHODS AND RESULTS: In this study, the MGO-trapping abilities of these two phenolamides both in vitro and in mice are evaluated. It is found that in vitro anti-MGO capacities of pCAA and FAA are comparable to that of metformin, and both phenolamides could rapidly scavenge MGO via forming mono- and di-MGO adducts validated by in-house synthesized standards and interpretation of respective LC-MSn (n = 2-3) data. Furthermore, mono-MGO conjugates of phenolamides are detected from feces and urine of mice after oral administration of the corresponding phenolamides. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that barley phenolamides may have the potentials to be developed as alternative therapeutics to prevent the development of MGO-associated diabetes and diabetic complications.

Impacts of Biotransformation on the Health Benefits of Tea Polyphenols.

Consumption of tea has been associated with many health benefits including the prevention of cardiovascular disease, cancer, and obesity. These effects are attributed to the polyphenol compounds in tea with catechins being the major components in green tea and theaflavins (TFs) and thearubigins (TRs) as the unique compounds in black tea. Tea polyphenols are extensively metabolized in vivo and have poor systematic bioavailability. It is generally believed that the metabolites of tea polyphenols retain their bioactivities and some of the microbial metabolites are more bioavailable than the parent compounds. This manuscript summarizes the recent progress on the identification of novel metabolic pathways of tea polyphenols and their contributions to the health benefits of tea.

Using Metabolomics to Identify the Exposure and Functional Biomarkers of Ginger.

Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS)-based metabolomics has become an important tool to increase our understanding of how diet affects human health. However, public and commercial mass spectral libraries of dietary metabolites are limited, resulting in the greatest challenge in converting mass spectrometry data into biological insights. In this study, we constructed an LC-MS/MS ginger library as an example to demonstrate the importance of dietary libraries for discovering food biomarkers. The functional and exposure biomarkers of ginger were investigated using plasma samples from mice treated with control and ginger extract diets. Our results showed clear discrimination between the metabolome of mice on normal and ginger extract diets. Using the in-house ginger library, we identified 20 ginger metabolites that can be used as exposure biomarkers of ginger. However, without the LC-MS/MS ginger library, none of the ginger metabolites could be accurately identified based on online mass databases. In addition, ginger treatment significantly impacts the endogenous metabolome, especially the purine metabolism and phenylalanine, tyrosine, and tryptophan biosynthesis. Overall, we demonstrated that the construction of LC-MS/MS spectra dietary libraries would enhance the ability to identify potential dietary biomarkers and correlate potential health benefits associated with food consumption.

Pharmacokinetics of Gingerols, Shogaols, and Their Metabolites in Asthma Patients.

6-Gingerol and 6-shogaol are the most abundant gingerols and shogaols in ginger root and have been shown to reduce the asthmatic phenotype in murine models of asthma. Several studies have described the pharmacokinetics of gingerols and shogaols in humans following the oral ingestion of ginger, while little was known about the metabolism of these components in humans, particularly in patients with asthma. In this study, a dietary supplement of 1.0 g of ginger root extract was administered to asthma patients twice daily for 56 days and serum samples were drawn at 0.5-8 h on days 0, 28, and 56. The metabolic profiles of gingerols and shogaols in human plasma and the kinetic changes of gingerols, shogaols, and their metabolites in asthma patients collected on the three different visits were analyzed using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS). Ketone reduction was the major metabolic pathway of both gingerols and shogaols. Gingerdiols were identified as the major metabolites of 6-, 8-, and 10-gingerols. M11 and M9 were identified as the double-bond reduction and both the double-bond and ketone reduction metabolites of 6-shogaol, respectively. Cysteine conjugation was another major metabolic pathway of 6-shogaol in asthma patients, and two cysteine-conjugated 6-shogaol, M1 and M2, were identified as the major metabolites of 6-shogaol. Furthermore, gingerols, shogaols, and their metabolites were quantitated in the human serum collected at different time points during each of the three visits using a very sensitive high-resolution LC-MS method. The results showed that one-third of 6-gingerol was metabolized to produce its reduction metabolites, 6-gingerdiols, and more than 90% of 6-shogaol was metabolized to its phase I and cysteine-conjugated metabolites, suggesting the importance of considering the contribution of these metabolites to the bioavailability and health beneficial effects of gingerols and shogaols. All gingerols, shogaols, and their metabolites reached their peak concentrations in less than 2 h, and their half-lives (t1/2) were from 0.6 to 2.4 h. Furthermore, long-term treatment of ginger supplements, especially after 56 days of treatment, increases the absorption of ginger compounds and their metabolites in asthma patients.

Zn(II) coordination polymers: therapeutic activity and nursing application values against coronary heart disease.

In the current research, two coordination polymers (CPs) have been produced solvothermally on the basis of a semi-rigid multifunctional tricarboxylate, i.e., 5-(3,4-dicarboxylphenoxy) nicotic acid (H3L), and the chemical compositions of the two compounds are [Zn(H2L)2(H2O)2] 1 and [Zn(HL)(2,2'-bpy)] (2, 2,2'-bpy = 2,2'-bipyridine), respectively. The structures and CHN analysis of both complexes were researched. The structural analysis results show that complex 1 features a 2D layered network with sql-type topology and complex 2 demonstrates a 2D layered network with uninodal hcb topology. The therapeutic activity and nursing application values of compounds against coronary heart disease were explored, and their relevant mechanism was assessed in meantime. The endothelin (ET) and prostacyclin (PGI2) contents released by the arterial endothelial cells into plasma were determined with ELISA assay. In addition to this, the alpha granule membrane protein 140 (GMP140) on the platelet was determined with real-time RT-PCR assay.

Biotransformation of Barley Phenolamide by Mice and the Human Gut Microbiota and Quantitative Analysis of the Major Metabolites in Mice.

SCOPE: This study investigates the metabolism of p-coumaroylagmatine (pCAA), one of the phenolamides in barley, in mice, and by human gut microbiota, and measures the concentrations of its main metabolites in mice. METHODS AND RESULTS: Nine major metabolites are identified from fecal and urinary samples collected from pCAA treated mice via analysis of their LC chromatograms and tandem mass spectra compared to the commercial and synthesized standards. These nine metabolites are generated through four different biotransformation pathways: double bond reduction, amide bond hydrolyzation, cleavage of guanidine, and oxidation of guanidine. Furthermore, interindividual differences in the formation of dihydro-pCAA (M3), high and low metabolizers, are observed in human in vitro intestinal microbial conversion. Moreover, significant amount of pCAA is detected in mice (29.33 ± 1.58 µmol g-1 in feces and 2020.44 ± 130.07 µM in urine), and the concentrations of agmatine (M1) are increased to 177.6 times and 3.2 times in mouse feces and urine, respectively. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates that pCAA is metabolized in mice and by human gut microbiota to generate potential bioactive metabolites through four major metabolic pathways. pCAA and its metabolites have the potential to be used as the exposure biomarkers to reflect the intake of whole grain barley.

Gut Microbiota as a Novel Tool to Dissect the Complex Structures of Black Tea Polymers.

Thearubigins, polymers of tea catechins, account for more than 20% of the black tea polyphenols and have been reported to be the active components in black tea. However, the chemical structures and underlying mechanisms regarding how the thearubigins, being poorly bioavailable, generate in vivo health benefits are still largely unknown. Using germ-free and specific pathogen-free husbandry conditions combined with LC/MS-based nontargeted and targeted metabolomic analyses, we investigated the role of intestinal bacteria in thearubigin metabolism. Theaflavins and theasinensins were identified as the major microbial metabolites of thearubigins, suggesting that these molecules are the building units for the complex thearubigins. To further confirm this, thearubigin depolymerization was done using menthofuran in an acidic condition. Menthofuran-conjugated theaflavins, theasinensins, and catechins as well as their free forms were detected as the major degradation products of thearubigins. This indicated that theaflavins and theasinensins could be further polymerized through B-type proanthocyanidin linkages. Furthermore, four microbial degradation products were able to be detected in urine samples, suggesting that they can be absorbed into the circulatory system. Using the combination of microbial degradation, metabolomics, and chemical degradation, our results demonstrate that thearubigins are the complex polymers of theaflavins, theasinensins, and catechins and can be metabolized by gut microbiota to their corresponding bioactive and bioavailable smaller molecular metabolites.

Metabolic Investigation on the Interaction Mechanism between Dietary Dihydrochalcone Intake and Lipid Peroxidation Product Acrolein Reduction.

SCOPE: Acrolein (ACR), a lipid peroxidation product, pathologically participates in various chronic diseases. In vitro evidence suggestes that dietary dihydrochalcones (DHCs) potentiate safe and alternative therapeutics to synthetic pharmaceuticals for ACR scavenging. Here, to investigate whether ingested DHCs could trap ACR and thereof result in reductions in endogenous ACR in mice is aimed. METHODS AND RESULTS: Three doses of phloretin (25, 100, and 400 mg kg-1 ), a major dietary DHC, are orally administrated to mice and 24 h urine and fecal samples are collected, respectively. High-resolution MS-based targeted metabolomics reveal for the first time that phloretin and its oxidized metabolite are able to trap endogenous ACR via formation of ACR conjugates. Quantification further demonstrate that a) more than 13% of ingested phloretin can dose-dependently trap 0.77-9.92 nmol of ACR within 24 h; b) phloretin ingestion leads to marked reductions in both free ACR and ACR metabolites in mouse urine compared to control; and c) trapping reactions by phloretin can account for up to 20.1% of the total decreases in endogenous ACR, depending on the administration doses. CONCLUSION: Findings from this study indicate that regular consumption of DHCs-rich diets holds great promise to alleviate the development of ACR-associated chronic diseases.

Dietary supplementation of gingerols- and shogaols-enriched ginger root extract attenuate pain-associated behaviors while modulating gut microbiota and metabolites in rats with spinal nerve ligation.

Neuroinflammation is a central factor in neuropathic pain (NP). Ginger is a promising bioactive compound in NP management due to its anti-inflammatory property. Emerging evidence suggests that gut microbiome and gut-derived metabolites play a key role in NP. We evaluated the effects of two ginger root extracts rich in gingerols (GEG) and shogaols (SEG) on pain sensitivity, anxiety-like behaviors, circulating cell-free mitochondrial DNA (ccf-mtDNA), gut microbiome composition, and fecal metabolites in rats with NP. Sixteen male rats were divided into four groups: sham, spinal nerve ligation (SNL), SNL+0.75%GEG in diet, and SNL+0.75%SEG in diet groups for 30 days. Compared to SNL group, both SNL+GEG and SNL+SEG groups showed a significant reduction in pain- and anxiety-like behaviors, and ccf-mtDNA level. Relative to the SNL group, both SNL+GEG and SNL+SEG groups increased the relative abundance of Lactococcus, Sellimonas, Blautia, Erysipelatoclostridiaceae, and Anaerovoracaceae, but decreased that of Prevotellaceae UCG-001, Rikenellaceae RC9 gut group, Mucispirillum and Desulfovibrio, Desulfovibrio, Anaerofilum, Eubacterium siraeum group, RF39, UCG-005, Lachnospiraceae NK4A136 group, Acetatifactor, Eubacterium ruminantium group, Clostridia UCG-014, and an uncultured Anaerovoracaceae. GEG and SEG had differential effects on gut-derived metabolites. Compared to SNL group, SNL+GEG group had higher level of 1'-acetoxychavicol acetate, (4E)-1,7-Bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)-4-hepten-3-one, NP-000629, 7,8-Dimethoxy-3-(2-methyl-3-buten-2-yl)-2H-chromen-2-one, 3-{[4-(2-Pyrimidinyl)piperazino]carbonyl}-2-pyrazinecarboxylic acid, 920863, and (1R,3R,7R,13S)-13-Methyl-6-methylene-4,14,16-trioxatetracyclo[11.2.1.0∼1,10∼.0∼3,7∼]hexadec-9-en-5-one, while SNL+SEG group had higher level for (±)-5-[(tert-Butylamino)-2'-hydroxypropoxy]-1_2_3_4-tetrahydro-1-naphthol and dehydroepiandrosteronesulfate. In conclusion, ginger is a promising functional food in the management of NP, and further investigations are necessary to assess the role of ginger on gut-brain axis in pain management.

Ginger metabolites and metabolite-inspired synthetic products modulate intracellular calcium and relax airway smooth muscle.

Asthma affects millions of people worldwide and its prevalence is increasing. It is characterized by chronic airway inflammation, airway remodeling, and pathologic bronchoconstriction, and it poses a continuous treatment challenge with very few new therapeutics available. Thus, many asthmatics turn to plant-based complementary products, including ginger, for better symptom control, indicating an unmet need for novel therapies. Previously, we demonstrated that 6-shogaol (6S), the primary bioactive component of ginger, relaxes human airway smooth muscle (hASM) likely by inhibition of phosphodiesterases (PDEs) in the ß-adrenergic (cyclic nucleotide PDEs), and muscarinic (phospholipase C, PLC) receptor pathways. However, oral 6S is extensively metabolized and it is unknown if the resulting metabolites remain bioactive. Here, we screened all the known human metabolites of 6S and several metabolite-based synthetic derivatives to better understand their mechanism of action and structure-function relationships. We demonstrate that several metabolites and metabolite-based synthetic derivatives are able to prevent Gq-coupled stimulation of intracellular calcium [Ca2+]i and inositol trisphosphate (IP3) synthesis by inhibiting PLC, similar to the parent compound 6S. We also show that these compounds prevent recontraction of ASM after ß-agonist relaxation likely by inhibiting PDEs. Furthermore, they potentiate isoproterenol-induced relaxation. Importantly, moving beyond cell-based assays, metabolites also retain the functional ability to relax Gq-coupled-contractions in upper (human) and lower (murine) airways. The current study indicates that, although oral ginger may be metabolized rapidly, it retains physiological activity through its metabolites. Moreover, we are able to use naturally occurring metabolites as inspiration to develop novel therapeutics for brochoconstrictive diseases.

Dietary Quercetin Reduces Plasma and Tissue Methylglyoxal and Advanced Glycation End Products in Healthy Mice Treated with Methylglyoxal.

BACKGROUND: Methylglyoxal (MGO), a precursor of advanced glycation end products (AGEs), has been linked to AGEs-associated diseases. OBJECTIVES: This study investigated the efficacy and mechanisms of dietary quercetin in decreasing plasma and tissue concentrations of MGO and AGEs in MGO-administered mice. METHODS: Male, 6-wk-old CD-1 mice were administered AIN-93G diet and water (Con) or 0.12% MGO in water (MGO) or MGO plus 0.2% (0.2Q) dietary quercetin for 1 wk (n = 5) (experiment 1), and water (Con), 0.12% MGO (MGO), or MGO plus 0.1% (0.1Q), 0.2% (0.2Q), or 0.4% (0.4Q) dietary quercetin for 6 wk (n = 10) (experiment 2). The plasma, kidney, and liver concentrations of MGO, quercetin, and isorhamnetin and their trapping adducts with MGO were determined by LC-MS, and AGE concentrations were measured by the fluorescent method. Furthermore, the expressions of glyoxalase I/II (GLO I/II) and aldose reductase (AR), MGO detoxification enzymes, were determined by Western blot. One-factor ANOVA and post hoc Dunnett's or Tukey's test were used to analyze the data. RESULTS: After 1 wk of treatment, the MGO concentrations in plasma (20.2%) and kidney (29.9%) in 0.2Q mice were significantly lower than those in MGO mice. After 6 wk of treatment, the concentrations of MGO in the plasma (14.7-18.6%), kidney (20-20.8%), liver (15.4-18.6%), and tissue AGEs (28-36.8%) in 0.1Q, 0.2Q, and 0.4Q mice were significantly lower than those in MGO mice. The plasma concentrations of quercetin, isorhamnetin, and their MGO adducts were dose-dependently increased after quercetin administration. In addition, after 6 wk of quercetin administration, the expressions of GLO I/II and AR in the liver and kidney were significantly upregulated to promote MGO detoxification compared with MGO-treated mice. CONCLUSIONS: Quercetin reduced plasma and tissue MGO concentrations and inhibited AGE formation by trapping MGO and regulating the MGO detoxification systems in MGO-administered healthy mice.

Novel Steroidal Saponins in Oat Identified by Molecular Networking Analysis and Their Levels in Commercial Oat Products.

Through the use of the Global Natural Product Social (GNPS) feature-based networking system, a series of newly identified steroidal saponins were discovered in oat. The structures of the three new major steroidal saponins, sativacosides A-C (1-3), were characterized by analyzing their high-resolution MS, 1D and 2D NMR spectra, and an additional eight new steroidal saponins were also tentatively identified (4-11) based on their tandem mass spectra and typical fragments. Using ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry techniques, a complete profile of the new sativacoside series was established, and the contents of sativacosides A-C were quantified in 18 different commercial oat products. The total levels of sativacosides A-C varied from 62.2 to 192.9 µg/g in these 18 products, in which oat bran (11 samples) and oatmeal (3 samples) had higher levels than cold oat cereal (4 samples).

Avenanthramide Metabotype from Whole-Grain Oat Intake is Influenced by Faecalibacterium prausnitzii in Healthy Adults.

BACKGROUND: Oat has been widely accepted as a key food for human health. It is becoming increasingly evident that individual differences in metabolism determine how different individuals benefit from diet. Both host genetics and the gut microbiota play important roles on the metabolism and function of dietary compounds. OBJECTIVES: To investigate the mechanism of individual variations in response to whole-grain (WG) oat intake. METHODS: We used the combination of in vitro incubation assays with human gut microbiota, mouse and human S9 fractions, chemical analyses, germ-free (GF) mice, 16S rRNA sequencing, gnotobiotic techniques, and a human feeding study. RESULTS: Avenanthramides (AVAs), the signature bioactive polyphenols of WG oat, were not metabolized into their dihydro forms, dihydro-AVAs (DH-AVAs), by both human and mouse S9 fractions. DH-AVAs were detected in the colon and the distal regions but not in the proximal and middle regions of the perfused mouse intestine, and were in specific pathogen-free (SPF) mice but not in GF mice. A kinetic study of humans fed oat bran showed that DH-AVAs reached their maximal concentrations at much later time points than their corresponding AVAs (10.0-15.0 hours vs. 4.0-4.5 hours, respectively). We observed interindividual variations in the metabolism of AVAs to DH-AVAs in humans. Faecalibacterium prausnitzii was identified as the individual bacterium to metabolize AVAs to DH-AVAs by 16S rRNA sequencing analysis. Moreover, as opposed to GF mice, F. prausnitzii-monocolonized mice were able to metabolize AVAs to DH-AVAs. CONCLUSIONS: These findings demonstrate that the presence of intestinal F. prausnitzii is indispensable for proper metabolism of AVAs in both humans and mice. We propose that the abundance of F. prausnitzii can be used to subcategorize individuals into AVA metabolizers and nonmetabolizers after WG oat intake. This study was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT04335435.

Simultaneous Determination of Multiple Reactive Carbonyl Species in High Fat Diet-Induced Metabolic Disordered Mice and the Inhibitory Effects of Rosemary on Carbonyl Stress.

As potential endogenous biomarkers, reactive carbonyl species (RCS) have gained abundant attention for monitoring oxidative and carbonyl stress. However, there is no accurate method to evaluate multiple RCS in biological samples. In this study, a 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine (DNPH) derivatization-based LC-MS method was developed and validated to quantitate eight RCS: malondialdehyde (MDA), acrolein (ACR), 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal (4-HNE), 4-oxo-2-nonenal (4-ONE), methylglyoxal (MGO), glyoxal (GO), 3-deoxyglucosone (3-DG), and 2-keto-d-glucose (2-Keto). Subsequently, the method was applied to assess the RCS in low fat (LF), high fat (HF), and HF plus rosemary extract (RE) diet-fed mouse samples. The quantitative results on RCS levels indicated that the HF diet significantly increased the total RCS levels in mouse urine, plasma, and kidney with an average rate of 280.69%, 153.87%, and 61.30%, respectively. The RE administration significantly inhibited the elevated RCS levels induced by the HF diet, especially for MDA, 4-ONE, 4-HNE, and 2-Keto in mouse plasma, and ACR and 2-Keto in mouse kidney. This is the first study to simultaneously measure eight RCS in biological samples and demonstrate that RE was able to eliminate the accumulation of the HF diet-induced RCS.

Black Tea Theaflavin Detoxifies Metabolic Toxins in the Intestinal Tract of Mice.

SCOPE: This study is to determine the in vivo efficacy of black tea theaflavin (TF) to detoxify two metabolic toxins, ammonia and methylglyoxal (MGO), in mice METHODS AND RESULTS: Under in vitro conditions, TF is able to react with ammonia, MGO, and hydrogen peroxide to produce its aminated, MGO conjugated, and oxidized products, respectively. In TF-treated mice, the aminated TF, the MGO conjugates of TF and aminated TF, and the oxidized TF are searched using LC-MS/MS. The results provide the first in vivo evidence that the unabsorbed TF is able to trap ammonia to form the aminated TF; furthermore, both TF and the aminated TF have the capacity to trap MGO to generate the corresponding mono-MGO conjugates. Moreover, TF is oxidized to dehydrotheaflavin, which underwent further amination in the gut. By exposing TF to germ-free (GF) mice and conventionalized mice (GF mice colonized with specific-pathogen-free microbiota), the gut microbiota is demonstrated to facilitate the amination and MGO conjugation of TF. CONCLUSION: TF has the capacity to remove the endogenous metabolic toxins through oxidation, amination, and MGO conjugation in the intestinal tract, which can potentially explain why TF still generates in vivo efficacy while showing a poor systematic bioavailability.