Role of prebiotics, probiotics, and synbiotics in management of inflammatory bowel disease: Current perspectives.

Experimental evidence supports the fact that changes in the bowel microflora due to environmental or dietary factors have been investigated as implicating factors in the etiopathogenesis of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The amassing knowledge that the inhabited microbiome regulates the gut physiology and immune functions in IBD, has led researchers to explore the effectiveness of prebiotics, probiotics, and synbiotics in treating IBD. This therapeutic approach focuses on restoring the dynamic balance between the microflora and host defense mechanisms in the intestinal mucosa to prevent the onset and persistence of intestinal inflammation. Numerous microbial strains and carbohydrate blends, along with their combinations have been examined in experimental colitis models and clinical trials, and the results indicated that it can be an attractive therapeutic strategy for the suppression of inflammation, remission induction, and relapse prevention in IBD with minimal side effects. Several mechanisms of action of probiotics (for e.g., Lactobacillus species, and Bifidobacterium species) have been reported such as suppression of pathogen growth by releasing certain antimicrobial mediators (lactic and hydrogen peroxide, acetic acid, and bacteriocins), immunomodulation and initiation of an immune response, enhancement of barrier activity, and suppression of human T-cell proliferation. Prebiotics such as lactulose, lactosucrose, oligofructose, and inulin have been found to induce the growth of certain types of host microflora, resulting in an enriched enteric function. These non-digestible food dietary components have been reported to exert anti-inflammatory effects by inhibiting the expression of tumor necrosis factor-α-related cytokines while augmenting interleukin-10 levels. Although pro-and prebiotics has established their efficacy in healthy subjects, a better understanding of the luminal ecosystem is required to determine which specific bacterial strain or combination of probiotics and prebiotics would prove to be the ideal treatment for IBD. Clinical trials, however, have given some conflicting results, requiring the necessity to cite the more profound clinical effect of these treatments on IBD remission and prevention. The purpose of this review article is to provide the most comprehensive and updated review on the utility of prebiotics, probiotics, and synbiotics in the management of active Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis/pouchitis.

Vachellia farnesiana Pods or a Polyphenolic Extract Derived from Them Exert Immunomodulatory, Metabolic, Renoprotective, and Prebiotic Effects in Mice Fed a High-Fat Diet.

Obesity causes systemic inflammation, hepatic and renal damage, as well as gut microbiota dysbiosis. Alternative vegetable sources rich in polyphenols are known to prevent or delay the progression of metabolic abnormalities during obesity. Vachellia farnesiana (VF) is a potent source of polyphenols with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities with potential anti-obesity effects. We performed an in vivo preventive or an interventional experimental study in mice and in vitro experiments with different cell types. In the preventive study, male C57BL/6 mice were fed with a Control diet, a high-fat diet, or a high-fat diet containing either 0.1% methyl gallate, 10% powdered VFP, or 0.5%, 1%, or 2% of a polyphenolic extract (PE) derived from VFP (Vachellia farnesiana pods) for 14 weeks. In the intervention study, two groups of mice were fed for 14 weeks with a high-fat diet and then one switched to a high-fat diet with 10% powdered VFP for ten additional weeks. In the in vitro studies, we evaluated the effect of a VFPE (Vachellia farnesiana polyphenolic extract) on glucose-stimulated insulin secretion in INS-1E cells or of naringenin or methyl gallate on mitochondrial activity in primary hepatocytes and C2C12 myotubes. VFP or a VFPE increased whole-body energy expenditure and mitochondrial activity in skeletal muscle; prevented insulin resistance, hepatic steatosis, and kidney damage; exerted immunomodulatory effects; and reshaped fecal gut microbiota composition in mice fed a high-fat diet. VFPE decreased insulin secretion in INS-1E cells, and its isolated compounds naringenin and methyl gallate increased mitochondrial activity in primary hepatocytes and C2C12 myotubes. In conclusion VFP or a VFPE prevented systemic inflammation, insulin resistance, and hepatic and renal damage in mice fed a high-fat diet associated with increased energy expenditure, improved mitochondrial function, and reduction in insulin secretion.

Gut microbiota and cardiac arrhythmia.

One of the most prevalent cardiac diseases is cardiac arrhythmia, however the underlying causes are not entirely understood. There is a lot of proof that gut microbiota (GM) and its metabolites have a significant impact on cardiovascular health. In recent decades, intricate impacts of GM on cardiac arrythmia have been identified as prospective approaches for its prevention, development, treatment, and prognosis. In this review, we discuss about how GM and its metabolites might impact cardiac arrhythmia through a variety of mechanisms. We proposed to explore the relationship between the metabolites produced by GM dysbiosis including short-chain fatty acids(SCFA), Indoxyl sulfate(IS), trimethylamine N-oxide(TMAO), lipopolysaccharides(LPS), phenylacetylglutamine(PAGln), bile acids(BA), and the currently recognized mechanisms of cardiac arrhythmias including structural remodeling, electrophysiological remodeling, abnormal nervous system regulation and other disease associated with cardiac arrythmia, detailing the processes involving immune regulation, inflammation, and different types of programmed cell death etc., which presents a key aspect of the microbial-host cross-talk. In addition, how GM and its metabolites differ and change in atrial arrhythmias and ventricular arrhythmias populations compared with healthy people are also summarized. Then we introduced potential therapeutic strategies including probiotics and prebiotics, fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) and immunomodulator etc. In conclusion, the GM has a significant impact on cardiac arrhythmia through a variety of mechanisms, offering a wide range of possible treatment options. The discovery of therapeutic interventions that reduce the risk of cardiac arrhythmia by altering GM and metabolites is a real challenge that lies ahead.

Autonomously Assembled Living Capsules by Microbial Coculture for Enhanced Bacteriotherapy of Inflammatory Bowel Disease.

Microorganism-mediated self-assembling of living formulations holds great promise for disease therapy. Here, we constructed a prebiotic-probiotic living capsule (PPLC) by coculturing probiotics (EcN) with Gluconacetobacter xylinus (G. xylinus) in a prebiotic-containing fermentation broth. Through shaking the culture, G. xylinus secretes cellulose fibrils that can spontaneously encapsulate EcN to form microcapsules under shear forces. Additionally, the prebiotic present in the fermentation broth is incorporated into the bacterial cellulose network through van der Waals forces and hydrogen bonding. Afterward, the microcapsules were transferred to a selective LB medium, which facilitated the colonization of dense probiotic colonies within them. The in vivo study demonstrated that PPLC-containing dense colonies of EcN can antagonize intestinal pathogens and restore microbiota homeostasis by showing excellent therapeutic performance in treating enteritis mice. The in situ self-assembly of probiotics and prebiotics-based living materials provides a promising platform for the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease.

Targeting the gut microbiota and its metabolites for type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a metabolic disorder characterized by hyperglycemia and insulin resistance. The incidence of T2DM is increasing globally, and a growing body of evidence suggests that gut microbiota dysbiosis may contribute to the development of this disease. Gut microbiota-derived metabolites, including bile acids, lipopolysaccharide, trimethylamine-N-oxide, tryptophan and indole derivatives, and short-chain fatty acids, have been shown to be involved in the pathogenesis of T2DM, playing a key role in the host-microbe crosstalk. This review aims to summarize the molecular links between gut microbiota-derived metabolites and the pathogenesis of T2DM. Additionally, we review the potential therapy and treatments for T2DM using probiotics, prebiotics, fecal microbiota transplantation and other methods to modulate gut microbiota and its metabolites. Clinical trials investigating the role of gut microbiota and its metabolites have been critically discussed. This review highlights that targeting the gut microbiota and its metabolites could be a potential therapeutic strategy for the prevention and treatment of T2DM.

Dietary Supplementation of Inulin Contributes to the Prevention of Estrogen Receptor-Negative Mammary Cancer by Alteration of Gut Microbial Communities and Epigenetic Regulations.

Breast cancer (BC) is among the most frequently diagnosed malignant cancers in women in the United States. Diet and nutrition supplementation are closely related to BC onset and progression, and inulin is commercially available as a health supplement to improve gut health. However, little is known with respect to inulin intake for BC prevention. We investigated the effect of an inulin-supplemented diet on the prevention of estrogen receptor-negative mammary carcinoma in a transgenic mouse model. Plasma short-chain fatty acids were measured, the gut microbial composition was analyzed, and the expression of proteins related to cell cycle and epigenetics-related genes was measured. Inulin supplementation greatly inhibited tumor growth and significantly delayed tumor latency. The mice that consumed inulin had a distinct microbiome and higher diversity of gut microbial composition compared to the control. The concentration of propionic acid in plasma was significantly higher in the inulin-supplemented group. The protein expression of epigenetic-modulating histone deacetylase 2 (Hdac2), Hdac8, and DNA methyltransferase 3b decreased. The protein expression of factors related to tumor cell proliferation and survival, such as Akt, phospho-PI3K, and NF-kB, also decreased with inulin administration. Furthermore, sodium propionate showed BC prevention effect in vivo through epigenetic regulations. These studies suggest that modulating microbial composition through inulin consumption may be a promising strategy for BC prevention.

Infants Fed Breastmilk or 2'-FL Supplemented Formula Have Similar Systemic Levels of Microbiota-Derived Secondary Bile Acids.

Human milk represents an optimal source of nutrition during infancy. Milk also serves as a vehicle for the transfer of growth factors, commensal microbes, and prebiotic compounds to the immature gastrointestinal tract. These immunomodulatory and prebiotic functions of milk are increasingly appreciated as critical factors in the development of the infant gut and its associated microbial community. Advances in infant formula composition have sought to recapitulate some of the prebiotic and immunomodulatory functions of milk through human milk oligosaccharide (HMO) fortification, with the aim of promoting healthy development both within the gastrointestinal tract and systemically. Our objective was to investigate the effects of feeding formulas supplemented with the HMO 2'-fucosyllactose (2'-FL) on serum metabolite levels relative to breastfed infants. A prospective, randomized, double-blinded, controlled study of infant formulas (64.3 kcal/dL) fortified with varying levels of 2'-FL and galactooligosaccharides (GOS) was conducted [0.2 g/L 2'-FL + 2.2 g/L GOS; 1.0 g/L 2'-FL + 1.4 g/L GOS]. Healthy singleton infants age 0-5 days and with birth weight > 2490 g were enrolled (n = 201). Mothers chose to either exclusively formula-feed or breastfeed their infant from birth to 4 months of age. Blood samples were drawn from a subset of infants at 6 weeks of age (n = 35-40 per group). Plasma was evaluated by global metabolic profiling and compared to a breastfed reference group (HM) and a control formula (2.4 g/L GOS). Fortification of control infant formula with the HMO 2'-FL resulted in significant increases in serum metabolites derived from microbial activity in the gastrointestinal tract. Most notably, secondary bile acid production was broadly increased in a dose-dependent manner among infants receiving 2'-FL supplemented formula relative to the control formula. 2'-FL supplementation increased secondary bile acid production to levels associated with breastfeeding. Our data indicate that supplementation of infant formula with 2'-FL supports the production of secondary microbial metabolites at levels comparable to breastfed infants. Thus, dietary supplementation of HMO may have broad implications for the function of the gut microbiome in systemic metabolism. This trial was registered at with the U.S. National library of Medicine as NCT01808105.

Arabinoxylan-based substrate preferences and predicted metabolic properties of Bifidobacterium longum subspecies as a basis to design differential media.

Arabinoxylan (AX) and arabinoxylo-oligosaccharides (AXOS) derived therefrom are emergent prebiotics with promising health promoting properties, likely linked to its capacity to foster beneficial species in the human gut. Bifidobacteria appear to be one taxa that is frequently promoted following AX or AXOS consumption, and that is known to establish metabolic cross-feeding networks with other beneficial commensal species. Therefore, probiotic bifidobacteria with the capability to metabolize AX-derived prebiotics represent interesting candidates to develop novel probiotic and synbiotic combinations with AX-based prebiotics. In this work we have deepen into the metabolic capabilities of bifidobacteria related to AX and AXOS metabolization through a combination of in silico an in vitro tools. Both approaches revealed that Bifidobacterium longum and, particularly, B. longum subsp. longum, appears as the better equipped to metabolize complex AX substrates, although other related subspecies such as B. longum subsp. infantis, also hold some machinery related to AXOS metabolization. This correlates to the growth profiles exhibited by representative strains of both subspecies in AX or AXOS enriched media. Based on these results, we formulated a differential carbohydrate free medium (CFM) supplemented with a combination of AX and AXOS that enabled to recover a wide diversity of Bifidobacterium species from complex fecal samples, while allowing easy discrimination of AX metabolising strains by the appearance of a precipitation halo. This new media represent an appealing alternative to isolate novel probiotic bifidobacteria, rapidly discriminating their capacity to metabolize structurally complex AX-derived prebiotics. This can be convenient to assist formulation of novel functional foods and supplements, including bifidobacterial species with capacity to metabolize AX-derived prebiotic ingredients.

Improvement of energy metabolism associated with NUTRIOSE® soluble fiber, a dietary ingredient exhibiting prebiotic properties, requires intestinal gluconeogenesis.

While the prevalence of obesity progresses worldwide, the consumption of sugars and dietary fiber increases and decreases, respectively. In this context, NUTRIOSE® soluble fiber is a plant-based food ingredient with beneficial effects in Humans. Here, we studied in mice the mechanisms involved, particularly the involvement of intestinal gluconeogenesis (IGN), the essential function in the beneficial effects of dietary fibers. To determine whether NUTRIOSE® exerts its beneficial effects via the activation of IGN, we studied the effects of dietary NUTRIOSE® on the development of obesity, diabetes and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), which IGN is able to prevent. To assert the role of IGN in the observed effects, we studied wild-type (WT) and IGN-deficient mice. In line with our hypothesis, NUTRIOSE® exerts metabolic benefits in WT mice, but not in IGN-deficient mice. Indeed, WT mice are protected from body weight gain and NAFLD induced by a high calorie diet. In addition, our data suggests that NUTRIOSE® may improve energy balance by activating a browning process in subcutaneous white adipose tissue. While the gut microbiota composition changes with NUTRIOSE®, this is not sufficient in itself to account for the benefits observed. On the contrary, IGN is obligatory in the NUTRIOSE® benefits, since no benefit take place in absence of IGN. In conclusion, IGN plays a crucial and essential role in the set-up of the beneficial effects of NUTRIOSE®, highlighting the interest of the supplementation of food with healthy ingredients in the context of the current obesity epidemic.

Process Development for the Spray-Drying of Probiotic Bacteria and Evaluation of the Product Quality.

Probiotics and prebiotics are of great interest to the food and pharmaceutical industries due to their health benefits. Probiotics are live bacteria that can confer beneficial effects on human and animal wellbeing, while prebiotics are types of nutrients that feed the beneficial gut bacteria. Powder probiotics have gained popularity due to the ease and practicality of their ingestion and incorporation into the diet as a food supplement. However, the drying process interferes with cell viability since high temperatures inactivate probiotic bacteria. In this context, this study aimed to present all the steps involved in the production and physicochemical characterization of a spray-dried probiotic and evaluate the influence of the protectants (simulated skim milk and inulin:maltodextrin association) and drying temperatures in increasing the powder yield and cell viability. The results showed that the simulated skim milk promoted higher probiotic viability at 80 °C. With this protectant, the probiotic viability, moisture content, and water activity (Aw) reduce as long as the inlet temperature increases. The probiotics' viability decreases conversely with the drying temperature. At temperatures close to 120 °C, the dried probiotic showed viability around 90%, a moisture content of 4.6% w/w, and an Aw of 0.26; values adequate to guarantee product stability. In this context, spray-drying temperatures above 120 °C are required to ensure the microbial cells' viability and shelf-life in the powdered preparation and survival during food processing and storage.

Metagenome Analysis Identifies Microbial Shifts upon Deoxynivalenol Exposure and Post-Exposure Recovery in the Mouse Gut.

Deoxynivalenol (DON) is one of the most prevalent food-associated mycotoxins, and is known to cause a variety of adverse health effects on human and animals. Upon oral exposure, the intestine is the main target organ of DON. The current study unraveled that DON exposure (2 mg/kg bw/day or 5 mg/kg bw/day) can significantly reshape the gut microbiota in a mouse model. The study characterized the specific gut microbial strains and genes changed after DON exposure and also investigated the recovery of the microbiota upon either 2 weeks daily prebiotic inulin administration or 2 weeks recovery without intervention after termination of DON exposure (spontaneous recovery). The results obtained reveal that DON exposure causes a shift in gut microorganisms, increasing the relative abundance of Akkermansia muciniphila, Bacteroides vulgatus, Hungatella hathewayi, and Lachnospiraceae bacterium 28-4, while the relative abundance of Mucispirillum schaedleri, Pseudoflavonifractor sp. An85, Faecalibacterium prausnitzii, Firmicutes bacterium ASF500, Flavonifractor plautii, Oscillibacter sp. 1-3, and uncultured Flavonifractor sp. decreased. Notably, DON exposure enhanced the prevalence of A. muciniphila, a species considered as a potential prebiotic in previous studies. Most of the gut microbiome altered by DON in the low- and high-dose exposure groups recovered after 2 weeks of spontaneous recovery. Inulin administration appeared to promote the recovery of the gut microbiome and functional genes after low-dose DON exposure, but not after high-dose exposure, at which changes were exacerbated by inulin-supplemented recovery. The results obtained help to better understand the effect of DON on the gut microbiome, and the gut microbiota's recovery upon termination of DON exposure.

Lignin from sugarcane bagasse as a prebiotic additive for poultry feed.

Diet is a crucial factor on health and well-being of livestock animals. Nutritional strengthening with diet formulations is essential to the livestock industry and animal perfor-mance. Searching for valuable feed additives among by-products may promote not only circular economy, but also functional diets. Lignin from sugarcane bagasse was proposed as a potential prebiotic additive for chickens and incorporated at 1 % (w/w) in commercial chicken feed, tested in two feed forms, namely, mash and pellets. Physico-chemical characterization of both feed types with and without lignin was performed. Also, the prebiotic potential for feeds with lignin was assessed by an in vitro gastrointestinal model and evaluated the impact on chicken cecal Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium. As for the pellet's physical quality, there was a higher cohesion of the pellets with lignin, indicating a higher resistance to breakout and lignin decreases the tendency of the pellets for microbial contamination. Regarding the prebiotic potential, mash feed with lignin showed higher promotion of Bifidobacterium in comparison with mash feed without lignin and to pellet feed with lignin. Lignin from sugarcane bagasse has prebiotic potential as additive to chicken feed when supplemented in mash feed diets, presenting itself as a sustainable and eco-friendly alternative to chicken feed additives supplementation.

Prebiotic and Probiotic Modulation of the Microbiota-Gut-Brain Axis in Depression.

Emerging evidence demonstrates that alterations to the gut microbiota can affect mood, suggesting that the microbiota-gut-brain (MGB) axis contributes to the pathogenesis of depression. Many of these pathways overlap with the way in which the gut microbiota are thought to contribute to metabolic disease progression and obesity. In rodents, prebiotics and probiotics have been shown to modulate the composition and function of the gut microbiota. Together with germ-free rodent models, probiotics have provided compelling evidence for a causal relationship between microbes, microbial metabolites, and altered neurochemical signalling and inflammatory pathways in the brain. In humans, probiotic supplementation has demonstrated modest antidepressant effects in individuals with depressive symptoms, though more studies in clinically relevant populations are needed. This review critically discusses the role of the MGB axis in depression pathophysiology, integrating preclinical and clinical evidence, as well as the putative routes of communication between the microbiota-gut interface and the brain. A critical overview of the current approaches to investigating microbiome changes in depression is provided. To effectively translate preclinical breakthroughs in MGB axis research into novel therapies, rigorous placebo-controlled trials alongside a mechanistic and biochemical understanding of prebiotic and probiotic action are required from future research.

The Link between Different Types of Prebiotics in Infant Formula and Infection Rates: A Review.

Breastfeeding plays a protective role against infections, partially through the prebiotic effect of human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs). Aiming to mimic these beneficial capacities, there is an ongoing search to make infant formula closer to human milk, including by adding oligosaccharides. Over the past two decades, multiple studies have been published on different types of prebiotics and their role in reducing infection rates in infants. This review aims to answer the question of whether there is evidence that the addition of oligosaccharides to infant formula decreases the prevalence of infection, and whether the effect is influenced by the kind of oligosaccharide added. The review of the literature reveals an important heterogeneity, including different types and dosages of prebiotics, different intervention periods and inclusion criteria, etc., making it impossible to formulate a consensus about the efficacy of adding prebiotics to infant formula. We would cautiously suggest that supplementation with galactooligosaccharides (GOSs)/fructooligosaccharides (FOSs) seems to have a beneficial effect on infection rates. For HMOs, more studies about the different types of HMOs are necessary to make any deductions. GOSs alone, inulin, and MOSs (bovine-milk-derived oligosaccharides) do not reduce the incidence of infections. The combination of GOSs and PDX (polydextrose) was found to play a protective role in one study. The evidence of the effect of prebiotics in reducing the use of antibiotics is low. The many lacunas in the direction of study uniformity offer many opportunities for further research.

Development of a functional prebiotic strawberry preparation by in situ enzymatic conversion of sucrose into fructo-oligosaccharides.

Food industry has been pressed to develop products with reduced sugar and low caloric value, while maintaining unchanged their rheological and physicochemical properties. The development of a strawberry preparation for the dairy industry, with prebiotic functionality, was herein investigated by in situ conversion of its intrinsic sucrose content into prebiotic fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS). Two commercial enzymatic complexes, Viscozyme® L and Pectinex® Ultra SP-L, were evaluated for the synthesis of FOS. Operational parameters such as temperature, pH, and enzyme:substrate ratio (E:S) were optimized to maximize FOS yield. The rheological and physicochemical properties of the obtained strawberry preparation were evaluated. For functional analysis, the resistance of FOS to the harsh conditions of the gastro-intestinal digestion was evaluated by applying the standardized INFOGEST static protocol. At optimal conditions (60 ℃, pH 5.0), Pectinex® produced 265 ± 3 g·L-1 FOS, yielding 0.57 ± 0.01 gFOS·ginitial sucrose-1 after 7 h reaction (E:S:1:40); and Viscozyme® produced 295 ± 1 g·L-1 FOS, yielding 0.66 ± 0.00 gFOS·ginitial sucrose-1 after 5 h (E:S:1:30). The obtained strawberry preparations contained more than 50 %(w/w) prebiotic FOS incorporated (DP 3-5), with 80 % reduction of its sucrose content. The caloric value was therefore reduced by 26-31 %. FOS showed resistance to gastrointestinal digestion being only slightly hydrolysed (<10 %). 1F-Fructofuranosylnystose was not digested at any phase of the digestion. Although the physicochemical properties of the prebiotic preparations were different from the original one, parameters such as the lower °Brix, water activity, consistency and viscosity, and its different color, may be easily adjusted. Results indicate that in situ synthesis strategies are efficient alternatives in the manufacture of reduced sugar and low-caloric food products with prebiotic potential.

The modulation effect of lotus (Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn.) seeds oligosaccharides with different structures on intestinal flora and action mode of growth effects on Bifidobacterium in vivo and in vitro.

Natural lotus seed oligosaccharides monomers (LOSs: LOS3-1, LOS3-2, and LOS4) were prepared by preparative chromatography and were hydroxyl-labeled with fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC). The prebiotic properties of LOSs by the gut microbiota of male Balb/C mice in vivo and in vitro were studied. In vivo experiment results showed that LOS4 could significantly increase the average daily food consumption, weight, liver index and the abundance of Bacteroides and Bifidobacterium for mice (p < 0.05). In addition, LOS4 also had significant proliferation effect on Bifidobacterium adolescentis and longum in vitro (p < 0.05). Laser confocal microscopy observation showed interaction site between LOS4-FITC and Bifidobacterium adolescentis was located outside and inside of cell, which was completed within 1 h. The relationship between structures of LOSs and prebiotics of intestinal flora (especially Bifidobacterium), and expanded the knowledge on the effects of carbohydrate polymerization degree (DP) and glycosidic bond connection with fermentation selectivity of bacteria was studied.

Recent advances in the production of oligogalacturonides and their biological properties.

The human population is becoming old and ageing, which is related to a variety of health issues, such as Alzheimers disease, obesity, diabetes, hypercholesterolemia, and some types of cancers like colorectal cancer. Furthermore, diet is a determining factor in the appearance of some of these diseases due to its direct effect at the systemic level (for instance, increase in glucose and LDL-cholesterol levels in the serum) and its influence on the composition and activity of the gut microbiota. In this context, the use of functional ingredients can be a useful strategy to prevent or even treat (in combination with drugs) some of the above-mentioned pathologies. Among the variety of functional ingredients, prebiotics have received significant attention by the scientific community. Although the already commercialized FOS are the most studied prebiotics, some efforts have been devoted to the search and evaluation of new prebiotic candidates with additional properties. In particular, in the last decade, a variety of in vitro and in vivo assays have been carried out using well isolated and characterized oligogalacturonides, demonstrating that some of them have interesting biological properties, including anticancer, antioxidant, antilipidemic, anti-obesity and anti-inflammatory activities besides prebiotic effects. This work reviews the scientific literature published recently on the production of oligogalacturonides with a special focus on their biological properties.

Partial enzymolysis affects the digestion of tamarind seed polysaccharides in vitro: Degradation accelerates and gut microbiota regulates.

Two hydrolyzed fractions of tamarind seed polysaccharide (TSP), denoted ETSP1 (176.68 kDa) and ETSP2 (34.34 kDa), were prepared by partial degradation via endo-xyloglucanase, and then characterized and evaluated by simulated gastrointestinal digestion in vitro. The results showed that the hydrolyzed TSPs remained indigestible in gastric and small intestinal media, and were fermented by gut microbiota, similar to the native TSP (Mw = 481.52 kDa). Although the degradation of hydrolyzed TSPs was accelerated during fermentation with a decreasing degree of polymerization, the content of produced total short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) decreased. After fermentation, the gut microbiota composition was modified, esp. the Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio decreased (1.06 vs. 0.96 vs. 0.80) with a decreasing degree of polymerization, which implied that the potential anti-obesity prebiotic effect was enhanced. At the genus level, hydrolyzed TSPs maintained similar roles as native TSP, including promoting beneficial bacteria (Bifidobacterium, Parabacteroides, and Faecalibacterium) and inhibiting enteropathogenic bacteria (Escherichia-Shigella and Dorea). Moreover, ETSP1 had additional potential due to abundant Bacteroides vulgatus (LDA = 4.68), and ETSP2 might perform better as related to Bacteroides xylanisolvens (LDA = 4.40). All these results indicated the prebiotic potential of hydrolyzed TSP with detailed information about changes in degradation and gut microbiota based on enzyme-hydrolysis.

Prebiotics and Probiotics: Healthy Biotools for Molecular Integrative and Modulation Approaches.

The scope of this Special Issue is to highlight and expand our knowledge on the molecular mechanisms of prebiotics and probiotics, as well as to offer a broad overview of current advancements and future directions in this research field [...].

Prebiotics alleviate cartilage degradation and inflammation in post-traumatic osteoarthritic mice by modulating the gut barrier and fecal metabolomics.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a degenerative joint disease characterized by articular cartilage degeneration, subchondral bone sclerosis, synovial hyperplasia and inflammation as the main pathological manifestations. This study aims to investigate the protective effect of prebiotics in post-traumatic osteoarthritic (PTOA) mice by modulating the gut barrier and fecal metabolomics. The results suggested that cartilage degeneration, osteophyte formation and inflammation were significantly reduced by prebiotics in PTOA mice. In addition, the gut barrier was protected by the increased expression of tight junction proteins ZO-1 and occludin in the colon. High-throughput sequencing found that 220 fecal metabolites were affected by joint trauma, 81 of which were significantly recovered after probiotic intervention, and some metabolites (valerylcarnitine, adrenic acid, oxoglutaric acid, etc.) were closely associated with PTOA. Our study demonstrates that prebiotics can delay the progression of PTOA by regulating the metabolites of the gut microbiota and protecting the gut barrier, which is expected to be an intervention method for PTOA.