內容: Osteoporosis is the most common bone disorder, characterized by low bone mineral density and microarchitectural deterioration of the bone tissue, which increases the susceptibility to fracture. In the past decade, emerging research findings reported the implication of gut microbiota on bone health and osteoporosis pathology. Osteoporotic patients or individuals with a lower bone mineral density exhibit an alteration of the gut microbiota at several taxonomic levels. Additional reports demonstrate that gut microbiota regulates bone metabolism through the modulation of the gut function (mineral availability and absorption, gut integrity), the immune system, and the endocrine system. Thus, based on the vital role of gut microbiota on bone health, it has emerged as a novel therapeutic target for the prevention of bone loss and the treatment of osteoporosis. Microbial-based functional food ingredients, such as probiotics, prebiotics, synbiotics, and fermented foods, have been developed to alter the gut microbiota composition and function and thus, to provide benefits to the host bone health. Despite promising initial results, microbial-based therapies are still under investigation. Moreover, additional animal studies and clinical trials are needed to understand the interactions between gut microbiota and bone metabolism before further applications.

內容: Weizmannia coagulans (formerly Bacillus coagulans) is a spore-forming and lactic acid-producing bacterium. It has recently attracted much attention from researchers and food manufacturers due to its probiotic functions and stability in processing and storage. W. coagulans is capable of improving gut health through the regulation of gut microbiota, modulation of immunity, and improving digestibility and metabolism. Spores, germinated cells and metabolites of W. coagulans modulate the gut micro-environment and further affect other organs. W. coagulans is an environment-friendly probiotic since it can contribute to the host by reconstructing the balance of gut microbiota and only temporarily resides in the intestine after administration. W. coagulans has been generally recognized as safe (GRAS) by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), thus it is an ideal probiotic for improving gut health. The merit of its stability in processing and storage provides W. coagulans spores many possibilities for its use in various types of functional foods. This review presents an overview of the characteristics of W. coagulans that make it an ideal probiotic candidate and highlights the proposed health benefits with scientific evidence conferred by the administration of W. coagulans.

內容: Polymethoxyflavones (PMFs) are a type of uncommon dietary flavonoids, characterized by more than one methoxy group, which exist in limited plant species, like Citrus species and Kaempferia parviflora. In addition, different PMFs, such as nobiletin, sinensetin, tangeretin, and casticin, have been isolated from these natural sources. PMFs have received increasing attention due to their multiple bioactivities, such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, metabolic regulatory, immunoregulatory, neuroprotective, and skin protective effects. These bioactivities of PMFs should be associated with the regulation of critical molecular targets and the interaction with gut microbiota. In order to provide a comprehensive and updated review of PMFs, their natural sources, refined extraction, biosynthesis, metabolism, and bioactivities are summarised and discussed, with the emphasis on the molecular mechanisms of PMFs on regulating different chronic diseases. Overall, PMFs may be promising flavonoids to the forefront of nutraceuticals for the prevention and/or treatment of certain human chronic diseases.

內容: Human saliva is an indispensable fluid that maintains a healthy oral cavity which otherwise can lead to oral diseases (dental caries and periodontitis). In addition, salivary metabolites and microbiome profile provide early detection of systemic diseases such as cancer and obesity. Salivary diagnostic has gained popularity due to its non-invasive sampling technique. Fasting (abstinence from food or drink or both) research for weight loss and improve health is common, but studies using fasting saliva are scarce. Some metabolites in fasting saliva have been reported with interesting results, which can be enhanced by considering different confounding factors. For example, fasting saliva contains higher salivary nitrite, which is related to nitric oxide (NO). NO is a vasodilator supporting the healthy function of endothelial cells and its deficiency is connected to many diseases. The timely supply of NO through exogenous and endogenous means is highlighted and the potential advantage of fasting salivary composition changes in relation to COVID-19 infection is speculated. This review aims to provide a general discussion on the salivary composition, properties, and functions of the whole saliva, including the health benefits of fasting.

內容: In response to the rapid increase in world population and subsequent demands for food, edible insects represent an alternative food source for humans that is rich in proteins, amino acids and minerals. Entomophagy is a tradition in many countries including China and Thailand, and edible insects have attracted a lot of attention in Western World due to their suitable nutrient composition, high mineral content (e.g., Fe, Zn, Ca, Mg) and potential use as a supplement in human diet. In this study, we surveyed mineral content in seven insect orders and 67 species of mass produced and wild-harvested edible insects. The total content of essential elements in edible insects was very high in Tenebrio molitor, Bombyx mori, and Zonocerus variegatus. The heavy metal content (summarized for eight species) was below the maximum limit allowed for safe consumption. Sustainable supply of minerals derived from insect biomass is complicated due to the high variations of mineral content in insects and the potential of its change due to processing.

內容: Due to the complex natures of dietary food components, it is difficult to elucidate how the compounds affect host health. Dietary food often selectively presents its mechanism of action on different cell types, and participates in the modulation of targeted cells and their microenvironments within organs. However, the limitations of traditional in vitro assays or in vivo animal experiments cannot comprehensively examine cellular heterogeneity and the tissue-biased influences. Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) has emerged as an indispensable methodology to decompose tissues into different cell types for the demonstration of transcriptional profiles of individual cells. ScRNA-seq applications has been summarized on three typical organs (brain, liver, kidney), and two representative immune- and tumor related health problems. The ever-increasing role of scRNA-seq in dietary food research with further improvement can provide sub-cellular information and the coupling between other cellular modalities. In this review, we propose utilizing scRNA-seq to more effectively capture the subtle and complex effects of food chemicals, and how they may lead to health problems at single-cell resolution. This novel technique will be valuable to elucidate the underlying mechanism of both the health benefits of food nutrients and the detrimental consequences food toxicants at the cellular level.

內容: Akkermansia muciniphila play an important in ameliorating obesity but is not allowed for direct consumption in most countries. To date, microbiota-directed foods selectively promote the targeted human gut microbes, providing a strategy for A. muciniphila enhancement. Multiple studies have indicated the potential regulation of the polyphenol on A. muciniphila. Therefore, a polyphenol screening based on A. muciniphila upregulation was performed in mice. Chlorogenic acid (CGA) exhibited a greater response to A. muciniphila upregulation. Furthermore, we found that CGA did not directly promote A. muciniphila growth or mucin secretion. Microbiome and metabolomics revealed that the increased abundance of A. muciniphila resulted from the inhibition of CGA on Desulfovibrio and Alistipes and the influence of docosahexaenoic acid, β-hydroxybutyrate, and N-acetyl-lactosamine. Finally, to confirm the regulation of CGA on A. muciniphila under disease conditions, high-fat diet-fed mice were established. The results showed CGA promoted A. muciniphila growth, and we expectedly found that CGA suppressed the augment in body weight of mice, significantly attenuated adipose tissue abnormality, provided liver protection and improved gut barrier integrity. These results suggest that CGA inhibits the development of obesity. Overall, our results indicate that microbiota-directed food is a promising approach for the treatment of obesity.

內容: Popular fermented golden pomfret (Trachinotus ovatus) is prepared via spontaneous fermentation; however, the mechanisms underlying the regulation of its flavor development remain unclear. This study shows the roles of the complex microbiota and the dynamic changes in microbial community and flavor compounds during fish fermentation. Single-molecule real-time sequencing and molecular networking analysis revealed the correlations among different microbial genera and the relationships between microbial taxa and volatile compounds. Mechanisms underlying flavor development were also elucidated via KEGG based functional annotations. Clostridium, Shewanella, and Staphylococcus were the dominant microbial genera. Forty-nine volatile compounds were detected in the fermented fish samples, with thirteen identified as characteristic volatile compounds (ROAV > 1). Volatile profiles resulted from the interactions among the microorganisms and derived enzymes, with the main metabolic pathways being amino acid biosynthesis/metabolism, carbon metabolism, and glycolysis/gluconeogenesis. This study demonstrated the approaches for distinguishing key microbiota associated with volatile compounds and monitoring the industrial production of high-quality fermented fish products.

內容: The biological activity of plant polysaccharides can be enhanced by sulfated modification. In this study, the immunomodulatory effect of sulfated Cyclocarya paliurus polysaccharides (SCP3) on macrophages RAW264.7 and its potential molecular mechanism were investigated. Results showed that SCP3 at 25?100 μg/mL increased viability and improved phagocytosis of RAW264.7 cells. Meanwhile, SCP3 could activate mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) signaling pathways, which increased the phosphorylation of Erk1/2, JNK, p38 and NF-κB p65, promoting secretion of cytokines tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), interleukin 6 (IL-6) and nitric oxide (NO) as well as the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). In addition, Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) receptor inhibitors were able to block the production of NO and TNF-α by SCP3-stimulated macrophages. Based on western blot analysis and validation using specific inhibitors against MAPK and NF-κB signaling pathways, the results demonstrated that SCP3 induced macrophages activation and enhanced TNF-α and NO production via TLR4-mediated MAPK and NF-κB pathways. In summary, SCP3 has significant immunomodulatory potential. The underlying molecular mechanism was that SCP3 activates macrophages via TLR4 receptors to promote ROS production, which in turn activates the downstream MAPK/NF-κB signaling pathway and then increases the secretion levels of cytokines and NO.

內容: Milk fat globule membrane (MFGM), which contains abundant glycoproteins and phospholipids, exerts beneficial effects on intestinal health and immunomodulation. The aim of this study was to evaluate the protective effects and possible underlying mechanisms of MFGM on cow’s milk allergy (CMA) in a β-lactoglobulin (BLG)-induced allergic mice model. MFGM was supplemented to allergic mice induced by BLG at a dose of 400 mg/kg body weight. Results demonstrated that MFGM alleviated food allergy symptoms, decreased serum levels of lipopolysaccharide, pro-inflammatory cytokines, immunoglobulin (Ig) E, IgG1, and Th2 cytokines including interleukin (IL)-4, while increased serum levels of Th1 cytokines including interferon-γ and regulatory T cells (Tregs) cytokines including IL-10 and transforming growth factor-β. MFGM modulated gut microbiota and enhanced intestinal barrier of BLG-allergic mice, as evidenced by decreased relative abundance of Desulfobacterota, Rikenellaceae, Lachnospiraceae, and Desulfovibrionaceae, while increased relative abundance of Bacteroidetes, Lactobacillaceae and Muribaculaceae, and enhanced expressions of tight junction proteins including Occludin, Claudin-1 and zonula occludens-1. Furthermore, MFGM increased fecal short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) levels, which elevated G protein-coupled receptor (GPR) 43 and GPR109A expressions. The increased expressions of GPR43 and GPR109A induced CD103+ dendritic cells accumulation and promoted Tregs differentiation in mesenteric lymph node to a certain extent. In summary, MFGM alleviated CMA in a BLG-induced allergic mice model through enhancing intestinal barrier and promoting Tregs differentiation, which may be correlated with SCFAs-mediated activation of GPRs. These findings suggest that MFGM may be useful as a promising functional ingredient against CMA.