內容: Alzheimer’s dementia (AD) and type 2 diabetes (T2D) are interrelated global public health problems, and the current epidemics of both AD and T2D are insulin resistance diseases. Thus, AD and T2D may share common risk factors such as an unhealthy diet, lifestyle, and obesity. Meat products is an important part of the diet of consumers worldwide. This systematic review and meta-analysis aims to assess and estimate the effect of meat products consumption on AD and T2D in humans. Web of Science, MEDLINE, PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Embase were searched from January 2012 to April 2024. 29 articles reported 32 cohort studies with 1 785 769 subjects, with 3 546 AD cases and 91 092 T2D cases that met the inclusion criteria and were included in our analysis. Consumption of various meat products increased the risk of T2D (hazard ratios (HR) = 1.19, 95% confidence intervals (CI): 1.13?1.26, P = 0.000; I2 = 88.5%), consumption of smoked, grilled/roasted and fried meat products was more likely to induce T2D (HR = 1.24, 95% CI: 1.18?1.30, P = 0.000; I2 = 76.1%), but was borderline significant for the risk of AD (HR = 1.11, 95% CI: 0.98?1.25, P = 0.094; I2 = 58.8%), with consumption of mainly livestock and poultry products increasing the risk (HR = 1.21, 95% CI: 1.03?1.42, P = 0.017; I2 = 66.8%). The association between meat products consumption and AD risk was influenced by meat type and sample size, while the risk of T2D was influenced by meat type, follow-up and sex. A daily intake of 27, 123 and 170 g of livestock products increased the risk of T2D by 10%, 51% and 70% respectively, whereas the risk of T2D was reduced when the intake of various meat products was less than 23 g/day.

內容: Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) exopolysaccharides (EPS) reveal high safety and multiple activities, and are typical postbiotics produced by LAB during fermentation. In this paper, 6 583 articles on LAB-EPS from Web of Science and Elsevier databases were retrieved, and 236 articles related to this review were screened. The EPS from 90 LAB strains were summarized in terms of their extraction methods, yield, molecular weight, monosaccharide composition, glycosidic bond configuration and the structural and activity relationships (SARs). However, there exist great challenges as for the low yield and high cost in EPS production. Therefore, this review further elaborated the mechanism of EPS secretion, the anabolic pathway of EPS, the structure and mechanism of key enzymes involving in EPS synthesis process, the prospect of gene regulation for EPS secretion, and proposed the engineering strategies for increasing EPS yield or tailored EPS design in recent years. In addition, CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing technology was also discussed in the production control of EPS in LAB. Finally, the engineering strategy of increasing EPS yield in recent years was proposed. This work might provide important theoretical support for the production and application of LAB-based EPS.

內容: Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) influences several million people around the globe, with a high prevalence in North America and Europe. Results from the studies about host-gut microbial interactions demonstrated that gut microbiota plays a critical role in the progression of IBD, and probiotics can significantly improve microflora dysbiosis and inflammatory response caused by intestinal pathogens. However, several limitations existed for the probiotics delivered to the intestine in the free form (nonencapsulated), such as low pH and diverse digestive enzymes in the gastrointestinal tract, etc. To overcome the problems, several probiotic delivery systems were established and verified with effects. Here, the types and applications of probiotics in animal models and clinical studies are first reviewed in this paper. Subsequently, various types of probiotic delivery systems are elaborated, containing the well-known microcapsules and hydrogel delivery systems, and the engineered probiotic delivery systems are also introduced. Furthermore, mechanisms of action associated with probiotics are illustrated, including maintaining gut microbiota barrier balance, modulating the immune response, and alleviating oxidative stress, etc. Finally, we discussed the relative advantages and disadvantages of different encapsulation methods, as well as future trends for further development of probiotic delivery systems with health benefits.

內容: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a progressive disease with high morbidity and mortality. Disturbed gut microbiota and toxin accumulation are the main pathologic features of CKD. Current treatments are limited to those that alleviate renal impairment in CKD patients, but few interventions are available that specifically target the regulatory mechanisms of gut microbiota. In this context, researchers urgently need new approaches that can significantly improve survival time and quality of life in these patients. In this review, we outline the involvement of the gut-kidney axis in kidney injury through disturbances of gut microbiota and dysregulation of endogenous metabolites, as well as the prominent contribution of gut microbiota in the discovery of CKD that can be used to prevent, diagnose, and treat CKD. Next, we describe several major metabolites associated with the host-gut microbiota that arise from the synthesis of microbial nutrient transformations and subsequent interactions with the kidney. Then, we summarize the role and potential targets of a compromised gut barrier in CKD. Finally, we discuss research advances in the prevention and treatments of CKD through probiotics modulation of gut microbiota structure to reduce enterogenous toxins and their maintenance of gut barrier function. A growing body of research suggests that intervention through probiotics may be a new and promising therapeutic strategy for CKD.

內容: Epilepsy is a devastating neurological condition that affects over 70 million people worldwide. Apart from idiopathic epilepsy, numerous diseases have been reported to cause secondary epilepsy. Polyphenols, ubiquitously existing in fruits and vegetables, has become a promising neuroprotective candidate against multiple neurological abnormalities due to its interplay with gut microbiome composed of the bacterial population in gastrointestinal system. This bioactive compound is also being tested for the management of epileptogenesis. However, there is still insufficient evidence from mechanistic studies to demonstrate the causal relationship between anti-epileptic effect of polyphenols and microbial alteration. In this review, we provide the brief overview of epilepsy, polyphenols and gut microbiota. We then analysis the association of polyphenols and gut microbiota particularly in the epilepsy and symptomatic seizures-induced by epilepsyrelated disorders. We also discuss the possibility for the combined application with probiotics to improve the bioavailability and bioaccessibility of polyphenols for expanding its anti-epileptic function. We finally summarize the therapeutic potential of anti-seizure polyphenols through affecting gut microbiome, and propose that the anti-epileptic effect of polyphenols may be tightly relevant to intestinal bacterial flora for overcoming epilepsy and its comorbidities simultaneously. Therefore, the dietary polyphenols targeting specific bacteria may achieve the outcome of ‘one stone, two birds’.

內容: Inflammation caused by obesity, particularly in adipose tissue and the liver, can lead to insulin resistance (IR) and trigger type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). It is crucial to identify therapeutic agents that alleviate IR by reducing inflammation. Here, we report that isobavachromene (IB), a flavonoid derived from Psoralea corylifolia Linn., ameliorates IR in 3T3-L1 adipocytes by inhibiting the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB) signaling pathway. We first found that IB could promote glucose uptake in 3T3-L1 adipocytes by activating the phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI-3K)/protein kinase B (Akt) signaling pathway and was more effective than the positive control sodium orthovanadate at concentrations ranging from 25 to 100 μmol/L. Additionally, IB inhibited RAW264.7 macrophage infiltration into 3T3-L1 adipocytes and suppressed the secretion of inflammatory factors from RAW264.7 macrophages, as well as the phosphorylation levels of key proteins (NF-κB p65, extracellular-signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2), Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), and mitogen-activated protein kinase 38 (p38)) in the NF-κB and MAPK signaling pathways. In summary, IB improves glucose uptake in IR adipocytes, activates the PI-3K/Akt signaling pathway, inhibits the JNK and NF-κB inflammatory signaling pathways, and reduces adipocyte inflammation, thereby improving of IR in 3T3-L1 adipocytes.

內容: It is well known that appropriate aerobic exercise can effectively alleviate fatty liver and enhance brain function. The concept of multi-organ crosstalk coordinating disease progression has become the current research hot topic. However, there remains an urgent need to elucidate its specific mechanisms. This study aimed to explore the impact of a high-fat diet (HFD) on liver health and cognitive function, and to further uncover the regulatory effect of aerobic exercise by liver-specific activating transcription factor 3 (Atf3) knockout (ATF3cKO) mice in a “l(fā)iver-brain” axis mode. The 5-week-old C57BL/6 and ATF3cKO mice were fed with HFD for 32 weeks, and sequentially subjected to aerobic exercise intervention at the 20th week for another 12 consecutive weeks. Meanwhile, C57BL/6 mice were provided with a normal diet as the control group. The functional parameters of liver and brain of all mice were assessed. Cognitive capacity of all mice was assessed by the Morris water maze (MWM). Inflammatory factors in the serum and brain of mice were quantified using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and the expression of inflammasomes was detected by immunohistochemistry (IHC). Additionally, the activation of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) and phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) signal pathways was analyzed by Western blotting. In this study, HFD impaired hepatic and brain functions, while aerobic exercise and liver-specific Atf3 knockout suppressed inflammatory factors in the peripheral circulation through hepatoprotective mechanisms, thereby attenuating cerebral inflammation and preserving neurological integrity, as well as mitigating HFD-induced cognitive decline.

內容: This study is the first investigation of the effects of polysaccharide extracted from rice bran (RBP) on ovalbumin (OVA)-induced allergy and the gut microbiota, which hasn’t been reported previously. RBP in the medium-dose was found to significantly reduce the symptoms of food allergy (FA) in mice, lower the levels of histamine and allergen-specific (immunoglobulin E), and attenuate intestinal inflammation. Further studies demonstrated that RBP decreased allergy-associated responses in intestinal epithelial cells and Th2 cells while regulating Th1/Th2 differentiation to reach a dynamic equilibrium and downregulating Th2 polarization caused by allergies. Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) content and 16S rRNA sequencing revealed that RBP enhanced the abundance and diversity of the gut microflora and raised the content of SCFAs. These results suggest that RBP may mitigate FA by modulating the gut microbiota. This study revealed the effective use of rice bran and served as a basis for the development of innovative functional foods with anti-allergic properties.

內容: This study aimed to investigate the anti-aging effects of black rice-anthocyanin (BRA) in Drosophila melanogaster and HUVEC cells. In this study, the strong antioxidant activity of BRA in HUVEC cells, D. melanogaster of lifespan extension, and molecular mechanism were elucidated. Firstly, the BRA increased enzyme activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT), as well as the expression of phosphatidyl inositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (Akt) protein while decreasing the accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and malondialdehyde (MDA) in both H2O2-induced HUVEC cells and D. melanogaster. Secondly, the BRA extended the lifespan of D. melanogaster by improving crawling ability and intestine abilities in the microbial environment, barrier function, and number of autophagic lysosomes, as well as inhibiting the abnormal multiplication of stem cells in the intestine. Thirdly, the BRA downregulated expression levels of Akt-1 and mTOR in D. melanogaster while upregulated downstream autophagy gene expression levels of Atg1, Atg5, Atg8a, and Atg8b, as well as the expression levels of SOD, CAT, and 4E-binding protein. Lastly, the anti-aging mechanism was also verified by both the computerized molecular simulation and network pharmacology. Thus, the prolonged lifespan of D. melanogaster by blocking the mTOR pathway and activating autophagy, which could be further used for improving health and prolonging life.

內容: The neurotransmitter 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), primarily produced by intestinal enterochromaffin (EC) cells, relies on tryptophan hydroxylase 1 (TPH1) for synthesis. Research suggested Bifidobacterium breve CCFM1025’s potential in regulating Tph1 gene expression, maintaining 5-HT levels in stressed mice, but its precise mechanisms were unclear. This study used metabolomic techniques to assess probiotic fermentation products, revealing acetate as the crucial element in Bb-CCFM1025’s regulation of gut 5-HT synthesis. Further exploration correlated acetate with Tph1 transcription in intestinal organoids. Transcriptomic methods and quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction validation demonstrated how acetate facilitated 5-HT synthesis and secretion. It unveiled that acetate orchestrates signaling pathways (phosphoinositide 3-kinase-protein kinase B (PI3K-AKT), phospholipase C-phosphorylated extracellular signal-regulated kinase (PLC-pERK), and PLC-1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP3)-Ca2+) within EC, enabling 5-HT production. These findings elucidate the biochemical mechanisms behind specific probiotics’ effects, aiding in the targeted selection of similar beneficial strains. This study offers theoretical support for choosing probiotics with analogous functionalities based on their physiological impacts.