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Special Issue "Microbiota Restoration and Modulation by Functional Products"

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Dear colleagues,

The study of the microbiota represents an interesting way to study evolution and alleviate major human pathologies like type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, or neurodegenerative pathologies. Gut microbiota modulation through the administration of functional products (probiotics or natural products) could determine important changes in imbalanced physiological functions that lead to health problems. This Special Issue intends to collect papers presenting new in vitro/in vivo research works that valorize different products or processes to assess microbiota restoration and modulation. Antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects that could influence microbiota patterns should be considered in the submitted papers, as they represent major factors that could reduce microbial imbalances in degenerative diseases. Microbiota bioactivity influences the gut–brain axis, and targeting this interaction could be an important way of supporting and controlling regenerative capacity. Special attention will be given to studies that present molecular mechanisms and biomarkers related to the microbiota fermentative processes (e.g., short-chain fatty acids) and other factors resulting from microbiota modulation (antioxidant potential).

Dr. Emanuel Vamanu
Guest Editor

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Keywords

antioxidant
neurodegenerative
pattern
functional extracts
miRNAs
anti-inflammatory activities
oxidative stress

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10 pages, 2126 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effects of Trimethylamine and Trimethylamine Oxide on Human Serum Albumin Observed by Tryptophan Fluorescence and Absorbance Spectroscopies

and

Appl. Sci. 2023, 13(1), 421; https://doi.org/10.3390/app13010421 - 29 Dec 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1136

Abstract

Trimethylamine (TMA) is an aliphatic tertiary amine produced by gut microbiota, starting from dietary precursors such as L-choline, L-carnitine and betaine. TMA and its metabolite trimethylamine-N-oxide (TMAO) are elevated in the plasma of cardiovascular disease (CVD) patients. Despite extensive literature on this topic, the scientific community is still divided on which of the two molecules is responsible for the harmful effects on human health. To assess whether the plasma levels of these molecules are also modulated by interactions with macromolecules present in the plasma, the weak bonds between TMA or/and TMAO with human serum albumin (HSA) were studied via molecular docking and spectrofluorimetric assay. The impact of TMA and TMAO on HSA and low-density lipoproteins (LDL) oxidation was also evaluated. Docking analysis shows three main binding sites for TMA and two for TMAO. Spectrofluorimetric results show interactions of HSA with TMA and TMAO; a significant (p = 0.010) decrease in Trp-214 intrinsic fluorescence of HSA was measured starting from the lowest concentrations of both TMA and TMAO (3.26 nM and 29.2 nM, respectively). Furthermore, at all concentrations tested, no significant effect on the formation of carbonyls in HSA was measured (p > 0.05) in the presence of TMA or TMAO. However, 28.6 mM TMAO significantly increased (p < 0.05) the degree of oxidation of LDL, suggesting that TMAO has a pro-oxidant role on LDL. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Microbiota Restoration and Modulation by Functional Products)

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19 pages, 1844 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Prebiotic Isomaltooligosaccharide Provides an Advantageous Fitness to the Probiotic Bacillus subtilis CU1

Romain Villéger

Emilie Pinault

Karine Vuillier-Devillers

and

Appl. Sci. 2022, 12(13), 6404; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12136404 - 23 Jun 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1828

Abstract

Bacillus subtilis CU1 is a probiotic strain with beneficial effects on immune health in elderly subjects and diarrhea. Commercialized under spore form, new strategies to improve the germination, fitness and beneficial effects of the probiotic once in the gut have to be explored. For this purpose, functional food ingredients, such as isomaltooligosaccharides (IMOSs), could improve the fitness of Bacillus probiotics. IMOSs are composed of α(1 → 6)- and α(1 → 4)-linked oligosaccharides and are partially indigestible. Dietary IMOSs stimulate beneficial members of intestinal microbiota, but the effect of a combination of IMOSs with probiotics, such as B. subtilis CU1, is unknown. In this study, we evaluate the potential effect of IMOSs in B. subtilis CU1 and identify the metabolic pathways involved. The biochemical analysis of the commercial IMOSs highlights a degree of polymerization (DP) comprised between 1 and 29. The metabolism of IMOSs in CU1 was attributed to an α-glucosidase, secreted in the extracellular compartment one hundred times more than with glucose, and which seems to hydrolyze high DP IMOSs into shorter oligosaccharides (DP1, DP2 and DP3) in the culture medium. Proteomic analysis of CU1 after growth on IMOSs showed a reshaping of B. subtilis CU1 metabolism and functions, associated with a decreased production of lactic acid and acetic acid by two times. Moreover, we show for the first time that IMOSs could improve the germination of a Bacillus probiotic in the presence of bile salts in vitro, with an 8 h reduced lag-time when compared to a glucose substrate. Moreover, bacterial concentration (CFU/mL) was increased by about 1 log in IMOS liquid cultures after 48 h when compared to glucose. In conclusion, the use of IMOSs in association with probiotic B. subtilis CU1 in a synbiotic product could improve the fitness and benefits of the probiotic. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Microbiota Restoration and Modulation by Functional Products)

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Special Issue "Microbiota Restoration and Modulation by Functional Products"

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