The Clash of Microbiomes: From the Food Matrix to the Host Gut

Food fermentation has led to the improvement of the safety characteristics of raw materials and the production of new foodstuffs with elevated organoleptic characteristics. The empirical observation that these products could have a potential health benefit has garnered the attention of the scientific community. Therefore, several studies have been conducted in animal and human hosts to decipher which of these products may have a beneficial outcome against specific ailments. However, despite the accumulating literature, a relatively small number of products have been authorized as ‘functional foods’ by regulatory bodies. Data inconsistency and lack of in-depth preclinical characterization of functional products could heavily contribute to this issue. Today, the increased availability of omics platforms and bioinformatic algorithms for comprehensive data analysis can aid in the systematic characterization of microbe–microbe, microbe–matrix, and microbe–host interactions, providing useful insights about the maximization of their beneficial effects. The incorporation of these platforms in food science remains a challenge; however, coordinated efforts and interdisciplinary collaboration could push the field toward the dawn of a new era.

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In vitrocomparison of commensal, probiotic and pathogenic strains ofEnterococcus faecalis

British Journal Of Nutrition ◽

10.1017/s0007114512000220 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 108 (11) ◽

pp. 2043-2053 ◽

Cited By ~ 17

Author(s):

Trine E. Christoffersen ◽

Hanne Jensen ◽

Charlotte R. Kleiveland ◽

Guro Dørum ◽

Morten Jacobsen ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Health Benefit ◽

Intestinal Epithelial ◽

Binding Studies ◽

Potential Health ◽

Host Interactions ◽

Starting Point ◽

Different Strains ◽

Micro Organisms

In vivostudies have provided evidence that micro-organisms have important roles in immunological, digestive and respiratory functions, conferring health benefits on the host. Severalin vitromethods have been advised for the initial screening of microbes with potential health effects. The objective of the present study was to employ suchin vitromethodology to characterise different strains ofEnterococcus faecalis. The characteristics of a commercial product marketed as a probiotic, Symbioflor-1 (Symbiopharm), were compared with the characteristics of both pathogenic and commensal strains. Tolerance towards low pH and viability after exposure to human gastric and duodenal juices were assayed. Symbioflor-1 was the most susceptible strain to these treatments when compared with the otherE. faecalisstrains. Furthermore, Symbioflor-1 exhibited the lowest adhesion capacity to intestinal epithelial cells (IEC) and mucus. Competitive binding studies using heparin indicated that glycosaminoglycans might be involved in the adhesion to IEC, but also that differences in these putative bacteria–host interactions do not cause the relative low adhesion capacity of Symbioflor-1. Maturation of dendritic cells (DC) after exposure to bacteria was assayed as an indication of an immunomodulatory effect. All strains induced a moderate elevation of the DC maturation markers CD83 and CD86; however, no strain-specific differences were detected. Correlations betweenin vitroandin vivostudies are discussed. Althoughin vitroassaying is a rational starting point for the selection of microbes with a potential health benefit, it is emphasised that human clinical trials are the definite tool for establishing probiotic status.

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Characterization of an exopolysaccharide with potential health-benefit properties from a probiotic Lactobacillus plantarum RJF4

LWT ◽

10.1016/j.lwt.2015.07.040 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 64 (2) ◽

pp. 1179-1186 ◽

Cited By ~ 74

Author(s):

Sasidharan Vasanthakumari Dilna ◽

Harikumar Surya ◽

Ravindran Girija Aswathy ◽

Kontham Kulangara Varsha ◽

Dasappan Nair Sakthikumar ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Lactobacillus Plantarum ◽

Health Benefit ◽

Potential Health ◽

Potential Health Benefit ◽

Probiotic Lactobacillus

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Technology and Formation Improvement of Consumer Properties of Cold Appetizers from a Silver Carp in the Roll Form

Food Industry ◽

10.29141/2500-1922-2019-4-4-2 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 4 (4) ◽

pp. 14-22

Author(s):

Olesya Sergeevna ◽

Adelya Bekesheva

Keyword(s):

Fatty Acids ◽

Food Industry ◽

Raw Materials ◽

Silver Carp ◽

Essential Amino Acids ◽

Development Stage ◽

Roll Forming ◽

Fish Gelatin ◽

Organoleptic Characteristics ◽

Food Value

At the present development stage of fish culinary production special significance has range expanding and technology improving for the following purposes: the available fish resources use; the organoleptic characteristics improvement and the nutritional value and competitiveness increase of products manufactured at the enterprises of the food industry. This study concerns the technology and the consumer properties formation improvement of cold appetizers from silver carp in the form of a roll. Unlike traditional the developed products consist of fillet of a bighead silver carp on a skin and an original stuff from egg, vegetables and mushrooms. The researchers conducted study using conventional and special methods. They recommended to introduce gelatin in a dry powdered at the stage of roll forming form in a recipe of the developed fish rolls. A man tested fish gelatin as anew consistency regulator of the developed products. The traditional and fish gelatin use allows to increase the yield of fish cold appetizers in the form of a roll by 8.0 %. When adding gelatin, there was an improvement in consistency and sensory perception of the product as a whole. The analysis results of biological value showed that the developed dishes, being an important additional source of protein and essential amino acids such as threonine, lysine, valine, may well improve the ration balance. The fatty acids ratio in fish rolls prepared according to new recipes is close to the ideal fat in the ratio of saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids (35:45:20) and is determined mainly by the composition of fatty acids in silver carp fat. The developed production will allow to expand the range of the food industry enterprises by cold fish appetizers of high quality and food value from available fish raw materials.

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Thermal Characterization of Recycled Materials for Building Insulation

Energies ◽

10.3390/en14123564 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 14 (12) ◽

pp. 3564

Author(s):

Arnas Majumder ◽

Laura Canale ◽

Costantino Carlo Mastino ◽

Antonio Pacitto ◽

Andrea Frattolillo ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Environmental Impact ◽

Environmental Sustainability ◽

Building Materials ◽

Raw Materials ◽

Natural Fibers ◽

Thermal Characterization ◽

Recycled Materials ◽

Building Insulation ◽

Operational Phase

The building sector is known to have a significant environmental impact, considering that it is the largest contributor to global greenhouse gas emissions of around 36% and is also responsible for about 40% of global energy consumption. Of this, about 50% takes place during the building operational phase, while around 10–20% is consumed in materials manufacturing, transport and building construction, maintenance, and demolition. Increasing the necessity of reducing the environmental impact of buildings has led to enhancing not only the thermal performances of building materials, but also the environmental sustainability of their production chains and waste prevention. As a consequence, novel thermo-insulating building materials or products have been developed by using both locally produced natural and waste/recycled materials that are able to provide good thermal performances while also having a lower environmental impact. In this context, the aim of this work is to provide a detailed analysis for the thermal characterization of recycled materials for building insulation. To this end, the thermal behavior of different materials representing industrial residual or wastes collected or recycled using Sardinian zero-km locally available raw materials was investigated, namely: (1) plasters with recycled materials; (2) plasters with natural fibers; and (3) building insulation materials with natural fibers. Results indicate that the investigated materials were able to improve not only the energy performances but also the environmental comfort in both new and in existing buildings. In particular, plasters and mortars with recycled materials and with natural fibers showed, respectively, values of thermal conductivity (at 20 °C) lower than 0.475 and 0.272 W/(m⋅K), while that of building materials with natural fibers was always lower than 0.162 W/(m⋅K) with lower values for compounds with recycled materials (0.107 W/(m⋅K)). Further developments are underway to analyze the mechanical properties of these materials.

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Characterization of Two NMN Deamidase Mutants as Possible Probes for an NMN Biosensor

International Journal of Molecular Sciences ◽

10.3390/ijms22126334 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 22 (12) ◽

pp. 6334

Author(s):

Alessandra Camarca ◽

Gabriele Minazzato ◽

Angela Pennacchio ◽

Alessandro Capo ◽

Adolfo Amici ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Enzymatic Reaction ◽

Promising Candidate ◽

Beneficial Effects ◽

Steady State Fluorescence ◽

Nicotinamide Mononucleotide ◽

Recognition Elements ◽

Steady State Fluorescence Spectroscopy ◽

Similar Affinity ◽

Micromolar Range

Nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN) is a key intermediate in the nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) biosynthesis. Its supplementation has demonstrated beneficial effects on several diseases. The aim of this study was to characterize NMN deamidase (PncC) inactive mutants to use as possible molecular recognition elements (MREs) for an NMN-specific biosensor. Thermal stability assays and steady-state fluorescence spectroscopy measurements were used to study the binding of NMN and related metabolites (NaMN, Na, Nam, NR, NAD, NADP, and NaAD) to the PncC mutated variants. In particular, the S29A PncC and K61Q PncC variant forms were selected since they still preserve the ability to bind NMN in the micromolar range, but they are not able to catalyze the enzymatic reaction. While S29A PncC shows a similar affinity also for NaMN (the product of the PncC catalyzed reaction), K61Q PncC does not interact significantly with it. Thus, PncC K61Q mutant seems to be a promising candidate to use as specific probe for an NMN biosensor.

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Exploring the Characteristics and Influencing Factors of Leisure Walking Based on the Demand of Behavior

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su13084105 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (8) ◽

pp. 4105

Author(s):

Yupei Jiang ◽

Honghu Sun

Keyword(s):

Health Benefits ◽

Health Benefit ◽

Public Health Research ◽

Space Time ◽

Time Behavior ◽

Walking Behavior ◽

Face To Face ◽

Residential Neighborhood ◽

The Impact

Leisure walking has been an important topic in space-time behavior and public health research. However, prior studies pay little attention to the integration and the characterization of diverse and multilevel demands of leisure walking. This study constructs a theoretical framework of leisure walking behavior demands from three different dimensions and levels of activity participation, space-time opportunity, and health benefit. On this basis, through a face-to-face survey in Nanjing, China (N = 1168, 2017–2018 data), this study quantitatively analyzes the characteristics of leisure walking demands, as well as the impact of the built environment and individual factors on it. The results show that residents have a high demand for participation and health benefits of leisure walking. The residential neighborhood provides more space opportunities for leisure walking, but there is a certain constraint on the choice of walking time. Residential neighborhood with medium or large parks is more likely to satisfy residents’ demands for engaging in leisure walking and obtaining high health benefits, while neighborhood with a high density of walking paths tends to limit the satisfaction of demands for space opportunity and health benefit. For residents aged 36 and above, married, or retired, their diverse demands for leisure walking are more likely to be fulfilled, while those with high education, medium-high individual income, general and above health status, or children (<18 years) are less likely to be fulfilled. These finding that can have important implications for the healthy neighborhood by fully considering diverse and multilevel demands of leisure walking behavior.

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A Methodology Based on FT-IR Data Combined with Random Forest Model to Generate Spectralprints for the Characterization of High-Quality Vinegars

Foods ◽

10.3390/foods10061411 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (6) ◽

pp. 1411

Author(s):

José Luis P. Calle ◽

Marta Ferreiro-González ◽

Ana Ruiz-Rodríguez ◽

Gerardo F. Barbero ◽

José Á. Álvarez ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Random Forest ◽

Raw Materials ◽

Principal Component ◽

Hierarchical Cluster ◽

Raw Material ◽

Support Vector ◽

Protected Designation Of Origin ◽

Ft Ir

Sherry wine vinegar is a Spanish gourmet product under Protected Designation of Origin (PDO). Before a vinegar can be labeled as Sherry vinegar, the product must meet certain requirements as established by its PDO, which, in this case, means that it has been produced following the traditional solera and criadera ageing system. The quality of the vinegar is determined by many factors such as the raw material, the acetification process or the aging system. For this reason, mainly producers, but also consumers, would benefit from the employment of effective analytical tools that allow precisely determining the origin and quality of vinegar. In the present study, a total of 48 Sherry vinegar samples manufactured from three different starting wines (Palomino Fino, Moscatel, and Pedro Ximénez wine) were analyzed by Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy. The spectroscopic data were combined with unsupervised exploratory techniques such as hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) and principal component analysis (PCA), as well as other nonparametric supervised techniques, namely, support vector machine (SVM) and random forest (RF), for the characterization of the samples. The HCA and PCA results present a clear grouping trend of the vinegar samples according to their raw materials. SVM in combination with leave-one-out cross-validation (LOOCV) successfully classified 100% of the samples, according to the type of wine used for their production. The RF method allowed selecting the most important variables to develop the characteristic fingerprint (“spectralprint”) of the vinegar samples according to their starting wine. Furthermore, the RF model reached 100% accuracy for both LOOCV and out-of-bag (OOB) sets.

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Probiotics in Pediatrics. A Review and Practical Guide

Nutrients ◽

10.3390/nu13072176 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (7) ◽

pp. 2176

Author(s):

Leontien Depoorter ◽

Yvan Vandenplas

Keyword(s):

Health Benefit ◽

Beneficial Effects ◽

Treatment Regimens ◽

Clostridioides Difficile ◽

Nosocomial Diarrhea ◽

Infectious Gastroenteritis ◽

Study Heterogeneity ◽

Probiotic Strains ◽

Prophylactic Use ◽

Meta Analyses

The potential benefit of the administration of probiotics in children has been studied in many settings globally. Probiotics products contain viable micro-organisms that confer a health benefit on the host. Beneficial effects of selected probiotic strains for the management or prevention of selected pediatric conditions have been demonstrated. The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of current available evidence on the efficacy of specific probiotics in selected conditions to guide pediatricians in decision-making on the therapeutic or prophylactic use of probiotic strains in children. Evidence to support the use of certain probiotics in selected pediatric conditions is often available. In addition, the administration of probiotics is associated with a low risk of adverse events and is generally well tolerated. The best documented efficacy of certain probiotics is for treatment of infectious gastroenteritis, and prevention of antibiotic-associated, Clostridioides difficile-associated and nosocomial diarrhea. Unfortunately, due to study heterogeneity and in some cases high risk of bias in published studies, a broad consensus is lacking for specific probiotic strains, doses and treatment regimens for some pediatric indications. The current available evidence thus limits the systematic administration of probiotics. The most recent meta-analyses and reviews highlight the need for more well-designed, properly powered, strain-specific and dedicated-dose response studies.

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Mineralogical and Microstructure Analysis for Characterization and Provenance of Ceramic Artifacts from Late Helladic Kastrouli Settlement, Delphi (Central Greece)

Geosciences ◽

10.3390/geosciences11010036 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

pp. 36

Author(s):

Vayia Xanthopoulou ◽

Ioannis Iliopoulos ◽

Ioannis Liritzis

Keyword(s):

Raw Materials ◽

Analytical Techniques ◽

Sem Analysis ◽

Petrographic Analysis ◽

Ceramic Assemblage ◽

Thin Sections ◽

Central Greece ◽

High Calcium ◽

Local Geology

The present study deals with the characterization of a ceramic assemblage from the Late Mycenaean (Late Helladic III) settlement of Kastrouli, at Desfina near Delphi, Central Greece using various analytical techniques. Kastrouli is located in a strategic position supervising the Mesokampos plateau and the entire peninsula and is related to other nearby coeval settlements. In total 40 ceramic sherds and 8 clay raw materials were analyzed through mineralogical, petrographic and microstructural techniques. Experimental briquettes (DS) made from clayey raw materials collected in the vicinity of Kastrouli, were fired under temperatures (900 and 1050 °C) in oxidizing conditions for comparison with the ancient ceramics. The petrographic analysis performed on thin sections prepared from the sherds has permitted the identification of six main fabric groups and a couple of loners. The aplastic inclusions recognized in all fabric groups but one confirmed the local provenance since they are related to the local geology. Fresh fractures of representative sherds were further examined under a scanning electron microscope (SEM/EDS) helping us to classify them into calcareous (CaO > 6%) and non-calcareous (CaO < 6%) samples (low and high calcium was noted in earlier pXRF data). Here, the ceramic sherds with broad calcium separation are explored on a one-to-one comparison on the basis of detailed mineralogical microstructure. Moreover, their microstructure was studied, aiming to estimate their vitrification stage. The mineralogy of all studied samples was determined by means of X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD), permitting us to test the validity of the firing temperatures revealed by the SEM analysis. The results obtained through the various analytical techniques employed are jointly assessed in order to reveal potters’ technological choices.

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Characterization of Polysaccharidic Associations for Cosmetic Use: Rheology and Texture Analysis

Cosmetics ◽

10.3390/cosmetics8030062 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 8 (3) ◽

pp. 62

Author(s):

Giovanni Tafuro ◽

Alessia Costantini ◽

Giovanni Baratto ◽

Stefano Francescato ◽

Laura Busata ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Raw Materials ◽

Immersion Test ◽

High Viscosity ◽

Natural Polymers ◽

Public Attention ◽

First Choice ◽

Wide Range ◽

Textural Parameters ◽

Complementary Techniques

As public attention on sustainability is increasing, the use of polysaccharides as rheological modifiers in skin-care products is becoming the first choice. Polysaccharide associations can be used to increase the spreading properties of products and to optimize their sensorial profile. Since the choice of natural raw materials for cosmetics is wide, instrumental methodologies are useful for formulators to easily characterize the materials and to create mixtures with specific applicative properties. In this work, we performed rheological and texture analyses on samples formulated with binary and ternary associations of polysaccharides to investigate their structural and mechanical features as a function of the concentration ratios. The rheological measurements were conducted under continuous and oscillatory flow conditions using a rotational rheometer. An immersion/de-immersion test conducted with a texture analyzer allowed us to measure some textural parameters. Sclerotium gum and iota-carrageenan imparted high viscosity, elasticity, and firmness in the system; carob gum and pectin influenced the viscoelastic properties and determined high adhesiveness and cohesiveness. The results indicated that these natural polymers combined in appropriate ratios can provide a wide range of different textures and that the use of these two complementary techniques represents a valid pre-screening tool for the formulation of green products.

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