Intake of isoflavone-supplemented soy yogurt fermented with Enterococcus faecium lowers serum total cholesterol and non-HDL cholesterol of hypercholesterolemic rats

Gold nanoparticle intratesticular injections as a potential animal sterilization tool: Long-term reproductive and toxicological implications

This study aimed to evaluate the gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) animal sterilizing potential after intratesticular injections and long-term adverse reproductive and systemic effects. Adult male Wistar rats were divided into control and gold nanoparticle (AuNPs) groups. The rats received 200µL of saline or AuNPs solution (16µg/mL) on experimental days 1 and 7 (ED1 and ED7). After 150 days, the testicular blood flow was measured, and the rats were mated with females. After mating, male animals were euthanized for histological, cellular, and molecular evaluations. The female fertility indices and fetal development were also recorded. The results indicated increased blood flow in the testes of treated animals. Testes from treated rats had histological abnormalities, shorter seminiferous epithelia, and oxidative stress. Although the sperm concentration was lower in the AuNP-treated rats, there were no alterations in sperm morphology. Animals exposed to AuNPs had decreased male fertility indices, and their offspring had lighter and less efficient placentas. Additionally, the anogenital distance was longer in female fetuses. There were no changes in the histology of the kidney and liver, the lipid profile, and the serum levels of LH, testosterone, AST, ALT, ALP, albumin, and creatinine. The primary systemic effect was an increase in MDA levels in the liver and kidney, with only the liver experiencing an increase in CAT activity. In conclusion, AuNPs have a long-term impact on reproduction with very slight alterations in animal health. The development of reproductive biotechnologies that eliminate germ cells or treat local cancers can benefit from using AuNPs.

Effects of novel flavonoid-enriched yogurt on the diversity of intestinal microbiota in mice

Soy isoflavone glycoside cannot be effectively absorbed by the human intestinal tract, but probiotics with related hydrolases can transform it into aglycone to promote its absorption. In this study, a novel flavonoid-enriched yogurt was developed using an isolated β-glucosidase-producing strain (Lactiplantibacillus plantarum GY). The flavonoid aglycone-enhanced yogurt was fed to ICR mice for 21 days, and its effects were observed. The yogurt can affect the gut microbial diversity of mice, especially increasing the abundance of Parasutterella, the Bacteroidales S24-7 group, and Phascolarctobacterium in the intestinal tract of mice. Meanwhile, the ratio of Bacteroidetes/Firmicutes in the intestinal tract of mice fed with the flavonoid aglycone-enriched yogurt increased. The difference in the content of butyric acid between the L-GY + IS and the control groups was significant (P < 0.05). Therefore, milk fermentation with β-glucosidase-producing strains is a promising approach for developing flavonoid glycoside-enriched yogurt products.

Enterococcus faecium R0026 Combined with Bacillus subtilis R0179 Prevent Obesity-Associated Hyperlipidemia and Modulate Gut Microbiota in C57BL/6 Mice

Bacillus subtilis and Enterococcus faecium are commonly used probiotics. This study aimed to identify the effect of live combined Bacillus subtilis R0179 and Enterococcus faecium R0026 (LCBE) on obesityassociated hyperlipidemia and gut microbiota in C57BL/6 mice. Forty male C57BL/6 mice were divided into four groups: normal group (N group), model group (M group), low-dose group (L group), and high-dose group (H group). Mice were gavaged with LCBE at 0.023 g/mice/day (L group) or 0.23 g/mice/day (H group) and fed with a high-fat diet for 8 weeks. In vitro E. faecium R0026 showed an ability to lower the low-concentration of cholesterol by 46%, and the ability to lower the highconcentration of cholesterol by 58%. LCBE significantly reduced the body weight gain, Lee index, brown fat index and body mass index of mice on a high-fat diet. Moreover, LCBE markedly improved serum lipids (including serum triglyceride, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein and highdensity lipoprotein) while also significantly reducing liver total cholesterol. Serum lipopolysaccharide and total bile acid in L and H groups decreased significantly compared with M group. PCR-DGGE analysis showed that the composition of gut microbiota in the treatment groups was improved. Akkermansia muciniphila was found in H group. The PCA result indicated a similar gut microbiota structure between LCBE treatment groups and normal group while the number of bands and Shannon diversity index increased significantly in the LCBE treatment groups. Finally, qPCR showed Bifidobacterium spp. increased significantly in H group compared with M group, LCBE alleviated liver steatosis and improved brown adipose tissue index.

Food ingredients as anti-obesity agents: a review

Overweight and obesity have a major impact on global health; their prevalence has rapidly increased in all industrialized countries in the past few decades and diabetes and hypertension are their direct consequences. Pharmacotherapy provides reinforcement for obesity treatment, but should be an adjunctive support to diet, exercise, and lifestyle modification. At present, only orlistat and sibutramine have been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for long-term use, but sibutramine was withdrawn for sale by the European Medicines Agency. The development of functional foods for the prevention and/or treatment of obesity suppose an opportunity for the food market and involve the knowledge of the mechanisms of appetite and energy expenditure as well as the metabolic sensation of satiety. Strategies for weight control management affect gut hormones as potential targets for the appetite metabolic regulation, stimulation of energy expenditure (thermogenesis), and modifications in the metabolic activity of the gut microbiota. Functional foods for obesity may also include bioactive fatty acids, phenolic compounds, soybean, plant sterols, dietary calcium, and dietary fiber. This review intends to offer an overview of the present situation of the anti-obesity agents currently used in dietary therapy as well as some functional food ingredients with potentially anti-obesity effects.

Multifunctional properties of soy milk fermented by Enterococcus faecium strains isolated from raw soy milk

Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) isolated from soy milk were used to produce a multifunctional fermented food. Seven isolates were screened for their ability to produce peptides and free isoflavones in soy milk. The antihypertensive, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties of the resulting fermented soy milks were evaluated in vitro using biochemical assays. Isolates 1-5 were found to be producers of fermented soy milk with angiotensin I converting enzyme inhibitory activity (ACEI). Isolate 3 was found to be a producer of free isoflavones that increased the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory potential of fermented soy milk. LAB isolates 2-5 were submitted to genetic profiling and a characterization scheme. These isolates were identified as Enterococcus faecium , and none of them contained virulence determinants or resistance to antibiotics. In conclusion, this study shows that the application of E. faecium isolate 3 for multifunctional food production from soy milk could be a promising strategy in the prevention therapy against cardiovascular disease.

A potential synbiotic product improves the lipid profile of diabetic rats

BACKGROUND

Previous studies showed that intake of yacon or some lactic acid bacteria was able to inhibit the development of diabetes mellitus, by reducing glucose and associated symptoms, for example, the lipid profile.

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study was to assess the consumption influence of a potential symbiotic product of soybean and yacon extract and fermented Enterococcus faecium CRL 183 and Lactobacillus helveticus ssp jugurti 416 in reducing blood glucose and lipid levels in an animal model.

METHODS

Diabetes mellitus was chemically induced by intraperitoneal administration of streptozotocin (50 mg/kg body weight). The rats were divided into four groups (n=10): GI - non-diabetic animals that received only a standard chow diet (negative control), GII - diabetic animals that received only chow diet (positive control), GIII - diabetic animals that received the chow diet + 1 mL/kg body weight/day of soybean and yacon unfermented product, GIV - diabetic rats that received the chow diet + 1 mL/kg body weight/day of soybean and yacon fermented product. There was a seven-week treatment period and the following parameters were evaluated: animal body weight, food and water intake, blood glucose, enzyme activities of aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT), triglycerides levels, total cholesterol, HDL-C, non-HDL-C. Cell viability of the fermented product was checked weekly for a seven-week period.

RESULTS

The product average viable population was 10(8)-10(9) CFU/mL, by ensuring both the rods and cocci regular intake. No difference was observed between the water and feed intake and body weight of groups that received unfermented and fermented products and the untreated diabetic group. The same was observed for the blood glucose and AST and ALT activities, while some improvement was observed for a lipid profile, represented by reduction of triglycerides level by 15.07% and 33.50% in groups III and IV, respectively, and an increase of 23.70% in HDL-C level for group IV.

CONCLUSION

The results showed that the ingestion of a potential symbiotic product was neither able to promote improvement in some of the disease symptoms, nor reduce blood glucose. However, a positive effect on triglycerides levels and HDL-cholesterol was observed in the groups that received the unfermented product containing yacon extract and the fermented product with Enterococcus faecium CRL 183, as well as Lactobacillus helveticus ssp jugurti 416 and yacon extract (symbiotic product).

Influence of a probiotic soy product on fecal microbiota and its association with cardiovascular risk factors in an animal model

BACKGROUND

Previous work showed that daily ingestion of an aqueous soy extract fermented with Enterococcus faecium CRL 183 and Lactobacillus helveticus 416, supplemented or not with isoflavones, reduced the total cholesterol and non-HDL-cholesterol levels, increased the high-density lipoprotein (HDL) concentration and inhibited the raising of autoantibody against oxidized low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL Ab) and the development of atherosclerotic lesions.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to characterize the fecal microbiota in order to investigate the possible correlation between fecal microbiota, serum lipid parameters and atherosclerotic lesion development in rabbits with induced hypercholesterolemia, that ingested the aqueous soy extract fermented with Enterococcus faecium CRL 183 and Lactobacillus helveticus 416.

METHODS

The rabbits were randomly allocated to five experimental groups (n = 6): control (C), hypercholesterolemic (H), hypercholesterolemic plus unfermented soy product (HUF), hypercholesterolemic plus fermented soy product (HF) and hypercholesterolemic plus isoflavone-supplemented fermented soy product (HIF). Lipid parameters and microbiota composition were analyzed on days 0 and 60 of the treatment and the atherosclerotic lesions were quantified at the end of the experiment. The fecal microbiota was characterized by enumerating the Lactobacillus spp., Bifidobacterium spp., Enterococcus spp., Enterobacteria and Clostridium spp. populations.

RESULTS

After 60 days of the experiment, intake of the probiotic soy product was correlated with significant increases (P < 0.05) on Lactobacillus spp., Bifidobacterium spp. and Enterococcus spp. and a decrease in the Enterobacteria population. A strong correlation was observed between microbiota composition and lipid profile. Populations of Enterococcus spp., Lactobacillus spp. and Bifidobacterium spp. were negatively correlated with total cholesterol, non-HDL-cholesterol, autoantibodies against oxidized LDL (oxLDL Ab) and lesion size. HDL-C levels were positively correlated with Lactobacillus spp., Bifidobacterium spp., and Enterococcus spp. populations.

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, daily ingestion of the probiotic soy product, supplemented or not with isoflavones, may contribute to a beneficial balance of the fecal microbiota and this modulation is associated with an improved cholesterol profile and inhibition of atherosclerotic lesion development.