Protective effect of Rumenic acid rich cow's milk against colitis is associated with the activation of Nrf2 pathway in a murine model

The Antioxidant Effect of Dietary Bioactives Arises from the Interplay between the Physiology of the Host and the Gut Microbiota: Involvement of Short-Chain Fatty Acids

The maintenance of redox homeostasis is associated with a healthy status while the disruption of this mechanism leads to the development of various pathological conditions. Bioactive molecules such as carbohydrates accessible to the microbiota (MACs), polyphenols, and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) are food components best characterized for their beneficial effect on human health. In particular, increasing evidence suggests that their antioxidant ability is involved in the prevention of several human diseases. Some experimental data indicate that the activation of the nuclear factor 2-related erythroid 2 (Nrf2) pathway-the key mechanism in the maintenance of redox homeostasis-is involved in the beneficial effects exerted by the intake of PUFAs and polyphenols. However, it is known that the latter must be metabolized before becoming active and that the intestinal microbiota play a key role in the biotransformation of some ingested food components. In addition, recent studies, indicating the efficacy of the MACs, polyphenols, and PUFAs in increasing the microbial population with the ability to yield biologically active metabolites (e.g., polyphenol metabolites, short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs)), support the hypothesis that these factors are responsible for the antioxidant action on the physiology of the host. The underlying mechanisms through which MACs, polyphenols, and PUFAs might influence the redox status have not been fully elucidated, but based on the efficacy of SCFAs as Nrf2 activators, their contribution to the antioxidant efficacy of dietary bioactives cannot be excluded. In this review, we aimed to summarize the main mechanisms through which MACs, polyphenols, and PUFAs can modulate the host's redox homeostasis through their ability to directly or indirectly activate the Nrf2 pathway. We discuss their probiotic effects and the role played by the alteration of the metabolism/composition of the gut microbiota in the generation of potential Nrf2-ligands (e.g., SCFAs) in the host's redox homeostasis.

Milk Fatty Acid Profiles in Different Animal Species: Focus on the Potential Effect of Selected PUFAs on Metabolism and Brain Functions

Milk contains several important nutrients that are beneficial for human health. This review considers the nutritional qualities of essential fatty acids (FAs), especially omega-3 (ω-3) and omega-6 (ω-6) polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) present in milk from ruminant and non-ruminant species. In particular, the impact of milk fatty acids on metabolism is discussed, including its effects on the central nervous system. In addition, we presented data indicating how animal feeding—the main way to modify milk fat composition—may have a potential impact on human health, and how rearing and feeding systems strongly affect milk quality within the same animal species. Finally, we have presented the results of in vivo studies aimed at supporting the beneficial effects of milk FA intake in animal models, and the factors limiting their transferability to humans were discussed.

Identification of the key physiological characteristics of Lactobacillus plantarum strains for ulcerative colitis alleviation

Lactobacillus plantarum is a probiotic that is widely used to prevent ulcerative colitis (UC). However, the effects of this species are strain-specific. We believe that the physiological characteristics of L. plantarum strains may affect their UC-alleviating function. Therefore, this study investigated the relationship between the alleviating effect of L. plantarum strains on UC and their physiological characteristics in vitro. The physiological characteristics of 14 L. plantarum strains were assayed in vitro, including gastrointestinal transit tolerance, oligosaccharide fermentation, HT-29 cell adhesion, generation time, exopolysaccharide production, acetic acid production, and conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) synthesis. To create animal models, colitis was established in C57BL/6 mice by adding 3.5% dextran sulfate sodium to drinking water for 7 days. L. plantarum strains with significantly different physiological characteristics were orally administered to the mice at a dose of 3 × 109 CFU. The results indicated that among the tested L. plantarum strains, L. plantarum N13 and L. plantarum CCFM8610 significantly alleviated colitis in the mice, as observed from the restoration of the body weight and disease activity index (DAI) score, recovery of the gut microbiota composition, reduced expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines, and significantly inhibited expression of p65. Correlation analysis indicated that four of the measured physiological characteristics (gastrointestinal transit tolerance, HT-29 cell adhesion, generation time, and CLA synthesis) were related to the UC-alleviating effects to different degrees. The strongest correlation was observed between the CLA synthesis ability and UC-alleviating effects (with Pearson correlation coefficients for IL-1β, IL-6, IL-17F, TNF-α, myeloperoxidase, and the DAI all below -0.95). The ability to synthesize CLA may be the key physiological characteristic of L. plantarum in UC alleviation. Our findings may contribute to the rapid screening of lactic acid bacterial strains with UC-alleviating effects.