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In this study, the antihypertensive effect of microcapsules containing a mixture of goji berry, hawthorn and cassia seed at a mass ratio of 4:1:1 and angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitory peptide in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) was assessed. The ACE inhibition rate of the microcapsules containing the mixture and ACE inhibitory peptide at a mass ratio of 1:2 was 78.19%, which was significantly higher than those of the mixture of medicinal and culinary plant materials (69.46%) and ACE inhibitory peptide (71.48%) alone (P < 0.05). Under optimized encapsulation conditions (solid content of 10%, inlet air temperature of 160 ℃, core-to-wall ratio of 1:15, and a 1:4 mixture of modified starch and maltodextrin as wall material), an encapsulation efficiency of 82.76% was obtained. After intestinal digestion for 240 min, the release rate of the as-prepared microcapsules was 81.40%, and the bitter taste was significantly reduced (P < 0.05). Animal experiments showed that the microcapsules significantly reduced blood pressure in SHR, significantly increased the plasma contents of ACE2 and angiotensin 1-7 (Ang(1-7)), and reduced plasma ACE content and the contents of angiotensin II (AngII) in the plasma, heart, kidney and thoracic aorta (P < 0.05). The effect was more pronounced than those of the mixture of medicinal and culinary plant materials and ACE inhibitory peptide, confirming the synergism between them. The composite microcapsules can not only reduce blood pressure by regulating the renin-angiotensin system but also significantly reduce the degree of cardiac and thoracic aorta fibrosis in SHR, thereby improving organ damage caused by hypertension.

In this study, Akkermansia muciniphila (Akk) was cultured to a concentration of more than 109 CFU/mL in optimized liquid thioglycolate medium. Besides, the differential metabolites in the fermentation supernatants from the original and optimized medium were analyzed by non-targeted metabolomics, and the physiological functions of the characteristic products were evaluated. The results showed that when cultured in the optimized medium, Akk produced higher amounts of various functional metabolites such as propionic acid, bardoxifene, docetaxel and vinblastine by affecting protein digestion and absorption, aminoacyl tRNA biosynthesis, bile secretion, ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporter, and the metabolic pathways of amino acid biosynthesis. These metabolites could be directly related to anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, anti-obese and other functions. This study provides solid evidence that Akk can function as a probiotic agent and postbiotic to regulate many diseases, and lays a theoretical foundation for future industrial production.

The global prevalence of obesity has nearly tripled in the past 40 years and continues to rise at an alarming rate. High fat and high carbohydrate diets can cause gut microbiota disturbance and impairment of intestinal barrier function in obese individuals. Dysbiosis of the gut microbiota and its metabolites crossing the intestinal barrier lead to insulin resistance, imbalance in energy metabolism, reduced fat browning capacity and increased levels of inflammatory factors, which in turn induce chronic diseases such as diabetes, hypertension and cardiovascular diseases. In this paper, the molecular mechanism of obesity mediated by the gut microbiota is systematically elucidated. Based on this, we propose that the intestinal microecology can be regulated by supplementing probiotics and prebiotics or by changing lifestyle and dietary pattern, which in turn will help to prevent and control obesity.

Diabetes is a metabolic disease characterized by insulin secretion disorder. When serious, it can cause various complications (cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, cataract and other eye diseases, kidney disease and cancer), bringing a huge economic burden to the society and families and torturing patients. The risk of diabetes is not only related to genes, living pressure and working environment, but also directly related to patients’ lifestyles and dietary habits. An unhealthy diet (high in fat and sugar) can induce the intestinal flora to produce adverse metabolites, which can in turn promote the occurrence and development of diabetes. Intestinal flora imbalance is widespread in the pathogenesis of various types of diabetes. As an important factor influencing the intestinal flora, diet is not only essential to maintain body functions, but also can contribute to intestinal immunity. Regulation of the intestinal environment through diet is expected to be an effective preventive means and auxiliary therapy for diabetes. By synthesizing the existing literature, this article discusses the features of the intestinal flora and the mechanism of the effect of diet-mediated regulation of the intestinal flora on diabetes based on systematic medical theory, and reviews the role scientific diet plays in regulating intestinal homeostasis and immunity and consequently reducing the incidence and complications of diabetes. We hope that this review will provide a basis for early diagnosis and prevention and adjuvant treatment of diabetes.

The target of traditional immunological detection methods for milk allergens is usually the whole β-lactoglobulin molecule. However, thermal processes and hydrolysis can destroy the epitope of β-lactoglobulin and interfere with its accurate detection and labeling in prepackaged foods, posing a health risk to milk-allergic patients. There currently remains a need to excavate and locate recognition sites for β-lactoglobulin in thermally processed and hydrolyzed products. Therefore, a stable epitope of β-lactoglobulin (CAQKKIIAEKTKIPAVFKIDA) was selected as the ideal recognition site, and an indirect competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was developed using an antibody against this stable β-lactoglobulin epitope in order to improve the detection of β-lactoglobulin in thermally processed and hydrolyzed foods in this study. The stable epitope of β-lactoglobulin was selected using a molecular dynamics simulation, and the binding ability of anti-stable epitope antibodies was characterized using indirect ELISA and indirect competitive ELISA. The limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantitation (LOQ) of the established ELISA were 0.25 and 1.07 mg·kg−1, respectively. Furthermore, the developed ELISA only showed cross-reactivity to goat milk among 23 common foods, therefore exhibiting high specificity to bovine β-lactoglobulin. In addition, the developed ELISA was able to effectively detect β-lactoglobulin residue in processed commercial foods and hydrolyzed formula milk powder. Our findings provide a novel strategy for accurately detecting milk allergens based on stable epitope recognition in thermally processed and hydrolyzed foods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Milk protein sensitivity is a major challenge in infant feeding, especially for infants who cannot receive adequate breastfeeding. Hydrolyzed milk protein is a mainstream way to address this difficulty. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of differences in whey protein concentrate (WPC) source and the degree of hydrolysis on blocking allergy and to analyze the possible mechanisms by which hydrolyzed infant formula (IF) blocks allergy through colony‐metabolism–immunity response. First, we prepared six groups of goat's milk IF with unhydrolyzed, partially, and extensively hydrolyzed WPC, which come from cow's milk WPC and goat's milk WPC. Subsequently, we evaluated their effects on allergy. The results showed that the hydrolyzed IF improved the allergic characteristics of mice, including low levels of total immunoglobulin E (IgE), specific IgE, histamine, and mucosal mast cell protease‐1 (mMCP‐1). Furthermore, the hydrolyzed IF promoted the immune response of T helper 1 (Th1) and regulatory T (Treg) cells by enhancing the messenger RNA (mRNA) expression of T‐box transcription factor 21 (T‐bet) and forkhead box protein P3 (Foxp3), which in turn suppressed the T helper 2 (Th2) overexpressed immune response in allergy (GATA‐binding protein 3 (GATA‐3) and retinoic‐acid‐receptor‐related orphan receptor gamma t (RORγt) mRNA expression, as well as interleukin 4 (IL‐4) and interleukin 5 (IL‐5) levels). Hydrolyzed IF promoted an increase in beneficial gut microbe Lactobacillus and Alistipes, which in turn promoted an increase in intestinal butyrate levels. The beneficial bacteria and their metabolized butyrate may have suppressed the abundance of the allergy‐characterizing bacterium Rikenellaceae‐RC9‐gut‐group. The final result we obtained was that for both cow's milk WPC and goat's milk WPC, at similar levels of hydrolysis, they did not bring about a significant effect on allergy symptoms. The hydrolyzed IF improved the allergic characteristics of mice, the deeper the degree of hydrolysis of WPC, the more obvious the effect of reducing allergic symptoms in model mice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ensuring optimal infant nutrition is crucial for the health and development of children. Many infants aged 0–6 months are fed with infant formula rather than breast milk. Research on cancer cell lines and animal models is limited to examining the nutrition effects of formula and breast milk, as it does not comprehensively consider absorption, metabolism, and the health and social determinants of the infant and its physiology. Our study utilized small intestine organoids induced from human embryo stem cell (ESC) to compare the nutritional effects of breast milk from five donors during their postpartum lactation period of 1–6 months and three types of Stage 1 infant formulae from regular retail stores. Using transcriptomics and untargeted metabolomics approaches, we focused on the differences such as cell growth and development, cell junctions, and extracellular matrix. We also analyzed the roles of pathways including AMPK, Hippo, and Wnt, and identified key genes such as ALPI, SMAD3, TJP1, and WWTR1 for small intestine development. Through observational and in-vitro analysis, our study demonstrates ESC-derived organoids might be a promising model for exploring nutritional effects and underlying mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This investigation was to study the effects of different formula components on the brain growth of rats. Fifty male SD rats were randomly divided into five groups: a basic diet group; a 20% ordinary milk powder group; a 20% special milk powder group; a 30% ordinary milk powder group; and a 30% special milk powder group by weight. LC-MS was used to detect brain lipidomics. After 28 days of feeding, compared with the basic diet group, the brain/body weights of rats in the 30% ordinary milk powder group were increased. The serum levels of 5-HIAA in the 30% ordinary milk powder group were lower than in the 20% ordinary milk powder group. Compared with the basic diet group, the expressions of DLCL, MePC, PI, and GM1 were higher in the groups with added special milk powder, while the expressions of LPE, LdMePE, SM, and MGTG were higher in the groups with added ordinary milk powder. The expression of MBP was significantly higher in the 20% ordinary group. This study found that different formula components of infant milk powder could affect brain growth in SD rats. The addition of special formula infant milk powder may have beneficial effects on rat brains by regulating brain lipid expression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This scoping review aims to investigate longitudinal changes in minerals and vitamins concentrations in human milk among the Chinese population. Following the PRISMA-ScR guidelines, a comprehensive and systematic literature search was conducted using both English and Chinese databases. Data were extracted and categorized into six defined lactation stages. We found that the concentration of most minerals decreased throughout the lactation period, although calcium (Ca) and magnesium (Mg) fluctuated slightly across lactation periods. Fat-soluble vitamins also showed a decline throughout the lactation period, while water-soluble vitamins exhibited an increasing trend. However, folic acid, biotin, and pantothenic acid demonstrated a downward trend. Overall, this review has identified the longitudinal changes in minerals and vitamins concentrations in human milk among the Chinese population. In order to conduct a more in-depth examination of maternal characteristics and nutritional factors of the composition of human milk, it is recommended to utilize standardized protocols for the collection and analysis of human milk samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a new four-dimensional hyper-chaotic system capable of generating multi-wing chaotic attractors by introducing active magnetron memristors, multi-segmented square functions and trigonometric functions. The dynamical properties of this new hyper-chaotic system, such as equilibrium point, dissipation, Lyapunov exponential spectrum, bifurcation diagram and Poincaré cross-section and attraction basin, are analyzed theoretically and simulated numerically, and the complexity of this system with different parameters is analyzed. It is observed that this hyper-chaotic system has periodic, chaotic and hyper-chaotic variations with an infinite number of equilibria and coexisting attractors under different parameter conditions. The circuit simulation was performed using Multisim and the results obtained were consistent with the numerical analysis of the dynamics, and the chaotic circuit system is designed by FPGA to verify the realizability of the system. Finally, an image encryption algorithm is designed in conjunction with the DNA algorithm to enable a new system chaotic sequence for image encryption. The results show that the hyper-chaotic system has rich dynamical behavior and has high-security performance when applied to image encryption with strong chaotic key and plaintext sensitivity and large key space in image encryption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lactobacillus plantarum is a kind of probiotic that benefits the host by regulating the gut microbiota, but it is easily damaged when passing through the gastrointestinal tract, hindering its ability to reach the destination and reducing its utilization value. Encapsulation is a promising strategy for solving this problem. In this study, transglutaminase (TGase)-crosslinked gelatin (GE)/sodium hexametaphosphate (SHMP) hydrogels were used to encapsulate L. plantarum. The effects of TGase concentration and drying method on the physiochemical properties of the hydrogels were determined. The results showed that at a TGase concentration of 9 U/gGE, the hardness, chewiness, energy storage modulus, and apparent viscosity of the hydrogel encapsulation system were maximized. This concentration produced more high-energy isopeptide bonds, strengthening the interactions between molecules, forming a more stable three-dimensional network structure. The survival rate under the simulated gastrointestinal conditions and storage stability of L. plantarum were improved at this concentration. The thermal stability of the encapsulation system dried via microwave vacuum freeze drying (MFD) was slightly higher than that when dried via freeze drying (FD). The gel structure was more stable, and the activity of L. plantarum decreased more slowly during the storage period when dried using MFD. This research provides a theoretical basis for the development of encapsulation technology of probiotics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to investigate the effects of the covalent binding of flaxseed protein (FP) and chlorogenic acid (CA) on the structure and functional properties of FP–CA complexes fabricated using the alkali method. The results suggested that the encapsulation efficiency of CA encapsulated by FP ranged from 66.11% to 72.20% and the loading capacity of CA increased with an increasing addition ratio of CA with a dose-dependent relationship, which increased from 2.34% to 10.19%. The particle size, turbidity, zeta potential and PDI of FP and the FP–CA complexes had no significant discrepancy. UV–Vis and fluorescence spectra showed the existence of the interaction between FP and CA. SEM images showed that the surface of the FP–0.35%CA complex had more wrinkles compared to FP. Differential scanning calorimetry analysis indicated the decomposition temperature of FP at 198 °C was higher than that (197 °C) of the FP–0.35%CA complex, implying that the stability of the FP–CA complexes was lower than FP. The functional properties suggested that the FP–CA complex with 1.40% CA had a higher water holding capacity (500.81%), lower oil holding capacity (273.495%) and lower surface hydrophobicity. Moreover, the FP–CA complexes had better antioxidant activities than that of FP. Therefore, this study provides more insights for the potential application of FP–CA covalent complexes in functional food processing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Staphylococcus aureus has posed a huge threat to human health and the economy. Oleuropein has antibacterial activities against various microorganisms but research on its effect on the S. aureus biofilm is limited. This research aimed to estimate the antibiofilm activities of oleuropein against S. aureus. The results suggest that the minimum inhibitory concentration of oleuropein against S. aureus ATCC 25923 was 3 mg/mL. The biomass of biofilms formed on the microplates and coverslips and the viability of bacteria were significantly reduced after the treatment with oleuropein. The scanning electron microscopy observation results indicated that the stacking thickness and density of the biofilm decreased when S. aureus was exposed to oleuropein. It had a bactericidal effect on biofilm bacteria and removed polysaccharides and proteins from mature biofilms. The effects of oleuropein on the biofilm could be explained by a reduction in bacterial secretion of extracellular polymeric substances and a change in bacterial surface hydrophobicity. Based on the above findings, oleuropein has the potential to be used against food pollution caused by S. aureus biofilms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intestinal flora is very important for improving the development of the immune system in newborns. Maternal diet during pregnancy and lactation is one of the key factors affecting the growth and development of offspring. The objective of the present study was to examine whether supplementation of maternal diet with milk oligosaccharides and Bifidobacterium could influence the development of the intestinal flora and immune system of neonatal mice. In total, 30 pregnant Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) mice were randomly divided into six groups: a control group (basal diet) and five intervention groups (basal diet supplemented with different doses of 2′‐fucosyllactose [2′‐FL] and Bifidobacterium Bb12) during the pregnancy period. All female mice were monitored for physical health during gavage. After delivery, the number of mice in each litter, any deformity, and the development of the offspring were recorded. The spleen, blood, and fecal samples of six groups of 10–12 day‐old offspring were collected. The results demonstrated that maternal milk oligosaccharides and probiotics conferred protective effects against lipopolysaccharide (LPS)‐induced immunosuppression in mice offspring by significantly enhancing the immune organ indexes, splenocyte proliferation, immunoglobulin (immunoglobulin G, A, M) production as well as improving the macrophage phagocytosis (p <.05). The abundance of Lactobacilli and Bifidobacteria in the feces of offspring mice in the intervention groups was significantly higher than that of the offspring mice in the control group (p <.05). These findings suggest that the combination of 2′‐FL and Bifidobacterium Bb12 displayed synergistic interactions between the two components that could promote the development of the immune system of the offsprings and improve their microbiota through maternal ingestion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To explore the flavor characteristics of human milk, we constructed a three-tiered human milk flavor wheel based on 53 sensory descriptors belonging to different sensory categories. Fifteen sensory descriptors were selected using M-value and multivariate statistical methods, and the corresponding references were set up to realize qualitative and quantitative sensory evaluation of the human milk samples. To ensure the accuracy and reliability of the sensory evaluation, the performance of the sensory panelists was also tested. The sensory profile analysis indicated that the established sensory descriptors could properly reflect the general sensory properties of the human milk and could also be used to distinguish different samples. Further investigation exposed that the fat content might be an important factor that influence the sensory properties of human milk. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on the flavor wheel of human milk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Protein, as one of the main ingredients for infant formula, may be closely related to the undesirable foam formed during the reconstitution of infant formula. Demineralized whey powder (D70 and D90), whey protein concentrate (WPC), and skimmed milk powder (SMP) are the four protein ingredients commonly used in infant formula formulation. The foaming and physicochemical properties of these four protein ingredients from different manufacturers were analyzed in the present study. Significant differences (p < 0.05) in foaming properties were found between the samples from different manufacturers. SMP showed a highest foaming capacity (FC) and foam stability (FS), followed by D70, D90, and WPC. Although the protein composition was similar based on reducing SDS-PAGE, the aggregates varied based on non-reducing SDS-PAGE, probably resulting in the different foaming properties. Particle size, zeta potential, and solubility of the protein ingredients were assessed. The protein structure was evaluated by circular dichroism, surface hydrophobicity, and free sulfhydryl. Pearson's correlation analysis demonstrated that FC and FS were positively correlated with random coil (0.55 and 0.74), β-turn (0.53 and 0.73), and zeta potential (0.55 and 0.51) but negatively correlated with β-strand (−0.56 and −0.71), free sulfhydryl (−0.56 and −0.63), particle size (−0.45 and −0.53), and fat content (−0.50 and −0.49). The results of this study could provide a theoretical guidance for reducing formation of foam of infant formula products during reconstitution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Infant formula is currently an important food to cope with insufficient breastfeeding. Although 1,3-olein-2-palmitin (OPO) has been used in infant formula, its effects on the immune system, gut microbiota, and metabolites for infants remain unclear. This study constructed a mouse model of colonizing healthy infant feces using antibiotic treatment and fecal microbial transplantation. Thus, the gap between the infant formula supplemented with OPO and human milk in mouse serum biochemistry, immune system, intestinal microbiota, short-chain fatty acid production, and metabolites was evaluated. Our results showed that regarding IL-9, IL-10 levels, fecal secretory IgA, and endotoxin, formula supplemented with OPO and human milk types had comparable levels. Additionally, OPO slightly increased the content of short-chain fatty acids. The 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis and metabonomics analysis demonstrated that feeding different foods affects the gut microbiota of mice; in particular, supplementing formula feeding with OPO enriched the abundance of bifidobacteria. Furthermore, feeding different foods leads to unique intestinal content of metabolites, and the gut microbiota regulates the metabolites' differences. Our results reveal a brand new perspective of OPO regarding gut microbiota and metabolites. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Colon cancer is the most common type of malignant tumor. The cytotoxicity effect of lactic acid bacteria may be active by inhibiting cancer cell proliferation, producing anticancer compounds, and inducing apoptosis in cancer cells, but the mechanism is unclear. Our previous study revealed that Lactobacillus acidophilus KLDS1.0901 has good probiotic properties. In this study, We screened out the highest inhibition rate of L. acidophilus KLDS1.0901 and assessed the effects on the proliferation of HT-29, Caco-2, and IEC-6 cells. Then, the apoptosis mechanism of HT-29 cells was studied when treated with L. acidophilus KLDS1.0901. Results showed that L. acidophilus KLDS1.0901 inhibited the proliferation of HT-29 and Caco-2 cells in a dose-dependent manner and reached the maximum under the condition of multiplicity of infection (MOI) = 100 (rate of Lactobacillus to cells) at 48 h. With the increase in time and MOI, reactive oxygen species in HT-29 cells, the apoptosis rates of HT-29 cells were increased, and the amount of blue fluorescence of the cells was also increased after Hoechst 33258 staining. Furthermore, L. acidophilus KLDS1.0901 reduced the mitochondrial membrane potential of HT-29 cells. Notably, 1,133 differentially expressed genes were screened by transcriptomics research, including 531 up-regulated genes and 602 down-regulated genes. These genes were involved in the nuclear factor κB and PI3K-AKT signaling pathways related to the apoptosis of HT-29 cells. These findings suggested that L. acidophilus KLDS1.0901 has the potential to be used in the development of a new type of functional foods for adjuvant treatment of colon cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cow mastitis, which significantly lowers milk quality, is mainly caused by pathogenic bacteria such as E. coli. Previous studies have suggested that lactic acid bacteria can have antagonistic effects on pathogenic bacteria that cause mastitis. In the current study, we evaluated the in vitro and in vivo alleviative effects of L. plantarum KLDS 1.0344 in mastitis treatment. In vitro antibacterial experiments were performed using bovine mammary epithelial cell (bMEC), followed by in vivo studies involving mastitis mouse models. In vitro results indicate that lactic acid was the primary substance inhibiting the E. coli pathogen. Meanwhile, treatment with L. plantarum KLDS 1.0344 can reduce cytokines' mRNA expression levels in the inflammatory response of bMEC induced by LPS. In vivo , the use of this strain reduced the secretion of inflammatory factors IL-6, IL-1β, and TNF-α, and decreased the activity of myeloperoxidase (MPO), and inhibited the secretion of p-p65 and p-IκBα. These results indicate that L. plantarum KLDS 1.0344 pretreatment can reduce the expression of inflammatory factors by inhibiting the activation of NF-κB signaling pathway, thus exerting prevent the occurrence of inflammation in vivo. Our findings show that L. plantarum KLDS 1.0344 has excellent properties as an alternative to antibiotics and can be developed into lactic acid bacteria preparation to prevent mastitis disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cow milk protein is one of the leading food allergens. This study aimed to develop an effective method for reducing milk sensitization by evaluating antigenicity of fermented skim milk protein using Lactobacillus helveticus KLDS 1.8701, Lactobacillus plantarum KLDS 1.0386, and a combination of both strains. The proteolytic systems of strains in terms of genotype and phenotype are characterized by complete genome sequence, and evaluation the antigenicity of skim milk proteins was determined by ELISA and liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry. Our results showed that the genomes encoded a variety of peptidase genes. For fermented skim milk, the degree of hydrolysis of the combined strains was higher than that of individual strain. Electrophoresis showed that the band color density of α-casein (α-CN) by fermentation of the combined strains was reduced when compared with control group. The fermentation process of the combined strains inhibited α-CN, β-lactoglobulin, and α-lactalbumin antigenicity by 69.13, 36.10, and 20.92, respectively. Major allergic epitopes of α-CN and β-lactoglobulin were cleaved by abundant proteases of combined strains. In all, this study showed that the fermentation process involving both L. helveticus and L. plantarum strains could reduce cow milk protein allergenicity through the combination of cell-envelope proteinase and peptidase on α-CN. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]