• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.28 no.8
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• pp.1247-1259
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• 2018

Raspberries are polyphenol-rich fruits with the potential to reduce the severity of the clinical signs associated with obesity, a phenomenon that may be related to changes in the gut microbiota. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of raspberry supplementation on the fecal microbiota using an in vivo model of obesity. Obese diabetic db/db mice were used in this study and assigned to two experimental groups (with and without raspberry supplementation). Fecal samples were collected at the end of the supplementation period (8 weeks) and used for bacterial 16S rRNA gene profiling using a MiSeq instrument (Illumina). QIIME 1.8 was used to analyze the 16S data. Raspberry supplementation was associated with an increased abundance of Lachnospiraceae (p = 0.009), a very important group for gut health, and decreased abundances of Lactobacillus, Odoribacter, and the fiber degrader S24-7 family as well as unknown groups of Bacteroidales and Enterobacteriaceae (p < 0.05). These changes were enough to clearly differentiate bacterial communities accordingly to treatment, based on the analysis of UniFrac distance metrics. However, a predictive approach of functional profiles showed no difference between the treatment groups. Fecal metabolomic analysis provided critical information regarding the raspberry-supplemented group, whose relatively higher phytosterol concentrations may be relevant for the host health, considering the proven health benefits of these phytochemicals. Further studies are needed to investigate whether the observed differences in microbial communities (e.g., Lachnospiraceae) or metabolites relate to clinically significant differences that can prompt the use of raspberry extracts to help patients with obesity.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.432-439
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• 2020

This study examined the metabolites in different roughage to concentrate ratios using proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-NMR). Six lactating cows were divided into two groups that were fed different roughage to concentrate ratios (HR group = 8:2, HC group = 2:8). Feces samples were collected individually at one time, and the metabolites were analyzed using an SPE-800 MHz NMR-MS system. The metabolites were identified and quantified using a Chenomx NMR suite 8.4. Metabolic pathway analysis and principal component analysis were conducted using a Metaboanalyst 4.0. Statistical analysis was performed using a Dunnett's test on the SAS program. As a result, several metabolites were identified, and among them, 77 metabolites were used in statistical analysis. The levels of twelve metabolites were significantly higher in the HC group: succinate, dimethylamine, histamine, homovanillate, thymol, acetate, propionate, butyrate, isovalerate, valerate, imidazole, N-nitrosodimethylamine, and O-acetylcholine. In the HC group, the concentrations of all metabolites were higher than in the HR group, and the metabolic pathway was also different. This study is expected to be useful for a variety of livestock studies by 1H-NMR because it examined the change in metabolites in the body metabolism and microorganisms.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.52 no.5
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• pp.375-382
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• 2010

Twelve pigs were used to investigate the effects of polyclonal antibody candidate against abdominal (AAb) and subcutaneous adipocyte membrane proteins (SAb) on body weight, fecaldigestibility and blood metabolites. When AAb and SAb developed by Choi et al. (2010) were injected to pigs, the numerical increase in BW (body weight) occurred at 4 weeks post-treatment, but BW for an entire period was also increased, indicating that the BW increase may not be affected by the antibodies injection. Antibodies treatment did not affect (P>0.05) fecal digestibility of dry matter, crude protein, crude fat and crude fiber. Fecal digestibility of crude ash for control (no treatment) at 2 weeks decreased, and that for non-immunized serum treatmentgroup at 4 weeks post-treatment increased, respectively (P<0.05). However, fecal digestibility of crude ash for AAb and SAb groups did not significantly change. At 4 weeks after the antibodies treatment, blood urea N concentration for AAb and SAb groups was significantly increased (P<0.05). However, these increases may not be caused by the antibodies treatment because similar pattern in blood urea N concentration occurred before the antibodies treatment. Antibodies treatment did not affect concentration of plasma glucose and triglycerides (P<0.05). Compared with control, concentration of plasma total cholesterol for AAb and SAb groups at 4 weeks post-treatment was significantly (P<0.05) decreased. This may suggest that body fat reduction possibly occurs. In conclusion, the AAb and the SAb developed by Choi et al. (2010) may have safety in nutritional physiological metabolism in pigs. Further study on in vivo fat reduction of the antibodies against abdominal and subcutaneous adipocytes of pigs should be required for fat-reduced pork production.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.31 no.5
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• pp.914-920
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• 1998

The effect of dietary pectin, tangerine pulp meal, propionate, lactate or fumarate on cholesterol (C) and triacylglycerol(TG) levels in the serum and liver, and the effect of pectin on dietary C absorption were studied in a series of three experiments. Mature female Sprague Dawley rats were fed a control diet or diets containing 5% pectin, 5% tangerine pulp meal, 3% propionate, 3% lactate 3% fumarate, or 10% pectin. Serum total C levels were lower(p<0.05) in rats fed the diet containing 5% pectin than in control rats after a 4-week feeding period(93.8 vs 119.2mg/100mL). Serum HDL, LDL+VLDL C levels were not different among diet groups. Liver total C level was also lower(p<0.05) in rats fed the diet containing 5% pectin than in control rats, but liver TG level was not influenced by diet. Dietary propionate, lactate or fumarate did not reduce serum C, indicating that propionate is not a regulator of serum C. However, dietary pectin(10%) increased fecal excretion of dietary C(or its metabolites) more than 70% over a control value. Our data indicate that dietary pectin reduces serum and liver C levels by increased fecal secretion of dietary C, but not by its fermentation product propionate or other gluconeogenic substrates. (Korean J Nutrition 31(5) : 914∼920, 1998)

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.55-61
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• 2008

We investigated the combinatorial effects of different doses of dietary soy isoflavones (SI) and fructooligosaccharide (FOS) in a rat model of colon cancer. We hypothesized that increased bioavailability of SI metabolites due to dietary FOS may increase production of bioactive equol and affect colon carcinogenesis in a dose-dependent manner. Sprague-Dawley male rats were injected with 12-dimethylhydrazine (DMH) and were providec experimental diets that contained 0, 10, 50, 150, or 500 mg SI per kg of diet and 6% FOS for 12 weeks. The number of aberrant crypt foci (ACF) and the expression of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) in colonic tissues were significantly decreased in the 6% FOS-fed groups compared to the control group. Gut transit time and fecal pH were significantly lower, and fecal concentrations of bifidobacteria were increased with 6% FOS. However, dietary SI supplementation in combination with 6% dietary FOS did not affect ACF formation or COX-2 expression. Plasma equol concentrations were dose-dependently increased by supplementation of SI up to 500 mg/kg of diet. In conclusion, SI supplementation up to 500 mg/kg of diet appeared to have no additive beneficial effects in rats with chemically-induced colon cancer that were fed 6% FOS, although plasma equol was dose-dependently increased.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.33 no.9
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• pp.1111-1118
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• 2023

As a long-term condition that affects the airways and lungs, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is characterized by inflammation, emphysema, breathlessness, chronic cough, and sputum production. Currently, the bronchodilators and anti-inflammatory drugs prescribed for COPD are mostly off-target, warranting new disease management strategies. Accumulating research has revealed the gut-lung axis to be a bidirectional communication system. Cigarette smoke, a major exacerbating factor in COPD and lung inflammation, affects gut microbiota composition and diversity, causing gut microbiota dysbiosis, a condition that has recently been described in COPD patients and animal models. For this review, we focused on the gut-lung axis, which is influenced by gut microbial metabolites, bacterial translocation, and immune cell modulation. Further, we have summarized the findings of preclinical and clinical studies on the association between gut microbiota and COPD to provide a basis for using gut microbiota in therapeutic strategies against COPD. Our review also proposes that further research on probiotics, prebiotics, short-chain fatty acids, and fecal microbiota transplantation could assist therapeutic approaches targeting the gut microbiota to alleviate COPD.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.19 no.12
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• pp.1569-1572
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• 2009

The pharmacokinetics of decursin and decursinol angelate (D/DA) were investigated in male SD rats following oral and intravenous administration. D/DA and metabolites obtained from in vitro samples were evaluated by LC/MS. The levels of D/DA and metabolized decursinol in the blood following oral and intravenous administrations declined according to first-order kinetics, with $T_{1/2}$ values of 56.67, 58.01, and 57.22 h, respectively, being observed after administration of a dose of 2 mg/kg body weight. The large intestine was the major site of disposition following oral administration. These data indicate that D/DA is rapidly absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract. In in vitro experiment utilizing liver microsomal protein, the major metabolic reaction of D/DA occurred to change decursinol. The cumulative biliary, urinary, and fecal excretions of D/DA in bile duct-cannulated rats was $36.10{\pm}2.9%$, $25.35{\pm}3.8%$, and $34.20{\pm}3.2%$, respectively, at 72 h after administration. These results indicate that the absorption of D/DA is almost complete, and that its metabolites are primarily excreted into feces through the bile. These results indicate that D/DA is subject to enterohepatic circulation.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.35-41
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• 1997

Following ginsenoside-Rb1-hydrolyzing assay, strictly anaerobic bacteria were isolated from human feces and identified as Prevotella oris. The bacteria hydrolyzed ginsenoside Rb1 and Rd to $20-O-{\beta}-D-glucopyranosyl-20(S)-protopanaxadiol$ (I), ginsenoside Rb2 to $20-O-[{\alpha}-L-arabinofuranosyl (1{\rightarrow}6)-{\beta}-D-glucopyranosyl] - 20(S)-protopanaxadiol$ (ll) and ginsenoside Rc to $20-O-[{\alpha}-L-arabinofuranosyl (1{\rightarrow} 6){\beta}-D-g1ucopyranosyl]-20(S)-protopanaxadiol$ (III) like fecal microflora, but did not attack ginsenoside Re nor Rgl (Protopanaxatriol-type). Pharmacokinetic studies of ginseng saponins was also performed using specific pathogen free rats and demonstrated that the intestinal bacterial metabolites I-111, 20(S)- protopanaxatriol(IV) and 20(S)-protopanaxadiol(V) were absorbed from the intestines to $blood(0.4-5.1\;{\mu}g/ml)$ after oral administration with total saponin(1 g/kg/day).

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.32 no.7
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• pp.927-937
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• 2022

To confirm the therapeutic effect of the water extract from Ecklonia cava (WEE) against PM_2.5 induced systemic health damage, we evaluated gut health with a focus on the microbiota and metabolites. Systemic damage in mice was induced through PM_2.5 exposure for 12 weeks in a whole-body chamber. After exposure for 12 weeks, body weight and food intake decreased, and WEE at 200 mg/kg body weight (mpk) alleviated these metabolic efficiency changes. In addition, PM_2.5 induced changes in the length of the colon and fecal water content. The administration of the WEE at 200 mpk oral dose effectively reduced changes in the colon caused by PM_2.5 exposure. We also attempted to confirm whether the effect of the WEE is mediated via regulation of the microbiota-gut-brain axis in mice with PM_2.5 induced systemic damage. We examined changes in the fecal microbiota and gut metabolites such as short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) and kynurenine metabolites. In the PM_2.5 exposed group, a decrease in the abundance of Lactobacillus (Family: Lactobacillaceae) and an increase in the abundance of Alistipes (Family: Rikenellaceae) were observed, and the administration of the WEE showed a beneficial effect on the gut microbiota. In addition, the WEE effectively increased the levels of SCFAs (acetate, propionate, and butyrate). Furthermore, kynurenic acid (KYNA), which is a critical neuroprotective metabolite in the gut-brain axis, was increased by the administration of the WEE. Our findings suggest that the WEE could be used as a potential therapeutic against PM_2.5 induced health damage by regulating gut function.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.527-532
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• 2019

Objective: Phosphorous (P) sources with greater bioavailability might increase animal production efficiency and decrease environmental pollution. The objective of current study was to determine animal performance, nutrient digestibility, blood metabolites and fecal P concentration in finishing lambs fed a diet with either di-calcium phosphate (DCP) or di-ammonium phosphate (DAP) as a P source. Methods: Twelve 4-month-old male lambs (initial body weight $24.87{\pm}3.4kg$) were randomly allocated to a diet with either DCP or DAP (~261 g/kg of total diet P) fed ad libitum for 93 days. Diets were iso-nitrogenous and iso-energetic and had same calcium (Ca) and P concentrations. Results: The DAP contained 19.7 g/kg of dry matter (DM) Ca, 185.4 g/kg DM P and 14,623 ppm fluorine, while DCP contained 230.3 g/kg DM Ca, 195.2 g/kg DM P and 1,039 ppm fluorine. The diet with DAP contained 60 ppm fluorine while the diet with DCP contained 13 ppm fluorine. Lambs fed the diet with DAP tended to have a greater daily DM intake compared to those fed diet with DCP (p = 0.09). Lambs fed DAP had greater plasma P concentration and alkaline phosphatase activity ($p{\leq}0.01$) compared with lambs fed DCP. Dry matter and organic matter digestibility of the diets were similar between two treatments at days 60 and 90, while they were greater in lambs fed DCP (p<0.05) at day 30 of the trial. Feeding DAP increased P digestibility (58.7% vs 50.2%; p<0.05) and decreased fecal P concentration in lambs compared with feeding DCP (3.1 vs 3.8 g/kg DM; p<0.05). Conclusion: Providing ~261 g/kg of total diet P as DAP in the diet of finishing lambs improved the bioavailability of P in the body and decreased excretion of P in feces without affecting lamb performance.