Synergistic antimicrobial interaction of plant essential oils and extracts against foodborne pathogens.

Essential oils (EOs) and plant extracts have demonstrated inhibitory activity against a wide range of pathogenic bacteria. In this study, the chemical composition of manuka, kanuka, peppermint, thyme, lavender, and feijoa leaf and peel EOs and feijoa peel and leaf extracts were analyzed, and their antimicrobial activity against , Typhimurium, , , and were determined. The results showed that the major compounds varied among different EOs and extracts, with menthol in peppermint EO, thymol and carvacrol in thyme EO, linalool in lavender EO, β-caryophyllene in feijoa EO, and flavones in feijoa extract being the most prevalent.

Influence of oral administration of kukoamine A on blood pressure in a rat hypertension model.

The benefits of lowering blood pressure (BP) are well established for the prevention of cardiovascular disease. While there are a number of pharmaceuticals available for lowering BP, there is considerable interest in using dietary modifications, lifestyle and behaviour changes as alternative strategies. Kukoamines, caffeic acid derivatives of polyamines present in solanaceous plants, have been reported to reduce BP.

Essential Oils and Their Major Components: An Updated Review on Antimicrobial Activities, Mechanism of Action and Their Potential Application in the Food Industry.

A novel alternative to synthetic preservatives is the use of natural products such as essential oil (EO) as a natural food-grade preservative. EOs are Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS), so they could be considered an alternative way to increase the shelf-life of highly perishable food products by impeding the proliferation of food-borne pathogens. The mounting interest within the food industry and consumer preference for "natural" and "safe" products means that scientific evidence on plant-derived essential oils (EOs) needs to be examined in-depth, including the underlying mechanisms of action.

Pectin Influences the Absorption and Metabolism of Polyphenols from Blackcurrant and Green Tea in Rats.

Consumption of polyphenols and dietary fiber as part of a normal diet is beneficial to human health. In this study, we examined whether different amounts of dietary soluble fiber (pectin) affect the absorption and metabolism of polyphenols from blackcurrant and green tea in rats. After 28 days, the rats fed blackcurrant and green tea with pectin (4 or 8%) had significantly lower body weight gain and food intake compared to the rats fed a control diet.

Goat and cow milk differ in altering microbiota composition and fermentation products in rats with gut dysbiosis induced by amoxicillin.

Antibiotics are effective treatments for bacterial infections, however, their oral administration can have unintended consequences and may alter the gut microbiota composition. In this study, we examined the influence of antibiotics on the induction of gut dysbiosis and then evaluated the potential of cow and goat milk to restore the microbiota composition and metabolism in newly weaned rats. In the first study (gut dysbiosis model), rats were treated with amoxicillin, a mixture of antibiotics (ampicillin, gentamicin and metronidazole) or no antibiotics (control).

Influence of kiwifruit on gastric and duodenal inflammation-related gene expression in aspirin-induced gastric mucosal damage in rats.

Kiwifruit (KF) contains bioactive compounds with potential anti-inflammatory properties. In this study, we investigated the protective effects of KF on gastric and duodenal damage induced by soluble aspirin in healthy rats. Sixty-four male Sprague Dawley rats were allocated to eight experimental treatments (n = 8) and the experimental diets were fed for 14 days ad libitum.

Microbiota Composition of Breast Milk from Women of Different Ethnicity from the Manawatu-Wanganui Region of New Zealand.

Human breastmilk components, the microbiota and immune modulatory proteins have vital roles in infant gut and immune development. In a population of breastfeeding women ( = 78) of different ethnicities (Asian, Māori and Pacific Island, New Zealand European) and their infants living in the Manawatu-Wanganui region of New Zealand, we examined the microbiota and immune modulatory proteins in the breast milk, and the fecal microbiota of mothers and infants. Breast milk and fecal samples were collected over a one-week period during the six to eight weeks postpartum.

The Effects on Immune Function and Digestive Health of Consuming the Skin and Flesh of Zespri SunGold Kiwifruit ( var. 'Zesy002') in Healthy and IBS-Constipated Individuals.

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common gastrointestinal disorder that results in constipation (IBS-C) or diarrhoea with abdominal pain, flatulence, nausea and bloating. Kiwifruit ( spp.) are nutrient-dense fruit with a number of reported health benefits that include lowering glycaemic response, improving cardiovascular and inflammatory biomarkers, and enhancing gut comfort and laxation.

The Role of the Gut Microbiota in Dietary Interventions for Depression and Anxiety.

There is emerging evidence that an unhealthy dietary pattern may increase the risk of developing depression or anxiety, whereas a healthy dietary pattern may decrease it. This nascent research suggests that dietary interventions could help prevent, or be an alternative or adjunct therapy for, depression and anxiety. The relation, however, is complex, affected by many confounding variables, and is also likely to be bidirectional, with dietary choices being affected by stress and depression.

The effect of 'Zesy002' kiwifruit ( var. ) on gut health function: a randomised cross-over clinical trial.

Functional gastrointestinal disorders including constipation affect up to 14 % of the world's population. Treatment is difficult and challenging resulting in a need for alternative safe and effective therapies. The present study investigated whether daily consumption of three gold-fleshed kiwifruit could alleviate constipation and improve gastrointestinal discomfort in mildly constipated individuals with and without pain.

Composition and safety evaluation of tea from New Zealand kawakawa (Piper excelsum).

Kawakawa (Piper excelsum) has food, medicinal and cultural importance to the indigenous Māori people of New Zealand, and is being incorporated into a range of commercial food and therapeutic products, including tea. In this study, the chemical compositions of kawakawa fresh leaves, dried leaves for tea, and hot brewed tea, were analysed and compared. The key metabolites were diayangambin, elemicin, myristicin, unidentified lignans and amides.

Human Milk Composition and Dietary Intakes of Breastfeeding Women of Different Ethnicity from the Manawatu-Wanganui Region of New Zealand.

Human milk is nutrient rich, complex in its composition, and is key to a baby's health through its role in nutrition, gastrointestinal tract and immune development. Seventy-eight mothers (19⁻42 years of age) of Asian, Māori, Pacific Island, or of European ethnicity living in Manawatu-Wanganui, New Zealand (NZ) completed the study. The women provided three breast milk samples over a one-week period (6⁻8 weeks postpartum), completed a three-day food diary and provided information regarding their pregnancy and lactation experiences.

Bifidobacterium pseudolongum in the Ceca of Rats Fed Hi-Maize Starch Has Characteristics of a Keystone Species in Bifidobacterial Blooms.

Starches resistant to mammalian digestion are present in foods and pass to the large bowel, where they may be degraded and fermented by the microbiota. Increases in relative abundances of bifidobacteria (blooms) have been reported in rats whose diet was supplemented with Hi-Maize resistant starch. We determined that the bifidobacterial species present in the rat cecum under these circumstances mostly belonged to However, cultures of isolated from the rats failed to degrade Hi-Maize starch to any extent.

Effects of Blackcurrant and Dietary Fibers on Large Intestinal Health Biomarkers in Rats.

This study examined the effects of anthocyanin-rich blackcurrant extract and dietary fibers individually and their combinations on biomarkers of large intestinal health in rats. After six weeks of feeding, rats fed diets with blackcurrant gained significantly less body weight and reduced their food intake resulting in a lower food efficiency compared with those rats fed control diets. Combining dietary fiber (apple or broccoli) with blackcurrant in the diet was more effective in reducing the body weight gain and food intake.

Interindividual variability in gut microbiota and host response to dietary interventions.

Dysbiosis is linked to human disease; therefore, gut microbiota modulation strategies provide an attractive means of correcting microbial imbalance to enhance human health. Because diet has a major influence on the composition, diversity, and metabolic capacity of the gut microbiota, numerous dietary intervention studies have been conducted to manipulate the gut microbiota to improve host outcomes and reduce disease risk. Emerging evidence suggests that interindividual variability in gut microbiota and host responsiveness exists, making it difficult to predict gut microbiota and host response to a given dietary intervention.

Influence of Dietary Avocado on Gut Health in Rats.

This study investigated the impact of diets containing various levels of avocado (5, 10 and 15%) on gut health in rats fed for six weeks. Avocado-fed rats had significantly higher food intakes while their body weights remained similar to the control diet-fed rats. No significant changes in intestinal bacterial populations (ileum, cecum and colon) were found in rats fed avocado diets compared to the control diet.

Consumption of antimicrobial manuka honey does not significantly perturb the microbiota in the hind gut of mice.

The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that consuming manuka honey, which contains antimicrobial methylglyoxal, may affect the gut microbiota. We undertook a mouse feeding study to investigate whether dietary manuka honey supplementation altered microbial numbers and their production of organic acid products from carbohydrate fermentation, which are markers of gut microbiota function. The caecum of C57BL/6 mice fed a diet supplemented with antimicrobial UMF® 20+ manuka honey at 2.

Inoculation with enterococci does not affect colon inflammation in the multi-drug resistance 1a-deficient mouse model of IBD.

Background: Intestinal bacteria are thought to play a role in the pathogenesis of human inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). We investigated whether oral inoculation with specific intestinal bacteria increased colon inflammation in the multi-drug resistance 1a-deficient (Mdr1a (-/-) ) mouse model of IBD.

Methods: Five-week-old Mdr1a (-/-) mice (FVB background) and FVB mice were randomly assigned to one of two treatment groups (Control or Inoculation, n = 12 per group).

The fate of (13)C-labelled and non-labelled inulin predisposed to large bowel fermentation in rats.

The fate of stable-isotope (13)C labelled and non-labelled inulin catabolism by the gut microbiota was assessed in a healthy rat model. Sprague-Dawley male rats were randomly assigned to diets containing either cellulose or inulin, and were fed these diets for 3 days. On day (d) 4, rats allocated to the inulin diet received (13)C-labelled inulin.

A combined omics approach to evaluate the effects of dietary curcumin on colon inflammation in the Mdr1a(-/-) mouse model of inflammatory bowel disease.

The aim of this study was to provide insight into how curcumin reduces colon inflammation in the Mdr1a(-/-) mouse model of human inflammatory bowel disease using a combined transcriptomics and proteomics approach. Mdr1a(-/-) and FVB control mice were randomly assigned to an AIN-76A (control) diet or AIN-76A+0.2% curcumin.

Kiwifruit-derived supplements increase stool frequency in healthy adults: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study.

The worldwide growth in the incidence of gastrointestinal disorders has created an immediate need to identify safe and effective interventions. In this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study, we examined the effects of Actazin and Gold, kiwifruit-derived nutritional ingredients, on stool frequency, stool form, and gastrointestinal comfort in healthy and functionally constipated (Rome III criteria for C3 functional constipation) individuals. Using a crossover design, all participants consumed all 4 dietary interventions (Placebo, Actazin low dose [Actazin-L] [600 mg/day], Actazin high dose [Actazin-H] [2400 mg/day], and Gold [2400 mg/day]).

Apple polyphenol extracts protect against aspirin-induced gastric mucosal damage in rats.

The protective role of two apple polyphenol extracts, Douglas-FB (FB) and Douglas-EF (EF), on gastric mucosal damage following aspirin ingestion was investigated in healthy rats. Polyphenol content of the apple extracts varied, with the EF extract having 20% w/w polyphenols and a high proportion of flavanols as epicatechin and procyanidin, whereas the FB extract comprised 12% w/w polyphenols, which were mostly flavonols as quercetin glycosides. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were allocated to control, FB and EF groups and fed the experimental diet during the 10-day trial.

Influence of green and gold kiwifruit on indices of large bowel function in healthy rats.

The effects of kiwifruit on large bowel health were investigated in healthy rats. Four-week old Sprague-Dawley rats were given diets containing 10% homogenized green kiwifruit, gold kiwifruit or 10% glucose solution (control) over 4 or 6 wk. Green kiwifruit increased the fecal output compared to control.

RNA-stable-isotope probing shows utilization of carbon from inulin by specific bacterial populations in the rat large bowel.

Knowledge of the trophisms that underpin bowel microbiota composition is required in order to understand its complex phylogeny and function. Stable-isotope ((13)C)-labeled inulin was added to the diet of rats on a single occasion in order to detect utilization of inulin-derived substrates by particular members of the cecal microbiota. Cecal digesta from Fibruline-inulin-fed rats was collected prior to (0 h) and at 6, 12, 18 and 24 h following provision of the [(13)C]inulin diet.

Dietary flavonoids from modified apple reduce inflammation markers and modulate gut microbiota in mice.

Apples are rich in polyphenols, which provide antioxidant properties, mediation of cellular processes such as inflammation, and modulation of gut microbiota. In this study we compared genetically engineered apples with increased flavonoids [myeloblastis transcription factor 10 (MYB10)] with nontransformed apples from the same genotype, "Royal Gala" (RG), and a control diet with no apple. Compared with the RG diet, the MYB10 diet contained elevated concentrations of the flavonoid subclasses anthocyanins, flavanol monomers (epicatechin) and oligomers (procyanidin B2), and flavonols (quercetin glycosides), but other plant secondary metabolites were largely unaltered.