Background: Recent advances have significantly expanded our understanding of the gut microbiome's influence on host physiology and metabolism. However, the specific role of certain microorganisms in gestational health and fetal development remains underexplored.
Objective: This study investigates the impact of Bifidobacterium breve UCC2003 on fetal brain metabolism when colonized in the maternal gut during pregnancy.
The Mediterranean diet (MD) and its bioactive constituents have been advocated for their neuroprotective properties along with their capacity to affect gut microbiota speciation and metabolism. Mediated through the gut brain axis, this modulation of the microbiota may partly contribute to the neuroprotective properties of the MD. To explore this potential interaction, we evaluated the neuroprotective properties of a novel bioactive blend (Neurosyn240) resembling the Mediterranean diet in a rodent model of chronic low-grade inflammation.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFOver recent decades, dietary patterns have changed significantly due to the increasing availability of convenient, ultra-processed refined foods. Refined foods are commonly depleted of key bioactive compounds, which have been associated with several deleterious health conditions. As the gut microbiome can influence the brain through a bidirectional communication system known as the 'microbiota-gut-brain axis', the consumption of refined foods has the potential to affect cognitive health.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFis the causative agent of the tropical disease, melioidosis. It is intrinsically resistant to many antimicrobials and treatment requires an onerous regimen of intravenous and orally administered drugs. Relapse of disease and high rates of mortality following treatment are common, demonstrating the need for new anti- agents.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFTreatment of anxiety and depression predominantly centres around pharmacological interventions, which have faced criticism for their associated side effects, lack of efficacy and low tolerability. Saffron, which is reportedly well tolerated in humans, has been recognised for its antidepressant and anti-anxiety properties. Indeed, we previously reported upon the efficacy of saffron extract supplementation in healthy adults with subclinical anxiety.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMounting evidence demonstrates that consumption of high fat diet (HFD) and subsequent development of obesity leads to alterations in cognition and mood. While obesity can affect brain function, consumption of select dietary bioactives may help prevent obesity-related cognitive decline. This study investigated the capacity of the dietary flavonoid (-)-epicatechin (EC) to mitigate HFD-induced obesity-associated alterations in memory and mood.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFLong acting injectables (LAI) have received increased research and commercial interest due to their potential for improving treatment effectiveness and adherence for antipsychotic, antiviral and addiction treatments. A range of materials have been used to formulate LAI products, including lipids and polymers. Classic lipid-based LAI, such as oil solutions of antipsychotic drugs, have been widely prescribed to patients.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe gut microbiota plays a central role in regulating host metabolism. While substantial progress has been made in discerning how the microbiota influences host functions post birth and beyond, little is known about how key members of the maternal gut microbiota can influence feto-placental growth. Notably, in pregnant women, Bifidobacterium represents a key beneficial microbiota genus, with levels observed to increase across pregnancy.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFA consequence of our progressively ageing global population is the increasing prevalence of worldwide age-related cognitive decline and dementia. In the absence of effective therapeutic interventions, identifying risk factors associated with cognitive decline becomes increasingly vital. Novel perspectives suggest that a dynamic bidirectional communication system between the gut, its microbiome, and the central nervous system, commonly referred to as the microbiota-gut-brain axis, may be a contributing factor for cognitive health and disease.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Altered intestinal microbiota composition in later life is associated with inflammaging, declining tissue function, and increased susceptibility to age-associated chronic diseases, including neurodegenerative dementias. Here, we tested the hypothesis that manipulating the intestinal microbiota influences the development of major comorbidities associated with aging and, in particular, inflammation affecting the brain and retina.
Methods: Using fecal microbiota transplantation, we exchanged the intestinal microbiota of young (3 months), old (18 months), and aged (24 months) mice.
Intestinal macrophages play a vital role in the maintenance of gut homeostasis through signals derived from the microbiota. We previously demonstrated that microbial-derived metabolites can shape the metabolic functions of macrophages. Here, we show that antibiotic-induced disruption of the intestinal microbiota dramatically alters both the local metabolite environment and the metabolic functions of macrophages in the colon.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFRefined foods are commonly depleted in certain bioactive components that are abundant in 'natural' (plant) foods. Identification and addition of these 'missing' bioactives in the diet is, therefore, necessary to counteract the deleterious impact of convenience food. In this study, multiomics approaches were employed to assess the addition of the popular supplementary soluble dietary fibers inulin and psyllium, both in isolation and in combination with a refined animal feed.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFLevan, a β-2,6 fructofuranose polymer produced by microbial species, has been reported for its immunomodulatory properties via interaction with toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) which recognises lipopolysaccharide (LPS). However, the molecular mechanisms underlying these interactions remain elusive. Here, we investigated the immunomodulatory properties of levan using thoroughly-purified and characterised samples from Erwinia herbicola and other sources.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe gut microbiota's function in regulating health has seen it linked to disease progression in several cancers. However, there is limited research detailing its influence in breast cancer (BrCa). This study found that antibiotic-induced perturbation of the gut microbiota significantly increases tumor progression in multiple BrCa mouse models.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFScope: Pro-inflammatory stimuli such as hyperglycemia and cytokines have been shown to negatively affect endothelial cell functions. The aim of this study is to assess the potential of quercetin and its human metabolites to overcome the deleterious effects of hyperglycemic or inflammatory conditions on the vascular endothelium by modulating endothelial cell metabolism.
Methods And Results: A metabolomics approach enabled identification and quantification of 27 human umbilical vein endothelial cell (HUVEC) metabolites.
Purpose: Brassica are an important food source worldwide and are characterised by the presence of compounds called glucosinolates. Studies indicate that the glucosinolate derived bioactive metabolite sulphoraphane can elicit chemoprotective benefits on human cells. Glucosinolates can be metabolised in vivo by members of the human gut microbiome, although the prevalence of this activity is unclear.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMicrobiome
October 2020
Background: The gut-brain axis and the intestinal microbiota are emerging as key players in health and disease. Shifts in intestinal microbiota composition affect a variety of systems; however, evidence of their direct impact on cognitive functions is still lacking. We tested whether faecal microbiota transplant (FMT) from aged donor mice into young adult recipients altered the hippocampus, an area of the central nervous system (CNS) known to be affected by the ageing process and related functions.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground & Aims: Iron reduction by venesection has been the cornerstone of treatment for haemochromatosis for decades, and its reported health benefits are many. Repeated phlebotomy can lead to a compensatory increase in intestinal iron absorption, reducing intestinal iron availability. Given that most gut bacteria are highly dependent on iron for survival, we postulated that, by reducing gut iron levels, venesection could alter the gut microbiota.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe gut microbiota has been identified as a target of toxic metals and a potentially crucial mediator of the bioavailability and toxicity of these metals. In this study, we show that aluminum (Al) exposure, even at low dose, affected the growth of representative strains from the human intestine via pure culture experiments. In vitro, Lactobacillus plantarum CCFM639 could bind Al on its cell surface as shown by electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray analysis.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe early life gut microbiota plays a crucial role in regulating and maintaining the intestinal barrier, with disturbances in these communities linked to dysregulated renewal and replenishment of intestinal epithelial cells. Here we sought to determine pathological cell shedding outcomes throughout the postnatal developmental period, and which host and microbial factors mediate these responses. Surprisingly, neonatal mice (Day 14 and 21) were highly refractory to induction of cell shedding after intraperitoneal administration of liposaccharide (LPS), with Day 29 mice showing strong pathological responses, more similar to those observed in adult mice.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFFI9785 makes two capsular exopolysaccharides-a heteropolysaccharide (EPS2) encoded by the operon and a branched glucan homopolysaccharide (EPS1). The homopolysaccharide is synthesized in the absence of sucrose, and there are no typical glucansucrase genes in the genome. Quantitative proteomics was used to compare the wild type to a mutant where EPS production was reduced to attempt to identify proteins associated with EPS1 biosynthesis.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFApolipoprotein E () genotype is the strongest prevalent genetic risk factor for Alzheimer's disease (AD). Numerous studies have provided insights into the pathologic mechanisms. However, a comprehensive understanding of the impact of genotype on microflora speciation and metabolism is completely lacking.
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