Denis Burkitt and the origins of the dietary fibre hypothesis.

For more than 200 years the fibre in plant foods has been known by animal nutritionists to have significant effects on digestion. Its role in human nutrition began to be investigated towards the end of the 19th century. However, between 1966 and 1972, Denis Burkitt, a surgeon who had recently returned from Africa, brought together ideas from a range of disciplines together with observations from his own experience to propose a radical view of the role of fibre in human health.

Longitudinal analyses of gut mucosal microbiotas in ulcerative colitis in relation to patient age and disease severity and duration.

Bacteria belonging to the normal colonic microbiota are associated with the etiology of ulcerative colitis (UC). Although several mucosal species have been implicated in the disease process, the organisms and mechanisms involved are unknown. The aim of this investigation was to characterize mucosal biofilm communities over time and to determine the relationship of these bacteria to patient age and disease severity and duration.

A newly constructed and validated isoflavone database for the assessment of total genistein and daidzein intake.

The principal phyto-oestrogens (PO) in food are isoflavones, lignans, coumestans and prenylated flavonoids, with isoflavones and lignans being the most commonly found in UK diets. Until recently obtaining accurate data on the PO content of foods was hampered by lack of suitable analytical methods and validation techniques. Furthermore, although PO data exist for some foods, these foods may not be available in the UK.

Coeliac disease: a diverse clinical syndrome caused by intolerance of wheat, barley and rye.

Coeliac disease is a lifelong intolerance to the gluten found in wheat, barley and rye, and some patients are also sensitive to oats. The disease is genetically determined, with 10% of the first-degree relatives affected and 75% of monozygotic twins being concordant. Of the patients with coeliac disease 95% are human leucocyte antigen (HLA)-DQ2 or HLA-DQ8 positive.

Associations between diet and disease activity in ulcerative colitis patients using a novel method of data analysis.

Background: The relapsing nature and varying geographical prevalence of ulcerative colitis (UC) implicates environmental factors such as diet in its aetiology.

Methods: In order to determine which foods might be related to disease activity in UC a new method of dietary analysis was developed and applied. Eighty-one UC patients were recruited at all stages of the disease process.

Probiotics, prebiotics and antibiotics in inflammatory bowel disease.

Probiotics and prebiotics are the sort of therapy that most patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) wish for. They are without significant side effects, except possibly an increase in gas with prebiotics, and so far, appear to be entirely safe. However, are they effective? More than a dozen studies using probiotics in IBD have now been reported, and there is dear benefit in pouchitis and possibly also in Crohn's, although there are so many clinical types of this condition that a clear indication has yet to emerge.

Chemotaxonomic analysis of bacterial populations colonizing the rectal mucosa in patients with ulcerative colitis.

The etiology of ulcerative colitis (UC) is unknown, but evidence links it to bacteria belonging to the normal colonic microbiota. The aims of this study were to characterize bacteria colonizing the rectal epithelium, and to investigate whether significant differences existed in UC. Rectal biopsy specimens were obtained via endoscopy from 9 patients with active colitis and 10 patients without inflammatory bowel disease.

PASSCLAIM--gut health and immunity.

Background: The gut and immune system form a complex integrated structure that has evolved to provide effective digestion and defence against ingested toxins and pathogenic bacteria. However, great variation exists in what is considered normal healthy gut and immune function. Thus, whilst it is possible to measure many aspects of digestion and immunity, it is more difficult to interpret the benefits to individuals of variation within what is considered to be a normal range.

Contribution of dietary protein and inorganic sulfur to urinary sulfate: toward a biomarker of inorganic sulfur intake.

Background: Sulfiting agents are widely used as food additives. Limits are set on their use in foods because they may adversely affect health. Sulfiting agents are excreted in urine as sulfate, which is indistinguishable from sulfate derived from sulfur amino acids.

Plasma and urinary phyto-oestrogens as biomarkers of intake: validation by duplicate diet analysis.

Estimating intake of phyto-oestrogens (PO) is difficult because there is inadequate information on the PO content of foods. Development of a biomarker of intake is therefore necessary for carrying out epidemiological studies. We aimed to validate a newly constructed PO database, containing more than 600 values assigned to foods by using duplicate diet analysis, and to investigate the relationships between measured PO intake, urinary excretion and plasma concentrations of PO.

The effects of bismuth, iron, zinc and nitrate on free sulfide in batch cultures seeded with fecal flora.

Background: Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) and methanthiol (CH3SH) have been implicated as bacterially derived toxins which may be damaging to the gut mucosa. The addition of nitrate and metals that bind sulfide could potentially reduce the concentrations of these toxic gases. In this study, the effects of iron, zinc, bismuth and nitrate on free H2S concentrations in fecal batch cultures were investigated.

Probiotics, infection and immunity.

Purpose Of Review: Taking live bacteria by mouth to improve health (probiotics) is not intuitively rational yet it is a practice with a long history. As interest in the effects on health of the intestinal flora has developed, along with major advances in the technology for studying it, so has come a new interest in establishing the true benefits of probiotic therapy. This review summarizes the most recent contributions to this rapidly developing area.

The effect of 5-aminosalicylic acid-containing drugs on sulfide production by sulfate-reducing and amino acid-fermenting bacteria.

The toxic, bacterial metabolite sulfide is implicated in ulcerative colitis. Ulcerative colitis patients taking 5-aminosalicylic acid-containing drugs have lower fecal sulfide levels than those not taking these drugs. The effects of sulfasalazine, balsalazide, olsalazine, and 5-aminosalicylic acid on sulfide production were studied in a three-stage chemostat pulsed on days 1 to 3 with 5 g sulfasalazine (40 mM) and in pure cultures of amino acid-fermenting and sulfate-reducing bacteria.

Differences in N-acetylation genotypes between Caucasians and Black South Africans: implications for cancer prevention.

Polymorphic N-acetyltransferase genes (NAT1 and NAT2) determine rapid or slow acetylation phenotypes, which are believed to affect cancer risk related to environmental exposure. Black South Africans have a unique incidence pattern of environment-related cancers, but genetic characteristics of this population are mostly unknown. In this study, we compared NAT1 and NAT2 allele distributions in 101 Black South Africans and 112 UK Caucasians.