Dietary consumption of green asparagus has been associated with several health benefits. These beneficial properties are attributed to the presence of many bioactive compounds in asparagus, including saponins, phenolics, flavonoids, as well as dietary fiber mostly comprising fructans and inulins, which are prebiotics capable of supporting the growth of beneficial members of gut microbiota. In this study, we used the Human Gut Simulator system to assess the fermentation of oro-gastro-intestinally digested asparagus powder by the human gut microbiota.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDifferent modifications of the standard bread recipe have been proposed to improve its nutritional and health benefits. Here, we utilized the Human Gut Simulator (HGS) to assess the fermentation of one such artisan bread by human gut microbiota. Dried and milled bread, composed of almond flour, psyllium husks, and flax seeds as its three main ingredients, was first subjected to an protocol designed to mimic human oro-gastro-intestinal digestion.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFHeating and cooking vegetables not only enhances their palatability but also modifies their chemical structure, which in turn might affect their fermentation by resident gut microbes. Three commonly consumed vegetables that are known to undergo chemical browning, also known as Maillard reaction, during cooking - eggplant, garlic, and onion - were each fried, grilled, or roasted. The cooked vegetables were then subjected to an digestion-fermentation process aimed to simulate the passage of food through the human oro-gastro-intestinal tract.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAlmonds are a rich source of beneficial compounds for human health. In this work, we assessed the influence of almond cultivars and harvest time on their morphological (length, width and thickness) and nutritional (ash, moisture, proteins) profiles. We also evaluated the impact of an in vitro digestion and fermentation process on almonds' antioxidant and phenolic content, as well as their support of gut microbiota community and functionality, including the production of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), lactic and succinic acids.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMelanoidins are the products of the Maillard reaction between carbonyl and amino groups of macromolecules and are readily formed in foods, especially during heat treatment. In this study we utilized the three-stage Human Gut Simulator system to assess the effect of providing melanoidins extracted from either biscuits or bread crust to the human gut microbiota. Addition of melanoidins to the growth medium led to statistically significant alterations in the microbial community composition, and it increased short-chain fatty acid and antioxidant production by the microbiota.
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