Bamboo Shoots Modulate Gut Microbiota, Eliminate Obesity in High-Fat-Diet-Fed Mice and Improve Lipid Metabolism.

Bamboo shoots (BS) have a variety of nutritional benefits; however, their anti-obesity effect and its underlying mechanism of action are still unclear. In this study, we investigated the protective effect of BS against high-fat diet (HFD)-induced gut dysbiosis in mice. After 12 weeks of feeding C57BL/6J mice either on a normal or an HFD with or without BS, metabolic indicators, including blood lipids and glucose tolerance, were measured.

Functional Enhancement of Guar Gum-Based Hydrogel by Polydopamine and Nanocellulose.

The development of green, biomedical hydrogels using natural polymers is of great significance. From this viewpoint, guar gum (GG) has been widely used for hydrogel preparation; however, its mechanical strength and adhesion often cannot satisfy the biomedical application. Therefore, in the present study, gelatin and a cellulose nanocrystal (CNC) were first applied to overcome the defects of guar gum hydrogel.

Chemical features and biological functions of water-insoluble dietary fiber in plant-based foods.

Insoluble dietary fiber (IDF) is a nutritional component constituting the building block of plant cell walls. Our understanding of the role of IDF in plant-based foods has advanced dramatically in recent years. In this Review, we summarize research progress on the subtypes, structure, analysis, and extraction methods of IDF.

Structural Characterization of a Neutral Polysaccharide from and Its Uptake Behaviors in Caco-2 Cells.

A neutral pumpkin polysaccharide (NPPc) was extracted from and its structural characterization is performed. Moreover, uptake behaviors of an NPPC were investigated at the cellular level. The results showed that NPPc, an average molecular weight (Mw) of 9.