305 research outputs found
La dieta come determinante nei processi di infiammazione: effetti positivi e negativi
No full textStati di infiammazione progressivi e costanti nel tempo sono alla base dell’insorgenza di patologie cronico-degenerative, quali obesità, sindrome metabolica, diabete di tipo 2 e malattie cardiovascolari [1]. Tali livelli di infiammazione sono di lieve entità (low grade), senza sintomi visibili (silenti), ma persistenti, producendo col tempo effetti sistemici. La prolungata esposizione a un livello di infiammazione di basso grado influenza anche l’invecchiamento dell’organismo e la sua aspettativa di vita in buona salute (inflamm-aging) [2].
L’alimentazione e il tipo di dieta adottata sono fattori critici in grado di influenzare, sia positivamente che negativamente, la capacità dell’organismo a far fronte, tramite processi riparativi, a situazioni di infiammazione cronica. La letteratura scientifica ha evidenziato come alcuni alimenti o categorie di alimenti abbiano un effetto modesto sui livelli di espressione di singole molecole infiammatorie, quali proteina C reattiva, interleuchina 6 e tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) [3].
La composizione della dieta si è invece dimostrata in grado di influenzare significativamente l’insorgenza dell’infiammazione cronica di basso grado. Evidenze sperimentali indicano come, ad esempio, l’assunzione di carboidrati a maggior indice glicemico (cioè digeriti, metabolizzati e assorbiti più velocemente) e di acidi grassi saturi siano associati ad un aumento dell’infiammazione sistemica. L’assunzione di fibra alimentare, acidi grassi polinsaturi n-3 e monoinsaturi e carotenoidi è stata invece dimostrata essere associata a bassi livelli di marker infiammatori circolanti [4,5].
Negli ultimi anni sono state condotte diverse ricerche per studiare il possibile effetto pro-infiammatorio di latte e latticini. Da un’analisi sistematica della letteratura è stato però concluso che i derivati del latte presentano proprietà antinfiammatorie sia nelle persone sane, non affette da allergie al latte, che nei soggetti affetti da dismetabolismi [6]. Alcuni studi in ambito di nutrizione preventiva hanno inoltre dimostrato che alcuni componenti bioattivi degli alimenti, quali i polifenoli, sono in grado di modulare pathway coinvolti nella risoluzione dell’infiammazione, mostrando una tipica response to injury ed evocando una risposta riparativa promettente e desiderabile in processi infiammatori cronici [7-9].
In numerosi studi osservazionali e in trial clinici, i pattern alimentari caratterizzati da un elevato rapporto tra acidi grassi insaturi e saturi, abbondante consumo di frutta, verdura, legumi e cereali, come nel modello alimentare mediterraneo, hanno mostrato effetti protettivi e preventivi verso l’infiammazione cronica di basso grado se confrontato con i modelli alimentari tipici del Nord America e del Nord Europa [10,11]. Le basi molecolari e metaboliche sono molto complesse e non ancora del tutto chiarite, in quanto il livello di infiammazione derivante dall’adozione di abitudini alimentari scorrette è basso e non sempre i classici biomarcatori di infiammazione sistemica possono essere messi in relazione con tale livello silente [12,13].
L’influenza dei pattern alimentari sugli stati di infiammazione cellulare sistemica è certa ma complessa. Dal punto di vista della prevenzione primaria, modelli alimentari equilibrati e prudenti come la dieta mediterranea rimangono sicuramente un cardine per aumentare l’aspettativa di vita in buona salute [14].
Riferimenti bibliografici: [1] Hunter P (2012) EMBO Rep 13:968-970. [2] Calder PC, Bosco N et al. (2017) Ageing Res Rev 40:95-119. [3] Lyons CL, Kennedy EB, Roche HM (2016) Nutrients 8: article 247. [4] Barbaresko J, Koch M et al. (2013) Nutr Rev 71:511-527. [5] Galland L (2010) Nutr Clin Pract 25:634-640. [6] Bordoni A, Danesi F et al. (2017) Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr 57:2497-2525. [7] Danesi F, Ferguson LR (2017) Nutrients 9: article 958. [8] Afman L, Milenkovic D, Roche HM (2014) Mol Nutr Food Res 58:1708-1720. [9] Derlindati E, Montanini B et al. 39° Congresso Nazionale della Società Italiana di Nutrizione Umana, Napoli 19–21 novembre 2018, p. 5. [10] Bonaccio M, Pounis G et al. (2017) Br J Clin Pharmacol 83:107-113. [11] Tosti V, Bertozzi B, Fontana L (2018) J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci 73:318-326. [12] Calle MC, Andersen CJ (2019) Dis Markers 2019: article 3102870. [13] Del Giudice M, Gangestad SW (2018) Brain Behav Immun 70:61-75. [14] Schulze MB, Martinez-Gonzalez MA et al. (2018) BMJ 361: article k2396
Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity
No full textOxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity publishes original research and review articles dealing with the cellular and molecular mechanisms of oxidative stress in the nervous system and related organ systems in relation to aging, immune function, vascular biology, metabolism, cellular survival and cellular longevity. Oxidative stress impacts almost all acute and chronic progressive disorders and on a cellular basis is intimately linked to aging, cardiovascular disease, cancer, immune function, metabolism and neurodegeneration. The journal fills a significant void in today’s scientific literature and serves as an international forum for the scientific community worldwide to translate pioneering “bench to bedside” research into clinical strategies
Oro rosso in cucina
No full textGrazie alla sua estrema versatilità, il pomodoro entra in numerosi piatti della dieta mediterranea, rappresentando la maggiore fonte di vitamina C per la popolazione italiana. Non deve essere consumato acerbo ed è particolarmente consigliato ai fumatori per il suo contenuto di licopene, un potente antiossidante protettore del tessuto polmonare
Ellagitannin-rich food consumption for dampening chronic inflammation: A spotlight on Inflammatory Bowel Disease
No full textInflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic condition characterized by phases of remission and intermittent periods of active disease with progressive damage to the gastrointestinal tract. Despite therapies, a degree of subclinical inflammation may persist in the gut mucosa, contributing to a risk of relapse. A diet rich in polyphenols, like ellagitannins (ETs), may be an important factor for long-term maintenance of quiescent IBD. ETs are present in various fruits (berries, pomegranate, nuts) and can be metabolised in the human colon to different urolithins according to microbiota composition (Tomás-Barberán 2017 Mol Nutr Food Res 61:1500901). Due to a lack of clinical trials, the translation of promising preclinical findings to humans seems to be limited.
In our exploratory study, patients with IBD in remission with a high risk of relapse were asked to consume a pomegranate juice in order to test systemic and mucosal changes in inflammatory response markers relative to a placebo group (Scaioli 2019 Trials 20:327). Despite a relatively small subject number, after 12 weeks of pomegranate juice consumption, we found a significant downregulation of the levels of inflammation-related genes in PBMC. Contrarily, no effects were found on expression levels of inflammatory biomarkers in colon tissues, showing high variability.
To go further in the understanding of the anti-inflammatory effect of ETs, we established in vitro models of mucosal and circulating macrophages. These cells are essential for intestinal homeostasis and can differentiate in either M1 (pro-inflammatory phenotype) or M2 (anti-inflammatory) in response to the cytokine milieu. We hypothesised that human urolithin metabotypes could affect the cell transcriptome and potentially be protective against inflammation. Metabotype 0 (urolithin non-producers) did not alter the transcriptome of M1 colonic macrophages, whereas urolithins lead to a repression of the NF-κB signalling pathway. The transcriptome of M1 circulating macrophages was minimally influenced by all ET metabolites, while in M2 circulating macrophages urolithins enhanced their anti-inflammatory properties.
Together these data indicate that ET-rich food consumption can represent a supplement to conventional therapy for maintaining IBD remission, and people identified as urolithin producers may receive a much greater benefit. However, a confirmatory trial is necessary.
Acknowledgement: study supported by the SIR Program (grant RBSI14LHMB)
5th International Conference on FoodOmics
No full textFoodOmics 2018: from Data to Knowledge. The scientific forum where academic and industrial scientists involved in food and nutrition research will discuss about the most recent advances in the “omics” approach
Journal of Food Biochemistry
No full textThe Journal of Food Biochemistry publishes fully peer-reviewed original research and review articles on the effects of handling, storage, and processing on the biochemical aspects of food tissues, systems, and bioactive compounds in the diet
New Insight and Knowledge on anti-inflammatory Effectiveness of dietary phenolics (NIKE)
No full textEllagitannins (ETs), a polyphenolic subclass mainly found in berries, walnuts, and pomegranate, have shown antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anticancer effects in several in vitro studies. However, these results have not been confirmed in vivo. The gap between in vitro and in vivo studies could depend on the direct exposure of cultured cells to whole plant extracts or to single parent plant phenolic at rather high non-physiological doses. On the contrary, in vivo human internal compartments are exposed to metabolites formed and absorbed after gastrointestinal transit, digestion and metabolic conjugation [1].
NIKE aims to fill the gap between in vitro and in vivo results evaluating the anti-inflammatory effects of ETs with a new comprehensive, high-throughput approach (Figure 1). This approach could be used to study not only ETs, but many different bioactive molecules.
Differently from common translational science approach, the dietary intervention will be conducted at the beginning of the project; the rationale of NIKE approach is based on the need to identify the ET-derived metabolites (ETMs), and their concentration in the bloodstream, after consumption of the ET-rich food.
The first step will be the assessment of the anti-inflammatory effect of an ET-rich food (a pomegranate juice) in a randomised, placebo-controlled study on volunteers suffering of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in clinical remission with high risk of clinical flare. Pomegranate juice will be used as vehicle because its great richness in ETs. The level of faecal calprotectin will be used as surrogate outcome to assess the intestinal inflammation [2]. Presence and concentration of ETMs in plasma and urine samples will be also verified as biomarker of the dietary intake. The gastroenterologists Dr. Luigi Ricciardiello and Dr. Andrea Belluzzi will carry out the patient recruitment at the Gastroenterology Unit, St. Orsola-Malpighi Hospital (Bologna, Italy).
As second step, NIKE will unravel the mechanism of anti-inflammatory action of ETs in in vitro studies. Two cell model systems will be used in this part of the project: intestinal cells and blood monocytes, since both cell types are interacting during the intestinal inflammatory response [3]. The tested concentrations will be realistic and representative of those physiologically reached after the intake of dietary quantities of ETs. Particularly:
1. Human colorectal adenocarcinoma cells (Caco-2) will be used to assess the anti-inflammatory effect of ETMs at gut level. The expression of selected genes and proteins related to IBD will be verified with both real-time PCR and western blot analyses.
2. Primary human monocytes will be used to clarify the effects of ETMs on the macrophage polarisation process [4]. To understand the molecular pathways involved, the effects will be evaluated using a microarray technology. The analysis will be focused principally on the expression of inflammatory mediators, which have been identified as involved in IBD.
In the third step of the NIKE project, data obtained in Caco-2 cells will be verified ex-vivo in the intestinal biopsies obtained from volunteers recruited in the intervention study. As well, data obtained in monocytes will be compared with cytokines and chemokines level in the blood of volunteers. The correlation among in vitro, ex-vivo and in vivo data will validate the NIKE circular approach.
The integral analysis of all results obtained in the project will elucidate the role of ET-rich foods in the secondary prevention of IBD, deepening the existing knowledge on their mechanism/s of action at the molecular, metabolic and genomic levels.
References. 1) Espín et al, Evid Based Complement Alternat Med 2013; 2013:270418. 2) Konikoff & Denson, Inflamm Bowel Dis 2006; 12:524-34. 3) Wallace et al, World J Gastroenterol 2014; 20:6-21. 4) Derlindati et al, Food Funct 2012; 3:1144-52
Abstract Book of the 4th International Conference on FoodOmics
No full textFoodOmics: Food to Life. The scientific forum where academic and industrial scientists involved in food and nutrition research will discuss about the most recent advances in the “omics” approach
Understanding the bioactivity of pomegranate ellagitannins in humans: results of a literature review
No full textObjectives. There is strong evidence in animal models suggesting that pomegranate fruit exerts health benefits relating to their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties [1]. Beneficial effects are certainly the consequence of the presence of the pomegranate polyphenols, mostly consisting of ellagitannins (ETs). However, studies in humans often failed to show clear associations between pomegranate intake and health outcomes, possibly due to inter-individual variation in absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion (ADME) of ETs.
Methods. A literature review was conducted using the PubMed and Scopus databases including all original research articles on the relationship between inter-individual variability and ADME of ETs in humans. Data were summarized in a tabulated summary containing: study design, population, description of the intervention, duration, outcomes relevant to inter-individual variability in bioavailability and metabolism of ETs.
Results. From 2004 to date, most of the research studies are mainly related to cardiometabolic risk biomarkers. Intervention studies are carried out using pomegranate juice or phenolic extracts at different doses of ETs. Additionally, the study designs used differ for each trial. Data on the four criteria ADME were not available in all publications. Results showed that urolithins are the predominant metabolites following pomegranate consumption. Anyhow, few works are still focused on the bioconversion of pomegranate ETs to their active metabolites.
Conclusions. Urolithins are colonic microbiota metabolites of ETs and are considered responsible for in vivo health effects. The recently discovered existence of human metabolic phenotypes or metabotypes [2] could explain the variability seen in diet intervention studies. An understanding of the ADME of ETs in relation to the inter-individual variability is crucial for the elucidation of the mechanisms responsible for the health benefits of pomegranate and other ET-rich foods.
Acknowledgments. This study was supported by the SIR programme (no. RBSI14LHMB) granted by the Italian Ministry of Education, University and Research.
References. [1] Danesi & Ferguson. Could pomegranate juice help in the control of inflammatory diseases? Nutrients 2017; 9(9):E958. [2] Tomás-Barberán et al. Ellagic acid metabolism by human gut microbiota: consistent observation of three urolithin phenotypes in intervention trials, independent of food source, age, and health status. J. Agric. Food Chem. 2014; 62(28):6535–8
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