1,720,972 research outputs found
Polyphenol content and in vitro evaluation of antioxidant, antimicrobial and prebiotic properties of red fruit extracts
No full textA diet rich in fruit provides nutrients that are vital for human health. In particular, the anthocyanins contained in fruit have received attention due to their health-promoting properties and antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial activities. In this study, total phenolic, anthocyanin, flavonoid content and antioxidant activity were determined in extracts from plum skins, Italian red grape skins, and different parts of elderberry. Furthermore, it was analysed the activity of the fruit extracts in inhibiting several pathogens and in stimulating the growth of three probiotic strains and one blend SYNBIO®. All extracts show a good content of anthocyanins, exhibited high antioxidant activity and significantly inhibited the pathogens tested. The extracts had no inhibitory activity on the probiotic strains, but rather, they stimulated the growth of all the probiotics. In order to test the potential prebiotic properties of these anthocyanin-rich red fruit extracts, the kinetic growth of all probiotics was monitored, and it was found that probiotics in presence of elderberry and plum extracts had a significant increase in mean doubling time. The combined formulation of elderberry extracts and each of the four probiotics showed higher antioxidant activity compared to that of the extract alone, indicating the ability of probiotics to increase the antioxidant activity of the elderberry extracts. The fruit extracts used in this study can be considered beneficial for human health, due to their high content of polyphenols, particularly anthocyanins. Based on their antioxidant and antimicrobial activities, these fruit extracts can be considered good candidates for designing new functional foods and beverages, as well as nutraceuticals. Moreover, the ability of the fruit extracts to stimulate the growth of the probiotics merits further study to ascertain whether they can be defined as prebiotics
Modulation of gut microbiota after administration of Lactobacillus plantarum IMC 510 and body weight control on diet-induced obesity management
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Modulation of gut microbiota composition after administration of Lactobacillus plantarum IMC 510 and body weight control on diet-induced obesity management
No full textEffects of probiotic Lactiplantibacillus plantarum IMC 510 supplementation on metabolic factors in otherwise healthy overweight and obese individuals
No full textAims: Probiotic supplementation approach offers the possibility to shape the gut microbiota (GM), enabling the development of innovative formulations able to improve intestinal well-being and consequently the related body weight modulation and energy metabolism. In the present clinical study, a new potential probiotic supplement based on Lactiplantibacillus plantarum IMC 510 was studied for weight management.
Methods and Results: Quantitative characterization by qPCR of representative bacterial groups of GM was used to determine the microbiota modulation at different supplementation periods. Furthermore, measurement of the endpoints linked to weight control (body mass index, body weight, waist circumference) was assessed.
Specific questionnaires to evaluate the impact on psychological and physiological point of view were performed. Results showed that after 90 days, Lact. plantarum IMC 510 supplementation brought an improvement in endpoints linked to weight control and healthy status, although no significant changes in the microbiota composition
were reported for analysed bacterial groups, except for Lactobacillus spp. and Bifidobacterium spp.
Conclusions: We concluded that Lact. plantarum IMC 510 supplementation could be an interesting tool for weight management. More studies are needed to understand the impact on GM, for example, evaluating the production of short-chain
fatty acids, since their important role in dietary metabolism. Further research is necessary to better elucidate the relationship between GM and overweight and the mechanism of action by which Lact. plantarum IMC 510 modifies body weight.
Significance and Impact of the Study: However, these promising outcomes represent a clear advantage of probiotic supplementation and identify a new potential probiotic as a novel and safe therapeutic approach in the obesity prevention and management
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Full text linkThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
Effects of Lactobacillus plantarum IMC 510 administration on gut microbiota composition and body weight of diet-induced obesity rat model
No full textSYNBIO® Probiotic and Antioxidant Dietary Supplementation: Clinical Trial Evaluation of Potential Effects on Airline Flight Crew Members’ Well-Being
Full text linkThe irregular lifestyle of airline crew members, wide/adverse job-related exposures, and the impact of temporary hypoxia on gut microbiota well-being have increased concern about the daily recommended dose of certain nutrients among flight crew. The aim of this study was to determine if daily consumption of a SYNBIO® probiotics–elderberry extract supplement (ACTIVE) may contribute to the well-being of flight attendants. Forty healthy crew members enrolled in a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study consumed one ACTIVE capsule/day or placebo for 30 days. Bowel well-being, health-related quality of life, and gastrointestinal tolerance were assessed by validated questionnaires. Saliva and fecal samples were analyzed to determine secretory immunoglobulin-A (sIgA) levels and to characterize gut microbiota composition, respectively. ACTIVE subjects presented a physiological improvement and a statistically significant higher Psychological General Well-Being Index (PGWBI) global score compared to PLACEBO subjects. The ACTIVE subjects showed significantly increased levels of lactobacilli and bifidobacteria compared to the PLACEBO group, while a significant increase in lactobacilli and a significant reduction in Enterobacteriaceae were registered when compared with the beginning of supplementation, confirming the persistence of probiotics in the gastrointestinal tract and the direct antagonism and competitive exclusion effects. Additionally, sIgA levels were significantly higher in the ACTIVE group compared to the baseline and to the PLACEBO group at the end of supplementation. The ACTIVE supplementation might be beneficial to airline crew members, improving their physiological state, their immune defenses, and the strength and efficiency of their gastrointestinal tract when responding to stressful conditions
Comprehensive pan‐genome analysis of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum complete genomes
Full text linkAIMS: The aim of this work was to refine the taxonomy and the functional characterization of publicly available Lactiplantibacillus plantarum complete genomes through a pan‐genome analysis. Particular attention was paid in depicting the probiotic potential of each strain. METHODS AND RESULTS: Complete genome sequence of 127 L. plantarum strains, without detected anomalies, was downloaded from NCBI. Roary analysis of L. plantarum pan‐genome identified 1436 core, 414 soft core, 1858 shell and 13,203 cloud genes, highlighting the ‘open’ nature of L. plantarum pan‐genome. Identification and characterization of plasmid content, mobile genetic elements, adaptative immune system and probiotic marker genes (PMGs) revealed unique features across all the L. plantarum strains included in the present study. Considering our updated list of PMGs, we determined that approximatively 70% of the PMGs belongs to the core/soft‐core genome. CONCLUSIONS: The comparative genomic analysis conducted in this study provide new insights into the genomic content and variability of L. plantarum. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: This study provides a comprehensive pan‐genome analysis of L. plantarum, including the largest number (N = 127) of complete L. plantarum genomes retrieved from publicly available repositories. Our effort aimed to determine a solid reference panel for the future characterization of newly sequenced L. plantarum strains useful as probiotic supplements
Variations on the Author
Full text link“Variations on the Author” discusses two of Eduardo Coutinho’s recent films (Um Dia na Vida, from 2010, and Últimas Conversas, posthumously released in 2015) and their contribution to the general question of documentary authorship. The director’s filmography is characterized by a consistent yet self-effacing form of authorial self-inscription: Coutinho often features as an interviewer that rather than express opinions propels discourses; an interviewer that is good at listening. This mode of self-inscription characterizes him as an author who is not expressive but who is nonetheless markedly present on the screen. In Um Dia na Vida, however, Coutinho is completely absent form the image, while Últimas Conversas, on the contrary, includes a confessional prologue that moves the director from the margins to the center of his films. This article examines the ways in which these works stand out in the filmography of a director who offers new insights into the notion of cinematic authorship
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