Florencio Marzo

Microencapsulation of a probiotic and prebiotic in alginate-chitosan capsules improves survival in simulated gastro-intestinal conditions.

Chitosan was used as a coating material to improve encapsulation of a probiotic and prebiotic in calcium alginate beads. Chitosan-coated alginate microspheres were produced to encapsulate Lactobacillus gasseri (L) and Bifidobacterium bifidum (B) as probiotics and the prebiotic quercetin (Q) with the objective of enhancing survival of the probiotic bacteria and keeping intact the prebiotic during exposure to the adverse conditions of the gastro-intestinal tract. The encapsulation yield for viable cells for chitosan-coated alginate microspheres with quercetin (L+Q and B+Q) was very low. These results, together with the study about the survival of microspheres with quercetin during storage at 4 degrees C, demonstrated that probiotic bacteria microencapsulated with quercetin did not survive. Owing to this, quercetin and L. gasseri or B. bifidum were microencapsulated separately. Microencapsulated L. gasseri and microencapsulated B. bifidum were resistant to simulated gastric conditions (pH 2.0, 2h) and bile solution (3%, 2h), resulting in significantly (p<0.05) improved survival when compared with free bacteria. This work showed that the microencapsulation of L. gasseri and B. bifidum with alginate and a chitosan coating offers an effective means of delivery of viable bacterial cells to the colon and maintaining their survival during simulated gastric and intestinal juice.

Effect of dietary quercetin and sphingomyelin on intestinal nutrient absorption and animal growth

Research on cancer and other conditions has shown flavonoids and sphingolipids to be food components capable of exerting chemoprotective action. Nevertheless, little is known about their effects on healthy individuals and their potential usefulness as therapeutic agents. The present study examined the possible action of a dietary flavonoid, quercetin, and a sphingolipid, sphingomyelin, as functional foods in healthy animals. In particular, the effect on animal growth of supplementing a conventional diet with one or other of these substances (0.5 % quercetin and 0.05 % sphingomyelin) was considered. Possible action affecting intestinal physiology was also analysed by measuring the uptake of sugar and dipeptide, mediated by the Na(+)-dependent sugar transporter SGLT1 and the dipeptide Na(+)/H(+) exchanger PEPT1 respectively, and the activity of related intestinal enzymes such as sucrase, maltase and aminopeptidase N. Both substances seemed to modify small intestinal activity in healthy mice, altering intestinal enzymatic activity and nutrient uptake. These effects observed in the small intestine did not impair normal development of the animals, as no differences in serum biochemical parameters or in organ and body weights were found. The findings should help in elucidating the mechanisms of action of these food components with a view to their possible use in the prevention of certain pathological conditions.

Local (gut) and systemic metabolism of rats is altered by consumption of raw bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L. var. athropurpurea )

The composition of the raw legume Phaseolus vulgaris L. var. athropurpurea (PhVa) and its effects on the metabolism of young growing rats have been evaluated. The levels of protein, unsaturated fatty acids, carbohydrate, fibre and bioactive factors present in PhVa were comparable with those in other Phaseolus vulgaris varieties. However, the lectins of PhVa were predominantly of the leucoagglutinating type, and concentrated in the albumin protein fraction. Rats fed a diet (110 g total protein, 16.0 MJ/kg) in which PhVa meal provided about half of the protein excreted high levels of N in faeces and urine, and grew more slowly, than rats fed a high-quality control diet (ad libitum or pair-fed). Small intestine, large intestine and pancreas weights were increased (by almost 100 %, P<0.05), whilst skeletal muscle, thymus and spleen weights were reduced. Blood insulin (16.20 v. 0.50 mU/l, P<0.05, thyroxine, glucose, protein (60.5 v. 48.3 g/l, P<0.05) and LDL-cholesterol were lowered, whilst glucagon (155.3 v. 185.4 ng/l, P<0.05), triiodothyronine and urea were elevated, as were urinary urea, creatinine and glucose. These changes in the local (gut) and systemic metabolism of rats were probably mediated primarily by lectins in PhVa, which were concentrated in the albumin protein fraction, whereas in many other Phaseolus vulgaris lines they are distributed across the globulin and albumin fractions.

Influence of feeding a raw kidney bean diet (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) on the immune function of growing chickens

Abstract A significant impairment in growth rate, protein efficiency rate and relative weight of bursa of Fabricius, thymus and spleen was exhibited in growing chickens fed a raw kidney bean ( Phaseolus vulgaris L.) diet. Total IgM and IgG titers in primary and secondary immune response against killed Brucella abortus , as well as total number of white blood cells and absolute lymphocytes, were significantly reduced in legume-fed birds. An involution of bursal follicles was observed in these animals. In another experiment, in which legume-fed birds were challenged with a live culture of B. abortus , total antibody, IgG levels and relative weight of lymphoid organs were again significantly reduced in legume-fed birds; survival of B. abortus in spleen significantly increased in these animals. These data suggest that feeding a raw kidney bean diet impairs the immune function of growing chickens.

Extrusion decreases the negative effects of kidney bean on enzyme and transport activities of the rat small intestine

The objective of the present study was to evaluate the influence of raw and extruded kidney bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L. var. Pinto) consumption on the gut physiology of young growing rats. The intestinal enzyme activity (sucrase, maltase, Na(+) /K(+) ATPase, aminopeptidase N, dipeptidylpeptidase IV, alkaline phosphatase) and the uptake of sugar (d-galactose) and amino acids (l-leucine) were measured in brush border membrane vesicles. Five groups of growing male Wistar rats were fed ad libitum for 15 days on five different 10% protein diets: one containing casein as the main source of protein (Control, C), and four containing raw (RKB1, RKB6) or extruded kidney bean (EKB1, EKB6) at 1% and 6% of total protein content respectively. Extrusion treatment significantly reduced the content of bioactive factors (phytates, tannins) and abolished lectins, trypsin, chymotrypsin, and α-amylase inhibitory activities. Rats fed raw beans (especially RKB6) showed lower growth rate and food intake as compared to those fed extruded legumes, probably due to the high levels of lectins and other anti-nutritive factors in the raw beans. Gut enzymatic activities and uptake of d-galactose and l-leucine were lower in RKB6 and RKB1-fed animals, although they significantly improved in the groups fed extruded beans. Enzymatic activity and uptake in EKB1 were similar to those of casein-fed rats, whereas the uptake and growth rate of EKB6 were different to the control. This is attributable to the higher non-thermolabile biofactor content in the EKB6 diet, especially phytates and tannins, than in EKB1. This article shows the dose-dependent toxicological effects of bioactive factors contained in kidney beans on gut function. The extrusion process reduced their adverse impact on gut physiology and growth rate.