Exogenous Polyamines Influence In Vitro Microbial Adhesion to Human Mucus according to the Age of Mucus Donor

Adhesion to intestinal mucus is the first step for microbiota colonization in early life. Polyamines are polycations with important physiological functions in both procaryotic and eucaryotic cells. However, their role in intestinal mucus adhesion is not known. The objective of the present study was to evaluate whether exogenous polyamines (putrescine, spermidine, spermine, and their combination) would alter the adhesive properties of Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG), Bifidobacterium animalis subs. lactis Bb12, Cronobacter sakazakii, and Escherichia coli. Human intestinal mucus was isolated from healthy infants (0–6-month-old and 6–12-month-old) and healthy adults (25–52 years old). Spermidine significantly increased Bb12 adhesion (p </p

In Vitro Bioactivities of Food Grade Extracts from Yarrow (Achillea millefolium L) and Stinging Nettle (Urtica dioica L) Leaves

Yarrow (Achillea millefolium L., AM) and nettle (Urtica dioica L., UD) are bioactive plants used commercially in functional food and supplement applications and traditionally to alleviate gastric disorders. In this work, the effects of food-grade optimized extracts of Finnish early-season AM and UD were tested on bacterial growth including potential beneficial and foodborne pathogens, as well as murine norovirus (MNV). The anti-inflammatory properties of the extracts were also tested in vitro by NF-κB reporter cells. The food-grade extraction was optimized with the response surface modelling in terms of total carotenoid, chlorophyll, and phenolic compounds contents and antioxidant capacities. The optimal food-grade extraction parameters were a 1-h extraction in 70% ethanol at 45 °C for AM, and at 49 °C for UD. There were no significant effects on the beneficial bacteria (Lacticaseibacillus and Bifidobacterium strains), and the extracts were more effective against gram-positive than gram-negative foodborne bacteria and potential pathogens. Listeria innocua was the most susceptible strain in the optimized extracts with a growth rate of 0.059 ± 0.004 for AM and 0.067 ± 0.006 for UD, p  in vivo for gastric health.</p

Bioactivity of Achillea millefolium and Urtica dioica extracts in vitro

Achillea millefolium (AM, English: Yarrow) and Urtica dioica (UD, English: Nettle) are common plants that are used traditionally as medicinal herbs, and nowadays, as food supplements (AM) or as food (UD). In this work, the extraction processes and the specific bioactivities of the extracts were investigated. The extraction process was optimized for each species with the response surface method by measuring total carotenoid, chlorophyll and phenolic compound (TPC) contents and two antioxidant capacity tests. Optimal extraction parameters were a one-hour extraction in 70 % ethanol at +45 °C for AM, and at +49 °C for UD. Bioactive effects were tested against potential food-pathogenic and beneficial strains of bacteria and murine norovirus. Aqueous version and commercial antimicrobial blend were used as a comparison. In addition, the conventional extraction (CE) was compared with pulsed electric field (PEF) assisted extraction with 50 % ethanol with the same tests as in optimization and antibacterial effects. Effects on bacterial growth depended on the bacterial strain, the solvent and the extraction method and time. In general, the ethanolic extracts were more antimicrobial than the aqueous extracts, and AM was more antibacterial than UD. In certain cases, PEF was more effective than CE, but in some cases the time was more important factor. The extracts were more effective on Gram-positive than Gram-negative bacteria, and there were no remarkable effects on beneficial bacteria. There was a positive correlation between TPC, antioxidant activity and antibacterial effects with L. innocua. The obtained results form a basis for future studies on the effects of these plants on gut microbiota and their bioactive effects in vivo.Achillea millefolium (AM, suom. Siankärsämö) ja Urtica dioica (UD, suom. Nokkonen) ovat yleisiä kasveja, joita on käytetty lääkeyrtteinä ja nykyään ravintolisinä (AM) ja elintarvikkeena (UD). Tässä erikoistyössä tutkittiin näiden kasvien uuttoprosesseja ja uutteiden bioaktiivisuuksia. Uuttoprosessi optimoitiin kummallekin kasville vastepintamenetelmällä määrittämällä uutteen kokonaiskarotenoidi, -klorofylli ja fenolisten yhdisteiden määrät sekä antioksidanttiaktiivisuus kahdella eri menetelmällä. Optimoidut uutto-olosuhteet olivat tunnin uutto 70-prosenttisella etanolilla +45 °C:n lämpötilassa AM:lle ja +47 °C:n UD:lle. Optimoitujen uutteiden bioaktiivisia ominaisuuksia testattiin mahdollisten elintarvikepatogeenien ja hyödyllisten bakteerien kasvuun sekä hiiren norovirukseen. Vertailuna käytettiin kasvien vesiuutteita sekä bakteerikokeissa kaupallista antimikrobista seosta. Lisäksi perinteistä (CE) ja pulssitetulla sähkökentällä (PEF) avustettua uuttoa 50-prosenttisella etanolilla vertailtiin käyttämällä samoja määrityksiä kuin optimoinnissa sekä testaamalla vaikutuksia bakteerien kasvuun. Vaikutus bakteerien kasvuun riippui bakteerista, käytetystä liuottimesta, uuttotavasta ja -ajasta. Optimoidut etanoliuutteet olivat tehokkaampia kuin vesiuutteet ja AM esti bakteerien kasvua paremmin kuin UD. PEF oli osittain tehokkaampi kuin CE, mutta joissain tapauksissa uuttoajalla oli enemmän merkitystä. Uutteet olivat tehokkaampia testattuihin grampositiivisiin kuin gramnegatiivisiin bakteereihin ja hyödyllisten bakteerien kasvuun niillä ei huomattu merkittävää vaikutusta. Fenolisten yhdisteiden määrällä ja antioksidanttiaktiivisuudella oli positiivinen yhteys antibakteerisiin ominaisuuksiin L. innocua -bakteerille. Saadut tulokset toimivat pohjana tuleville tutkimuksille näiden kasvien vaikutuksista suoliston mikrobistoon ja bioaktiivisiin ominaisuuksiin in vivo

Exogenous Polyamines Influence In Vitro Microbial Adhesion to Human Mucus According to the Age of Mucus Donor

Adhesion to intestinal mucus is the first step for microbiota colonization in early life. Polyamines are polycations with important physiological functions in both procaryotic and eucaryotic cells. However, their role in intestinal mucus adhesion is not known. The objective of the present study was to evaluate whether exogenous polyamines (putrescine, spermidine, spermine, and their combination) would alter the adhesive properties of Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG), Bifidobacterium animalis subs. lactis Bb12, Cronobacter sakazakii, and Escherichia coli. Human intestinal mucus was isolated from healthy infants (0–6-month-old and 6–12-month-old) and healthy adults (25–52 years old). Spermidine significantly increased Bb12 adhesion (p < 0.05) in the mucus of infants (0–6 months) but reduced the adhesion of LGG in adult mucus (p < 0.05) with no significant effect in any of the infant groups. Spermine was more effective than polyamine combinations in reducing C. sakazakii (p < 0.05) adhesion in early infant mucus (0–6 months). The adhesion ability of E. coli remained unaffected by exogenous polyamines at any age in the concentrations tested. Our data suggest that polyamines may modulate the bacterial adhesion to mucus depending on the bacterial strain and depending at what age the mucus has been generated.A.M. was supported by the Päivikki and Sakari Sohlberg Foundation. The APC was funded by S.S.Peer reviewe

In Vitro Bioactivities of Food Grade Extracts from Yarrow (Achillea millefolium L.) and Stinging Nettle (Urtica dioica L.) Leaves

Yarrow (Achillea millefolium L., AM) and nettle (Urtica dioica L., UD) are bioactive plants used commercially in functional food and supplement applications and traditionally to alleviate gastric disorders. In this work, the effects of food-grade optimized extracts of Finnish early-season AM and UD were tested on bacterial growth including potential beneficial and foodborne pathogens, as well as murine norovirus (MNV). The anti-inflammatory properties of the extracts were also tested in vitro by NF-κB reporter cells. The food-grade extraction was optimized with the response surface modelling in terms of total carotenoid, chlorophyll, and phenolic compounds contents and antioxidant capacities. The optimal food-grade extraction parameters were a 1-h extraction in 70% ethanol at 45 °C for AM, and at 49 °C for UD. There were no significant effects on the beneficial bacteria (Lacticaseibacillus and Bifidobacterium strains), and the extracts were more effective against gram-positive than gram-negative foodborne bacteria and potential pathogens. Listeria innocua was the most susceptible strain in the optimized extracts with a growth rate of 0.059 ± 0.004 for AM and 0.067 ± 0.006 for UD, p < 0.05 compared to control. The optimized extracts showed a logarithmic growth reduction of 0.67 compared to MNV. The hydroethanolic extracts were cytotoxic to both cell lines, whereas aqueous AM and UD extracts induced and reduced TLR4 signalling in a reporter cell line, respectively. The results provide novel food-grade extraction parameters and support the bioactive effects of AM and UD in functional food applications, but more research is needed to elucidate the precise biological activity in vivo for gastric health.Open Access funding provided by University of Turku (UTU) including Turku University Central Hospital. The research was supported by the University of Valencia, the University of Turku and the Institute of Agrochemistry and Food Technology-National Research Council (IATA-CSIC). No external funding was received for conducting this study nor preparation of this manuscript.Peer reviewe