Postprandial responses to the dairy product intake in men : effect of the type of products and age

International audienc

Quantitative estimation of biological cell surface receptors by segmenting conventional fluorescence microscopy images

State-of-the-art techniques for measuring and mon- itoring gene level expression rely on messenger RNA (mRNA) extraction and quantification, usually based on the concept of reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. In this paper, we take advantage of capabilities of image segmentation al- gorithms for monitoring target cell surface biomarkers using immunofluorescence microscopy. As a case study, we are looking at the expression level of toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2) proteins on Caco-2 intestinal cells after stimulation with lipopolysaccharide. The goal of this paper is to identify the segmentation algo- rithm which provides the best correlation between the pixel intensities of fluorescent images and quantified TLR2 mRNA. Three image segmentation algorithms are considered in this study for processing the fluorescent images acquired using a low-cost CMOS sensor. We conclusively show the existence of a proper segmentation algorithm from which we can extract results that are heavily correlated with TLR2 mRNA quantifications. The obtained results open possibilities for cost-effective and real-time monitoring of biomarkers with applications in embedded or lab- on-chip system

Nutrichip: an integrated microfluidic system for in vitro investigation of the immunemodulatory function of dairy products

We introduce the concept of the NutriChip, a miniaturized artificial human gastrointestinal tract (GIT) for investigating the potential of immuno-modulatory function of dairy food. More specifically, we are investigating the effect of digested milk on immune cells activation by creating conditions close to those of the human GIT employing an in vitro model of hu-man GIT epithelial cells (Caco-2) in co-culture with human immune cells (differentiated THP-1). The cytokines (IL1/6) and Toll-like receptors (TLR-2/4) expressions by the immune cells will be monitored upon the application of dairy food on the epithelial cell layer

Postprandial metabolic signatures of milk and yogurt intake in men: effect of age

International audienc

Evaluating the impact of exclusion and reintroduction of fermented and non-fermented dairy products on the faecal microbiota of young compared to older healthy men

International audienc

Validation of biomarkers of food intake¿critical assessment of candidate biomarkers

Biomarkers of food intake (BFIs) are a promising tool for limiting misclassification in nutrition research where more subjective dietary assessment instruments are used. They may also be used to assess compliance to dietary guidelines or to a dietary intervention. Biomarkers therefore hold promise for direct and objective measurement of food intake. However, the number of comprehensively validated biomarkers of food intake is limited to just a few. Many new candidate biomarkers emerge from metabolic profiling studies and from advances in food chemistry. Furthermore, candidate food intake biomarkers may also be identified based on extensive literature reviews such as described in the guidelines for Biomarker of Food Intake Reviews (BFIRev). To systematically and critically assess the validity of candidate biomarkers of food intake, it is necessary to outline and streamline an optimal and reproducible validation process. A consensus-based procedure was used to provide and evaluate a set of the most important criteria for systematic validation of BFIs. As a result, a validation procedure was developed including eight criteria, plausibility, dose-response, time-response, robustness, reliability, stability, analytical performance, and inter-laboratory reproducibility. The validation has a dual purpose: (1) to estimate the current level of validation of candidate biomarkers of food intake based on an objective and systematic approach and (2) to pinpoint which additional studies are needed to provide full validation of each candidate biomarker of food intake. This position paper on biomarker of food intake validation outlines the second step of the BFIRev procedure but may also be used as such for validation of new candidate biomarkers identified, e.g., in food metabolomic studies

Combining traditional dietary assessment methods with novel metabolomics techniques: present efforts by the Food Biomarker Alliance

FFQ, food diaries and 24 h recall methods represent the most commonly used dietary assessment tools in human studies on nutrition and health, but food intake biomarkers are assumed to provide a more objective reflection of intake. Unfortunately, very few of these biomarkers are sufficiently validated. This review provides an overview of food intake biomarker research and highlights present research efforts of the Joint Programming Initiative 'A Healthy Diet for a Healthy Life' (JPI-HDHL) Food Biomarkers Alliance (FoodBAll). In order to identify novel food intake biomarkers, the focus is on new food metabolomics techniques that allow the quantification of up to thousands of metabolites simultaneously, which may be applied in intervention and observational studies. As biomarkers are often influenced by various other factors than the food under investigation, FoodBAll developed a food intake biomarker quality and validity score aiming to assist the systematic evaluation of novel biomarkers. Moreover, to evaluate the applicability of nutritional biomarkers, studies are presently also focusing on associations between food intake biomarkers and diet-related disease risk. In order to be successful in these metabolomics studies, knowledge about available electronic metabolomics resources is necessary and further developments of these resources are essential. Ultimately, present efforts in this research area aim to advance quality control of traditional dietary assessment methods, advance compliance evaluation in nutritional intervention studies, and increase the significance of observational studies by investigating associations between nutrition and health