Impact of high fat diets, prebiotics and probiotics on gut microbiota and immune function, with relevance to elderly populations

According to WHO, the number of people over 60 years of age is set to rise to 2 billion by 2050. Dysbiosis of microbial composition and impaired immune function have been observed in elderly persons compared to younger adults. As a result, the aging population has a higher disease risk than other age groups. In addition, high fat intakes have been observed to exert negative effects on microbial composition and immune function in murine studies. Elderly people have higher fat intakes than recommended levels, and this may make them more vulnerable to disease risk. Therefore, the impact of high fat consumption on elderly populations may be of relevance. Prebiotics and probiotics have been shown to have positive effects on microbiota composition and immune function in the elderly. This review describes aged-related changes in gut microbiome of elderly persons. It will also summarise studies concerning the impact of prebiotics, probiotics and high fat diets on microbiota composition and immune function

An in vitro approach to study effects of prebiotics and probiotics on the faecal microbiota and selected immune parameters relevant to the elderly

The aging process leads to alterations of gut microbiota and modifications to the immune response, such changes may be associated with increased disease risk. Prebiotics and probiotics can modulate microbiome changes induced by aging; however, their effects have not been directly compared. The aim of this study was to use anaerobic batch culture fermenters to assess the impact of various fermentable carbohydrates and microorganisms on the gut microbiota and selected immune markers. Elderly volunteers were used as donors for these experiments to enable relevance to an aging population. The impact of fermentation supernatants on immune markers relevant to the elderly were assessed in vitro. Levels of IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10 and TNF-α in peripheral blood mononuclear cell culture supernatants were measured using flow cytometry. Trans-galactooligosaccharides (B-GOS) and inulin both stimulated bifidobacteria compared to other treatments (p<0.05). Fermentation supernatants taken from faecal batch cultures supplemented with B-GOS, inulin, B. bifidum, L. acidophilus and Ba. coagulans inhibited LPS induced TNF-α (p<0.05). IL-10 production, induced by LPS, was enhanced by fermentation supernatants from faecal batch cultures supplemented with B-GOS, inulin, B. bifidum, L. acidophilus, Ba. coagulans and Bac. thetaiotaomicron (p<0.05). To conclude, prebiotics and probiotics could lead to potentially beneficial effects to host health by targeting specific bacterial groups, increasing saccharolytic fermentation and decreasing inflammation associated with aging. Compared to probiotics, prebiotics led to greater microbiota modulation at the genus level within the fermenters

An investigation into the ways in which art is taught in an English Waldorf Steiner school

Children who are educated using a Waldorf Steiner approach demonstrate superior expressive drawing skills (Rose et al., 2011) but little is known about how art is taught within this educational system. Four Waldorf Steiner primary school teachers participated in semistructured interviews designed to explore the Waldorf Steiner educational philosophy, their training and the ways in which they approach art in the classroom. A social constructionist thematic analysis identified two themes – teacher’s experience of art and the teacher and child’s approach to art. Within these themes the importance of adequate training which stresses the value of art and gives teachers opportunity to engage in art activities was emphasised. Such training was linked to an effective teaching approach which placed importance on teaching skills and encouraging children to develop their understanding of art through discussio