Metabolomics Analyses to Investigate the Role of Diet and Physical Training

Supplementation with inulin-type fructans affects gut microbiota and attenuates some of the cardiometabolic benefits of a plant-based diet in individuals with overweight or obesity

Background

The gut microbiota has emerged as a potential therapeutic target to improve the management of obesity and its comorbidities.

Objective

We investigated the impact of a high fiber (∼38 g/d) plant-based diet, consumed ad libitum, with or without added inulin-type fructans (ITF), on the gut microbiota composition and cardiometabolic outcomes in subjects with obesity. We also tested if baseline Prevotella/Bacteroides (P/B) ratio predicts weight loss outcomes.

Methods

This is a secondary exploratory analysis from the PREVENTOMICS study, in which 100 subjects (82 completers) aged 18-65 years with body mass index 27-40 kg/m2 were randomized to 10 weeks of double-blinded treatment with a personalized or a generic plant-based diet. Changes from baseline to end-of-trial in gut microbiota composition (16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing), body composition, cardiometabolic health and inflammatory markers were evaluated in the whole cohort (n = 82), and also compared in the subgroup of subjects who were supplemented with an additional 20 g/d ITF-prebiotics (n = 21) or their controls (n = 22).

Results

In response to the plant-based diet, all subjects lost weight (-3.2 [95% CI -3.9, -2.5] kg) and experienced significant improvements in body composition and cardiometabolic health indices. Addition of ITF to the plant-based diet reduced microbial diversity (Shannon index) and selectively increased Bifidobacterium and Faecalibacterium (q < 0.05). The change in the latter was significantly associated with higher values of insulin and HOMA-IR and lower HDL cholesterol. In addition, the LDL:HDL ratio and the concentrations of IL-10, MCP-1 and TNFα were significantly elevated in the ITF-subgroup. There was no relationship between baseline P/B ratio and changes in body weight (r = -0.07, p = 0.53).

Conclusion

A plant-based diet consumed ad libitum modestly decreases body weight and has multiple health benefits in individuals with obesity. Addition of ITF-prebiotics on top this naturally fiber-rich background selectively changes gut microbiota composition and attenuates some of the realized cardiometabolic benefits.

Clinical trial registration

[https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04590989], identifier [NCT04590989].

Considerations on the Analysis of E-900 Food Additive: An NMR Perspective

Food additives are in widespread use in the food industry to extend the shelf life of food, improve its organoleptic characteristics or facilitate industrial processing. Their use is not without controversy, which makes regulation and control crucial for food safety and public health. Among food additives, silicone-based antifoaming agents (polysiloxanes or E900) are difficult to analyze and quantify due to their polymeric nature. Currently, there is no official method of quantifying this additive in foods. In this context, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) is a quantitative method for speciation analysis of silicon compounds almost without known interferents. In this work, we describe the evolution of the regulation of the E900 additive, discuss different analytic methods quantifying polydimethylsiloxanes (PDMS), and propose a new method based on NMR suitable for analyzing the content of E900 in the form of PDMS in various types of food from dietary oils to marmalades and jellies, among others. The proposed method consists of a previous quantitative concentration of PDMS by liquid-liquid extraction and the monitoring of the quantification using a bis(trimethylsilyl)benzene (BTMSB) standard to control the variability, ranging within 2-7%, depending on the food. This simple, direct, and reproducible procedure for aqueous and lipidic foods may help to monitor and fill a gap in regulatory legislation regarding the E900 additive.

Circulating miRNAs as early indicators of diet and physical activity response in women with metastatic breast cancer

Treatments for metastatic breast cancer (MBC) improve survival but often impose prolonged symptom burden. We performed molecular characterization of 84 miRNAs in the circulating serum of women with MBC to explore possible early indicators of intervention response. Expression levels of miR-10a-5p and miR-211-5p were downregulated in nonresponders, but upregulated in responders (miR-10a-5p: 0.40-fold and eightfold; miR 211-5p: 0.47-fold and fourfold). miR-205-5p expression was upregulated in both nonresponders and responders, but to a greater extent in responders (1.8-fold and sixfold). Additionally, levels of miR-10a-5p were negatively correlated with expression levels of IL-6 (r = -0.412). Exploration of these pathways may reveal mechanisms of action in lifestyle interventions aimed at improving quality of life and impacting disease progression for women with MBC.

As treatment for women with metastatic breast cancer improves survival rates, interventions are needed that relieve symptom burden. We examined the serum of women with metastatic breast cancer who participated in a lifestyle intervention that improved diet and increased physical activity. Three miRNAs were discovered that may serve as early indicators of the ability of lifestyle interventions to improve quality of life and impact disease progression.

Three miRNAs may predict how women with metastatic breast cancer respond to lifestyle interventions.