Dry heated sorghum BRS 305 hybrid flour as a source of resistant starch and tannins improves inflammation and oxidative stress in Wistar rats fed with a high-fat high-fructose diet

Dry heat whole Sorghum BRS 305 flour modulate satiety and improves antioxidant response in brain of Wistar rats fed with high-fat high-fructose diet

Sorghum BRS 305 (Sorghum bicolor L. Moench) is a cereal with high tannins and anthocyanins content and keep better the resistant starch when submitted to dry heat treatment. Our objective was to investigate the effects of BRS 305 dry heat treatment whole sorghum flour on satiety and antioxidant response in brain and adipose tissue of Wistar rats fed with a high fat high fructose diet (HFHF). Male Wistar rats were divided in two groups: control (n = 8) and HFHF (n = 16) for eight weeks. After, animals of HFHF group were divided: HFHF (n = 8) and HFHF + BRS 305 sorghum whole flour (n = 8), for 10 weeks. Sorghum consumption reduced gene expression of leptin, resistin, and endocannabinoid receptor 1 type (CB1) in adipose and brain tissues compared to HFHF group. In brain, sorghum consumption also promotes reduction in neuropeptide Y (NPY) gene expression. BRS305 sorghum consumption improved gene expression of sirtuin-1 (SIRT1) in adipose tissue, and in the brain increased heat shock protein 72 (HSP72), erythroid-derived nuclear factor 2 (NRF2), peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPARα), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase activity compared to HFHF. In silicoanalysis showed interaction with PPARα, CB1, and leptin receptors. Advanced glycation end products (AGEs) concentrations in group HFHF + sorghum did not differ from HFHF group. Advanced glycation end products receptors (RAGEs) concentrations did not differ among experimental groups. Then, BRS 305 sorghum submitted to dry treatment was able to modulate gene expression of markers related to satiety and improve antioxidant capacity of rats fed with HFHF diet.

Consumption of Extruded Sorghum SC319 Improved Gut Microbiota at Genus Level and Reduced Anthropometric Markers in Men with Overweight: A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial

BACKGROUND

Sorghum is a cereal source of energy, carbohydrates, resistant starch, proanthocyanidins, and 3-deoxyanthocyanins; it promotes satiety by slowing digestion and benefits intestinal health.

OBJECTIVE

This study investigated the effects of extruded sorghum SC319 consumption on intestinal health, weight loss, and inflammatory markers in men with overweight.

METHODS

This was a randomized, controlled, single-blind clinical trial. Twenty-one men were randomly allocated into one of two groups: the sorghum group (test), which received 40 g of extruded SC319 whole sorghum (n = 10), or the wheat group (control), which received 38 g of extruded whole wheat (n = 11) for eight weeks.

RESULTS

The sorghum consumption increased the weight loss intragroup, decreased the body fat percentage intergroup, and did not change inflammatory markers, while the wheat group had increased IL-6 levels compared to baseline. Short-chain fatty acid production, fecal pH, and α and β diversity indexes did not differ intra- and intergroup after interventions. However, sorghum consumption decreased genus levels of Clostridium_sensu_stricto 1, Dorea, and Odoribacter and increased CAG-873 and Turicibacter compared to baseline. Further, sorghum showed a tendency (p = 0.07) to decrease the proteobacteria phyla compared to wheat.

CONCLUSION

Extruded sorghum SC319 improved intestinal microbiota and body composition and promoted weight loss, demonstrating its prebiotic potential.

Beneficial Effects of Viable and Heat-Inactivated Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG Administration on Oxidative Stress and Inflammation in Diet-Induced NAFLD in Rats

Oxidative stress and inflammation are well-known triggers of NAFLD onset and progression. The aim of this study is to compare the potential benefits of a viable probiotic (Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG) and its parabiotic (heat-inactivated) on oxidative stress, inflammation, DNA damage and cell death pathways in the liver of rats featuring diet-induced NAFLD. The consumption of the steatotic diet led to increased final body and liver weights, higher hepatic triacylglycerol content, altered serum transaminase levels and enhanced oxidative and inflammatory status. Administration of the probiotic and the parabiotic partially prevented the body weight increase induced by the steatotic diet, whereas the probiotic caused more effective decreasing hepatic triglyceride content. Sharp but nonstatistically significant decreases in serum transaminase levels were also observed for both treatments. The reduction in antioxidant enzyme activities found in the nontreated animals fed the steatotic diet was partially prevented by both treatments (GPx activity). Similarly, the reductions in nonenzymatic antioxidant protection (GSH content) and total antioxidant capacity (ORAC) found in the nontreated rats were restored by the administration of both treatments. These results show that both viable and heat-inactivated Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG administration partially prevent steatotic diet-induced liver oxidative stress and inflammation induced in rats.

Sorghum flour BRS 305 hybrid has the potential to modulate the intestinal microbiota of rats fed with a high-fat high-fructose diet

AIM

The present study aimed to investigate the effect of dry heated whole sorghum BRS 305 hybrid flour on the gut microbiota modulation and gut health of rats fed with a high-fat high-fructose diet (HFHF).

METHODS

In phase I (8 weeks), 45-50 days, male Wistar rats, were separated into the AIN93-M group (n = 10; fed with normal diet) and HFHF group (n = 20; fed with diet rich in saturated and simple carbohydrate). In phase II (10 weeks), we maintained the AIN-93-M group, and the HFHF group was divided into the HFHF group (n = 10) and HFHF plus sorghum flour group (n = 10).

RESULTS

The consumption of sorghum flour increased the circular muscle layer and propionic acid when compared to the HFHF group. The sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene of the cecal microbiota presented no changes in the α-diversity and β-diversity between. However, the sorghum group exhibited higher relative abundance of Firmicutes and higher Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio compared to the other experimental groups, and lower abundance of Bacteroidetes, compared to the HFHF group. Despite, sorghum increased the abundance of the genera Roseburia and Lachnospiraceae_NK4A136_group compared to the HFHF group. No differences were observed in total goblet cell number, crypt thickness and height, circular muscle layer, secretory IgA, and butyric acid between all groups.

CONCLUSIONS

The consumption of sorghum flour can modulate the gut microbiota composition, abundance of SCFA-producing bacteria, and intestinal morphology even with consumption of an HFHF diet.