Raffinose family of oligosaccharides from lupin seeds as prebiotics: application in dairy products

More than a meat- or synthetic nitrogen fertiliser-substitute: a review of legume phytochemicals as drivers of 'One Health' via their influence on the functional diversity of soil- and gut-microbes

Legumes are essential to healthy agroecosystems, with a rich phytochemical content that impacts overall human and animal well-being and environmental sustainability. While these phytochemicals can have both positive and negative effects, legumes have traditionally been bred to produce genotypes with lower levels of certain plant phytochemicals, specifically those commonly termed as 'antifeedants' including phenolic compounds, saponins, alkaloids, tannins, and raffinose family oligosaccharides (RFOs). However, when incorporated into a balanced diet, such legume phytochemicals can offer health benefits for both humans and animals. They can positively influence the human gut microbiome by promoting the growth of beneficial bacteria, contributing to gut health, and demonstrating anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Beyond their nutritional value, legume phytochemicals also play a vital role in soil health. The phytochemical containing residues from their shoots and roots usually remain in-field to positively affect soil nutrient status and microbiome diversity, so enhancing soil functions and benefiting performance and yield of following crops. This review explores the role of legume phytochemicals from a 'one health' perspective, examining their on soil- and gut-microbial ecology, bridging the gap between human nutrition and agroecological science.

Biologically Active Supplements Affecting Producer Microorganisms in Food Biotechnology: A Review

Microorganisms, fermentation processes, and the resultant metabolic products are a key driving force in biotechnology and, in particular, in food biotechnology. The quantity and/or quality of final manufactured food products are directly related to the efficiency of the metabolic processes of producer microorganisms. Food BioTech companies are naturally interested in increasing the productivity of their biotechnological production lines. This could be achieved via either indirect or direct influence on the fundamental mechanisms governing biological processes occurring in microbial cells. This review considers an approach to improve the efficiency of producer microorganisms through the use of several types of substances or complexes affecting the metabolic processes of microbial producers that are of interest for food biotechnology, particularly fermented milk products. A classification of these supplements will be given, depending on their chemical nature (poly- and oligosaccharides; poly- and oligopeptides, individual amino acids; miscellaneous substances, including vitamins and other organic compounds, minerals, and multicomponent supplements), and the approved results of their application will be comprehensively surveyed.

Exploration of the Nutritional and Functional Properties of Underutilized Grains as an Alternative Source for the Research of Food-Derived Bioactive Peptides

The estimated increase in world population will lead to a deterioration in global food security, aggravated in developing countries by hidden hunger resulting from protein deficiency. To reduce or avoid this crisis, a dietary shift towards the consumption of sustainable, nutrient-rich, and calorically efficient food products has been recommended by the FAO and WHO. Plant proteins derived from grains and seeds provide nutritionally balanced diets, improve health status, reduce poverty, enhance food security, and contain several functional compounds. In this review, the current evidence on the nutritional and functional properties of underutilized grains is summarized, focusing on their incorporation into functional foods and the role of their proteins as novel source of bioactive peptides with health benefits.

In Vivo Healthy Benefits of Galacto-Oligosaccharides from Lupinus albus (LA-GOS) in Butyrate Production through Intestinal Microbiota

Animal digestive systems host microorganism ecosystems, including integrated bacteria, viruses, fungi, and others, that produce a variety of compounds from different substrates with healthy properties. Among these substrates, α-galacto-oligosaccharides (GOS) are considered prebiotics that promote the grow of gut microbiota with a metabolic output of Short Chain Fatty Acids (SCFAs). In this regard, we evaluated Lupinus albus GOS (LA-GOS) as a natural prebiotic using different animal models. Therefore, the aim of this work was to evaluate the effect of LA-GOS on the gut microbiota, SCFA production, and intestinal health in healthy and induced dysbiosis conditions (an ulcerative colitis (UC) model). Twenty C57BL/6 mice were randomly allocated in four groups (n = 5/group): untreated and treated non-induced animals, and two groups induced with 2% dextran sulfate sodium to UC with and without LA-GOS administration (2.5 g/kg bw). We found that the UC treated group showed a higher goblet cell number, lower disease activity index, and reduced histopathological damage in comparison to the UC untreated group. In addition, the abundance of positive bacteria to butyryl-CoA transferase in gut microbiota was significantly increased by LA-GOS treatment, in healthy conditions. We measured the SCFA production with significant differences in the butyrate concentration between treated and untreated healthy groups. Finally, the pH level in cecum feces was reduced after LA-GOS treatment. Overall, we point out the in vivo health benefits of LA-GOS administration on the preservation of the intestinal ecosystem and the promotion of SCFA production.

The Oleaster (Elaeagnus angustifolia): A Comprehensive Review on Its Composition, Ethnobotanical and Prebiotic Values>

BACKGROUND

Oleaster or Elaeagnus angustifolia is a deciduous plant from Elaegnacea family and is well-known for its remedial applications.

OBJECTIVE

This paper presents a comprehensive review of the potential application of Oleaster's flour incorporated in some food products. Emphasis is given to the physicochemical, biochemical, and functional properties of Oleaster's flour.

METHODS

A comprehensive search was carried out to find publications on Oleaster's flour and its application as a prebiotic. The results of the related studies were extracted and summarized in this paper.

RESULTS

Oleaster's flour as a prebiotic ingredient enhances antioxidants, polyphenols, fiber, flavonoids, Sterols, carbohydrates, and protein content of food products.

CONCLUSION

Further advanced investigations on Oleaster and its functional ingredients revealed that these are efficacious and can be applied as a substitute source in pharmacological industries for medical applications.

Variations in prebiotic oligosaccharide fermentation by intestinal lactic acid bacteria

Prebiotic oligosaccharides confer health benefits on the host by modulating the gut microbiota. Intestinal lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are potential targets of prebiotics; however, the metabolism of oligosaccharides by LAB has not been fully characterized. Here, we studied the metabolism of eight oligosaccharides by 19 strains of intestinal LAB. Among the eight oligosaccharides used, 1-kestose, lactosucrose and galactooligosaccharides (GOSs) led to the greatest increases in the numbers of the strains tested. However, mono- and disaccharides accounted for more than half of the GOSs used, and several strains only metabolized the mono- and di-saccharides in GOSs. End product profiles indicated that the amounts of lactate produced were generally consistent with the bacterial growth recorded. Oligosaccharide profiling revealed the interesting metabolic manner in Lactobacillus paracasei strains, which metabolized all oligosaccharides, but left sucrose when cultured with fructooligosaccharides. The present study clearly indicated that the prebiotic potential of each oligosaccharide differs.

Bioactive Carbohydrates and Peptides in Foods: An Overview of Sources, Downstream Processing Steps and Associated Bioactivities

Bioactive peptides and carbohydrates are sourced from a myriad of plant, animal and insects and have huge potential for use as food ingredients and pharmaceuticals. However, downstream processing bottlenecks hinder the potential use of these natural bioactive compounds and add cost to production processes. This review discusses the health benefits and bioactivities associated with peptides and carbohydrates of natural origin and downstream processing methodologies and novel processes which may be used to overcome these.

Determination Trial of Nondigestible Oligosaccharide in Processed Foods by Improved AOAC Method 2009.01 Using Porcine Small Intestinal Enzyme

We have previously shown that the Association of Official Analytical Chemists' (AOAC) methods 2001.03 and 2009.01 were not able to measure accurately nondigestible oligosaccharide because they are incapable of hydrolyzing digestible oligosaccharide, leading to overestimation of nondigestible oligosaccharide. Subsequently, we have proposed improved AOAC methods 2001.03 and 2009.01 using porcine small intestinal disaccharidases instead of amyloglucosidase. In the present study, we tried to determine nondigestible oligosaccharide in marketed processed foods using the improved AOAC method (improved method), and the results were compared with those by AOAC method 2009.01. In the improved method, the percentages of recovery of fructooligosaccharide, galactooligosaccharide, and raffinose to the label of processed food were 103.0, 89.9, and 102.1%, respectively. However, the AOAC method 2009.01 overestimated >30% of the quantity of nondigestible oligosaccharide in processed foods, because the margin of error was accepted ±20% on the contents of nondigestible oligosaccharides in processed foods for Japanese nutrition labeling, the improved method thus provided accurate quantification of nondigestible oligosaccharides in processed food and allows a comprehensive determination of nondigestible oligosaccharides.

Biomolecular characterization of the levansucrase of Erwinia amylovora, a promising biocatalyst for the synthesis of fructooligosaccharides

Erwinia amylovora is a plant pathogen that affects Rosaceae, such as apple and pear. In E. amylovora the fructans, produced by the action of a levansucrase (EaLsc), play a role in virulence and biofilm formation. Fructans are bioactive compounds, displaying health-promoting properties in their own right. Their use as food and feed supplements is increasing. In this study, we investigated the biomolecular properties of EaLsc using HPAEC-PAD, MALDI-TOF MS, and spectrophotometric assays. The enzyme, which was heterologously expressed in Escherichia coli in high yield, was shown to produce mainly fructooligosaccharides (FOSs) with a degree of polymerization between 3 and 6. The kinetic properties of EaLsc were similar to those of other phylogenetically related Gram-negative bacteria, but the good yield of FOSs, the product spectrum, and the straightforward production of the enzyme suggest that EaLsc is an interesting biocatalyst for future studies aimed at producing tailor-made fructans.

Effects of feeding finisher pigs with chicory or lupine feed for one week or two weeks before slaughter with respect to levels of Bifidobacteria and Campylobacter

This study aimed to assess whether inclusion of chicory or lupine (prebiotics) in the diet of pre-slaughter pigs for just 1 or 2 weeks could change the composition of their intestinal microbiota, stimulate the growth of bifidobacteria and help to lower the amount of thermoplilic Campylobacter spp. (mainly Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli), which are a major cause of food-borne infections in humans. A total of 48 pigs that had an initial live weight of 90 kg were fed with either a lupine (organic concentrate with 25% blue lupine seeds), chicory (organic concentrate with 10% dried chicory roots) or control (100% organic concentrate) diet for 1 week (24 pigs) or 2 weeks (24 pigs) before slaughter. The Campylobacter spp. level in rectal faecal samples after 0, 1 and 2 weeks of feeding and in the luminal content from ileum, caecum and colon at slaughter was determined by direct plating on modified charcoal-cefoperazone-deoxycholate agar plates. DNA extracted from the luminal content of distal ileum and caecum was used for terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP) analysis of the composition of intestinal microbiota and for measuring the amount of bifidobacterial and total bacterial DNA by quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR). Campylobacter spp. were excreted by all pigs and present in the luminal content from distal ileum to midway colon with particularly high numbers in the caecum, but the excretion was reduced by 10-fold in pigs fed lupines for 1 week as compared with control- and chicory-fed pigs (mean log(10) 2.9 v. 4.1 CFU/g; P < 0.05). The qPCR analysis showed that feeding with lupines resulted in higher levels of bifidobacteria in caecum as compared with the other diets (P < 0.05). T-RFLP analysis showed that four of the most abundant bacteria with terminal restriction fragment values >5% relative to the intensity of total abundance differed between the feed treatments (P < 0.05). Therefore, this study showed that even a short-term alternative feeding strategy with prebiotics in the diet of pre-slaughter pigs elicited changes in the composition of the intestinal microbiota, where lupine increased the level of bifidobacteria in caecum and reduced the Campylobacter spp. excretion level after 1 week.

In vitro fermentation of alternansucrase raffinose-derived oligosaccharides by human gut bacteria

In this work, in vitro fermentation of alternansucrase raffinose-derived oligosaccharides, previously fractionated according to their degree of polymerization (DP; from DP4 to DP10), was carried out using small-scale pH-controlled batch cultures at 37 °C under anaerobic conditions with human feces. Bifidogenic activity of oligosaccharides with DP4-6 similar to that of lactulose was observed; however, in general, a significant growth of lactic acid bacteria Bacteroides , Atopobium cluster, and Clostridium histolyticum group was not shown during incubation. Acetic acid was the main short chain fatty acid (SCFA) produced during the fermentation process; the highest levels of this acid were shown by alternansucrase raffinose acceptor pentasaccharides at 10 h (63.11 mM) and heptasaccharides at 24 h (54.71 mM). No significant differences between the gas volume produced by the mixture of raffinose-based oligosaccharides (DP5-DP10) and inulin after 24 h of incubation were detected, whereas lower gas volume was generated by DP4 oligosaccharides. These findings indicate that novel raffinose-derived oligosaccharides (DP4-DP10) could be a new source of prebiotic carbohydrates.

Nitrogen fractions and mineral content in different lupin species (Lupinus albus, Lupinus angustifolius, and Lupinus luteus). Changes induced by the alpha-galactoside extraction process

The protein and mineral composition of different varieties of three different lupin species (Lupinus albus, Lupinus angustifolius, and Lupinus luteus) and the effect of alpha-galactoside removal by means of a hydroalcoholic extraction process on such composition were studied in relationship to nutrient distribution among the different anatomical parts of the seed (embryo, cotyledon, and seed coat). The extent of processing-derived protein insolubilization was assessed by both chemical and electrophoretic techniques and related to the amount of nitrogen soluble in H(2)O, NaCl, ethanol, NaOH, and sodium dodecyl sulfate/beta-mercaptoethanol (SDS/BME). The alpha-galactoside extraction process caused a significant increase in the amount of total and insoluble nitrogen and decreased the amount of soluble protein nitrogen, without affecting the content of soluble nonprotein nitrogen. alpha-Galactoside extraction was not effective at decreasing the levels of Mn present in lupins, and processing caused an increase in the content of this mineral in all of the species studied with the exception of L. albus var. multolupa. In general, the effect of processing on mineral content varied with the different lupin species, and mineral losses were lower in L. luteus.

Nutritional evaluation of protein, phosphorus, calcium and magnesium bioavailability from lupin (Lupinus albus var. multolupa)-based diets in growing rats: effect of α-galactoside oligosaccharide extraction and phytase supplementation

The nutritional composition of the legume Lupinus albus var. multolupa, raw or after α-galactoside extraction, and its effect on the bioavailability of protein, P, Ca, and Mg by growing rats wasevaluated using a balance technique. The protein and dietary fibre content of the lupin floursstudied was high, and 89–94% of the dietary fibre was present as insoluble dietary fibre. The α-galactoside extraction process did not disrupt the nutritional quality of protein, and the digestive and metabolic utilisation of this nutrient was high and comparable with that obtained from a casein–cystine control diet (pair-fed to the average daily food intake of the experimental groups fed the different lupin diets). Bioavailability of P, Ca, and Mg from the lupin diets tested was high, and supplementation of an exogenous microbial phytase (750 phytase units/kg) did not cause any further improvement. Mineral content in the bone tissue (femur and sternum) did not correlate to mineral balance, which, on the other hand, was related to the mineral content of other tissues such as blood, plasma, liver and kidney. Due to its ability to grow under adverse edaphic and climatic conditions and to its good nutritional quality, α-galactoside-free lupin flour supplemented with the required amounts of minerals and vitamins to meet nutrient requirements can be used as an excellent dietary source for the preparation of dietetic products.

Biopreservation by Lactobacillus paracasei in coculture with Streptococcus thermophilus in potentially probiotic and synbiotic fresh cream cheeses

The viability of Lactobacillus paracasei and its effect on growth of the microbiota in potentially probiotic and synbiotic fresh cheeses during storage at 4 +/- 1 degree C was investigated. Three cheese-making trials (T1, T2, and T3) were prepared in quadruplicate, all supplemented with a Streptococcus thermophilus culture. L. paracasei subsp. paracasei was added to cheeses in T1 and T2, and inulin was added to cheeses in T2. Counts of L. paracasei, S. thermophilus, coliforms, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus spp., DNase-positive Staphylococcus, and yeasts and molds were monitored during storage for up to 21 days. Viable counts of L. paracasei in probiotic (T1) and synbiotic (T2) cheeses remained above 7 log CFU/g during the entire storage period, whereas counts of S. thermophilus remained above 9.5 log CFU/g for cheeses from TI, T2, and T3. Populations of coliforms, Staphylococcus spp., and DNase-positive Staphylococcus were higher in T3 cheese and differed significantly from those in cheeses from T1 and T2 (P < 0.05). Inhibition of contaminants prevailed when both L. paracasei and S. thermophilus were present in fresh cream cheese and probably was due to acid production by both strains; bacteriocin production was not found. Addition of inulin in T2 did not impact microbial viability (P > 0.05). L. paracasei subsp. paracasei in coculture with S. thermophilus was inhibitory against microbial contaminants in fresh cream cheese with or without the addition of inulin, indicating the potential use of this combination in a probiotic and synbiotic product.