The human gastrointestinal tract harbors a magnitude of bacteria, which are collectively known as the gut microbiome. Research has demonstrated that the gut microbiome significantly impacts the health of its host and alters the host’s risk for various chronic diseases. Many factors, such as diet, could potentially be manipulated to alter the host gut microbiome and induce subsequent preventative and/or therapeutic effects. It has been established that diet partakes in the regulation and maintenance of the gut microbiome; however, specific crosstalk between the microbiome, gut, and host has not been clearly elucidated in relation to diet. In this review of the scientific literature, we outline current knowledge of the differential effects of major plant-derived dietary constituents (fiber, phytochemicals, vitamins, and minerals) on the diversity and composition of the gut microbiome.
Diets high in red meats, particularly meats cooked at high temperature, increase the risk of colon cancer due to a production of heterocyclic aromatic amines (HAAs). Of the identified HAAs, 2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine (PhIP) is the most mass abundant colon carcinogen in charred meat or fish. Here, we comprehensively examined sex-dependent colon transcriptome signatures in response to PhIP treatment to identify biological discrepancies. Eight-week-old male and female C57BL/6N mice were intraperitoneally injected with PhIP (10 mg/kg of body weight) and colon tissues were harvested 24 h after PhIP injection, followed by colon transcriptomics analysis. A list of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) was utilized for computational bioinformatic analyses. Specifically, overrepresentation test using the Protein Analysis Through Evolutionary Relationships tool was carried out to annotate sex-dependent changes in transcriptome signatures after PhIP treatment. Additionally, the most significantly affected canonical pathways by PhIP treatment were predicted using the Ingenuity Pathway Analysis. As results, male and female mice presented different metabolic signatures in the colon transcriptome. In the male mice, oxidative phosphorylation in the mitochondrial respiratory chain was the pathway impacted the most; this might be due to a shortage of ATP for DNA repair. On the other hand, the female mice showed concurrent activation of lipolysis and adipogenesis. The present study provides the foundational information for future studies of PhIP effects on underlying sex-dependent mechanisms.
Objectives Neuropsychological and emotional symptoms associated with menopause are a major concern of women. The present study explored whether daily consumption of freeze-dried whole grape powder (GP) would improve cognitive abilities, and emotional symptoms. Methods In this double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, 40 postmenopausal women (1 to 5 years past menopause), not on hormone therapy, were randomly assigned to consume either 46 g of GP or grape placebo powder for 12 weeks. Subjective memory, objective cognitive performance, and depression and anxiety symptoms were assessed at baseline and after the 12-week GP supplementation. A mixed-effects model (PROC MIXED) was used to examine the effects of time, group, and the interaction between time and group. P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results Thirty-two women successfully completed the study. There was a significant time x group interaction effect observed for movement time (P < 0.05) and reaction time (P < 0.05) and a borderline significant time x group interaction effect observed for spatial working memory total error (P = 0.07). In addition, a significant time effect was found for memory strategy (P < 0.05) and a borderline significant time effect observed for rapid visual processing A′ (P = 0.09), but without significant impacts of time and time x group interaction. Neither GP nor placebo powder significantly influenced the performance of digit span, paired associates learning task, subjective memory ability, or contentment with memory. There were no remarkable effects on depression and anxiety symptoms. Conclusions Our findings demonstrated that the 12-week supplementation of GP enhanced movement time and reaction time performance by 5% and 8%, respectively in comparison with the placebo. Larger follow-up studies are needed to ensure the validity of these findings. Funding Sources This research was funded by the California Table Grape Commission. Funders had no role in the study design, data collection, data analysis or interpretation, or writing of the abstract.
Objectives After the onset of menopause, the risk of cardiovascular disease increases drastically due to ovarian hormone deficiency. Grapes are high in polyphenolic compounds that have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. The present study examined the effects of freeze-dried whole grape powder (GP) in reducing cardiovascular disease risk factors. Methods In this double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, 40 postmenopausal women (1 to 5 years past menopause), not on hormone therapy, were randomly assigned to consume either 46 g of GP or grape placebo powder for 12 weeks. Fasting blood samples, anthropometrics, blood pressure, physical activity, and dietary data were collected at baseline and after 12 weeks of the intervention. A mixed-effects model (PROC MIXED) was used to examine the effects of time, group, and the interaction between time and group. Paired t-tests were performed to compare changes from baseline within the group. P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results Thirty-two women successfully completed the study. There was a significant time x group interaction effect observed for serum triglyceride (TG) (P < 0.05) and a borderline significant time x group interaction effect observed for serum total cholesterol (TC) (P = 0.06). In addition, a significant main effect of group was found in fasting glucose (P < 0.05), but without significant impacts of time and time x group interaction. Within-group analysis showed that the serum levels of TG significantly decreased by 26% (P < 0.05), while the serum levels of TC and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol numerically decreased by 8% and 11%, respectively after 12 weeks of GP consumption compared with corresponding baseline values. Neither GP nor placebo powder significantly altered body weight, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, blood pressure, insulin or homeostatic model assessment-insulin resistance. Conclusions Our findings show that daily consumption of grapes lowers serum levels of TG in postmenopausal women. Larger follow-up studies are needed to ensure the validity of these findings. Funding Sources This research was funded by the California Table Grape Commission. Funders had no role in the study design, data collection, data analysis or interpretation, or writing of the abstract.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.