Background
Coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) is an infectious disease transmitted by the virus responsible for the severe acute respiratory syndrome 2 (SARS-CoV-2).
Scope and approach
This review aimed to provide insights and perspectives for the use of probiotics, prebiotics, synbiotics, and postbiotics related to prevention/treatment and/or modulation of the microbiota in COVID-19 patients. Eighty-four studies published in the Scopus database from the onset of the pandemic until December 2021 were assessed and submitted to a bibliometric analysis adapted from VOSviewer software.
Key findings and conclusions
Through bibliometric analysis, it might be suggested that the modulation of the gut/lung microbiome is promising as an adjuvant for the prevention/treatment of COVID-19 patients, due to immunomodulation properties related to probiotics and prebiotics. So far, few clinical studies involving the application of probiotics to combat COVID-19 have been completed, but reduction in the duration of the disease and the severity of symptoms as fatigue, olfactory dysfunction and breathlessness, nausea and vomiting and other gastrointestinal symptoms were some of the main findings. However, probiotics are not recommended to immunocompromised patients in corticosteroid therapy. The future perspectives point to the modulation of the intestinal microbiota by probiotics, prebiotics, synbiotics, and postbiotics represent a promising adjuvant approach for improving the health of patients with COVID-19.
The objective of this work was to evaluate the acceptance of functional food preparations developed for school-age children, confirming the possibility to insert them in school menus and contribute to the "Programa Nacional de Alimentação Escolar" (PNAE). The preparations were elaborated in the "Departamento de Alimentação Escolar da CEASA/CAMPINAS", being: orange cake with green banana biomass, avocado cream with cacao, gelatin with whole grape juice and fruit salad with yacon potato. The centesimal compositon was determinated and functional activity was evaluated analysing the prebiotic capacity, total phenolic compounds and antioxidant activity. In the sensorial analysis, it was observed that two functional preparations were accepted. As a conclusion, food and nutrition education combined with the introduction of functional preparations is indispensable to encourage the creation of healthy eating habits.
The gut microbiota consists of a set of microorganisms that colonizes the intestine and ferment fibers, among other nutrients, from the host’s diet. A healthy gut microbiota, colonized mainly by beneficial microorganisms, has a positive effect on digestion and plays a role in disease prevention. However, dysregulation of the gut microbiota can contribute to various diseases. The nutrition of the host plays an important role in determining the composition of the gut microbiota. A healthy diet, rich in fiber, can beneficially modulate the gut microbiota. In this sense, oats are a source of both soluble and insoluble fiber. Oats are considered a functional ingredient with prebiotic potential and contain plant proteins, unsaturated fats, and antioxidant compounds. The impact of oat consumption on the gut microbiota is still emerging. Associations between oat consumption and the abundance of Akkermansia muciniphila, Roseburia, Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, and Faecalibacterium prausnitzii have already been observed. Therefore, this integrative review summarizes the findings from studies on the relationship between oat consumption, the gut microbiota, and the metabolites, mainly short-chain fatty acids, it produces.
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