Anthocyanins in Strawberry Polyphenolic Extract Enhance the Beneficial Effects of Diets with Fructooligosaccharides in the Rat Cecal Environment

Abstract

The administration of fructooligosaccharides (FOS) beneficially modulates gastrointestinal functions and may enhance the metabolism of polyphenols. However, different polyphenolic components in the diet may have different influences on the activities of the digestive enzymes and microbiota in the gastrointestinal tract. Therefore, a 4-week study of forty-eight male Wistar rats was conducted to investigate the physiological response of the rat cecal environment to diets without and with FOS that contained two different strawberry polyphenolic extracts, specifically EP (polyphenolic profile 60, 35, 5, and 0% ellagitannins, proanthocyanidins, flavonols, anthocyanins, respectively) and EPA (polyphenolic profile: 50, 35, 6, and 9%, respectively). When combined with FOS, both extracts beneficially enhanced the acidification of the cecal digesta (P≤0.05 vs the groups without extracts), but the dietary combination of EPA and FOS elicited the greatest reduction in putrefactive short-chain fatty acid production and the lowest fecal β-glucuronidase activity in the cecum (P≤0.05 vs group EP). Moreover, the addition of dietary FOS elevated the metabolism of the examined strawberry extracts in the cecum and thereby increased the concentrations of the metabolites in the cecal digesta and urine (P≤0.05 vs the group with cellulose). Overall, both strawberry extracts modulated the effects of FOS in the gastrointestinal tract; however, the combination with EPA extract that contained anthocyanins exhibited greater beneficial effects in the lower gut environment than the EP extract.

The Fatty Acid Profile and Oxidative Stability of Meat from Turkeys Fed Diets Enriched with n-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids and Dried Fruit Pomaces as a Source of Polyphenols

“…In the present study, the dietary inclusion of different fruit pomaces was accompanied by health-promoting changes in blood plasma vitamin C (in BP treatment), catalase (groups AP and BP) and FRAP (groups AP and SSP) values, pointing to the involvement of different mechanisms. Those effects could be attributed, at least partially, to polyphenolic metabolites that can reach internal tissues, as demonstrated in previous studies conducted on laboratory rodents [50, 51]. The results of experiments with rodents, summarized by Manach et al [52], revealed that polyphenols and their metabolites may be detected in a wide range of tissues, including the brain, heart, bones and skin.…”

“…The tissue distribution of selected polyplenols was investigated in experiments performed on pigs [53, 54, 55] and broilers [56, 57]. Recent studies conducted by members of our research team [50, 51] demonstrated that measurable amounts of strawberry polyphenol metabolites could be found in the blood and urine of rats fed diets containing strawberry pomace, extracts and pure polyphenols (e.g. ellagic acid).…”

Tenebrio molitor and Zophobas morio Full-Fat Meals in Broiler Chicken Diets: Effects on Nutrients Digestibility, Digestive Enzyme Activities, and Cecal Microbiome

“…Short-chain fatty acids in the cecal digesta samples were analyzed, as described in detail by Fotschki et al [35]. The activity of extracellular bacterial enzymes in the cecal digesta was measured, as presented in detail by Juśkiewicz et al [36]…”

Protective Effects of Anthocyanins in Obesity‐Associated Inflammation and Changes in Gut Microbiome

“…Among them, Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes phyla together consist of 90% of the microbiota of the human adult gut . Increased production of SCFA such as butyrate is very important because it acts as an energy substrate for colonocytes . SCFAs ameliorate insulin sensitivity, energy expenditure, dyslipidemia, intestinal gut‐barrier function, and inflammation, in part through initiation of G‐protein‐coupled receptor‐mediated pathways, upregulating mucin genes, and inhibiting histone deacetylases .…”

“…[106] Increased production of SCFA such as butyrate is very important because it acts as an energy substrate for colonocytes. [107] SCFAs ameliorate insulin sensitivity, energy expenditure, dyslipidemia, intestinal gut-barrier function, and inflammation, in part through initiation of G-protein-coupled receptor-mediated pathways, upregulating mucin genes, and inhibiting histone deacetylases. [108,109] Gut microbiota modulate body weight by changing energy balance, gut-barrier function, inflammatory status, impaired synthesis of SCFA, and bile acid metabolism.…”