Di-d-fructose Dianhydride-Enriched Caramels: Effect on Colon Microbiota, Inflammation, and Tissue Damage in Trinitrobenzenesulfonic Acid-Induced Colitic Rats

Abstract

In the present study we describe the preparation and chemical characterization of a caramel with a high (70%) content of difructose dianhydrides (DFAs) and glycosylated derivatives (DFAs). This product was obtained by thermal activation (90 degrees C) of highly concentrated (90% w/v) aqueous D-fructose solutions using the sulfonic acid ion-exchange resin Lewatit S2328 as caramelization catalyst. DFAs represent a unique family of cyclic fructans with prebiotic properties already present in low proportions (<15%) in commercial caramel. We report the antiinflammatory activity of the new DFA-enriched caramel in the trinitrobenzenesulfonic acid (TNBS) model of rat colitis, an experimental model that resembles human inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), and compare its effects with those obtained with a commercial sucrose caramel and with linear fructooligosaccharides (FOS). For this purpose, the effects on colon tissue damage, gut microbiota, short-chain fatty acid (SCFAs) production, and different inflammatory markers were evaluated. The administration of DFA-enriched caramel to colitic rats showed intestinal antiinflammatory effect, as evidenced macroscopically by a significant reduction in the extent of the colonic damage induced by TNBS. This effect was similar to that obtained with FOS in the same experimental settings, whereas commercial caramel was devoid of any significant antiinflammatory effect. The beneficial effect was associated with the inhibition of the colonic levels of the proinflammatory cytokines, tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF alpha) and interleukin 1beta (IL-1beta), and the reduction in colonic myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) expression. The DFA-enriched caramel also promoted a more favorable intestinal microbiota, increasing lactobacilli and bifidobacteria counts as well as inducing higher concentrations of SCFAs in the luminal colonic contents. These results reinforce the concept of DFAs and glycosyl-DFAs as dietary beneficial compounds with prebiotic properties and suggest that the novel DFA-enriched caramel here reported may be an interesting candidate to be explored for the dietary treatment of human IBD.

Effects of inulin and di-d-fructose dianhydride-enriched caramels on intestinal microbiota composition and performance of broiler chickens

“…Arribas et al (2010) recently showed that the administration of a DFA-enriched caramel obtained from fructose (containing 70% of an isomeric mixture of 13 DFAs and glycosyl-DFAs, identical to FC in this work) to colitic rats promoted a more favourable intestinal microbiota, increasing lactobacilli and bifidobacteria log 10 number of copies, as well as inducing increased concentrations of SCFA in the luminal colonic contents. Previous results on the prebiotic potential of a caramel obtained by pyrolysis of sucrose in the presence of citric acid (Manley-Harris and Richards, 1997) containing~34% of DFAs and 43% of monosaccharides indicated that DFAs and their glycosylated derivatives might represent promising candidates as prebiotic agents (Orban et al, 1997).…”

“…Recently, caramelization technologies, based on the use of heterogeneous acid catalysts, have been developed that allow producing DFA-enriched products (up to 70-80% DFAs and glycosyl-DFAs) from fructose or fructose-containing mixtures of food-grade carbohydrates . Initial results in rats fed with a fructose-derived DFA-enriched caramel were consistent with a prebiotic behaviour associated with the preservation of a healthy microbiota equilibrium (Arribas et al 2010). Investigating the nutritional effects of these new caramels with high DFA content in farm animals was then very appealing.…”

“…Several complex oligosaccharides, such as inulin, galactooligosaccharides and lactulose, fulfil the three criteria and can be effectively considered as prebiotics (Candela et al, 2010). Di-D-fructose dianhydrides (DFAs) and their glycosylated derivatives (glycosyl-DFAs) represent recent candidates to this list (Arribas et al, 2010;Ortiz Mellet and García Fernández, 2010). However, the number of studies on the effects of DFAs on bacterial growth is quite limited so far, and very little effort has been made specifically in poultry nutrition.…”

Intestinal anti-inflammatory activity of hydroalcoholic extracts of Phlomis purpurea L. and Phlomis lychnitis L. in the trinitrobenzenesulphonic acid model of rat colitis.

“…Full-thickness sections of 5 mm were obtained at different levels and stained with hematoxylin and eosin. The histological damage was evaluated by a pathologist observer, who was blinded to the experimental groups, according to the criteria previously described by Arribas et al (2010).…”

Intestinal anti-inflammatory effects of RGD-functionalized silk fibroin nanoparticles in trinitrobenzenesulfonic acid-induced experimental colitis in rats

“…Equivalent colonic segments were also obtained from the non-colitic group: 5-μm paraffin sections were cut at different levels and stained with hematoxylin and eosin. The histologic damage was evaluated by two pathologists blinded for the study following the criteria reported by Arribas et al, 38 and images were taken by standard light microscopy using an Olympus CX41 microscope (Olympus Iberia, S.A.U., Barcelona, Spain). The colon was subsequently minced, aliquoted, and kept frozen at −80°C until biochemical determinations and RNA extraction were performed.…”