Effects of Tempeh Fermentation with Lactobacillus plantarum and Rhizopus oligosporus on Streptozotocin-Induced Type II Diabetes Mellitus in Rats

Abstract

The increased consumption of high fat-containing foods has been linked to the prevalence of obesity and abnormal metabolic syndromes. Rhizopus oligosporus, a fungus in the family Mucoraceae, is widely used as a starter for homemade tempeh. Although R. oligosporus can prevent the growth of other microorganisms, it grows well with lactic acid bacteria (LAB). Lactobacillus plantarum can produce β-glucosidase, which catalyzes the hydrolysis of glucoside isoflavones into aglycones (with greater bioavailability). Therefore, the development of a soybean-based functional food by the co-inoculation of R. oligosporus and L. plantarum is a promising approach to increase the bioactivity of tempeh. In this study, the ameliorative effect of L. plantarum in soy tempeh on abnormal carbohydrate metabolism in high-fat diet (HFD)-induced hyperglycemic rats was evaluated. The co-incubation of L. plantarum with R. oligosporus during soy tempeh fermentation reduced the homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance, HbA1c, serum glucose, total cholesterol, triglyceride, free fatty acid, insulin, and low-density lipoprotein contents, and significantly increased the high-density lipoprotein content in HFD rats. It also increased the LAB counts, as well as the bile acid, cholesterol, triglyceride, and short-chain fatty acid contents in the feces of HFD rats. Our results suggested that the modulation of serum glucose and lipid levels by LAB occurs via alterations in the internal microbiota, leading to the inhibition of cholesterol synthesis and promotion of lipolysis. Tempeh, which was produced with both L. plantarum and R. oligosporus, might be a beneficial dietary supplement for individuals with abnormal carbohydrate metabolism.

An Animal Study to Compare Hepatoprotective Effects Between Fermented Rice Bran and Fermented Rice Germ and Soybean in a Sprague-Dawley Rat Model of Alcohol-Induced Hepatic Injury

“…According to several previously published studies, fermented foods have beneficial effects on the gastrointestinal tract system. Moreover, recent studies have shown that supplementation of fermented foods had beneficial effects in improving symptoms of type 2 diabetes mellitus, impaired glucose metabolism, obesity, irritable bowel syndrome, hyperlipidemia, hypertension and osteoporosis [2,3,7,[51][52][53][54][55][56][57].…”

“…Antioxidative compounds are also produced during fermentation [58]. Fermented soybean is incubated with Aspergillus oryzae, Bacillus subtilis and Rhizopus oligosporus, and it has a higher degree of anti-lipid peroxidative effects compared with steam soybeans [56,59,60]. Its active constituents include free isoflavones, such as daidzein and genistein, which are considered major antioxidants [61][62][63].…”

The Effect of Probiotics on the Production of Short-Chain Fatty Acids by Human Intestinal Microbiome

“…The results of many other animal studies indicate that supplementation with probiotic Lactobacillus spp. bacteria induced SCFAs production by modulation of the intestinal microbiome [14,84,115,116]. For example, the probiotic bacteria Bifidobacterium pseudocatenulatum CECT 7765 administered to rats that received high-fat diets had an effect on increasing the intestinal barrier function, reducing endotoxemia and accelerating metabolism [117,118].…”

Lactobacillus acidophilus DDS-1 Modulates Intestinal-Specific Microbiota, Short-Chain Fatty Acid and Immunological Profiles in Aging Mice

“…Gut microbiota also produces short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) which regulate intestinal barrier integrity and immune homeostasis [25]. In human and animal studies, the SCFA levels were found to be decreased with an imbalance in gut microbiota, affecting immune homeostasis [3,26,27]. Hence, for healthy aging the maintenance of proper microbial populations of caecal and mucosal sites is essential.…”

“…Probiotics are living microbes that, when administered in adequate amounts, confer health benefits on the host [5,14]. In a variety of animal models, treatment with probiotics containing lactic acid bacteria (LAB) have been reported to modulate the gut microbiota, SCFA production and inflammatory responses [6,21,27]. Previously, we have reported that L. acidophilus DDS-1, a clinically-documented probiotic strain [28,29,30,31], was able to improve the metabolic phenotype via modulating faecal microbiota composition in aging mice [6].…”