Manipulating effects of fruits and vegetables on gut microbiota – a critical review

As the largest immune organ of the human body, the intestine also plays a vital role in nutrient digestion and absorption. Some vegetables are considered to have improvement effects on the intestine. This experiment explored the effects of freeze-dried asparagus, broccoli and cabbage powder on the intestinal immune homeostasis and microflora of mice. Thirty-two mice were divided into four groups (n = 8), including control group (fed normal diet), asparagus group (fed normal diet with 5% asparagus power), broccoli group (fed normal diet with 5% broccoli power) and cabbage group (fed normal diet with 5% cabbage power). The experiment lasted 21 days. The results showed that the serum immunoglobulin concentration (IgA and IgM) and intestinal cytokine content (like IFN-γ and TNF-α) were increased after vegetable powder supplement. The experiment also detected that vegetable powder supplementation changed intestinal flora and their metabolites (short-chain fatty acid), which showed that the abundance of Lachnospiraceae and Bacteroides were decreased, while the abundance of Firmicutes and Lactobacillus as well as propionic acid and butyric acid contents were increased. Together, these vegetable powders, especially cabbage, changed the intestinal immune response and microbial activity of mice.

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Dietary Vegetable Powders Modulate Immune Homeostasis and Intestinal Microbiota in Mice

Zou

Zhang

et al. 2021

“…Polyphenols are a group of antioxidant compounds derived from plants, including phenolic acids, flavonoids, stilbenes and lignin, with high radical scavenging ability that reduces the risk of chronic diseases (cancers and cardiovascular problems) [20]. Polyphenols are reported to actively stimulate the growth of health-boosting microbes, including Lactobacillus, Barnesville and Bifidobacterium, in the human gut while impeding the growth of unhealthy microbes, e.g., Escherichia coli [5]. Polyphenols were found to inhibit α-amylase and α-glucosidase activity together with the modulation of postprandial hyper-glycaemia due to the interaction between starch and polyphenols [21].…”

Section: Fruit Growth and Maturationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In the past decade, the utilisation of betacyanin (natural colourants) and pectin from pitaya fruit in food products has been studied. Evidence has reported that beta-cyanins (a type of betalains) derived from red pitaya fruit exhibit antidiabetic effects and modulate glycaemic response [4][5][6].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Maturation Process, Nutritional Profile, Bioactivities and Utilisation in Food Products of Red Pitaya Fruits: A Review

Huang

Brennan

Kasapis

et al. 2021

Red pitaya (Hylocereus polyrhizus, red pulp with pink peel), also known as dragon fruit, is a well-known species of pitaya fruit. Pitaya seeds and peels have been reported to exhibit higher concentrations of total polyphenols, beta-cyanins and amino acid than pulp, while anthocyanins (i.e., cyanidin 3-glucoside, delphinidin 3-glucoside and pelargonidin 3-glucoside) were only detected in the pulp extracts. Beta-cyanins, phenolics and flavonoids were found to increase gradually during fruit maturation and pigmentation appeared earlier in the pulp than peel. The phytochemicals were extracted and purified by various techniques and broadly used as natural, low-cost, and beneficial healthy compounds in foods, including bakery, wine, dairy, meat and confectionery products. These bioactive components also exhibit regulative influences on the human gut microbiota, glycaemic response, lipid accumulation, inflammation, growth of microbials and mutagenicity, but the mechanisms are yet to be understood. The objective of this study was to systematically summarise the effect of red pitaya’s maturation process on the nutritional profile and techno-functionality in a variety of food products. The findings of this review provide valuable suggestions for the red pitaya fruit processing industry, leading to novel formulations supported by molecular research.

“…Polyphenols, including phenolic and flavonoids, are secondary plant metabolites that can protect against the development of chronic diseases, such as diabetes, osteoporosis, cardiovascular diseases, cancers, and neurodegenerative diseases [44,45]. The ability of plant polyphenols to scavenge free radicals and inactivate other pro-oxidants classifies them among the most powerful antioxidants [46][47][48]. Antioxidant activity of fruit, vegetable, and WGJ was assessed by measuring DPPH radical scavenging activity.…”

Section: Total Phenolic and Flavonoid Content And Antioxidant Capacit...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Effect of Wheatgrass Juice on Nutritional Quality of Apple, Carrot, Beet, Orange and Lemon Juice

Grubišić

Kristić

Lisjak

et al. 2022

Fresh fruit and vegetable juices are commonly consumed as a valuable source of nutrients, while wheatgrass juice is, due to its nutritional value, used as a natural dietary supplement. The main aim of this research was to evaluate the effect of wheatgrass juice addition to apple, beet, carrot, orange, and lemon juice on total and in vitro bioaccessible concentrations of K, Ca, Mg, Mn, Fe, and Zn, vitamin C concentration, total phenolic and flavonoid content, and antioxidant activity. In comparison to other juices, wheatgrass juice had the highest total and in vitro bioaccessible concentrations of Ca, Mg, Mn, Fe, and Zn, while beet juice had the highest K concentration. Lemon and orange juices had the highest vitamin C concentration, while the highest total phenolic and flavonoid content were found in wheatgrass juice. After the addition of wheatgrass juice, Ca, Mg, Mn, and Zn concentration increased in all examined juices, vitamin C concentration increased in apple, beet, and carrot juice, total phenolic content increased in carrot juice, while total flavonoid content increased in apple, carrot, and orange juice. In comparison to the examined juices, wheatgrass juice has better nutritional value, and it could be used in a mixture with other juices to improve their nutritional value.