Kefir consumption does not alter plasma lipid levels or cholesterol fractional synthesis rates relative to milk in hyperlipidemic men: a randomized controlled trial [ISRCTN10820810].
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BACKGROUND: Fermented milk products have been shown to affect serum cholesterol concentrations in humans. Kefir, a fermented milk product, has been traditionally consumed for its potential health benefits but has to date not been studied for its hypocholesterolemic properties. METHODS: Thirteen healthy mildly hypercholesterolemic male subjects consumed a dairy supplement in randomized crossover trial for 2 periods of 4 wk each. Subjects were blinded to the dairy supplement consumed. Blood samples were collected at baseline and after 4 wk of supplementation for measurement of plasma total, low-density lipoprotein, and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and triglyceride concentrations, as well as fatty acid profile and cholesterol synthesis rate. Fecal samples were collected at baseline and after 2 and 4 wk of supplementation for determination of fecal short chain fatty acid level and bacterial content. RESULTS: Kefir had no effect on total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol or triglyceride concentrations nor on cholesterol fractional synthesis rates after 4 wk of supplementation. No significant change on plasma fatty acid levels was observed with diet. However, both kefir and milk increased (p < 0.05) fecal isobutyric, isovaleric and propionic acids as well as the total amount of fecal short chain fatty acids. Kefir supplementation resulted in increased fecal bacterial content in the majority of the subjects. CONCLUSIONS: Since kefir consumption did not result in lowered plasma lipid concentrations, the results of this study do not support consumption of kefir as a cholesterol-lowering agent. (+info)
Favourable effect of regular intake of fermented milk containing Lactobacillus johnsonii on Helicobacter pylori associated gastritis.
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BACKGROUND: Lactobacillus johnsonii (Lj1) had an in vitro and in vivo inhibitory effect on Helicobacter pylori. Fermented milk containing Lj1 (LC1), coadministered with antibiotics had a favourable effect on H. pylori gastritis. AIM: Evaluate the effect of LC1 intake without antibiotics on H. pylori gastritis. METHODS: Fifty H. pylori positive healthy volunteers were randomised in a double-blind study to LC1 or placebo. Gastric biopsies from the antrum and corpus were obtained before, and after 3 and 16 weeks of treatment, for histology and quantitative cultures. RESULTS: Severity and activity of antral gastritis was reduced after 16-week LC1 intake (pretreatment and 16-week inflammatory cell score: 6.0 +/- 0.8 vs. 5.3 +/- 0.1; P=0.04). H. pylori density decreased in the antrum after LC1 intake (3-week: 4.4 +/- 0.6; 16-week: 4.3 +/- 0.5 log10 colony forming units (cfu) vs. pretreatment 4.5 +/- 0.4 log10 cfu; P=0.04, respectively). Mucus thickness increased after 16 weeks of LC1 consumption (change of mucus thickness with LC1 and placebo in the antrum: 0.6 +/- 1.3 vs. -0.2 +/- 1.0, P=0.01; in the corpus: 0.3 +/- 1.1 vs. -0.6 +/- 1.5, P=0.03). CONCLUSION: LC1 intake had a favourable, albeit weak, effect on H. pylori associated gastritis, particularly in the antrum. Regular ingestion of fermented milk containing L. johnsonii may reduce the risk of developing disorders associated with high degrees of gastric inflammation and mucus depletion. (+info)
Characterization of the effects of oxygen on xanthine oxidase-mediated nitric oxide formation.
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Under anaerobic conditions, xanthine oxidase (XO)-catalyzed nitrite reduction can be an important source of nitric oxide (NO). However, questions remain regarding whether significant XO-mediated NO generation also occurs under aerobic conditions. Therefore, electron paramagnetic resonance, chemiluminescence NO-analyzer, and NO-electrode studies were performed to characterize the kinetics and magnitude of XO-mediated nitrite reduction as a function of oxygen tension. With substrates xanthine or 2,3-dihydroxybenz-aldehyde that provide electrons to XO at the molybdenum site, the rate of NO production followed Michaelis-Menten kinetics, and oxygen functioned as a competitive inhibitor of nitrite reduction. However, with flavin-adenine dinucleotide site-binding substrate NADH as electron donor, aerobic NO production was maintained at more than 70% of anaerobic levels, and binding of NADH to the flavin-adenine dinucleotide site seemed to prevent oxygen binding. Therefore, under aerobic conditions, NADH would be the main electron donor for XO-catalyzed NO production in tissues. Studies of the pH dependence of NO formation indicated that lower pH values decrease oxygen reduction but greatly increase nitrite reduction, facilitating NO generation. Isotope tracer studies demonstrated that XO-mediated NO formation occurs in normoxic and hypoxic heart tissue. Thus, XO-mediated NO generation occurs under aerobic conditions and is regulated by oxygen tension, pH, nitrite, and reducing substrate concentrations. (+info)
Randomized placebo-controlled trial assessing the effect of bifidobacteria-fermented milk on active ulcerative colitis.
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BACKGROUND: Probiotics are efficacious for treating and maintaining remission of ulcerative colitis. AIM: To conduct a randomized placebo-controlled trial of bifidobacteria-fermented milk supplementation as a dietary adjunct in treating active ulcerative colitis. METHODS: Twenty patients with mild to moderate, active, ulcerative colitis randomly received 100 mL/day of bifidobacteria-fermented milk or placebo for 12 weeks with conventional treatment. RESULTS: Clinical and endoscopic activity indices and histological scores were similar in the two groups before treatment. Although improvements were significant in both groups, the clinical activity index was significantly lower in the bifidobacteria-fermented milk than in the placebo group after treatment. The post-treatment endoscopic activity index and histological score were significantly reduced in the bifidobacteria-fermented milk, but not the placebo group. Increases in faecal butyrate, propionate and short-chain fatty acid concentrations were significant in the bifidobacteria-fermented milk, but not the placebo group. No adverse effects were observed in either group. CONCLUSION: Supplementation with this bifidobacteria-fermented milk product is safe and more effective than conventional treatment alone, suggesting possible beneficial effects in managing active ulcerative colitis. This is a pilot study and further larger studies are required to confirm the result these preliminary results. (+info)
Reduction of non-digestible oligosaccharides in soymilk: application of engineered lactic acid bacteria that produce alpha-galactosidase.
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Human consumption of soy-derived products has been limited by the presence of non-digestible oligosaccharides (NDO), such as the alpha-galactooligosaccharides raffinose and stachyose. Most mammals, including man, lack pancreatic alpha-galactosidase (alpha-Gal), which is necessary for the hydrolysis of these sugars. However, such NDO can be fermented by gas-producing microorganisms present in the cecum and large intestine, which in turn can induce flatulence and other gastrointestinal disorders in sensitive individuals. The use of microorganisms expressing alpha-Gal is a promising solution to the elimination of NDO before they reach the large intestine. In the present study, lactic acid bacteria engineered to degrade NDO have been constructed and are being used as a tool to evaluate this solution. The alpha-Gal structural genes from Lactobacillus plantarum ATCC8014 (previously characterized in our laboratory) and from guar have been cloned and expressed in Lactococcus lactis. The gene products were directed to different bacterial compartments to optimize their possible applications. The alpha-Gal-producing strains are being evaluated for their efficiency in degrading raffinose and stachyose: i) in soymilk fermentation when used as starters and ii) in situ in the upper gastrointestinal tract when administered to animals orally, as probiotic preparations. The expected outcomes and possible complications of this project are discussed. (+info)
Oral administration of freeze-dried kefir reduces intestinal permeation of and oral sensitization to ovalbumin in mice.
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An increase in plasma ovalbumin concentrations after intragastric administration of ovalbumin was suppressed by concomitant freeze-dried kefir in BALB/c mice. Serum levels of ovalbumin-specific immunoglobulin G and proliferation of splenic mononuclear cells in mice immunized orally with ovalbumin were suppressed by feeding freeze-dried kefir. We propose that kefir reduces intestinal permeation of food antigen, which contributes to suppression of oral sensitization. (+info)
Effect of fermented soy milk on the intestinal bacterial ecosystem.
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AIM: To investigate the effect of fermented soy milk on human ecosystem in the intestinal tract by way of examining the population of different microorganisms isolated from fecal samples. METHODS: A crossover experimental design was applied. Twenty-eight healthy adults completed this experiment. Each subject consumed 250 mL, twice a day between meals, of either fermented soy milk or regular soy milk first for 2 wk, then switched to the other drink after 2 wk. Fecal samples were collected from all subjects every week starting from the second week to the end of the experiment. The microorganisms analyzed were Bifidobacterium spp., Lactobacillus spp., Clostridium perfringens, coliform organisms, and total anaerobic organisms. RESULTS: In the period of fermented soy milk consumption, the populations of Bifidobacterium spp. and Lactobacillus spp. increased (P<0.05) as well as the ratios of Bifidobacterium spp. and Lactobacillus spp. to Clostridium perfringens (P<0.05). The population of coliform organisms decreased (P<0.05) when subjects were in the period of fermented soy milk consumption. CONCLUSION: Intake of fermented soy milk significantly improved the ecosystem of the intestinal tract in the body by increasing the amount of probiotics. (+info)
Effect of milk fermented with Lactobacillus acidophilus strain L-92 on symptoms of Japanese cedar pollen allergy: a randomized placebo-controlled trial.
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A placebo-controlled, single-blind study was conducted to evaluate the effects of Lactobacillus acidophilus strain L-92 (L-92) on the symptoms of Japanese cedar-pollen allergy. This study was carried out during the 2002 and 2003 seasons of Japanese cedar pollination. Twenty-three in-house volunteers were asked to drink 100 ml of heat-treated milk fermented with L-92 containing 5 x 10(10) of the bacteria, twice a day, for 6 consecutive weeks. A similar study was carried out during the 2003 season for 10 weeks, but the daily dose of bacteria was 2 x 10(10). A significant improvement of the ocular symptom-medication score (SMS) was observed in 2002 and of the score of distress of life in 2003. These data show that a daily oral intake of not less than 2 x 10(10) heat-treated L-92 cells improved the symptoms of Japanese cedar pollinosis, thereby contributing to reduce the dose of concomitant medications. However, no blood parameter was significantly affected in these trials. (+info)