Plant-Based Nutraceutical Formulation Modulates the Human Gut Microbiota and Ferulic Acid Esterase Activity During In...

Area of Science:

• Microbiology
• Nutritional Science
• Biochemistry

Background:

• Oxidative stress, an imbalance of reactive oxygen species and antioxidant defenses, contributes to chronic diseases.
• Gut microbiota and their metabolites play a crucial role in mitigating oxidative stress and influencing host metabolism.
• Ferulic acid esterases (FAE) are key gut enzymes that release ferulic acid (FA), a potent antioxidant, from plant-derived compounds.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of two plant-based nutraceutical formulations (PC1: cereal-millet; PC2: fruit-vegetable) on gut microbiota composition.
• To assess the effect of these formulations on the production of FAE, xylanase, pectinase, and short-chain fatty acids (SCFA).
• To evaluate the resulting changes in antioxidant activity of the in vitro fermentation products.

Main Methods:

• In vitro fermentation of human fecal samples incubated with PC1 and PC2 nutraceutical formulations.
• Analysis of gut microbial abundance, including key genera like Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus.
• Quantification of FAE, xylanase, pectinase, SCFA, and other small metabolites, alongside antioxidant activity assays.

Main Results:

• Both PC1 and PC2 formulations significantly increased the abundance of beneficial gut bacteria (Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus, Prevotella, Faecalibacteria, Clostridium leptum).
• Enzyme production (FAE, xylanase, pectinase) and SCFA levels were elevated following fermentation with both formulations.
• PC1 demonstrated a stronger stimulation of FAE and xylanase production compared to PC2, leading to enhanced antioxidant activity.

Conclusions:

• Plant-based nutraceuticals, particularly PC1, effectively modulate gut microbiota to increase FAE and SCFA production.
• This modulation enhances the gut's antioxidant capacity, suggesting a role for these formulations in managing oxidative stress.
• FA-rich plant-based formulations can serve as prophylactic nutraceutical supplements for alleviating oxidative stress via gut microbiome modulation.