BACKGROUND: Consumption of cocoa-derived polyphenols has been associated with several health benefits; however, their effects on the intestinal microbiome and related features of host intestinal health are not adequately understood. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to determine the effects of eating flavanol-enriched cocoa powder on the composition of the gut microbiota, tissue metabolite profiles, and intestinal immune status. METHODS: Male pigs (5 mo old, 28 kg mean body weight) were supplemented with 0, 2.5, 10, or 20 g flavanol-enriched cocoa powder/d for 27 d. Metabolites in serum, urine, the proximal colon contents, liver, and adipose tissue; bacterial abundance in the intestinal contents and feces; and intestinal tissue gene expression of inflammatory markers and Toll-like receptors (TLRs) were then determined. RESULTS: O-methyl-epicatechin-glucuronide conjugates dose-dependently increased (P< 0.01) in the urine (35- to 204-fold), serum (6- to 186-fold), and adipose tissue (34- to 1144-fold) of pigs fed cocoa powder. The concentration of 3-hydroxyphenylpropionic acid isomers in urine decreased as the dose of cocoa powder fed to pigs increased (75-85%,P< 0.05). Compared with the unsupplemented pigs, the abundance ofLactobacillusspecies was greater in the feces (7-fold,P= 0.005) and that ofBifidobacteriumspecies was greater in the proximal colon contents (9-fold,P= 0.01) in pigs fed only 20 or 10 g cocoa powder/d, respectively. Moreover, consumption of cocoa powder reducedTLR9gene expression in ileal Peyer's patches (67-80%,P< 0.05) and mesenteric lymph nodes (43-71%,P< 0.05) of pigs fed 2.5-20 g cocoa powder/d compared with pigs not supplemented with cocoa powder. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates that consumption of cocoa powder by pigs can contribute to gut health by enhancing the abundance ofLactobacillusandBifidobacteriumspecies and modulating markers of localized intestinal immunity.
BACKGROUND: Consumption of cocoa-derived polyphenols has been associated with several health benefits; however, their effects on the intestinal microbiome and related features of host intestinal health are not adequately understood. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to determine the effects of eating flavanol-enriched cocoa powder on the composition of the gut microbiota, tissue metabolite profiles, and intestinal immune status. METHODS: Male pigs (5 mo old, 28 kg mean body weight) were supplemented with 0, 2.5, 10, or 20 g flavanol-enriched cocoa powder/d for 27 d. Metabolites in serum, urine, the proximal colon contents, liver, and adipose tissue; bacterial abundance in the intestinal contents and feces; and intestinal tissue gene expression of inflammatory markers and Toll-like receptors (TLRs) were then determined. RESULTS:O-methyl-epicatechin-glucuronide conjugates dose-dependently increased (P< 0.01) in the urine (35- to 204-fold), serum (6- to 186-fold), and adipose tissue (34- to 1144-fold) of pigs fed cocoa powder. The concentration of 3-hydroxyphenylpropionic acid isomers in urine decreased as the dose of cocoa powder fed to pigs increased (75-85%,P< 0.05). Compared with the unsupplemented pigs, the abundance ofLactobacillusspecies was greater in the feces (7-fold,P= 0.005) and that ofBifidobacteriumspecies was greater in the proximal colon contents (9-fold,P= 0.01) in pigs fed only 20 or 10 g cocoa powder/d, respectively. Moreover, consumption of cocoa powder reducedTLR9gene expression in ileal Peyer's patches (67-80%,P< 0.05) and mesenteric lymph nodes (43-71%,P< 0.05) of pigs fed 2.5-20 g cocoa powder/d compared with pigs not supplemented with cocoa powder. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates that consumption of cocoa powder by pigs can contribute to gut health by enhancing the abundance ofLactobacillusandBifidobacteriumspecies and modulating markers of localized intestinal immunity.
Authors: Janet A Novotny; Tzu-Ying Chen; Anton I Terekhov; Sarah K Gebauer; David J Baer; Lap Ho; Giulio M Pasinetti; Mario G Ferruzzi Journal: Mol Nutr Food Res Date: 2017-08-29 Impact factor: 5.914
Authors: Andrea Deledda; Giuseppe Annunziata; Gian Carlo Tenore; Vanessa Palmas; Aldo Manzin; Fernanda Velluzzi Journal: Antioxidants (Basel) Date: 2021-04-29
Authors: Gloria I Solano-Aguilar; Sukla Lakshman; Saebyeol Jang; Ethiopia Beshah; Yue Xie; Masoumeh Sikaroodi; Richi Gupta; Bryan Vinyard; Aleksey Molokin; Joseph F Urban; Patrick Gillevet; Cindy D Davis Journal: Curr Dev Nutr Date: 2018-02-09