Location: Sugarbeet and Potato Research
Project Number: 3060-21650-001-008-S
Project Type: Non-Assistance Cooperative Agreement
Start Date: Sep 1, 2018
End Date: Aug 31, 2023
Objective:
(1) Determine how energy balance and lipid metabolism are impacted by low- and high-dietary fiber cultivars of chickpea, dry bean, dry pea, and lentil. (2) Determine how pulse consumption affects histologic and molecular characteristics associated with gut health. (3) Determine whether differences exist in nutrient and small molecule profiles among pulse crops and across low- versus high-dietary fiber cultivars within a given pulse crop.
Approach:
To assess whether energy balance and lipid metabolism are impacted by low-fiber versus high-fiber pulse cultivars, we will conduct investigations of energy metabolism we will use a mouse model to study: body composition and adipocyte morphometrics and caloric uptake and the fraction of ingested energy that is excreted in the feces. To determine whether pulse consumption affects histologic and molecular characteristics associated with gut health, we will assess colonic microenvironment function, anti-microbial defense, and serum endotoxin concentration under basal conditions and in response to chemical challenge (dextran sodium sulfate) in a mouse model. Finally, to determine whether differences exist in nutrient and small molecule profiles among pulse crops, non-target and targeted mass spectrometry techniques and elemental profiling will be used to identify differences among different pulse crop species and across low-fiber versus high-fiber cultivars within each pulse crop. The analyses will include measurements of established nutrients, bioactive compounds, and oligosaccharide functional groups. Differences observed will be examined for correlation with anti-obesogenic activity and gut health characteristics.
