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Research Project: Adding Value to Plant-Based Waste Materials through Development of Novel, Healthy Ingredients and Functional Foods

Location: Healthy Processed Foods Research

Title: Synbiotic effect of whole grape seed flour and newly isolated kefir lactic acid bacteria on intestinal microbiota of diet-induced obese mice

Author
item SEO, KUN-HO - Konkuk University
item KIM, DONG-HYEON - Konkuk University
item Yokoyama, Wallace - Wally
item KIM, HYUNSOOK - Hanyang University

Submitted to: Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/3/2020
Publication Date: 3/3/2020
Citation: Seo, K., Kim, D., Yokoyama, W.H., Kim, H. 2020. Synbiotic effect of whole grape seed flour and newly isolated kefir lactic acid bacteria on intestinal microbiota of diet-induced obese mice. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. 68(46):13131-13137. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jafc.0c01240.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jafc.0c01240

Interpretive Summary: Gut bacteria have recently been recognized as a contributor to obesity and related metabolic diseases by inflammation causing bacterial cell wall particles that pass through the intestinal wall into the body. We have shown previously that grape seed polyphenols modify bacteria population in hamsters and mice and were associated with decreased body weight gain, adipose fat and decreased blood lipids. Similarly, kefir and a lactic acid bacteria from kefir was shown to have healthful properties in animal models of obesity. In this report we show that the symbiotic combination reduces obesity and related adverse metabolic conditions by improving gut barrier function and favorable changes in gut bacteria.

Technical Abstract: Alterations of intestinal microbiota by synbiotic action of prebiotics and probiotics may confer health benefits to the host. To determine whether combination of flavonoid-rich wine grape seed flour (WGF) and newly isolated kefir lactic acid bacteria (LAB) is associated with such synbiotic effects, high-fat (HF)-diet-induced obese (DIO) mice were fed HF diet containing 6% microcrystalline cellulose (MCC, control), 10% WGF, orally administrated LAB, or a combination of WGF and LAB for 9 weeks. All experimental diets reduced HF-diet-induced weight gain, liver and adipose tissue weight, and plasma lipid concentrations compared to control. Fecal 16S rRNA sequencing data showed combination enhanced fecal microbial diversity, and abundance of Akkermansia muciniphila and Nocardia coeliaca that are closely associated with regulation of diet-induced obesity, polyphenol conversion, and cecum butyrate production. In conclusion, synbiotic effect on ameliorating HF diet-induced obesity is closely linked to intestinal microbiota, gut barrier function (plasma zonulin), and cecum propionate production.