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Prebiotic (nutrition)
Prebiotics are compounds in food that foster growth or activity of beneficial microorganisms such as bacteria and fungi. The most common environment concerning their effects on human health is the gastrointestinal tract, where prebiotics can alter the composition of organisms in the gut microbiome. Dietary prebiotics are typically nondigestible fiber compounds that pass undigested through the upper part of the gastrointestinal tract and help growth or activity of advantageous bacteria in the colon by acting as substrates for them. They were first identified and named by Marcel Roberfroid in 1995. Depending on the jurisdiction, they may have regulatory scrutiny as food additives for the health claims made for marketing purposes. Common prebiotics used in food manufacturing include beta-glucan from oats, resistant starch from grains and beans, and inulin from chicory root. Definition The definition of prebiotics and the food ingredients that can fall under this classificat ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Probiotic
Probiotics are live microorganisms that provide health benefits when consumed, generally by improving or restoring the microbiota in the gut. Probiotics are considered generally safe to consume, but may cause bacteria– host interactions and unwanted side effects in rare cases. There is some evidence that probiotics are beneficial for some conditions, such as helping to ease some symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). However, many claimed health benefits, such as treating eczema, or curing vaginal infections lack substantial scientific support. The first discovered probiotic was a certain strain of bacillus in Bulgarian yoghurt, called '' Lactobacillus bulgaricus''. The discovery was made in 1905 by Bulgarian physician and microbiologist Stamen Grigorov. The modern-day theory is generally attributed to Russian Nobel Prize laureate Élie Metchnikoff, who postulated around 1907 that yoghurt-consuming Bulgarian peasants lived longer. A growing probiotics market has ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Fructan
A fructan is a polymer of fructose molecules. Fructans with a short chain length are known as fructooligosaccharides. Fructans can be found in over 12% of the angiosperms including both monocots and dicotyledon, dicots such as agave, artichokes, asparagus, leek (vegetable), leeks, garlic, onions (including spring onions), yacón, jícama, barley and wheat. Fructans also appear in grass, with Laminitis, dietary implications for horses and other grazing animals (Equidae). Types Fructans are built up of fructose residues, normally with a sucrose unit (i.e. a glucose–fructose disaccharide) at what would otherwise be the reducing terminus. The linkage position of the fructose residues determine the type of the fructan. There are five types of fructans. Linkage normally occurs at one of the two primary hydroxyls (OH-1 (compound), OH-1 or OH-6 (compound), OH-6), and there are two basic types of simple fructan: * 1-linked: in inulin, the fructosyl residues are linked by β-2,1-linkage ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Faecalibacterium
''Faecalibacterium'' is a genus of bacteria. The genus contains several species including ''Faecalibacterium prausnitzii'', ''Faecalibacterium butyricigenerans'', ''Faecalibacterium longum'', ''Faecalibacterium duncaniae'', ''Faecalibacterium hattorii'', and ''Faecalibacterium gallinarum''. Its first known species, ''Faecalibacterium prausnitzii'' (renamed as Faecalibacterium ''duncaniae'') is gram-positive, mesophilic, rod-shaped, and anaerobic, and is one of the most abundant and important commensal bacteria of the human gut microbiota. It is non-spore forming and non-motile. These bacteria produce butyrate and other short-chain fatty acids through the fermentation of dietary fiber. The production of butyrate makes them an important member of the gut microbiota, fighting against inflammation. History Formerly assigned to the genus ''Fusobacterium'' in the phylum Fusobacteriota, ''Faecalibacterium prausnitzii'' was re-assigned to its own genus when phylogenetic analysis of ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Propionibacterium
''Propionibacterium'' is a gram-positive, anaerobic, rod-shaped genus of bacteria named for their unique metabolism: They are able to synthesize propionic acid by using unusual transcarboxylase enzymes. Its members are primarily facultative parasites and commensals of humans and other animals, living in and around the sweat glands, sebaceous glands, and other areas of the skin. They are virtually ubiquitous and do not cause problems for most people, but propionibacteria have been implicated in acne and other skin conditions. One study found the ''Propionibacterium'' was the most prevalent human skin-associated genus of microorganisms. In ruminants, propionibacteria reduce nitrate to nontoxic nitrogen compounds. Members of the genus ''Propionibacterium'' are widely used in the production of vitamin B12, tetrapyrrole compounds, and propionic acid, as well as in the probiotics and cheese industries. The strain ''Propionibacterium freudenreichii'' subsp. ''shermanii'' is used ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Akkermansia
''Akkermansia'' is a genus in the phylum Verrucomicrobiota (Bacteria). The genus was first proposed by Derrien ''et al.'' (2004), with the type species ''Akkermansia muciniphila'' (gen. nov., sp. nov). Until 2016 the genus contained a single known species, namely '' A. muciniphila''. In 2016, '' Akkermansia glycaniphila'' was isolated in the feces of a reticulated python. Etymology The name ''Akkermansia'' (Ak.ker.man'si.a.) derives from: Neo-Latin feminine gender noun ''Akkermansia'', named after Anton Dirk Louis Akkermans (1940–2006), a Dutch microbiologist recognized for his contribution to microbial ecology. Neo-Latin neuter gender noun ''mucinum'', mucin; Neo-Latin adjective ''philus'' from Greek adjective ''philos (φίλος)'' meaning friend, loving; Neo-Latin feminine gender adjective ''muciniphila'', mucin-loving). Description Cells are oval-shaped, non-motile and stain Gram-negative. Strictly anaerobic organism. Chemo-organotrophic. Mucolytic in pure cultur ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Eubacterium
''Eubacterium'' is a genus of Gram-positive bacteria in the family Eubacteriaceae. These bacteria are characterised by a rigid cell wall. They may either be motile or nonmotile. If motile, they have a flagellum. A typical flagellum consists of a basal body, filament, and hook. The long filament is the organ which helps eubacteria move. Phylogeny The currently accepted taxonomy is based on the List of Prokaryotic names with Standing in Nomenclature (LPSN) and National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) See also * List of bacterial orders * List of bacteria genera This article lists the genera of the bacteria Bacteria (; : bacterium) are ubiquitous, mostly free-living organisms often consisting of one Cell (biology), biological cell. They constitute a large domain (biology), domain of Prokaryote, ... References Eubacteriaceae Bacterial vaginosis Bacteria genera {{Clostridia-stub ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lactobacillus
''Lactobacillus'' is a genus of gram-positive, aerotolerant anaerobes or microaerophilic, rod-shaped, non-spore-forming bacteria. Until 2020, the genus ''Lactobacillus'' comprised over 260 phylogenetically, ecologically, and metabolically diverse species; a taxonomic revision of the genus assigned lactobacilli to 25 genera (see below). ''Lactobacillus'' species constitute a significant component of the human and animal microbiota at a number of body sites, such as the digestive system and the female genital system. In women of European ancestry, ''Lactobacillus'' species are normally a major part of the vaginal microbiota. ''Lactobacillus'' forms biofilms in the vaginal and gut microbiota, allowing them to persist in harsh environmental conditions and maintain ample populations. ''Lactobacillus'' exhibits a mutualistic relationship with the human body, as it protects the host against potential invasions by pathogens, and in turn, the host provides a source of nutrients ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bifidobacteria
''Bifidobacterium'' is a genus of gram-positive, nonmotile, often branched anaerobic bacteria. They are ubiquitous inhabitants of the gastrointestinal tract though strains have been isolated from the vagina and mouth ('' B. dentium'') of mammals, including humans. Bifidobacteria are one of the major genera of bacteria that make up the gastrointestinal tract microbiota in mammals. Some bifidobacteria are used as probiotics. Before the 1960s, ''Bifidobacterium'' species were collectively referred to as ''Lactobacillus bifidus''. History In 1899, Henri Tissier, a French pediatrician at the Pasteur Institute in Paris, isolated a bacterium characterised by a Y-shaped morphology ("bifid") in the intestinal microbiota of breast-fed infants and named it "bifidus". In 1907, Élie Metchnikoff, deputy director at the Pasteur Institute, propounded the theory that lactic acid bacteria are beneficial to human health. Metchnikoff observed that the longevity of Bulgarians was the result o ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Causality
Causality is an influence by which one Event (philosophy), event, process, state, or Object (philosophy), object (''a'' ''cause'') contributes to the production of another event, process, state, or object (an ''effect'') where the cause is at least partly responsible for the effect, and the effect is at least partly dependent on the cause. The cause of something may also be described as the reason for the event or process. In general, a process can have multiple causes,Compare: which are also said to be ''causal factors'' for it, and all lie in its past. An effect can in turn be a cause of, or causal factor for, many other effects, which all lie in its future. Some writers have held that causality is metaphysics , metaphysically prior to notions of time and space. Causality is an abstraction that indicates how the world progresses. As such it is a basic concept; it is more apt to be an explanation of other concepts of progression than something to be explained by other more fun ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
European Food Safety Authority
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) is the agency of the European Union (EU) that provides independent scientific advice and communicates on existing and emerging risks associated with the food chain. EFSA was established in February 2002 in Parma, Italy. It had a yearly budget of €118.6 million, and a total staff of 542 as of 2021. The work of EFSA covers all matters with a direct or indirect impact on food and feed safety, including animal health and welfare, plant protection and plant health and nutrition. EFSA supports the European Commission, the European Parliament and EU member states in taking effective and timely risk management decisions that ensure the protection of the health of European consumers and the safety of the food and feed chain. EFSA also communicates to the public in an open and transparent way on all matters within its remit. Structure Based on a regulation of 2002, the EFSA is composed of four bodies: * Management Board * Executive Direc ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Xylooligosaccharide
Xylooligosaccharides (XOS) are polymers of the sugar xylose. They are produced from the xylan fraction in plant fiber. Their C5 (where C is a quantity of carbon atoms in each monomer) structure is fundamentally different from other prebiotics, which are based upon C6 sugars. Xylooligosaccharides have been commercially available since the 1980s, originally produced by Suntory in Japan. They have more recently become more widely available commercially, as technologies have advanced and production costs have fallen. Some enzymes from yeast can exclusively convert xylan into only xylooligosaccharides-DP-3 to 7. Xylooligosaccharides act as a Prebiotic (nutrition), prebiotic, selectively feeding beneficial bacteria such as bifidobacteria and lactobacilli within the digestive tract. A large number of clinical trials have been conducted with XOS, demonstrating a variety of health benefits, including improvements in blood sugars and lipids, digestive health benefits, laxation, and beneficia ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pectin
Pectin ( ': "congealed" and "curdled") is a heteropolysaccharide, a structural polymer contained in the primary lamella, in the middle lamella, and in the cell walls of terrestrial plants. The principal chemical component of pectin is galacturonic acid (a sugar acid derived from galactose) which was isolated and described by Henri Braconnot in 1825. Commercially produced pectin is a white-to-light-brown powder, produced from citrus fruits for use as an edible gelling agent, especially in jams and jellies, dessert fillings, medications, and sweets; as a food stabiliser in fruit juices and milk drinks, and as a source of dietary fiber. Biology Pectin is composed of complex polysaccharides that are present in the primary cell walls of a plant, and are abundant in the green parts of terrestrial plants. Pectin is the principal component of the middle lamella, where it binds cells. Pectin is deposited by exocytosis into the cell wall via vesicles produced in the Golgi appara ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
