Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Inflammatory Diseases And Resections Of The Digestive Tract Influence The Risk Of Circulating Food-Specific-Igg, Jacques Izard, Walker Carson, Joseph Baumert, Jennifer Clarke

Department of Food Science and Technology: Faculty Publications

Objectives: Individuals affected with inflammatory diseases of the digestive tract or have had surgical removal of sections of the digestive tract are often in need to adjust their diet. The symptomatology associated with food intake issues is often informally reported as food sensitivity. We investigated the circulating food-specific-IgG among ten conditions.

Conclusion: The risk of the having circulating food-specific IgG differed widely among the conditions investigated. The maintenance of a colonic environment might influence the risk of food sensitivity in ostomates.

Small Bowel Stomas Are Associated With Higher Risk Of Circulating Food-Specific-Igg Than Patients With Organic Gastrointestinal Conditions And Colostomies, Walker K. Carson, Joseph L. Baumert, Jennifer Clarke, Jacques Izard

Department of Food Science and Technology: Faculty Publications

Objective The effects of food sensitivity can easily be masked by other digestive symptoms in ostomates and are unknown. We investigated food-specific-IgG presence in ostomates relative to participants affected by other digestive diseases.

Design Food-specific-IgG was evaluated for 198 participants with a panel of 109 foods. Immunocompetency status was also tested. Jejunostomates, ileostomates, and colostomates were compared with individuals with digestive tract diseases with inflammatory components (periodontitis, eosinophilic esophagitis, duodenitis, ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease, and appendicitis), as well as food malabsorption due to intolerance. A logistic regression model with covariates was used to estimate the effect of the experimental data …

The Sulfur Microbial Diet And Risk Of Colorectal Cancer By Molecular Subtypes And Intratumoral Microbial Species In Adult Men, Daniel R. Sikavi, Long H. Nguyen, Koichiro Haruki, Tomotaka Ugai, Wenjie Ma, Dong D. Wang, Kelsey N. Thompson, Yan Yan, Tobyn Branck, Jeremy E. Wilkinson, Naohiko Akimoto, Rong Zhong, Mai Chan Lau, Kosuke Mima, Keisuke Kosumi, Teppei Morikawa, Eric B. Rimm, Wendy S. Garrett, Jacques Izard, Yin Cao, Mingyang Song, Curtis Huttenhower, Shuji Ogino, Andrew T. Chan

Department of Food Science and Technology: Faculty Publications

Introduction: We recently described the sulfur microbial diet, a pattern of intake associated with increased gut sulfur-metabolizing bacteria and incidence of distal colorectal cancer (CRC). We assessed whether this risk differed by CRC molecular subtypes or presence of intratumoral microbes involved in CRC pathogenesis (Fusobacterium nucleatum and Bifidobacterium spp.).

Methods: We performed Cox proportional hazards modeling to examine the association between the sulfur microbial diet and incidence of overall and distal CRC by molecular and microbial subtype in the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study (1986-2012).

Results: We documented 1,264 incident CRC cases among 48,246 men, approximately 40% …

Overview Of The Microbiome Among Nurses Study (Micro-N) As An Example Of Prospective Characterization Of The Microbiome Within Cohort Studies, Christine Everett, Chengchen Li, Jeremy E. Wilkinson, Long H. Nguyen, Lauren J. Mciver, Kerry Ivey, Jacques Izard, Natalia Palacios, A. Heather Eliassen, Walter C. Willett, Alberto Ascherio, Qi Sun, Shelley S. Tworoger, Andrew T. Chan, Wendy S. Garrett, Curtis Huttenhower, Eric B. Rimm, Mingyang Song

Department of Food Science and Technology: Faculty Publications

A lack of prospective studies has been a major barrier for assessing the role of the microbiome in human health and disease on a population-wide scale. To address this significant knowledge gap, we have launched a large-scale collection targeting fecal and oral microbiome specimens from 20,000 women within the Nurses’ Health Study II cohort (the Microbiome Among Nurses study, or Micro-N). Leveraging the rich epidemiologic data that have been repeatedly collected from this cohort since 1989; the established biorepository of archived blood, urine, buccal cell, and tumor tissue specimens; the available genetic and biomarker data; the cohort’s ongoing follow-up; and …

Peanut Allergen Reaction Thresholds During Controlled Food Challenges In 2 Canadian Randomized Studies (Canada-Arm1 And Pisces), Derek K. Chu, Joseph L. Baumert, Steve L. Taylor, Julie A. Nordlee, Tina Nham, Jonathan Bramson, Sébastien La Vieille, Michael A. Abbott, Paul Spill, Andrea Marrin, Manel Jordana, Susan Waserman

Department of Food Science and Technology: Faculty Publications

In 2 randomized studies addressing peanut allergy (Canada-Food Allergy Risk Management 1 [NCT01812798] and Peanut Immunotherapy Starting in Canada, Evaluation and DiScovery [NCT0 1601522]), we quantified peanut allergen thresholds to food challenge using Bayesian stacked model averaging to inform policy and clinical practice. About 50% of patients tolerated more than 70 mg (~ ¼ peanut).

3d Printing Of Human Microbiome Constituents To Understand Spatial Relationships And Shape Parameters In Bacteriology, Jacques Izard, Teklu Kuru Gerbaba, Shara R. P. Yumul

Department of Food Science and Technology: Faculty Publications

Effective laboratory and classroom demonstration of microbiome size and shape, diversity, and ecological relationships is hampered by a lack of high-resolution, easy-to-use, readily accessible physical or digital models for use in teaching. Three-dimensional (3D) representations are, overall, more effective in communicating visuospatial information, allowing for a better understanding of concepts not directly observable with the unaided eye. Published morphology descriptions and microscopy images were used as the basis for designing 3D digital models, scaled at 20,000×, using computer-aided design software (CAD) and generating printed models of bacteria on mass-market 3D printers. Sixteen models are presented, including rod-shaped, spiral, flask-like, vibroid, …

Dietary Fiber Intake, The Gut Microbiome, And Chronic Systemic Inflammation In A Cohort Of Adult Men, Wenjie Ma, Long H. Nguyen, Mingyang Song, Dong D. Wang, Eric A. Franzosa, Yin Cao, Amit Joshi, David A. Drew, Raaj Mehta, Kerry L. Ivey, Lisa L. Strate, Edward L. Giovannucci, Jacques Izard, Wendy Garrett, Eric B. Rimm, Curtis Huttenhower, Andrew T. Chan

Department of Food Science and Technology: Faculty Publications

Background: A higher intake of dietary fiber is associated with a decreased risk of chronic inflammatory diseases such as cardiovascular disease and inflammatory bowel disease. This may function in part due to abrogation of chronic systemic inflammation induced by factors such as dysbiotic gut communities. Data regarding the detailed influences of long-term and recent intake of differing dietary fiber sources on the human gut microbiome are lacking.

Methods: In a cohort of 307 generally healthy men, we examined gut microbiomes, profiled by shotgun metagenomic and metatranscriptomic sequencing, and long-term and recent dietary fiber intake in relation to plasma …

Comparisons Of Oral, Intestinal, And Pancreatic Bacterial Microbiomes In Patients With Pancreatic Cancer And Other Gastrointestinal Diseases, Mei Chung, Naisi Zhao, Richard Meier, Devin C. Koestler, Guojun Wu, Erika De Castillo, Bruce J. Paster, Kevin Charpentier, Jacques Izard, Karl T. Kelsey, Dominique S. Michaud

Department of Food Science and Technology: Faculty Publications

Background: Oral microbiota is believed to play important roles in systemic diseases, including cancer. Methods: We collected oral samples (tongue, buccal, supragingival, and saliva) and pancreatic tissue or intestinal samples from 52 subjects, and characterized 16S rRNA genes using high-throughput DNA sequencing.

Results: Bray–Curtis plot showed clear separations between bacterial communities in the oral cavity and those in intestinal and pancreatic tissue samples. PERMANOVA tests indicated that bacterial communities from buccal samples were similar to supragingival and saliva samples, and pancreatic duct samples were similar to pancreatic tumor samples, but all other samples were significantly different from each …

Association Between Sulfur-Metabolizing Bacterial Communities In Stool And Risk Of Distal Colorectal Cancer In Men, Long H. Nguyen, Wenjie Ma, Dong D. Wang, Yin Cao, Himel Mallick, Teklu K. Gerbaba, Jason Lloyd-Price, Galeb Abu-Ali, A. Brantley Hall, Daniel Sikavi, David A. Drew, Raaj S. Mehta, Cesar Arze, Amit D. Joshi, Yan Yan, Tobyn Branck, Casey Dulong, Kerry L. Ivey, Shuji Ogino, Eric B. Rimm, Mingyang Song, Wendy S. Garrett, Jacques Izard, Cutis Huttenhower, Andrew T. Chan

Department of Food Science and Technology: Faculty Publications

Background and aims: Sulfur-metabolizing microbes, which convert dietary sources of sulfur into genotoxic hydrogen sulfide (H₂S), have been associated with development of colorectal cancer (CRC). We identified a dietary pattern associated with sulfur-metabolizing bacteria in stool and then investigated its association with risk of incident CRC using data from a large prospective study of men.

Methods: We collected data from 51,529 men enrolled in the Health Professionals Follow-up Study since 1986 to determine the association between sulfur-metabolizing bacteria in stool and risk of CRC over 26 years of follow-up. First, in a subcohort of 307 healthy men, we …

Mucosa-Associated Microbiota In Barrett’S Esophagus, Dysplasia, And Esophageal Adenocarcinoma Differ Similarly Compared With Healthy Controls, Shajan Peter, Amanda Pendergraft,, William Vanderpol, Mel Wilcox, Kondal R. Kyanam Kabir Baig, Casey Morrow, Jacques Izard, Peter J. Mannon

Department of Food Science and Technology: Faculty Publications

Introduction: Alterations in the composition of the human gut microbiome and its metabolites have been linked to gut epithelial neoplasia. We hypothesized that differences in mucosa-adherent Barrett’s microbiota could link to risk factors, providing risk of progression to neoplasia.

Methods: Paired biopsies from both diseased and nonaffected esophagus (as well as gastric cardia and gastric juice for comparison) from patients with intestinal metaplasia (n = 10), low grade dysplasia (n = 10), high grade dysplasia (n = 10), esophageal adenocarcinoma (n = 12), and controls (n = 10) were processed for mucosa-associated bacteria …

A Mouse Model Of Human Tlr4 D299g/T399i Snps Reveals Mechanisms Of Altered Lps And Pathogen Responses, Katharina Richard, Kurt H. Piepenbrink, Kari Ann Shirey, Archana Gopalakrishnan, Shreeram Nallar, Daniel J. Prantner, Darren J. Perkins, Wendy Lai, Alexandra Vik, Vladimir Y. Toshchakov, Chiguang Feng, Rachel Fanaroff, Andrei E. Medvedev, Jorge C.G. Blanco, Stefanie N. Vogel

Department of Food Science and Technology: Faculty Publications

Two cosegregating single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in human TLR4, an A896G transition at SNP rs4986790 (D299G) and a C1196T transition at SNP rs4986791 (T399I), have been associated with LPS hyporesponsiveness and differential susceptibility to many infectious or inflammatory diseases. However, many studies failed to confirm these associations, and transfection experiments resulted in conflicting conclusions about the impact of these SNPs on TLR4 signaling. Using advanced protein modeling from crystallographic data of human and murine TLR4, we identified homologous substitutions of these SNPs in murine Tlr4, engineered a knock-in strain expressing the D298G and N397I TLR4 SNPs homozygously, and characterized in vivo …

Role Of Dietary Flavonoid Compounds In Driving Patterns Of Microbial Community Assembly, Kerry L. Ivey, Andrew T. Chan, Jacques Izard, Aedin Cassidy, Geraint B. Rogers, Eric B. Rimm

Department of Food Science and Technology: Faculty Publications

Flavonoids are a group of polyphenolic dietary compounds found in many different plant-based foods. There is increasing evidence that higher flavonoid intake may be causally linked to a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease and other chronic diseases. The bioactivity and bioavailability of many dietary flavonoids can be influenced by gastrointestinal microbiome metabolism. However, the role that habitual flavonoid intake plays in shaping the human gut microbiome is poorly understood. We describe an application of an ecosystem-based analytic approach to nutritional, microbiome, and questionnaire data from a cohort of more than 240 generally healthy adult males to assess the role of …

Long-Term Use Of Antibiotics And Risk Of Colorectal Adenoma, Yin Cao, Kana Wu, Raaj Mehta, David A. Drew, Mingyang Song, Paul Lochhead, Long H. Nguyen, Jacques Izard, Charles S. Fuchs, Wendy S. Garrett, Curtis Huttenhower, Shuji Ogino, Edward L. Giovannucci, Andrew T. Chan

Department of Food Science and Technology: Faculty Publications

Objective: Recent evidence suggests that antibiotic use, which alters the gut microbiome, is associated with an increased risk of colorectal cancer. However, the association between antibiotic use and risk of colorectal adenoma, the precursor for the majority of colorectal cancers, has not been investigated.

Design: We prospectively evaluated the association between antibiotic use at age 20–39 and 40–59 (assessed in 2004) and recent antibiotic use (assessed in 2008) with risk of subsequent colorectal adenoma among 16,642 women aged ≥ 60 enrolled in the Nurses’ Health Study who underwent at least one colonoscopy through 2010. We used multivariate logistic …

The Microbiomes Of Pancreatic And Duodenum Tissue Overlap And Are Highly Subject Specific But Differ Between Pancreatic Cancer And Non-Cancer Subjects, Erika Del Castillo, Richard Meier, Mei Chung, Devin C. Koestler, Tsute Chen, Bruce J. Paster, Kevin P. Charpentier, Karl T. Kelsey, Jacques Izard, Dominique S. Michaud

Department of Food Science and Technology: Faculty Publications

Background: In mice, bacteria from the mouth can translocate to the pancreas and impact pancreatic cancer progression. In humans, oral bacteria associated with periodontal disease have been linked to pancreatic cancer risk. It is not known if DNA bacterial profiles in the pancreas and duodenum are similar within individuals.

Methods: Tissue samples were obtained from 50 subjects with pancreatic cancer or other conditions requiring foregut surgery at the Rhode Island Hospital (RIH), and from thirty-four organs obtained from the National Disease Research Interchange. 16S rRNA gene sequencing was performed on 189 tissue samples (pancreatic duct, duodenum, pancreas), 57 …

Purification And Characterization Of Naturally Occurring Post-Translationally Cleaved Ara H 6, An Allergen That Contributes Substantially To The Allergenic Potency Of Peanut, Govardus A. H. De Jong, Shyamali Jayasena, Philip Johnson, Justin Marsh, Danijela Apostolovic, Marianne Van Hage, Julie A. Nordlee, Joe Baumert, Steve L. Taylor, Camille Roucairol, Harmen De Jongh, Stef J. Koppelman

Department of Food Science and Technology: Faculty Publications

The 2S albumin Ara h 6 is one of the most important peanut allergens. A post-translationally cleaved Ara h 6 (pAra h 6) was purified from Virginia type peanuts, and the cleavage site was mapped using high-resolution mass spectrometry. Compared to intact Ara h 6, pAra h 6 lacks a 5-amino acid stretch, resembling amino acids 43−47 (UniProt accession number Q647G9) in the nonstructured loop. Consequently, pAra h 6 consists of two chains: an N-terminal chain of approximately 5 kDa and a C-terminal chain of approximately 9 kDa, held together by disulfide bonds. Intermediate post-translationally cleaved products, in which this …

Experimental Evaluation Of The Importance Of Colonization History In Early-Life Gut Microbiota Assembly, Inés Martínez, Maria X. Maldonado-Gomez, João Carlos Gomes-Neto, Hatem Kittana, Hua Ding, Robert J. Schmaltz, Payal Joglekar, Roberto Jiménez Cardona, Nathan L Marsteller, Steven W. Kembel, Andrew K. Benson, Daniel A. Peterson, Amanda Ramer-Tait, Jens C. Walter

Department of Food Science and Technology: Faculty Publications

The factors that govern assembly of the gut microbiota are insufficiently understood. Here, we test the hypothesis that inter-individual microbiota variation can arise solely from differences in the order and timing by which the gut is colonized early in life. Experiments in which mice were inoculated in sequence either with two complex seed communities or a cocktail of four bacterial strains and a seed community revealed that colonization order influenced both the outcome of community assembly and the ecological success of individual colonizers. Historical contingency and priority effects also occurred in Rag1^-/- mice, suggesting that the adaptive immune system …

Stability Of The Human Faecal Microbiome In A Cohort Of Adult Men, Raaj S. Mehta, David A. Drew, Jason Lloyd-Price, Ayshwarya Subramaian, Paul Lochhead, Amit D. Joshi, Kerry L. Ivey, Hamed Khalili, Gordon T. Brown, Casey Dulong, Mingyang Song, Long H. Nguyen, Himel Mallick, Eric B. Rimm, Jacques Izard, Curtis Huttenhower, Andrew T. Chan, Galeb S. Abu-Ali

Department of Food Science and Technology: Faculty Publications

Characterizing the stability of the gut microbiome is important to exploit it as a therapeutic target and diagnostic biomarker. We metagenomically and metatranscriptomically sequenced the faecal microbiomes of 308 participants in the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study. Participants provided four stool samples—one pair collected 24–72 h apart and a second pair ~6 months later. Within-person taxonomic and functional variation was consistently lower than between-person variation over time. In contrast, metatranscriptomic profiles were comparably variable within and between subjects due to higher within-subject longitudinal variation. Metagenomic instability accounted for ~74% of corresponding metatranscriptomic instability. The rest was probably attributable to sources such …

In Vitro Digestion And Characterization Of 2s Albumin And Digestion-Resistant Peptides In Pecan, Jelena Spiric, Stef J. Koppelman, Andre Knulst, Julie A. Nordlee, Steve L. Taylor, Joseph L. Baumert

Department of Food Science and Technology: Faculty Publications

The 2S albumins are one of the major protein families involved in severe food allergic reactions to nuts, seeds, and legumes, thus potentially making these proteins clinically relevant for allergic sensitization and potential diagnostic markers. In this study, we sought to purify native 2S albumin protein from pecan to further characterize this putative allergen. The purified 2S albumin, Car i 1, from pecan was found to be resistant to digestion by pepsin in simulated gastric fluid (SGF) and comparatively stable to proteolysis by trypsin and pancreatin in simulated intestinal fluid (SIF). Digestion of purified Car i 1 in SGF and …

Metatranscriptome Of Human Faecal Microbial Communities In A Cohort Of Adult Men, Galeb S. Abu-Ali, Raaj S. Mehta, Jason Lloyd-Price, Himel Mallick, Tobyn Branck, Kerry L. Ivey, David A. Drew, Casey Dulong, Eric Rimm, Jacques Izard, Andrew T. Chan, Curtis Huttenhower

Department of Food Science and Technology: Faculty Publications

The gut microbiome is intimately related to human health, but it is not yet known which functional activities are driven by specific microorganisms' ecological configurations or transcription. We report a large-scale investigation of 372 human fecal metatranscriptomes and 929 metagenomes from a subset of 308 men in the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study. We identified a metatranscriptomic 'core' universally transcribed over time and across participants, often by different microorganisms. In contrast to the housekeeping functions enriched in this core, a 'variable' metatranscriptome included specialized pathways that were differentially expressed both across participants and among microorganisms. Finally, longitudinal metagenomic profiles allowed ecological …

Evaluation Of A Handheld Gluten Detection Device, Steve L. Taylor, Julie A. Nordlee, Shyamali Jayasena, Joseph L. Baumert

Department of Food Science and Technology: Faculty Publications

A portable, handheld gluten detection device, the Nima sensor, is now available for consumers wishing to determine if gluten is present in food. By United States regulation, gluten-free foods should contain < 20 ppm of gluten. Thirteen gluten-free foods (muffins, three different types of bread, three different types of pasta, puffed corn snack, ice cream, meatballs, vinegar and oil salad dressing, oatmeal, and dark chocolate) were prepared; each food was spiked on a weight-to-weight basis with gluten levels of 0, 5, 10, 20, 30, 40, and 100 ppm before processing or preparation. Unprocessed and processed foods were tested with the handheld gluten sensor and by two gluten-specific enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) on the basis of the R5 and G12 monoclonal antibodies, respectively. The portable gluten detection device detected gluten in all food types at the 30-ppm addition level, failing to detect gluten in only 5 (6.4%) of 78 subsamples. At the 20-ppm addition level, the portable gluten detection device failed to detect gluten in one type of pasta but detected gluten residues in 63 (87.5%) of 72 other subsamples. The device was able to detect gluten at the 10-ppm addition level in 9 of the 13 food matrices (41 of 54 subsamples, 75.9%) but not in the three types of pasta and the puffed corn snack. The gluten-sensing device did not perform reliably at the 5-ppm addition level in 11 of 13 food matrices (exceptions: ice cream and muffins). In contrast, the ELISA methods were highly reliable at gluten addition levels of ≥ 10 ppm in all food matrices. The portable gluten detection device yielded a low percentage of false-positive results (4 of 111, 3.6%) in these food matrices. Thus, this handheld portable gluten sensor performed reliably in the detection of gluten in foods having ≥ 20 ppm of added gluten with only 18 (5.9%) of 306 failures, if results of the one type of pasta are excluded. The device worked with greater reliability as the gluten levels in the foods increased.

A Gut Pathobiont Synergizes With The Microbiota To Instigate Inflammatory Disease Marked By Immunoreactivity Against Other Symbionts But Not Itself, João Carlos Gomes-Neto, Hatem Kittana, Sara Mantz, Rafael R. Segura Munoz, Robert J. Schmaltz, Laure B. Bindels, Jennifer L. Clarke, Jesse M. Hostetter, Andrew K. Benson, Jens Walter, Amanda Ramer-Tait

Department of Food Science and Technology: Faculty Publications

Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) are likely driven by aberrant immune responses directed against the resident microbiota. Although IBD is commonly associated with a dysbiotic microbiota enriched in putative pathobionts, the etiological agents of IBD remain unknown. Using a pathobiont-induced intestinal inflammation model and a defined bacterial community, we provide new insights into the immune-microbiota interactions during disease. In this model system, the pathobiont Helicobacter bilis instigates disease following sub-pathological dextran sulfate sodium treatment. We show that H. bilis causes mild inflammation in mono-associated mice, but severe disease in the presence of a microbiota, demonstrating synergy between the pathobiont and microbiota …

Peanut Allergen Threshold Study (Pats): Novel Single-Dose Oral Food Challenge Study To Validate Eliciting Doses In Children With Peanut Allergy, Jonathan O'B. Hourihane, Katrina J. Allen, Wayne G. Shreffler, Gillian Dunngalvin, Julie A. Nordlee, Giovanni A. Zurzolo, Audrey Dunngalvin, Lyle C. Gurrin, Joseph L. Baumert, Steve L. Taylor

Department of Food Science and Technology: Faculty Publications

Background: Eliciting doses (EDs) of allergenic foods can be defined by the distribution of threshold doses for subjects within a specific population. The ED₀₅ is the dose that elicits a reaction in 5% of allergic subjects. The predicted ED₀₅ for peanut is 1.5 mg of peanut protein (6 mg of whole peanut).

Objective: We sought to validate the predicted peanut ED₀₅ (1.5 mg) with a novel single-dose challenge. Methods: Consecutive eligible children with peanut allergy in 3 centers were prospectively invited to participate, irrespective of previous reaction severity. Predetermined criteria for objective reactions were used …

The Host Microbiome Regulates And Maintains Human Health: A Primer And Perspective For Non-Microbiologists, Sunil Thomas, Jacques Izard, Emily Walsh, Kristen Batich, Pakawat Chongsathidkiet, Gerard Clarke, David A. Sela, Alexander J. Muller, James M. Mullin, Korin Albert, John P. Gilligan, Katherine Diguilio, Rima Dilbarova, Walker Alexander, George P. Prendergast

Department of Food Science and Technology: Faculty Publications

Humans consider themselves discrete autonomous organisms, but recent research is rapidly strengthening the appreciation that associated microorganisms make essential contributions to human health and well being. Each person is inhabited and also surrounded by his/her own signature microbial cloud. A low diversity of microorganisms is associated with a plethora of diseases, including allergy, diabetes, obesity, arthritis, inflammatory bowel diseases, and even neuropsychiatric disorders. Thus, an interaction of microorganisms with the host immune system is required for a healthy body. Exposure to microorganisms from the moment we are born and appropriate microbiome assembly during childhood are essential for establishing an active …

A Critical Assessment Of The “Sterile Womb” And “In Utero Colonization” Hypotheses: Implications For Research On The Pioneer Infant Microbiome, Maria Elisa Perez-Muñoz, Marie-Claire Arrieta, Amanda E. Ramer-Tait, Jens Walter

Department of Food Science and Technology: Faculty Publications

After more than a century of active research, the notion that the human fetal environment is sterile and that the neonate’s microbiome is acquired during and after birth was an accepted dogma. However, recent studies using molecular techniques suggest bacterial communities in the placenta, amniotic fluid, and meconium from healthy pregnancies. These findings have led many scientists to challenge the “sterile womb paradigm” and propose that microbiome acquisition instead begins in utero, an idea that would fundamentally change our understanding of gut microbiota acquisition and its role in human development. In this review, we provide a critical assessment of the …

The International Scientific Association For Probiotics And Prebiotics (Isapp) Consensus Statement On The Definition And Scope Of Prebiotics, Glenn R. Gibson, Robert W. Hutkins, Mary Ellen Sanders, Susan L. Prescott, Raylene A. Reimer, Seppo J. Salminen, Karen Scott, Catherine Stanton, Kelly S. Swanson, Patrice D. Cani, Kristin Verbeke, Gregor Reid

Department of Food Science and Technology: Faculty Publications

In December 2016, a panel of experts in microbiology, nutrition and clinical research was convened by the International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics to review the definition and scope of prebiotics. Consistent with the original embodiment of prebiotics, but aware of the latest scientific and clinical developments, the panel updated the definition of a prebiotic: a substrate that is selectively utilized by host microorganisms conferring a health benefit. This definition expands the concept of prebiotics to possibly include non-carbohydrate substances, applications to body sites other than the gastrointestinal tract, and diverse categories other than food. The requirement for selective …

Epidemiological Investigation Of Candida Species Causing Bloodstream Infection In Pediatric Small Bowel Transplant Recipients, Mallory J. Suhr, João Carlos Gomes-Neto, Nabaraj Banjara, Diana F. Florescu, David F. Mercer, Peter C. Iwen, Heather E. Hallen-Adams

Department of Food Science and Technology: Faculty Publications

Small bowel transplantation (SBT) can be a life-saving medical procedure. However, these recipients experience high risk of bloodstream infections caused by Candida. This research aims to characterize the SBT recipient gut microbiota over time following transplantation and investigate the epidemiology of candidemia in seven pediatric patients. Candida species from the recipients’ ileum and bloodstream were identified by internal transcribed spacer sequence and distinguished to strain by multilocus sequence typing and randomly amplified polymorphic DNA. Antifungal susceptibility of bloodstream isolates was determined against nine antifungals. Twenty-two ileostomy samples harbored at least one Candida species. Fungemia were caused by Candida parapsilosis …

Peanut Allergen Threshold Study (Pats): Novel Single-Dose Oral Food Challenge Study To Validate Eliciting Doses In Children With Peanut Allergy, Jonathan O'B. Hourihane, Katrina J. Allen, Wayne G. Shreffler, Gillian Dunngalvin, Julie A. Nordlee, Giovanni A. Zurzolo, Audrey Dunngalvin, Lyle C. Gurrin, Joseph L. Baumert, Steve L. Taylor

Department of Food Science and Technology: Faculty Publications

Background: Eliciting doses (EDs) of allergenic foods can be defined by the distribution of threshold doses for subjects within a specific population. The ED₀₅ is the dose that elicits a reaction in 5% of allergic subjects. The predicted ED₀₅ for peanut is 1.5 mg of peanut protein (6 mg of whole peanut).

Objective: We sought to validate the predicted peanut ED05 (1.5 mg) with a novel single-dose challenge.

Methods: Consecutive eligible children with peanut allergy in 3 centers were prospectively invited to participate, irrespective of previous reaction severity. Predetermined criteria for objective reactions were used …

Stable Engraftment Of Bifidobacterium Longum Ah1206 In The Human Gut Depends On Individualized Features Of The Resident Microbiome, María X. Maldonado-Gómez, Inés Martínez, Francesca Bottacini, Amy O’Callaghan, Marco Ventura, Douwe Van Sinderen, Benjamin Hillmann, Pajau Vangay, Dan Knights, Robert W. Hutkins, Jens Walter

Department of Food Science and Technology: Faculty Publications

Live bacteria (such as probiotics) have long been used to modulate gut microbiota and human physiology, but their colonization is mostly transient. Conceptual understanding of the ecological principles as they apply to exogenously introduced microbes in gut ecosystems is lacking. We find that, when orally administered to humans, Bifidobacterium longum AH1206 stably persists in the gut of 30% of individuals for at least 6 months without causing gastrointestinal symptoms or impacting the composition of the resident gut microbiota. AH1206 engraftment was associated with low abundance of resident B. longum and underrepresentation of specific carbohydrate utilization genes in the pre-treatment microbiome. …

Allergenicity Attributes Of Different Peanut Market Types, Stef J. Koppelman, Shyamali Jayasena, Dion Luykx, Erik Schepens, Danijela Apostolovic, Govardus A.H. De Jong, Thomas G. Isleib, Julie A. Nordlee, Joseph L. Baumert, Steve L. Taylor, Hsiaopo Cheng, Sohelia Maleki

Department of Food Science and Technology: Faculty Publications

Four different market classes of peanut (Runner, Virginia, Spanish, and Valencia) are commonly consumed in Western countries, but for some consumers peanuts are a main cause of food-induced anaphylaxis. Limited information is available on the comparative allergenicity of these distinct market classes. The aim of this study was to compare allergenicity attributes of different peanut cultivars. The protein content and protein profiles were highly comparable for all tested cultivars. All cultivar samples contained the major allergens Ara h 1, Ara h 2, Ara h 3 and Ara h 6, as assessed by SDS-PAGE and RP-HPLC, although some minor differences in …

Conformational Stability Of Digestion-Resistant Peptides Of Peanut Conglutins Reveals The Molecular Basis Of Their Allergenicity, Danijela Apostolovic, Dragana Stanic-Vucinic, Harmen H.J. De Jongh, Govardus A.H. De Jong, Jelena Radosavljevic, Milica Radibratovic, Julie A. Nordlee, Joseph L. Baumert, Milos Milcic, Steve L. Taylor, Nuria Garrido Clua, Tanja Cirkovic Velickovic, Stef J. Koppelman

Department of Food Science and Technology: Faculty Publications

Conglutins represent the major peanut allergens and are renowned for their resistance to gastrointestinal digestion. Our aim was to characterize the digestion-resistant peptides (DRPs) of conglutins by biochemical and biophysical methods followed by a molecular dynamics simulation in order to better understand the molecular basis of food protein allergenicity. We have mapped proteolysis sites at the N- and C-termini and at a limited internal segment, while other potential proteolysis sites remained unaffected. Molecular dynamics simulation showed that proteolysis only occurred in the vibrant regions of the proteins. DRPs appeared to be conformationally stable as intact conglutins. Also, the overall secondary …