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Digestive, Oral, and Skin Physiology Commons

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Full-Text Articles in Digestive, Oral, and Skin Physiology

Titanium Dioxide: An Inquiry Into The Mechanisms And Implications Of Exposure In Gut Dysbiosis And Metabolic Disorders, Meghan Gardiner May 2026

Titanium Dioxide: An Inquiry Into The Mechanisms And Implications Of Exposure In Gut Dysbiosis And Metabolic Disorders, Meghan Gardiner

Senior Honors Theses

Titanium dioxide (TiO2) is one of the most prevalent food additives utilized in commercial products in the United States. While TiO2 was originally hailed as a nontoxic and cost-effective additive, studies are beginning to reveal that TiO2 is not as safe as it once seemed. TiO2 may contribute to the development of insulin resistance and metabolic disorders through direct and indirect mechanisms. The compound induces gut dysbiosis, leading to alterations in bacterial metabolites and pro-inflammatory cytokines, which results in the selective resistance of glucocorticoid receptors. Additionally, TiO2 itself can translocate from the gut to …


Effects Of Prebiotics On Gut Bacterial Communities And Healing Of Induced Colitis In Mice, Krystyn Elizabeth Davis Aug 2016

Effects Of Prebiotics On Gut Bacterial Communities And Healing Of Induced Colitis In Mice, Krystyn Elizabeth Davis

Master's Theses

Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (IBD) cause chronic inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract and debilitating symptoms in those suffering from the diseases. After inducing colitis in a mouse model using Dextran Sulfate Sodium (DSS), prebiotics inulin and oligofructose enriched inulin (OEI) were used as treatments to determine their effects on the gut microbial community, physiological healing process, and immune response in the mice after initial inflammation and before subsequent inflammation, or relapse. The treatment with inulin led to an increase in regulatory T cell number, but this increase was not as significant as the increase induced by the OEI. Inulin increased the …