Crosstalk between organs is crucial for controlling numerous homeostatic systems (e.g. energy balance, glucose metabolism and immunity). Several pathological conditions, such as obesity and type 2 diabetes, are characterised by a loss of or excessive inter-organ communication that contributes to the development of disease. Recently, we and others have identified several mechanisms linking the g...

In vitro experiments have shown that isolated human gut bacteria are able to metabolise PUFA into conjugated PUFA like conjugated linoleic acids (CLA). The hypothesis of the present paper was that high-fat (HF) diet feeding and supplementation with fermentable carbohydrates that have prebiotic properties modulate the in vivo production of CLA by the mouse gut microbiota. Mice were treated for 4...

The objective of this in vivo experiment was to evaluate the influence of arabinoxylooligosaccharides (AXOS) on shedding and colonization of Salmonella Enteritidis in broilers. Arabinoxylooligosaccharides, which are oligosaccharides derived from arabinoxylans by partial hydrolysis, have a beneficial effect on feed conversion ratios when added to broiler diets. Additionally, AXOS have been shown...

Modifications to the cell wall of developing and ripening tomato fruit are mediated by cell wall-degrading enzymes, including a beta-d-xylosidase or alpha-l-arabinofuranosidase, which participate in the breakdown of xylans and/or arabinoxylans. The activity of both enzymes was highest during early fruit growth, before decreasing during later development and ripening. Two beta-d-xylosidase cDNAs...

The enzymatic degradation of plant cell walls is an important biological process of increasing environmental and industrial significance. Xylan, a major component of the plant cell wall, consists of a backbone of β-1,4-xylose (Xylp) units that are often decorated with arabinofuranose (Araf) side chains. A large penta-modular enzyme, CtXyl5A, was shown previously to specifically target arabinoxy...

Two main classes of interaction between soluble dietary fibres (SDFs), such as (1,3:1,4)-β-D-glucan (βG) and arabinoxylan (AX) and bile salt (BS) or diluted porcine bile, were identified by (13)C NMR and small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS). Small chemical shift differences of BS NMR resonances were consistent with effective local concentration or dilution of BS micelles mostly by βG, suggesting...

BACKGROUND Currently, there is a lot of interest in improving gut health, and consequently increasing Fe absorption, by managing the colonic microbial population. This is traditionally done by the consumption of probiotics, live microbial food supplements. However, an alternative, and often very effective approach, is the consumption of food ingredients known as prebiotics. Fructans and arabino...

Commonly used feed processing technologies are not sufficient to affect recalcitrant nonstarch polysaccharides (NSP) such as arabinoxylans present in maize distillers dried grain with solubles (DDGS). Instead, hydrothermal treatments combined with acid catalysts might be more effective to modify these NSP. The objective of this experiment was to investigate the effects of hydrothermal maleic ac...

BACKGROUND The effect of dietary fiber on intestinal function primarily has been ascribed to its interaction with intestinal bacteria in the hindgut, whereas changes in intestinal bacteria in the host have been considered to depend on fiber composition. OBJECTIVES The objectives of this study were to determine the contribution of the major fiber components to the health-promoting effects of w...