The Effect of Opuntia ficus Mucilage Pectin and Citrus aurantium Extract Added to a Food Matrix on the Gut Microbiota of Lean Humans and Humans with Obesity

• Published in: Foods Vol. 13; no. 4; p. 587
• Main Authors: Estrada-Sierra, Nancy Abril, Gonzalez-Avila, Marisela, Urias-Silvas, Judith-Esmeralda, Rincon-Enriquez, Gabriel, Garcia-Parra, Maria Dolores, Villanueva-Rodriguez, Socorro Josefina
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 15-02-2024
• Subjects: Bacteria; Bioactive compounds; Biological effects; C. aurantium; Citrus aurantium; Citrus fruits; Colon; Digestive system; Fecal microflora; Feces; Fermentation; Flavonoids; Food; food interactions; Food matrix; Gas chromatography; Gastrointestinal tract; intestinal microbiota; Intestinal microflora; Intestine; Large intestine; lean; Literature reviews; Microbiota; Microorganisms; Mucilage; obese; Obesity; Opuntia cladodes mucilage; Opuntia ficus-indica; Pectin; Polyphenols; Prebiotics; Probiotics; Small intestine; Weight control; food interactions; intestinal microbiota; lean; Opuntia cladodes mucilage; C. aurantium; obese
• ISSN: 2304-8158; 2304-8158
• DOI: 10.3390/foods13040587

Experimental studies have provided evidence that physicochemical interactions in the food matrix can modify the biologically beneficial effects of bioactive compounds, including their effect on gut microbiota. This work aimed to evaluate the effect of a food gel matrix with
cladodes mucilage pectin and
extract on the growth of four beneficial gut bacteria obtained from the fecal microbiota of people who are lean or who have obesity after digestion in the upper digestive system. To accomplish this, a base formulation of
cladodes mucilage with or without
extract was submitted to an ex vivo fecal fermentation in an automatic and robotic intestinal system. The changes in the intestinal microbiota were determined by means of plate culture and 16S sequencing, while short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) produced in the colon were determined via gas chromatography. In the presence of the extract in formulation, greater growth of
spp. (+1.6 Log
Colonic Forming Unit, UFC) and
spp. (+2 Log
UFC) in the microbiota of lean people was observed. Only the growth in
spp. (-1 Log
UFC) from both microbiota was affected in the presence of the extract, which decreased in the ascending colon. SCFA was mainly produced by the microbiota of people who were lean rather than those who had obesity in the presence of the extract, particularly in the ascending colon. The effect of sour orange extract seems to depend on the origin of the microbiota, whether in people who have obesity (25 mM/L) or are lean (39 mM/L).