Inulin protects against the harmful effects of dietary emulsifiers on mice gut microbiome.

Background: The prevalence of inflammatory bowel diseases is increasing, especially in developing countries, with adoption of Western-style diet. This study aimed to investigate the effects of two emulsifiers including lecithin and carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) on the gut microbiota, intestinal inflammation and the potential of inulin as a means to protect against the harmful effects of emulsifiers. Methods: In this study, male C57Bl/6 mice were divided into five groups (n:6/group) (control, CMC, lecithin, CMC+inulin, and lecithin+inulin). Lecithin and CMC were diluted in drinking water (1% w/v) and inulin was administered daily at 5 g/kg for 12 weeks. Histological examination of the ileum and colon, serum IL-10, IL-6, and fecal lipocalin-2 levels were analyzed. 16S rRNA gene V3-V4 region amplicon sequencing was performed on stool samples. Results: In the CMC and lecithin groups, shortening of the villus and a decrease in goblet cells were observed in the ileum and colon, whereas inulin reversed this effect. The lipocalin level, which was 9.7 ± 3.29 ng in the CMC group, decreased to 4.1 ± 2.98 ng with the administration of inulin. Bifidobacteria and Akkermansia were lower in the CMC group than the control, while they were higher in the CMC+inulin group. In conclusion, emulsifiers affect intestinal health negatively by disrupting the epithelial integrity and altering the composition of the microbiota. Inulin is protective on their harmful effects. In addition, it was found that CMC was more detrimental to microbiota composition than lecithin.

Validation of the 14-item mediterranean diet adherence screener.

BACKGROUND: The Mediterranean diet (MedDiet) is suggested as a healthy dietary pattern. 14-point Mediterranean Diet Adherence Screener (MEDAS) questionnaire is a valid and rapid tool to estimate the adherence to the Mediterranean diet. The aim of this study was to assess the validity of the 14-point Mediterranean Diet Adherence Screener in Turkish population. METHODS: A total of 188 people (%58 females) participated in this study (31.7 ± 10.97 years). Turkish version of the MEDAS questionnaire was applied with 3-day food record, and mean total Mediterranean Diet (MedDiet) score and each of the MedDiet component scores was calculated from both 3-day food records and MEDAS tool. Intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC) was used to evaluate the total score agreement between the two dietary assessment methods, and each of the MedDiet components was estimated using Cohen's kappa. This project was a cross-sectional study. RESULTS: There was good correlation between the food record total MEdDiet score and MEDAS-derived MedDiet score (r = 0.750, p < 0.001; ICC = 0.749, 95% CI 0.679-0.806, p < 0.001). Highest concordance was observed for olive oil for cooking (К = 0.763), sugar sweetened beverages (К = 0.666), sweets, pastries (К = 0.753), and sofrito (К = 0.796) while the lowest was for fish and seafood (К = 0.196). Re-test analysis showed a similar mean total MedDiet score for both administrations of MEDAS. CONCLUSIONS: The MEDAS is a valid and reliable tool to assess adherence to the Mediterranean diet in Turkish population.