Abstract
Background Anthocyanins and prebiotics impact overall health and wellness, likely through modulation of the microbiota and the intestinal ecosystem. Objectives An 8-week open-label study in male and female volunteers with uncomplicated obesity was designed to study the efficacy of an anthocyanin and prebiotic blend in modulating intestinal microbiota and intestinal inflammation. Results After 8 weeks of daily supplementation, participants had a significant decrease in Firmicutes (p < 0.001) and Actinobacteria (p < 0.001) and a significant increase in Bacteroidetes (p < 0.001). Bowel habits were improved as evidenced by reductions in the severity of bloating (p < 0.05), gas (p=0.035), and abdominal pain (p=0.015) as well as significant improvements in stool consistency (p < 0.05). Finally, a nonsignificant decrease in the inflammatory marker fecal calprotectin was seen (p=0.107). The supplement was safe and well tolerated. Conclusions The results suggest that regular consumption of the anthocyanin-prebiotic blend positively modulated the intestinal ecosystem and provided insights into the mechanisms of action and its impact on health benefits.
Highlights
Anthocyanins and prebiotics have been shown to impact overall health and wellness [1,2,3]
One mechanism for the health benefits from these ingredients may be through modulation of the microbiome and the intestinal ecosystem and merits further investigation. e intestinal ecosystem is a complex network of bacterial cells, host cells, cellular mediators, and tissues. e relative abundance of two groups of bacteria that are dominant in the gut—Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes—is associated with overnutrition, high-fat diet, and obesity, with the Bacteroidetes population decreasing and Firmicutes population increasing with these conditions [4, 5]
Studies described by Gordon and colleagues raise the possibility that the gut microbiota plays a significant role in contributing to differences in body weight among individuals [6, 8]. e results obtained from earlier studies show that obesity alters the nature of the intestinal microbiota and that differences in the efficiency of caloric extraction from food may be dependent on the microbiota, which in turn may contribute to obesity [9]
Summary
Anthocyanins and prebiotics impact overall health and wellness, likely through modulation of the microbiota and the intestinal ecosystem. An 8-week open-label study in male and female volunteers with uncomplicated obesity was designed to study the efficacy of an anthocyanin and prebiotic blend in modulating intestinal microbiota and intestinal inflammation. After 8 weeks of daily supplementation, participants had a significant decrease in Firmicutes (p < 0.001) and Actinobacteria (p < 0.001) and a significant increase in Bacteroidetes (p < 0.001). A nonsignificant decrease in the inflammatory marker fecal calprotectin was seen (p 0.107). E supplement was safe and well tolerated. E results suggest that regular consumption of the anthocyanin-prebiotic blend positively modulated the intestinal ecosystem and provided insights into the mechanisms of action and its impact on health benefits Conclusions. e results suggest that regular consumption of the anthocyanin-prebiotic blend positively modulated the intestinal ecosystem and provided insights into the mechanisms of action and its impact on health benefits
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