Immune-enhancing Supplements Research Articles

Stability of oil-in-water emulsion and immunomodulating activity in S180 tumor-bearing mice.

The stability and nutritional integrity of emulsions are susceptible to various factors including thermal treatment, solid-liquid ratio, and sterilization. In this study, the physicochemical stability and immunomodulatory activities of an oil-in-water emulsion containing immune peptides (TUFSE) were assessed through particle size, zeta potential, related cytokines, and so on. When the temperature was 70°C and a solid-liquid ratio of 1:4, the emulsion revealed stability at high-pressure homogenization, with the small particle size. The loss rates of vitamins were 8.57%-62.26% in 6 months at 25°C. After treatment with cyclophosphamide (CTX), lymphocyte proliferation activity in TUFSE-H group increased (p<0.05), and immune globulin levels were notably elevated (p<0.05) in TUFSE groups compared to model group. It confirms the parameters of the emulsion, suggesting its ability to be prepared with minimal vitamin loss while simultaneously improving the disease status in CTX-treated tumor-bearing mice. It shows potential as an immune-enhancing supplement with significant potential value. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: This study validated the parameters of the oil-in-water emulsion and showed that it can be stably prepared with minor vitamin loss while simultaneously improving the disease status in CTX-treated tumor-bearing mice. TUFSE-H group exhibited a notable increase in lymphocytes proliferation activity, whereas serum cytokines and immune globulin levels were elevated compared to MC group, indicating its potential as an immune-enhancing supplement with substantial value.

Structural characterization and immunomodulatory effect of a starch-like Grifola frondosa polysaccharides on cyclophosphamide-induced immunosuppression in mice

In this study, a pure Grifola frondosa polysaccharide (GFP-1) was extracted and purified from Grifola frondosa. By HPLC, GC-MS, FT-IR, and NMR analysis, GFP-1 was determined to be a starch-like polysaccharide with an average molecular weight of 3370 kDa. It included three monosaccharides, i.e., glucose, galactose, and mannose. The backbone of GFP-1 consisted of →4)-α-Glcp-(1→ and →4,6)-α-Glcp-(1 → . The side branches were composed of →6)-α-Galp-(1→, α-Glcp-(1→, and a small amount of α-Manp-(1 → . By using a cyclophosphamide (CTX)-induced immunosuppressed mice model, we evaluated the immunomodulatory activity of GFP-1. The results showed that GFP-1 increased the thymic and spleen indices, promoted the level of IgG and IgA in serum, and activated the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway in CTX-induced mice. Also, GFP-1 significantly promoted the mRNA expression of intestinal barrier factors and protected intestinal structural integrity in immunosuppressed mice. In conclusion, the data presented here suggested that GFP-1 might be a potential immune-enhancing supplement.

Regulatory Roles of Pectin Oligosaccharides on Immunoglobulin Production in Healthy Mice Mediated by Gut Microbiota.

The prebiotic regulation of the gut microbiota is a promising strategy to induce protective humoral and mucosal immune responses. The potential immune-improving effects of pectin oligosaccharides (POS) in healthy mice and the potential mechanism mediated by specific intestinal bacteria are investigated. POS is prepared using a hydrogen-peroxide-assisted degradation. Mice that consumed diets containing POS are tested for microbial community shifts, short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), and immunoglobulin (Ig) production using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction, gas chromatography, and ELISA kits. Pearson's correlation analyses are performed between Ig production and specific intestinal bacteria or SCFAs. POS treatment significantly improves the growth of healthy mice. Moreover, 4-week POS administration results in a profound change in intestinal microbial composition and a significantly higher fecal concentration of acetate, which leads to substantial increases of the levels of fecal secretory immunoglobulin A and serum IgG. The results suggest that the inclusion of POS in a diet can increase Ig production and optimize the composition of the gut microbiota. A significant correlation is observed between changes in Ig production and specific intestinal bacteria or acetate, providing insight into the mechanism of POS as a potential immune-enhancing supplement.

Malnourishment in bladder cancer and the role of immunonutrition at the time of cystectomy: an overview for urologists

The 'gold standard' treatment for patients with carcinoma invading the bladder muscle is radical cystectomy (RC). Such patients are known to be at risk of malnutrition because of age and disease factors. Current evidence has established the nutritional and immunological benefits of immune-enhancing nutritional supplements in upper gastrointestinal surgery. There are currently no guidelines for immunonutrition (IM) use in urology and bladder cancer specifically. We carried out a systematic review of the available literature in the MEDLINE/Embase database. We assessed the rates of malnutrition in RC cohorts and analysed the clinical impacts of nutritional deficiency. The impact of immune-enhancing supplements was also investigated in RC cohorts with regard to postoperative outcomes. The prevalence of severe malnutrition was found to be 16-22%. There was a consistent association of malnourished patients with adverse postoperative outcomes in terms of mortality and morbidity. There is a paucity of data regarding IM in urological cohorts. Postoperative IM in RC was not found to have significant benefits beyond early return to a normal diet. There is not enough evidence in malnourished urological study cohorts to establish a consensus on IM. Until there are more well-controlled comparative effective studies or randomized trials, the role of IM should be considered investigational in patients with bladder cancer.

Enteral Nutrition and Oral Nutrition Supplements: A Review of the Economics Literature

We sought to review the economics literature on enteral nutrition (EN) and oral nutrition supplements (ONS) against the background of an ongoing clinical guideline development. We searched the Health Economic Evaluations Database, the NHS Economic Evaluation Database, and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. Enteral vs parenteral nutrition was found to be the most common comparison undertaken. The randomized trial evidence suggests that, in some groups of patients, EN is better in terms of clinical endpoints and/or length of hospital stay. This should translate into a lower mean cost for EN, given the reduced daily cost. These studies should be treated with caution because of their small sample size and poor quality. Costing was often crude and poorly reported, tending to focus on the narrow costs of the nutrition supplements. Only 1 study of a nutrition supplement in the community setting was found. There is some evidence to indicate economic advantages of enteral over parenteral nutrition and of immune-enhancing supplements relative to control diet. There is a lack of well-designed studies taking a broad view of relevant comparators, costs, and outcomes. The cost-effectiveness of different forms of nutrition in different patient groups remains to be established.