Prebiotic Lactulose Research Articles

Infection, inflammation and hepatic encephalopathy from a clinical perspective.

Hepatic encephalopathy (HE) is a syndrome that is associated with both acute and chronic liver injury. It manifests as a wide spectrum of neuropsychological abnormalities, ranging from subtle impairments in executive higher functions observed in cirrhosis, through to coma in acute liver failure. In acute liver failure, the central role of ammonia in the development of brain oedema has remained undisputed for 130 years. It latterly became apparent that infection and inflammation were profound determinants for the development of severe hepatic encephalopathy, associated with the development of cerebral oedema and intracranial hypertension. The relationship of the development of hepatic encephalopathy with blood ammonia levels in cirrhosis is less clear cut and the synergistic interplay of inflammation and infection with ammonia has been identified as being fundamental in the development and progression of hepatic encephalopathy. A perturbed gut microbiome and the presence of an impaired gut epithelial barrier that facilitates translocation of bacteria and bacterial degradation products into the systemic circulation, inducing systemic inflammation and innate and adaptive immune dysfunction, has now become the focus of therapies that treat hepatic encephalopathy in cirrhosis, and may explain why the prebiotic lactulose and rifaximin are efficacious. This review summarises the current clinical perspective on the roles of inflammation and infection in hepatic encephalopathy and presents the evidence base for existing therapies and those in development in the setting of acute and chronic liver failure.

Technological and sensory characteristics in development of innovative symbiotic boneless dry-cured lamb meat snack

Novel shelf-stable and high-protein meat products that are affordable, convenient, and healthy are hot topic in current food innovation trends. To offer technological databases for developing new functional lamb meat products, this study aimed to evaluate the technological and sensory aspects of dry-cured lamb meat snacks incorporated with the probiotic culture Lactobacillus paracasei and the prebiotic lactulose. Four formulations were analyzed: control (without prebiotic or probiotic); PREB (with 2% lactulose); PROB (with 107 CFU/g of L. paracasei); and SYMB (with 2% lactulose and 107 CFU/g of L. paracasei). Fitted curves revealed that weight-loss behavior during snack ripening was not affected (P > 0.05) by treatments. Snack moisture, water activity, pH, titratable acidity, lipid oxidation, and residual nitrite were affected (P < 0.05) only by ripening time. The target probiotic strain stood out against competitive flora and was detected at 107 CFU/g in the snack-supplemented formulations (PROB and SYMB). In snacks supplemented with prebiotics (PREB and SYMB), the lactulose content was maintained at 2.17%. Significant differences were not observed in the chemical composition, texture profiles, and CIE color indices between the proposed functional snacks and the control. In addition to texture, flavor, and overall impression evaluation, only color attributes were positively impacted (P < 0.05) in the acceptance and multiple comparison tests against the control. The proposed formulation and bench process parameters produced potential nutritionally and sensory-appreciated, microbiologically stable, and safe (multi-hurdle perspective) functional high-protein restructured lamb snacks.

Preparation of a Lactobacillus rhamnosus ATCC 7469 microencapsulated-lactulose synbiotic and its effect on equol production.

Equol is a highly active product of soy isoflavones produced by specific bacteria in the human or animal colon. However, equol production is influenced by differences in the gut flora carried by the body. Our previous research has shown that a synbiotic preparation comprising the probiotic Lactobacillus rhamnosus ATCC 7469 and the prebiotic lactulose can enhance equol production by modulating the intestinal flora. Nevertheless, the harsh environment of the gastrointestinal tract limits this capability by diminishing the number of probiotics reaching the colon. Microencapsulation of probiotics is an effective strategy to enhance their viability. In this study, probiotic gel microspheres (SA-S-CS) were prepared using an extrusion method, with sodium alginate (SA) and chitosan (CS) serving as the encapsulating materials. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was employed to observe the surface morphology and the internal distribution of bacteria within the microcapsules. The structural characteristics of the microcapsules were investigated using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Furthermore, the thermal stability, storage stability, probiotic viability post-simulated gastrointestinal fluid treatment, and colon release rate were examined. Finally, the impact of probiotic microencapsulation on promoting equol production by the synbiotic preparation was assessed. The results indicated that the microcapsules exhibited a spherical structure with bacteria evenly distributed on the inner surface. Studies on thermal and storage stability showed that the number of viable cells in the probiotic microcapsule group significantly increased compared to the free probiotic group. Gastrointestinal tolerance studies revealed that after in vitro simulated gastrointestinal digestion, the amount of viable cells in the microcapsules was 7 log10 CFU g-1, demonstrating good gastrointestinal tolerance. Moreover, after incubation in simulated colonic fluid for 150 min, the release rate of probiotics reached 93.13%. This suggests that chitosan-coated sodium alginate microcapsules can shield Lactobacillus rhamnosus ATCC 7469 from the gastrointestinal environment, offering a novel model for synbiotic preparation to enhance equol production.

Пребиотик лактулоза в питании детей первого года жизни

Aim. To evaluate the effect of the lactulose prebiotic on the functional state of the gastrointestinal tract and the state of the intestinal microbiome of infants with constipation based on data from Russian and foreign publications. Key points. The multiple positive effects of breastfeeding on the health of mother and child are unique. However, more than 50% of children in the Russian Federation are artificially fed, and the choice of formula for artificial feeding is fundamental and determines the further state of the baby's health. The review describes on the role of the development of the intestinal microbiota in the child's health, examines the origin and functioning of the “brain — intestine — microbiota” axis, its role in the genesis of functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGID) in children — the most common FGID in infants — functional constipation. The article discusses the use of lactulose in the dietary nutrition of infants, primarily with functional constipation. Conclusion. The multilevel action of prebiotic lactulose allows it use it for a significant number of therapeutic indications. Lactulose-enriched formulas for the nutrition of children of the first year of life is justified. The article The article contains the Russian and foreign experience of using lactulose-enriched formulas in the nutrition of children of the first year of life. Кeywords: children, lactulose, formulas, functional constipation.

THE INFLUENCE OF NUTRIENTS AND LACTULOSE PREBIOTIC ON THE FERMENTATION PROCESSES IN THE TECHNOLOGY OF RECEIVING A FUNCTIONAL FOOD PRODUCT WITH AN INCREASED TITER OF VIABLE LACTIC ACID BACTERIA

A study of the influence of biologically active substances (fat-soluble vitamins, omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin D, as well as water-soluble vitamin C), prebiotic lactulose on the titer of viable cells of lactic acid bacteria was carried out for the further use of the obtained research results in the biotechnology of functional food products, obtained thanks to the successful course fermentation processes. Experiments have proven the expediency of using biologically active substances as stimulators of the growth of lactic acid bacteria, which contribute to the increase of biomass and support of their vital activity for 192 hours. Research has established that at the end of the experiment (192 hours), the highest titer of lactic acid bacteria was recorded in samples 1, 2, 3, 4, to which the prebiotic lactulose was added in the amount of 1, 3, 5 and 7 %, respectively. This is due to the fact that the prebiotic acts as a specific substrate that is used by the symbiosis of pure cultures of lactic acid bacteria for a long time, unlike milk sugar. Analyzing the obtained data, it is indicated that thanks to the addition of fat-soluble nutrients omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin D, as well as water-soluble vitamin C, there is a significant increase in the titer of viable cells of probiotic cultures at 6 and 24 hours of the experiment, although at the end of the experiment (by 192 hour) in these samples, an insignificant decrease of this indicator was recorded — from 10 to 8.9 log cells/ml. In the control sample (without the addition of biologically active substances and lactulose prebiotic), a significant decrease in the titer of viable cells of lactic acid bacteria was noted, compared to the test samples to which nutrients were added. The titer of lactic acid bacteria cells in the control sample was reduced by 192 hours from 8.5 to 5.5 log cells/ml. It is recommended to use the studied nutrients in the indicated concentrations to stimulate the growth and maintain the viability of lactic acid bacteria cultures in the technology of production of functional food products.

169 Effects of Intranasal Prebiotics, Probiotics and Synbiotics on the Nasopharyngeal Microbiota of Feedlot Cattle

Abstract The emergence of antibiotic-resistant pathogens associated with bovine respiratory disease (BRD) presents a significant challenge to the beef industry, as antibiotic administration is commonly used to prevent and control BRD in feedlot cattle. Alternatives to antibiotics are therefore needed as part of new management strategies to reduce antibiotic use and BRD. We recently developed probiotics comprised of six Lactobacillus strains that inhibited the BRD pathogen Mannheimia haemolytica, and conferred longitudinal modulation of the nasopharyngeal microbiota in calves when a single dose was administered intranasally. In the present study, we evaluated the effects of a prebiotic (lactulose) alone and in combination with probiotic bacteria on the nasopharyngeal microbiota of feedlot calves. The probiotic bacteria consisted of 6 strains of Lactobacillus originated from the nasopharyngeal microbiota of healthy feedlot cattle. The calves were assigned to one of five treatments (n = 8 calves per treatment) and house individually: 1) Syringe-Probiotic group received intra-nasal probiotic cocktail via syringe that was attached to a 25-cm long catheter; 2) MAD-Probiotic group received an intra-nasal probiotic cocktail with a mucosal atomization device; 3) MAD-Synbiotic group received an intra-nasal probiotic cocktail containing prebiotic lactulose (0.5%, suspended in PBS) with a mucosal atomization device; 4) MAD-Prebiotic group received intra-nasal prebiotic lactulose (0.5%, suspended in PBS) with a mucosal atomization device; and 5) MAD-PBS (Control) group received only PBS with a mucosal atomization device. Utilization of a syringe versus mucosal atomization device was tested to determine if mode of probiotic bacteria delivery had an impact on the respiratory microbiota. Deep nasopharyngeal swab samples were collected on day 0 (24 h prior to treatment administration), 2 (24h post intranasal treatment), 3, 6, 9 and 14 days. Genomic DNA was extracted from the swabs and processed for nasopharyngeal microbiota characterization by sequencing 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing. When administered to calves intranasally, lactulose had no effect on the diversity or community structure of bacteria (PERMANOVA, P &amp;gt; 0.05) and had limited prolonged effect on specific genera. In addition, when administered as a synbiotic with a multi-strain cocktail of Lactobacillus probiotic bacteria, colonization was not enhanced. However, probiotic bacteria did affect the bacterial structure of NP bacteria (P &amp;lt; 0.05) and increased microbial network interactions. The strongest effect was observed when probiotic bacteria were administered alone, using an atomization device. Overall, this study showed that the bovine respiratory microbiota can be altered by administration of probiotics and may therefore provide new opportunities to enhance microbiome-mediated respiratory resistance against BRD pathogens. While colonization and growth of probiotic bacteria in the respiratory tract are unlikely to be modified by prebiotics delivered in PBS solution, the delivery method and time of application are important factors that need to be evaluated to have optimal efficacy of biologicals.

Prebiotic prevents the development of gastrointestinal motility disorders caused by omeprazole

The synthetic disaccharide lactulose, consisting of fructose and galactose, after oral administration in an unchanged form reaches the lower part of the gastrointestinal tract, where under the action of normal flora it is broken down into short-chain fatty acids that stimulate colon motility. The effect of lactulose on gastrointestinal tract motility in the conditions of its long-term suppression by omeprazole has not been investigated. We studied the influence of lactulose on spontaneous and carbachol-stimulated gastric and colonic motility in rats treated with omeprazole for 28 days. The animals were divided into 3 groups. The first group of animals served as a control. The animals in the second group were administered omeprazole intraperitoneally at a dose of 14 mg/kg orally once a day for 28 days. The animals in the third group were simultaneously injected intraperitoneally with omeprazole and prebiotic lactulose at a dose of 0.2 g/kg orally once a day for 28 days. On the day after the last injections of drugs, we investigated the spontaneous and carbachol-stimulated contractions in the stomach and colon by the balloon graphic method. It was found that the frequency of spontaneous and stimulated contractions in the stomach and colon did not change significantly after 28 days of omeprazole treatment. The amplitude and index of spontaneous and carbachol-stimulated contractions in the stomach and colon were significantly weaker compared to the control. One day after the 28-day simultaneous administration of omeprazole and lactulose the amplitude and index of spontaneous and stimulated contractions in the stomach and colon increased compared with the group of rats treated with omeprazole alone. We concluded that the positive effect of lactulose on gastric and colon motility is a result of the prebiotic properties of lactulose which leads to the normalization of the microbiocenosis in the gastrointestinal tract and the elimination of the inflammatory process in it.

INFLUENCE OF BIOLOGICALLY ACTIVE SUBSTANCES AND LACTULOSE PREBIOTICS ON THE FERMENTATION PROCESSES WITH THE PARTICIPATION OF LACTIC ACID BACTERIA

A study of the influence of biologically active substances (fat-soluble vitamins, omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin D, as well as water-soluble vitamin C), prebiotic lactulose on the titer of viable cells of lactic acid bacteria was carried out for the further use of the obtained research results in the biotechnology of functional food products, obtained thanks to the successful course fermentation processes. Experiments have proven the expediency of using biologically active substances as stimulators of the growth of lactic acid bacteria, which contribute to the increase of biomass and support of their vital activity for 192 hours. Research has established that at the end of the experiment (192 hours), the highest titer of lactic acid bacteria was recorded in samples 1, 2, 3, 4, to which the prebiotic lactulose was added in the amount of 1, 3, 5 and 7 %, respectively. This is due to the fact that the prebiotic acts as a specific substrate that is used by the symbiosis of pure cultures of lactic acid bacteria for a long time, unlike milk sugar. Analyzing the obtained data, it is indicated that thanks to the addition of fat-soluble nutrients omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin D, as well as water-soluble vitamin C, there is a significant increase in the titer of viable cells of probiotic cultures at 6 and 24 hours of the experiment, although at the end of the experiment (by 192 hour) in these samples, an insignificant decrease of this indicator was recorded — from 10 to 8.9 log cells/ml. In the control sample (without the addition of biologically active substances and lactulose prebiotic), a significant decrease in the titer of viable cells of lactic acid bacteria was noted, compared to the test samples to which nutrients were added. The titer of lactic acid bacteria cells in the control sample was reduced by 192 hours from 8.5 to 5.5 log cells/ml. It is recommended to use the studied nutrients in the indicated concentrations to stimulate the growth and maintain the viability of lactic acid bacteria cultures in the technology of production of functional food products.

A single species bacterial therapy reduces type 2 immune responses in the gut to prevent food allergy

Abstract The rising prevalence of food allergy is strongly correlated with dysbiosis of the gut microbiome. Rescuing this dysbiosis by reintroducing specific bacteria is a promising method to prevent or treat food allergy. We have shown that monocolonization with Anaerostipes caccae, a species representative of the healthy infant microbiota, protects against an allergic response to the milk protein b-lactoglobulin (BLG). Recently we developed a synbiotic bacterial therapy (A. caccaeplus prebiotic lactulose) which rescues the allergic phenotype of gnotobiotic mice colonized with the fecal bacteria of a dysbiotic, cow’s milk allergic (CMA) infant. Synbiotic treatment minimizes the anaphylactic response to intragastric BLG challenge and reduces circulating BLG-specific IgE and IgG1. To understand how a single bacterium regulates mucosal immunity during the onset of IgE-mediated allergy we first examined the alarmin response. CMA colonized mice express high transcript levels of both IL25and TLSPin ileal epithelial cells after sensitization with BLG plus cholera toxin. The synbiotic abrogated this alarmin response, potentially via increased mucus production. Synbiotic treatment also reduced the proportion and number of T follicular (Tf) helper cells in the ileal-draining lymph node (LN) and increased Tf-regulatory cells in the colon-draining LN, suggesting a role in T/B cell regulation. Ongoing experiments are examining how the synbiotic affects localization and expansion of IgE producing cells in mucosal tissues including Peyer’s patches and mesenteric LNs. These findings will help to uncover the mechanisms by which specific, protective bacteria prevent food allergy and inform the development of effective live biotherapeutics.

Determination of prebiotic utilisation capability of potential probiotic Bacillus velezensis FS26 through in silico and in vitro approaches

Prebiotics are substrates that can increase bacterial growth while also benefiting the host. The presence of enzymes responsible for hydrolysing the glycosidic bond in the prebiotic structure is critical for evaluating the prebiotic's use by the bacterial strain. In silico analysis of bacterial genomes is a method for predicting the hydrolysing enzymes that cleave the glycosidic link in prebiotic structures. Furthermore, in vitro validation must be performed to further analyse and evaluate the bacterial ability to utilise prebiotics. Thus, this study aims to investigate the ability of potential probiotic Bacillus velezensis FS26 to utilise prebiotics using in silico and in vitro techniques. B. velezensis FS26 genome analysis has shown the presence of glycosidase hydrolase enzymatic family that are capable of hydrolysing α- and β-glycosidic bonds in polysaccharide and oligosaccharide structures. The enzymes responsible for prebiotic utilisation were found in the bacterial genomes including α-galactosidase, fructofuranosidase, levansucrase and β-galactosidase. Furthermore, an in vitro study employing the phenol red carbohydrates assay revealed that B. velezensis FS26 can utilise the prebiotics lactulose, raffinose, and inulin, with comparable results to the probiotic Lactiplantibacillus plantarum ATCC 8014. Furthermore, the addition of prebiotics raffinose and inulin in the nutrient broth significantly increased the growth of B. velezensis FS26 cultures in contrast with prebiotic lactulose and nutrient broth without prebiotics. The agreement of in silico and in vitro results indicates the promising capability of B. velezensis FS26 to utilise prebiotics in aquaculture, which is an important sector for maintaining global food security.

Gut microbial shifts by synbiotic combination of Pediococcus acidilactici and lactulose in weaned piglets challenged with Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli.

Development of alternatives to in-feed antibiotics in the swine industry have been the focused of many pig gut microbiota studies to improve animal health. In this study, we evaluated the effects of probiotic Pediococcus acidilactici (PRO), prebiotic lactulose (PRE), and their synbiotic combination (SYN) on gut microbiota using 16S rRNA gene sequencing in weaned piglets challenged with Shiga-toxin producing Escherichia coli (STEC). Our data showed that prebiotics, probiotics and synbiotics improved the intestinal health in weaned piglets. No significant differences were observed in species richness and species diversity in weaned piglets fed prebiotics, probiotics and their synbiotic combination. However, beta diversity analysis revealed distinct clustering of the microbiota of according to dietary treatment and by oral challenge of STEC. At the phylum level, Firmicutes to Bacteroidetes ratio was lower in the dietary treatment groups than the control group. Oral supplementation of prebiotics, probiotics and synbiotics enriched the abundance of Prevotella and Roseburia. Succinivibrio was elevated in PRO group; however, Phascolarctobacterium was depleted with STEC challenge regardless of dietary treatment. Overall, our data showed that administration of synbiotics in piglets improved intestinal health through gut microbiota modulation. Our data indicated that prebiotics, probiotics and their synbiotic combination could promote intestinal health through gut microbiota modulation in weaned piglets.

Protein and prebiotic feed additives: influence on the quality indicators of rabbit meat

Feeding is one of the key factors affecting the growth and development of rabbits, as well as the quality of the meat obtained. The article discusses the possibility of joint use of additives in the form of a suspension of chlorella, which contains a large amount of protein and vitamins, as well as “Lactuvet”, which includes a powerful prebiotic lactulose. In the course of the study, the dynamics of the growth of animals was analyzed, an assessment of the hematological and biochemical parameters of blood, as well as the main physicochemical parameters of meat was carried out. As a result, it was concluded that the proposed additives have a positive effect on the weight gain of animals, as well as on the nutritional value of the resulting meat.

Production of Ryazhenka, a traditional Ukrainian fermented baked milk, by using electro-activated whey as supplementing ingredient and source of lactulose

In this work, electro-activated whey (EAW) was used as ingredient in the preparation of Ryazhenka, a fermented baked milk, at a supplementation level of 3 and 9%. Fermentation kinetics, viscosity, color, antioxidant capacity, and protein profiles of the final product were studied. Moreover, effect of electro-activation on β-lactoglobulin allergenicity was evaluated by a specific ELISA test. The results showed that addition of electro-activated whey as supplementing ingredient is technologically feasible in the process of Ryazhenka production. The fermentation kinetics showed that this process was in the technologically accepted interval even if the addition of EAW delayed the fermentation phase. The viscosity study showed that addition of EAW permitted to obtain a final product with good followability corresponding to good consistency of drinkable dairy beverages. Moreover, addition of EAW prevented syneresis during the refrigerated storage at 4 °C and enriched the product with lactulose which is a recognized prebiotic. The chromatic evaluation of the final product showed a compatibility of EAW with Ryazhenka which is known for its specific yellowish-brownish color. Addition or EAW significantly improved the antioxidant capacity of the Ryazhenka with values of IC50DPPH = 2.54 ± 0.02 and IC50PFRAP = 244.03 ± 28.83 for the Ryazhenka produced by adding 9% EAW to the milk after the baking process and prior to fermentation. Moreover, by using a β-lactoglobulin specific ELISA test, this study showed a significant decrease of whey and pure β-lactoglobulin allergenicity by 95%. This decrease was also observed in Ryazhenka supplemented with 9% EAW but at lower level. Thus, it can be concluded that electro-activated whey can be considered as a promising functional ingredient containing a prebiotic lactulose as functional ingredient in the dairy industry.

Пребиотик лактулоза для профилактики инфекционных болезней у животных

Пребиотик лактулоза для профилактики инфекционных болезней у животных

ВЛИЯНИЕ ПРЕБИОТИКА ЛАКТУЛОЗЫ НА ПОКАЗАТЕЛЬ КИСЛОТНОСТИ ХИМУСА КРОЛИКОВ

The intestinal microflora largely determines the immune system, so it is important to maintain its condition and balance in the norm. This requires a detailed understanding of the characteristics of the environment in which it grows and develops. Prebiotics are used to maintain the intestinal microbial pool. The prebiotic fructose-oligosaccharide lactulose has a pronounced bifidogenic effect. It is safe, technologically advanced, and is available in syrupy and crystalline forms. Lactulose is included in the list of essential medicines of the World Health Organization. The purpose of these studies is to determine the effect of the prebiotic lactulose on the pH of the pH of the chyme of different parts of the gastrointestinal tract of rabbits. The control and experimental groups of male rabbits of the California breed were formed by a meth of pairs of analogues of 20 heads each. The activity index of hydrogen ions was determined by the pH of the chyme of the stomach, small intestine, caecum, appendix, colon, and rectum. An average sample of chyme was taken. Based on the data obtained, it was found that the introduction of lactulose in the diet of California rabbits at a dosage of 0.06 g per 1 kg of live weight acidifies the contents of the stomach, caecum and rectum, and in the contents of the small part, the appendix and the colon, where the reaction of the medium is alkaline, reduces the alkalinity, shifting the pH value to the acidic side.

Optimization of growth processes of the selected strain Lactobacillus acidophilus (B-4107) K-1-T with the prospect of its use for the prevention of gastrointestinal diseases in calves

Gastrointestinal diseases of young cattle occupy the bulk of the total number of postnatally significant diseases in terms of coverage, which causes significant economic damage to animal husbandry. In the modern world, the basis for prophylactic that is safe for a living organism is the use of bacterial preparations created from symbiotic selected probiotic strains with the inclusion of a functional substance and a prebiotic. In this regard, the role of lactulose, which meets all the necessary international requirements, becomes particularly important. When determining the influence of the prebiotic Lactulose, as a catalytic enzyme, on the growth processes of the collection strain Lactobacillus acidophilus (B-4107) K-1-T, it was experimentally established that the prebiotic. Lactulose has a significant effect on the growth and activity of the tested strain of lactic acid microorganisms. The following data is necessary for the development of effective means of normalizing the microbiota in the prophylactic of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract of young animals of infectious and non-infectious etiology.

Freeze-drying of Enterococcus durans: Effect on their probiotics and biopreservative properties

The present work studied the preservation of probiotic strains of Enterococcus durans by freeze-drying. The prebiotic lactulose showed to be the best protectant agent for E. durans after freeze-drying and storage at 4 and 25 °C for 92 days. Freeze-dried E. durans LM01C01 was resistant to acid treatment and able to grow in the presence of bile. Also, freeze-dried samples grew in the presence of preservative food ingredients: potassium sorbate and sodium chloride. After addition of dried cultures in a cream cheese, the number of viable bacteria was maintained for 3 months (shelf-life of the products). The spent culture supernatant of E. durans LM01C01 showed inhibitory effects on the pathogens E. coli and S. aureus. Although the addition of dried probiotic to cream cheese did not have any effect on contamination of food matrix with E. coli, a drastic decrease of viability of S. aureus was observed. These results demonstrated the suitability of E. durans strains to develop a dried symbiotic product (probiotic plus prebiotic) that could be added to food matrices or nutraceutical products, that could also tolerate gastrointestinal conditions and may act as biopreservative too.

Contribution to the Process Development for Lactulose Production through Complete Valorization of Whey Permeate by Using Electro-Activation Technology Versus a Chemical Isomerization Process.

Whey permeate (WP) is a co-product of a cheese or casein production process that is regarded as an environmental pollutant because of its high organic load and is creating a major disposal problem for the dairy industry. However, it can be used as a suitable substrate to meet the increasing demand of producing a prebiotic lactulose through the isomerization of lactose present in the WP under adequate alkaline conditions. The goal of this study was to produce lactulose in situ of WP using electro-activation (EA) technology and compare the productivity of EA with conventional chemical isomerization at potassium hydroxide (KOH)-equivalent solution alkalinity in the feed medium. Electro-isomerization was conducted under different current intensities of 300, 600, and 900 mA for 60 min of EA with a 5 min sampling interval using 6, 12, and 18% (w/v) WP solutions. Chemical isomerization was carried out at the KOH-equivalent solution alkalinity to that measured in the EA solution at each 5 min interval using KOH powder as a catalyst. The outcomes of this study revealed that the production of lactulose using the EA approach was current intensity-, WP concentration-, and reaction time-dependent and produced the highest lactulose yield of 36.98% at 50 min of EA-time under 900 mA current intensity using 6% WP as a feed solution, whereas a maximum lactulose yield of 25.47% was achieved by the chemical isomerization at the solution alkalinity corresponding to that of the EA under 900 mA current intensity at 50 min in the 6% WP solution. Furthermore, a greater yield of lactulose was obtained using the EA technique for all reaction conditions compared to the chemical process at the equivalent solution alkalinity. Therefore, the results of this work suggest that the EA can be an emergent sustainable technology for achieving dual objectives of prebiotic lactulose production and concurrent valorization of WP using it as a feed medium.

PREBIOTICS AND NUTRITIONAL CORRECTION IN INTEGRATED THERAPY OF PATIENTS WITH PULMONARY TUBERCULOSIS AND COMORBID PROTEIN METABOLIC DISORDERS

The purpose of the work is to study the effectiveness of prebiotics and nutritional correction as components of the integrated therapy of patients with pulmonary tuberculosis and protein metabolic disorders. 67 patients with pulmonary tuberculosis were examined and then divided into two groups: I group included 35 patients, who received standard antimycobacterial therapy in the intensive phase of the treatment in combination with prebiotic (lactulose) in a dose of 20 ml 3 times a day plus nutriological correction of metabolic disorders; the II group included 32 patients, who received standard antimycobacterial therapy. The control group consisted of 30 healthy individuals of comparable sex and age. In order to study the protein metabolism state, the content of certain substitutable amino acids (ornithine, aspartic acid, serine, glutamic acid, proline, glycine, alanine, cysteine, tyrosine, glutamine) and essential amino acids (lysine, histidine, arginine, threonine, valine, methionine, isoleucine, phenylalanine, leucine) and their total amount (mg per 100 ml of blood serum) were assessed. Results and discussion. It has been found that all patients in groups I and II, which were under our supervision before the treatment, had symptoms of intoxication and respiratory syndrome, the tuberculosis process in the lungs occupied more than three segments and single decaying and rupturing cavities prevailed. The patients with massive bacterial excretion dominated in both groups. Moreover, before the treatment, protein metabolic disorders were found out in both groups. They manifested by the imbalance of individual amino acids and led to a decrease in the total content of essential amino acids in 1,2 – 1,3 times, total content of substitutable amino acids in 1, 2 times that led to a decrease in total content of substitutable amino acids in patients of both groups in 1,2 – 1,3 in comparison with the control group. A comparative analysis of the effectiveness of prebiotics (lactulose) and nutritional correction of metabolic disorders in combination with antimycobacterial therapy in the TB patientsl with protein metabolic disorders showed that probiotics and dietary modifications contribute to improving protein metabolism.&#x0D; This has been evidenced by a significantly high (p &lt;0,05) level of the total content of essential amino acids in blood serum, total content of substitutable amino acids and total content of amino acids (reliably reaching the level of indicators in healthy individuals) compared with the relevant indicators in the group of the patients receiving only antimycobacterial therapy. Probiotics and nutritional correction promote the rapid dynamics of the disappearance of respiratory syndromes and intoxication, promote cavity healing, and reduce the duration of treatment. Conclusions. The results of our research obtained convincingly suggest that prior to the beginning of treatment; all patients with pulmonary tuberculosis have protein metabolic disorders that require selecting a way to correct these disorders in order to increase the effectiveness of TB treatment. Antimycobacterial therapy during two months contributes to the positive dynamics of protein metabolism correction, but complete normalization of the amino acid composition in blood serum does not occur. Applying prebiotics (lactulose) and nutriological correction of metabolic disorders in combination with antimycobacterial therapy promotes the normalization of protein metabolism and increases the effectiveness of the TB treatment.

Sustainable Valorization of Whey by Electroactivation Technology for In Situ Isomerization of Lactose into Lactulose: Comparison between Electroactivation and Chemical Processes at Equivalent Solution Alkalinity.

The demand for production of prebiotics at a commercial scale is rising due to the consumers’ growing health awareness. Whey, a coproduct of the dairy industries, is a suitable feed medium to produce a prebiotic lactulose through the isomerization of lactose under alkaline conditions. The aim of the present study was to compare the isomerization of lactose into lactulose in situ of whey by using electroactivation technology with the chemical isomerization method using KOH as catalysis under equivalent solution alkalinity. Electroisomerization of lactose into lactulose was performed by using whey solutions of 7, 14, and 21% (w/v) dry matter under current intensities of 300, 600, and 900 mA, respectively, during 60 min with a sampling interval of 5 min. The conventional chemical method was carried out using KOH powder as catalyst at the alkalinity that corresponded to that measured in the electroactivated whey at each 5 min interval. The results showed that lactulose production was dependent on the whey concentration, current intensity, and EA time. The highest lactulose yield of 32% was achieved under a 900 mA current intensity at 60 min for a 7% whey solution. Thereafter, the EA conditions were compared to those of a conventional chemical isomerization process by maintaining similar alkalinity in the feed solutions. However, no lactulose was produced by the chemical process for the equivalent solution alkalinity as in the EA technique. These results were correlated with the solution pH, which reached the required values in a 7% whey solution with values of up to pH 11.50, whereas the maximum pH values that were obtained at higher whey concentrations were around 10–10.50, which was not enough to initiate the lactose isomerization reaction. The outcomes of this study suggest that EA is an efficient technology to produce lactulose using whey lactose.