Studies on the Use of Agricultural Food Products to Improve Intestinal Environment and Function

(JSNFS Award for Excellence in Research (2020))

Abstract

As the intestinal environment has a close association with the state of human health, we have examined whether certain agricultural food materials can help to improve the intestinal milieu. For this purpose, we developed an in vitro experimental model simulating the fermentation conditions within the intestine, allowing us to study intestinal fermentation characteristics in detail. This helped to clarify the influence of food materials on the time course of intestinal fermentation within a short period of time, and the results suggested that the in vitro conditions simulated by this particular model are similar to those in vivo. It was verified that resistant starch contained in red beans and kidney beans increases short-chain fatty acids in the cecum and improves cholesterol and lipid metabolism. Furthermore, chemically modified hydroxypropyl (HP) starch exhibited a distinct β-diversity in the intestinal flora that was different from native starch. Moreover, HP starch increased short-chain fatty acids in the cecum, and there were positive correlations with plasma GLP-1, mucin content, and IgA content. GLP-1 was also negatively correlated with both food intake and mesenteric adipocyte area. Although these findings represent basic evidence for the ability of agricultural food materials to improve the intestinal environment, we believe that they will contribute considerably to the maintenance and promotion of healthy human longevity.