Maternal diet shapes the breast milk microbiota composition and diversity: impact of mode of delivery and antibiotic exposure
BACKGROUND: Breast milk is a complex biofluid that provides nutrients and bioactive agents, including bacteria, for the development of the infant gut microbiota. However, the impact of maternal diet and other factors, such as mode of delivery and antibiotic exposure, on the breast milk microbiota has yet to be understood. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to examine the association between maternal diet and breast milk microbiota and to ascertain the potential role of mode of delivery and antibiotic exposure. METHODS: In a cross-sectional study of the MAMI cohort, breast milk microbiota profiling was assessed in 120 samples from healthy mothers by 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Maternal dietary infor…
Arsenic Through the Gastrointestinal Tract
Intestinal barrier function regulates (micro-)nutrient absorption and host defense mechanisms at the mucosal interface with the external environment. Maintaining gut homeostasis is essential for human health; however, many factors including food and water pollutants may affect the physiological balance at the intestinal level. One of the contaminants of highest health concern is arsenic, which affects more than 200 million people worldwide, causing cancer and cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. Arsenic affects intestinal health by disrupting barrier function and inducing inflammatory responses. Processes involved in the transiting of arsenic through the gastrointestinal tract can affect …
Mercury and selenium in fish and shellfish: Occurrence, bioaccessibility and uptake by Caco-2 cells
This study evaluates Hg and Se concentrations and bioaccessibility (element solubilised after simulated gastrointestinal digestion) in 16 raw seafood species consumed in Spain. The concentrations varied greatly (Hg, 3.8-1621 ng/g wet weight, ww; Se, 84-1817 ng/g ww). Only one sample of swordfish exceeded the Hg limit permitted in Spain (1mg/kg), and for this sample the Hg/Se molar ratio and Se Health Benefit Value food safety criteria also indicated the presence of a risk. Bioaccessibility of Hg (35-106%) and Se (17-125%) was very variable and the Hg/Se molar ratio in the bioaccessible fraction was less than one for all samples. Transport by Caco-2 cells, an intestinal epithelium model, was…
Maternal Microbiota, Cortisol Concentration, and Post-Partum Weight Recovery Are Dependent on Mode of Delivery
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