D2 | Abstract 19

Annual NUTRIM Symposium 18 November 2020

APPLIED SCIENCE

Effect of a carotenoid-producing Bacillus strain on intestinal barrier integrity and systemic delivery of carotenoids

Yala Stevens1,2, Iris Pinheiro3, Bouke Salden1,2, Cindy Duysburgh4, Selin Bolca3, Jeroen Degroote5, Maryam Majdeddin5, Noémie Van Noten5, Béatrice Gleize6, Catherine Caris-Veyrat6, Joris Michiels5, Daisy Jonkers1, Freddy Troost1, Sam Possemiers3 and Ad Masclee1
 
1 Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology-Hepatology, School of Nutrition & Translational Research in Metabolism (NUTRIM), Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
2 BioActor BV, Maastricht, The Netherlands
3 MRM Health NV, Technologiepark 82, 9052 Ghent, Belgium
4 ProDigest BV, Technologiepark 82, 9052 Ghent, Belgium
5 Department of Animal Sciences and Aquatic Ecology, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Campus Coupure, Coupure Links 653, 9000 Ghent, Belgium.
6 INRAE, Avignon Université, UMR SQPOV, F-84914 Avignon, France.
Background:
 Reduced intestinal barrier function is considered to play a role in development and progression of several (gastrointestinal) diseases. Nutritional interventions, such as probiotics may strengthen intestinal barrier function.

Aims:
 Investigate effects of a carotenoid-producing Bacillus strain on intestinal barrier function and its ability to survive passage through the gastrointestinal (GI) tract and to assess systemic bioavailability of these carotenoids in vivo.

Methods:
As a model for impaired barrier function, 16 early weaned piglets were randomly assigned to a control diet or control diet supplemented with Bacillus indicus strain PD01 for 23 days. In addition, 68 overweight/obese, otherwise healthy individuals were randomly assigned to groups receiving PD01 or placebo for 6 weeks.

Results:
 PD01 survived passage through the GI tract in piglets and human subjects and resulted in significant accumulation of PD01 derived carotenoids in human plasma. PD01 supplementation resulted in a significant increase in expression levels of occludin in the distal small intestine (p=0.044) and a significant increase in transepithelial electrical resistance in the mid colon (p=0.019) of early weaned piglets. In overweight/obese individuals with preserved barrier integrity, PD01 did not significantly affect intestinal permeability.

Conclusions:
PD01 survived transit through the GI tract and was able to deliver carotenoids systemically. Supplementation with PD01 resulted in improved barrier function outcomes in an animal model of impaired barrier function but not in the current study with overweight/obese subjects with preserved barrier function. Further research in specific target populations is warranted to validate in humans the observed effects in piglets.
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NUTRIM aims to contribute to health maintenance and personalised medicine by unraveling lifestyle and disease-induced derangements in metabolism and by developing targeted nutritional, exercise and drug interventions. This is facilitated by a state of the art research infrastructure and close interaction between scientists, clinicians, master and PhD students.
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