Intestinal Microbes excavate propitious nutrients from Dietary Fibres.

The pulp thrown after the manufacture of orange juice is an example of a fibre by-product from which human gut microorganisms can extract valuable nutrients that would otherwise be lost as waste. According to a recent study, an orange juice manufacturing by-product called fibre includes a serotonin-like chemical. Still, it is locked away in the fibre. When the chemical is released by particular gut bacteria, mice have favourable metabolic benefits.

According to an investigation at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, some gut microorganisms in people can mine dietary fibre to extract nutrients that would otherwise be inaccessible to people. The research, released on June 27 in the journal Cell, shows how the fibrous leftovers from food production, like the rinds, peels, and seeds of fruits and vegetables, may represent an underutilized reservoir of advantageous biomolecules that support human health.

 

EXPERIMENT:

The researchers initially looked at groups of mice that had been reared without any bacteria and so-called germ-free mice and the other mice with a variety of typical human gut microbes. Next, scientists fed mice(both types, one that was termed as germ-free and the other with introduced human gut microbes) a high-fat, low-fibre diet similar to what is commonly consumed in the United States, with or without adding fibres from oranges or peas. According to the researchers, N-methylserotonin was only released in mice colonized with various human gut microorganisms and fed a diet rich in orange fibres.

RESULT:

The scientists demonstrated how their preclinical study in mice translated into human outcomes. Little clinical research found that those who consumed a snack high in orange fibres had high levels of N-Methylserotonin in their stool samples. However, the result was fibre specific. It did not happen after consuming a snack of fibre-rich peas. Furthermore, eating the orange fibre snack was associated with a significant amount of increase in microbial genes found in the participants' gut microbiomes that break down the polysaccharide that traps N-methylserotonin in the orange fibre.

N-Methylserotonin.

The examiners went on to characterize the biological effects of N-methylserotonin. When given to germ-free mice in their drinking water while consuming the high-fat U.S. diet without orange fibre, N-methylserotonin decrease fat stores, enhances carbohydrate metabolism in the liver, and increase gut transit times.

Gut Microbe that extracts N-Methylserotonin.

After examining 49 different strains of human gut bacteria, scientists discovered one from the genus ''Bacteroides ovatus'' that could effectively extract N-methylserotonin from the orange fibre. Moreover, they found, using cutting-edge molecular investigations, that this strain was able to manufacture enzymes that are absent from our human genome. These enzymes acted as molecular scissors to sever the complex sugars web holding N-methylserotonin within the orange fibres.

N-Methylserotonin Structurally resembles SEROTONIN.

N-methylserotonin is a neurotransmitter that is relatively unknown but structurally extremely close to serotonin, a neurotransmitter that plays critical roles in mood, sleep, and other vital bodily activities. However, only a few peppers (but not chilli peppers, bell peppers, or black pepper) were found to contain N-methylserotonin after testing more than 130 edible plants, including essential food mainstays like corn, wheat, and rice.