Lynnette R. Ferguson

This study aimed at investigating the effects of pomegranate juice (POMJ) consumption on inflammatory biomarkers and gene expression in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in clinical remission. In this randomized, placebo‐controlled trial, 16 subjects with IBD in remission consumed POMJ or placebo for 12 weeks. POMJ consumption significantly reduced fecal calprotectin (FC) and plasma endotoxin levels. Transcriptomic analysis of peripheral blood mononuclear cells revealed upregulation of genes involved in mucosal immunity, including aryl hydrocarbon receptor ( AHR ), neutrophil cytosolic factor 4 ( NCF4 ), and nuclear factor, interleukin 3 regulated ( NFIL3 ). Urolithin metabotypes were predominantly of the B type, associated with intestinal dysbiosis. No significant changes were observed in serum inflammatory markers or colonic mucosal cytokine expression. POMJ consumption reduced markers of intestinal inflammation and modulated gene expression related to mucosal immunity and barrier function in patients with IBD. These findings suggest the potential of POMJ as a beneficial dietary intervention for maintaining remission in IBD, highlighting the promise of targeted nutritional strategies in managing chronic inflammatory conditions. Further research is needed to elucidate the long‐term clinical implications of these molecular changes. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT03000101 .

Nutrigenomics New Zealand (NuNZ) was a collaborative research programme built among three organisations—the University of Auckland, AgResearch Limited and Plant & Food Research. The programme ran for ten years, between 2004 and 2014, and was tasked with developing the then emerging field of nutrigenomics, investigating its applications to New Zealand, and potential benefits to the plant food and agricultural sectors. Since the beginning of the programme, nutrigenomics was divided into two fields—nutrigenetics and nutrigenomics. The first of these is now more commonly called personalised nutrition, and has recently been recognised and criticised by elements of the dietetics and management sector in New Zealand, who currently do not appear to fully appreciate the evolving nature of the field, and the differing validity of various companies offering the tests that form the basis of this personalisation. Various science laboratories are utilising “omics” sciences, including transcriptomics, metabolomics, proteomics and the comprehensive analysis of microbial communities such as the gut microbiota, in order to understand the mechanisms by which certain food products and/or diets relevant to New Zealand, confer a health benefit, and the nature of potential health claims that may be made on the basis of this information. In this article, we give a brief overview of the nutrigenomics landscape in New Zealand since the end of the NuNZ programme, with a particular focus on gastrointestinal health.

Polyphenols within fruits and vegetables may contribute to health benefits due to their consumption, with the anthocyanin sub-set also adding colour. The Lemonade™ apple variety has green skin and white flesh, with low anthocyanin content, while some apple varieties have high anthocyanin content in both the skin and flesh. Effects of red compared with white-fleshed apples were studied in healthy human subjects in a randomized, placebo-controlled, cross-over intervention trial. Twenty-five healthy subjects consumed dried daily portions of the red-fleshed or placebo (white-fleshed) apple for two weeks, followed by one-week washout and further two-week crossover period. During the study, volunteers provided faecal samples for microbiota composition analysis and blood samples for peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) gene expression analysis. Subtle differences were observed in the faecal microbiota of subjects that were fed the different apples, with significant (p < 0.05) reductions in relative abundances of Streptococcus, Ruminococcus, Blautia, and Roseburia, and increased relative abundances of Sutterella, Butyricicoccus, and Lactobacillus in subjects after consuming the red apple. Changes in PBMC gene expression showed 18 mRNA transcripts were differentially expressed between the two groups, of which 16 were immunoglobulin related genes. Pathway analysis showed that these genes had roles in pathways such as immunoglobulin production, B cell-mediated immunity, complement activation, and phagocytosis. In conclusion, this study shows that anthocyanin-rich apples may influence immune function compared to control apples, with changes potentially associated with differences in the faecal microbiota.

Two trials separately measured the bioavailability and impact on inflammation of a supplement taken daily containing 510 mg Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), 344 mg Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and 1000 IU of vitamin D (25-hydroxyvitamin D; 25(OH)D), for healthy and Crohn’s disease (CD) populations. Both trials were double blinded, randomized, placebo-controlled with cross-over. Participants were randomly allocated to groups A (placebo then supplement) or B (supplement then placebo). Both included a washout. Fatty acid (N-3 PUFAs) and vitamin D serum levels, plasma C-reactive protein (CRP), and stool calprotectin were measured before and after each treatment period. Outcome measures were analyzed using generalized linear mixed models, including terms for treatment, period, and a treatment-by-period interaction. The supplement significantly increased serum levels in healthy and CD groups for EPA (p < 0.001 and p < 0.001, respectively), Docosapentaenoic acid (p < 0.001 and 0.005), DHA (p < 0.001 and 0.006), the omega-3 index (p < 0.001 and 0.001), and (vitamin D (p < 0.001 and 0.027). CRP and calprotectin measures showed no evidence of a treatment effect on inflammation; however, model estimation was imprecise for both outcomes, hence further research is required to elucidate potential inflammation effects. The nutrient supplement increased serum levels of key N-3 PUFAs and vitamin D in both populations, showing the preparation was readily bioavailable.

Inflammatory bowel disease is the umbrella term for a group of diseases whose incidence has been increasing over the past century. Although initial literature analyses had suggested a small number of genes, perhaps between 10 and 20, responsible for disease susceptibility, subsequent national and international collaborations have significantly modified those estimations to greater than 240, with more expected as the technologies continue to advance. As well as direct effects on the genome providing possible targets for therapy or functional foods, it is clear that the immune system, the epi‐genome and the gut microbiome also play an important role in disease development and progression. While certain foods accelerate disease development in individuals carrying specific genotypes, the same foods appear beneficial to other genetic groups. Gene‐nutrient‐microbiota interactions also become important, and tissue culture or animal models are available to initially test hypotheses. However, genomic technologies are necessary to reveal all major effects, whether beneficial or otherwise, in animal or human studies. These technologies include transcriptomics, proteomics and metabolomics, which reveal details of what has happened in a gene‐diet or gene‐drug interaction. At an international level, the field originally called nutrigenomics, has now been divided into two complementary fields: nutrigenetics and nutrigenomics.

Background: There is variable reporting on the benefits of a 200 μg/d selenium supplementation towards reducing prostate cancer impacts. The current analysis is to understand whether stratified groups receive supplementation benefits on prostate health. Methods: 572 men were supplemented with 200 µg/d selenium as selinized yeast for six months, and 481 completed the protocol. Selenium and prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels were measured in serum at pre- and post-supplementation. Changes in selenium and PSA levels subsequent to supplementation were assessed with and without demographic, lifestyle, genetic and dietary stratifications. Results: The post-supplementation selenium (p = 0.002) and the gain in selenium (p < 0.0001) by supplementation were significantly dependent on the baseline selenium level. Overall, there was no significant correlation between changes in PSA and changes in selenium levels by supplementation. However, stratified analyses showed a significant inverse correlation between changes in PSA and changes in selenium in men below the median age (p = 0.048), never-smokers (p = 0.031), men carrying the GPX1 rs1050450 T allele (CT, p = 0.022 and TT, p = 0.011), dietary intakes above the recommended daily intake (RDI) for zinc (p < 0.05), and below the RDI for vitamin B12 (p < 0.001). Conclusions: The current analysis shows the influence of life factors on prostate health benefits of supplemental selenium.

This review discusses the personalised dietary approach with respect to inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). It identifies gene–nutrient interactions associated with the nutritional deficiencies that people with IBD commonly experience, and the role of the Western diet in influencing these. It also discusses food intolerances and how particular genotypes can affect these. It is well established that with respect to food there is no “one size fits all” diet for those with IBD. Gene–nutrient interactions may help explain this variability in response to food that is associated with IBD. Nutrigenomic research, which examines the effects of food and its constituents on gene expression, shows that—like a number of pharmaceutical products—food can have beneficial effects or have adverse (side) effects depending on a person’s genotype. Pharmacogenetic research is identifying gene variants with adverse reactions to drugs, and this is modifying clinical practice and allowing individualised treatment. Nutrigenomic research could enable individualised treatment in persons with IBD and enable more accurate tailoring of food intake, to avoid exacerbating malnutrition and to counter some of the adverse effects of the Western diet. It may also help to establish the dietary pattern that is most protective against IBD.

Background: New Zealand (NZ) has high rates of Crohn’s disease (CD) at 26/10⁵.

Feijoa has been increasingly studied in the recent decade, while investigations into its bioactivities including anti-inflammatory activity are lacking. In this article, the cytotoxicity and anti-inflammatory properties of feijoa extracts, from flesh, peel and whole fruit, from four cultivars namely APOLLO, UNIQUE, OPAL STAR and WIKI TU are presented. Three inflammatory pathways, Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2), TLR4 and nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-containing protein 2 (NOD2), were investigated using genetically modified cell models namely HEK-Blue™ hTLR2, HEK-Blue™ hTLR4, NOD2-WT and NOD2-G908R. Results show that feijoa peel extract induced higher cytotoxicity than flesh and whole fruit extracts, and the APOLLO cultivar was the most anti-inflammatory among the four tested cultivars. The anti-inflammatory activity of feijoa flesh was detected only through the TLR2 pathway, and the activity of feijoa peel and whole fruit was evident mainly through the TLR2 and NOD2 pathways. Most notably, feijoa anti-inflammatory activity was superior to ibuprofen particularly through the TLR2 pathway, with significantly lower secreted embryonic alkaline phosphatase IC50 concentrations (7.88, 12.81, 30.84 and 442.90 μg/mL for APOLLO flesh, peel, whole fruit extract and ibuprofen respectively). These findings indicate that feijoa has great potential to be used in the treatment and prevention of inflammation-related diseases including inflammatory bowel disease.

Introduction: The human microbiome plays a critical role in human health, having metabolic, protective, and trophic functions, depending upon its’ exact composition. This composition is affected by a number of factors, including the genetic background of the individual, early life factors (including method of birth, length of breastfeeding) and nature of the diet and other environmental exposures (including cigarette smoking) and general life habits. It plays a key role in the control of inflammation, and in turn, its’ composition is significantly influenced by inflammation. Areas covered: We consider metabolic, protective, and trophic functions of the microbiome and influences through the lifespan from post-partum effects, to diet later in life in healthy older adults, the effects of aging on both its’ composition, and influence on health and potential therapeutic targets that may have anti-inflammatory effects. Expert commentary: The future will see the growth of more effective therapies targeting the microbiome particularly with respect to the use of specific nutrients and diets personalized to the individual.