Fermented Papaya Preparation Restores Age-Related Reductions in Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cell Cytolytic Activity in Tube-Fed Patients

• Published in: PloS one 2017-01, Vol.12 (1), p.e0169240
• Main Authors: Fujita, Yuhzo, Tsuno, Haruo, Nakayama, Jiro
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Addition polymerization; Age; Age Factors; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Analytical chemistry; Biology and life sciences; Biomarkers; Blood; C-Reactive Protein - metabolism; Capillary electrophoresis; Carcinogens; Care and treatment; Carica - chemistry; Carica - metabolism; Carica papaya; Cells, Cultured; Chemical analysis; Chemical composition; Chromatography; Clostridium; Composition effects; Cytolytic activity; Deficiency diseases; Diet; Digestive system; Digestive tract; Disease; Eggerthella lenta; Enteral nutrition; Fecal microflora; Feces - microbiology; Female; Fermentation - genetics; Fermentation - physiology; Fermented food; Firmicutes; Firmicutes - drug effects; Fruits; Gastrointestinal tract; Gene sequencing; Geriatrics; Head injuries; Hospitals; Humans; Immune system; Immunity; Inflammation; Intestinal microflora; Killer Cells, Natural - drug effects; Leukocytes, Mononuclear - drug effects; Leukocytes, Mononuclear - metabolism; Liquid chromatography; Male; Males; Mass spectrometry; Mass spectroscopy; Medicine and health sciences; Metabolism; Metabolites; Methods; Microbiota; Nutrition; Nutritional aspects; Older people; Papaya; Patients; People and Places; Peripheral blood mononuclear cells; Phenolic acids; Phenols; Physical Sciences; Physiological aspects; Plant Preparations - pharmacology; Polymerization; Polyphenols; Prevention; Probiotics; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S - genetics; Rodents; rRNA 16S; Tea
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0169240

Tube-fed elderly patients are generally supplied with the same type of nutrition over long periods, resulting in an increased risk for micronutrient deficiencies. Dietary polyphenols promote immunity and have anti-inflammatory, anti-carcinogenic, and anti-oxidative properties. Carica papaya Linn. is rich in several polyphenols; however, these polyphenols are poorly absorbed from the digestive tract in their original polymerized form. Therefore, we determined the molecular components of a fermented Carica papaya Linn. preparation, as well as its effects on immunity and the composition of gut microbiota in tube-fed patients. Different doses of the fermented C. papaya L. preparation were administered to three groups of tube-fed patients for 30 days. Its effects on fecal microbiota composition and immunity were assessed by 16S rRNA gene sequencing and immune-marker analysis, respectively. The chemical composition of the fermented C. papaya L. preparation was analyzed by capillary electrophoresis- and liquid chromatography- time of flight mass spectrometry. The fermented C. papaya L. preparation restored peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) cytolytic activity; however, no other biomarkers of immunity were observed. Treatment with the preparation (9 g/day) significantly reduced the abundance of Firmicutes in the fecal microbiota. In particular, treatment reduced Clostridium scindens and Eggerthella lenta in most patients receiving 9 g/day. Chemical analysis identified low-molecular-weight phenolic acids as polyphenol metabolites; however, no polymerized, large-molecular-weight molecules were detected. Our study indicates that elderly patients who are tube-fed over the long-term have decreased PBMC cytolytic activity. In addition, low-molecular-weight polyphenol metabolites fermented from polymerized polyphenols restore PBMC cytolytic activity and modulate the composition of gut microbiota in tube-fed patients.