Hybrid palm oil obtained from interspecific hybrid Elaeis oleifera × Elaeis guineensis palm (HPO) has been recently proved to have a favorable impact on human plasma lipids related to cardiovascular disease risk factors. In the present work, we describe for the first time, the functional effect of crude HPO supplementation on human antioxidant plasma/serum status as assessed by the total phenolic content (Folin–Ciocalteu), ORAC and TEAC assays. One hundred sixty eligible participants (>50 years) were randomized and assigned to one of the two treatments: 25 mL hybrid palm oil (HPO group) or 25 mL extra virgin olive oil (EVOO group) daily for 3 months. This study showed that supplementation of 25 mL of HPO for a period of 3 months significantly increased (p < 0.01) the total phenolic content (19.2%) as well as the antioxidant capacity of human plasma measured by both ORAC (92.1%) and TEAC (42.9%) methods. Furthermore, no significant differences were found between HPO and EVOO groups in a repeated measures analysis of variance for TPC (p = 0.344), TEAC (p = 0.217), and ORAC (p = 0.318) values. These results confirm that HPO can be considered a promising tropical edible oil with potential beneficial health effects. Practical applications: The understanding of the antioxidant properties of an edible oil in vivo is of primary importance when evaluating its nutritional/functional characteristics and/or its potentiality to serve as an active ingredient for functional food preparations. The results of this study confirm that HPO can be considered a promising tropical edible oil with beneficial health properties since it is able to improve the antioxidant status of plasma in humans. This 3‐month randomized trial reported examines and compares the effects of 25 mL/day supplementation of crude hybrid palm oil (Elaeis oleifera × Elaeis guineensis), thought to be a possible tropical equivalent of the Mediterranean extra‐virgin olive oil, to the ones of extra‐virgin olive oil, which is considered as a gold standard in the functional dietary oils skyline. Interestingly, at the end of the third month of study, the effects obtained by the supplementation with hybrid palm oil are similar to those provided by the extra‐virgin olive oil supplementation. In fact, hybrid palm oil consumption has been shown to significantly increase the total phenolic content (19.2%, p < 0.01) as well as the antioxidant capacity of human plasma measured by both TEAC (42.9%, p < 0.01) and ORAC (92.1% p < 0.01) assays.

Probiotic–host interaction can be cell-to-cell or through metabolite production. Dead (inactive) organisms could interact with the host, leading to local effects and possible health benefits. This research examined the effects of live and heat-inactivated Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis, BB-12 (BB-12) and Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG) on cultured Caco-2 cells focusing on epithelial integrity and production of inflammatory mediators. Live organisms increased transepithelial electrical resistance (TEER), a barrier-integrity marker, with LGG having a greater effect than BB-12. When mildly heat-treated, both organisms had a more modest effect on TEER than when alive. When they were heat-inactivated, both organisms had only a limited effect on TEER. Neither live nor heat-inactivated organisms affected production of six inflammatory mediators produced by Caco-2 cells compared to control conditions. Pre-treatment with heat-inactivated LGG or BB-12 did not alter the decline in TEER caused by exposure to an inflammatory cocktail of cytokines. However, pre-treatment of Caco-2 cells with heat-inactivated organisms alone or their combination decreased the production of interleukin (IL)-6, IL-18, and vascular endothelial growth factor. To conclude, while the live organisms improve the epithelial barrier using this model, neither live nor heat-inactivated organisms directly elicit an inflammatory response by the epithelium. Pre-treatment with heat-inactivated BB-12 or LGG can reduce some components of the response induced by an inflammatory stimulus.

Provision of blood from distant research partners to a central laboratory can result in delayed blood processing prior to assessment of immune parameters. It is important to evaluate the effect of such delays on immune parameters. This study investigated the effect of storage of blood at room temperature for up to 72 h prior to processing and analysis on a range of immune parameters. Blood was collected from 10 healthy participants and analysed immediately (day 0) or after storage at room temperature for 24, 48 or 72 h (days 1, 2 and 3). A full blood count, immune cell phenotypes (flow cytometry), plasma cytokines, chemokines and soluble receptors (multiplex immunoassay), neutrophil and monocyte phagocytosis (flow cytometry), whole blood cytokine responses to stimulation and antibody titres to the seasonal influenza vaccine were assessed. The full blood count, most immune cell phenotypes, monocyte phagocytosis and anti-influenza vaccine antibody titres were little affected by blood storage of ≤72 h prior to processing. Plasma cytokine concentrations increased with blood storage time while whole blood responses to stimulation with lipopolysaccharide or phytohaemagglutinin decreased with blood storage time. In conclusion, while fresh blood is optimal for analysing human immune parameters, it is possible to store blood for up to 72 h at room temperature and obtain reliable measures of several immune markers. However, plasma cytokines and related mediators as well as whole blood cultures should be analysed using freshly isolated blood. Storage of blood for longer than one day may result in the unreliable assessment of these outcomes.

The consumption of foods high in natural antioxidants, like fruits and vegetables, is associated with a lower risk of oxidative stress-related diseases. The aim of this study was to establish the relationship between the plasma antioxidant capacity in adults over fifty and their intake of vitamin A, C, and E. We evaluated 118 24-hour recalls of intake of foods. The intake of vitamin A, C, and E was quantified using food composition tables. We quantified plasma phenols using the Folin-Ciocalteu method. The antioxidant capacity was determined using the Trolox Equivalent Antioxidant Capacity (TEAC) and Oxygen Radical Absorption Capacity (ORAC) methods. Correlation analyses were performed between the studied variables and a positive correlation was found in most cases. However, none of the correlations was statistically significant. In all cases p-value was >0.05. The quantification of nutrient intake is not an adequate predictor of plasma antioxidant capacity in individuals over fifty.

Background Care homes are an increasingly important sector of care. Care home residents are particularly vulnerable to infections and are often prescribed antibiotics, driving antibiotic resistance. Probiotics may be a cheap and safe way to reduce antibiotic use. Efficacy and possible mechanisms of action are yet to be rigorously evaluated in this group. Objective The objective was to evaluate efficacy and explore mechanisms of action of a daily oral probiotic combination in reducing antibiotic use and infections in care home residents. Design This was a multicentre, parallel, individually randomised, placebo-controlled, double-blind trial, with qualitative evaluation and mechanistic studies. Setting A total of 310 care home residents were randomised from 23 UK care homes (from December 2016 to May 2018). Participants The participants were care home residents aged ≥ 65 years who were willing and able to give informed consent or, if they lacked capacity to consent, had a consultee to advise about participation on their behalf. Intervention A daily capsule containing an oral probiotic combination of Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG and Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis BB-12 (n = 155) or matched placebo (n = 155) for up to 1 year. Main outcome measures The primary outcome was cumulative systemic antibiotic administration days for all-cause infections. Secondary outcomes included incidence and duration of infections, antibiotic-associated diarrhoea, quality of life, hospitalisations and the detection of resistant Enterobacterales cultured from stool samples (not exclusively). Methods Participants were randomised (1 : 1) to receive capsules containing probiotic or matched placebo. Minimisation was implemented for recruiting care home and care home resident sex. Care home residents were followed up for 12 months with a review by a research nurse at 3 months and at 6–12 months post randomisation. Care home residents, consultees, care home staff and all members of the trial team, including assessors and statisticians, were blinded to group allocation. Results Care home residents who were randomised to probiotic had a mean 12.9 cumulative systemic antibiotic administration days (standard error 1.49 days) (n = 152) and care home residents randomised to placebo had a mean 12.0 cumulative systemic antibiotic administration days (standard error 1.50 days) (n = 153) (adjusted incidence rate ratio = 1.13, 95% confidence interval 0.79 to 1.63; p = 0.495). There was no evidence of any beneficial effects on incidence and duration of infections, antibiotic-associated diarrhoea, quality of life, hospitalisations, the detection of resistant Enterobacterales cultured from stool samples or other secondary outcomes. There was no evidence that this probiotic combination improved blood immune cell numbers, subtypes or responses to seasonal influenza vaccination. Conclusions Care home residents did not benefit from daily consumption of a combination of the probiotics Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG and Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis BB-12 to reduce antibiotic consumption. Limitations Limitations included the following: truncated follow-up of some participants; higher than expected probiotics in stool samples at baseline; fewer events than expected meant that study power may have been lower than anticipated; standard infection-related definitions were not used; and findings are not necessarily generalisable because effects may be strain specific and could vary according to patient population. Future work Future work could involve further rigorous efficacy, mechanisms and effectiveness trials of other probiotics in other population groups and settings regarding antibiotic use and susceptibility to and recovery from infections, in which potential harms should be carefully studied. Trial registration Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN16392920. Funding This project was funded by the Efficacy and Mechanism Evaluation (EME) programme, a MRC and NIHR partnership. This will be published in full in Efficacy and Mechanism Evaluation; Vol. 8, No. 7. See the NIHR Journals Library website for further project information.