Kikkoman Corp.

Currently, there is great interest in the use of pectins for prebiotic treatment of food allergy. Hence, the effects of two different esterified pectins - low methoxyl citrus-derived pectin (CP-DE_low) and high methoxyl apple-derived pectin (AP-DE^high) - were evaluated in peach allergic patients due to sensitization to lipid transfer proteins (LTPs). This study analyzed the systemic immune response, the gut microbiota composition (using 16S rRNA gene sequencing), and microbial-derived metabolome, including short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) and bile acids (BAs). Prebiotic treatment with both pectins was safe and induced a significant clinical increase in allergen tolerance in more than 50 % of patients. Additionally, CP-DE_low and AP-DE^high groups exhibited a distinctive systemic proteomic profile characterized by a decrease in various inflammatory cytokines compared to Placebo. Regarding microbiota, CP-DE_low induced an increase in Bacteroides_H genus and Roseburia intestinalis species, whereas AP-DE^high was associated with an increase in Bifidobacterium and Succinivibrio genera, and Faecalibacterium prausnitzii species. Reduced concentrations of branched SCFAs were observed after both treatments compared to Placebo. Likewise, fecal levels of microbial-derived secondary BAs were modified by pectin supplementation. Multi-omics integration revealed distinctive signatures in pectin- and placebo-treated patients. This study suggests that pectin treatment is a promising and safe option for LTP allergy.

Soy sauces can be classified into three categories based on the production method used: honjozo, kongojozo (mixed-brewing, amino acid-decomposed), and kongo (mixed, amino acid-decomposed) soy sauces. Although differences in flavor between traditional (honjozo) and modern (amino acid-decomposed) soy sauces are clear, knowledge of the differences in compound profiles and the relationship between these and the sensory characteristics that affect soy sauce quality is limited. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the differences between traditional and modern soy sauce compounds using metabolomic analysis, and to investigate the compounds that may be correlated with differences in flavor. Non-targeted gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) metabolomics analysis was performed on nine traditional and six modern soy sauces to annotate 239 soy sauce compounds. Principal component analysis suggested that the production methods used formed clusters that affected the types and amounts of soy sauce compounds, and that the production method had a greater effect on soy sauce composition than did the aging barrels or type of soybean used. Traditional soy sauce was characterized by alcohols and esters, whereas modern soy sauce was characterized by pyrazines. A sensory evaluation revealed that traditional soy sauce was characterized by bitterness and astringency, whereas modern soy sauce was characterized by sweetness and viscosity, suggesting that the method of soy sauce production influences flavor differences. This is the first study to comprehensively characterize the effects of production methods, aging barrels, and soybean types on soy sauce compounds and how these compounds contribute to differences in flavor.

Differences in host susceptibility and environmental exposures result in significant heterogeneity in asthma clinical expression, natural evolution, and response to treatment. These differences are influenced by many factors including genomics, epigenomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics, many of which are modified by environmental and allergic exposures. The complex and multiple characteristics that interact in asthma development and progression pose significant challenges for personalized management. This review aims to guide the clinician in its management decisions by reviewing each of the components important in developing this therapeutic paradigm and by providing several integrated goals for precision or personalized medicine for asthma. Biologic characteristics of asthma in relation to the genomics, exposome, and hypersensitivity reactions (allergic responsiveness) resulting in asthma diathesis are discussed. Further insights including the use of targeted biologics and allergen immunotherapy are provided, while discussing the importance of targeting the epithelium, mucus production, airway smooth muscle, and small airways. We examine the value of multivariate cluster analyses as a new paradigm that can inform treatment decisions and the potential of adaptive trial design to evaluate known and novel predictive biomarkers and characterize disease heterogeneity.