A global epidemiological shift has been observed in recent decades, characterized by an increase in age-related disorders, notably non-communicable chronic diseases, such as type 2 diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases, and cancer. An appreciable causal link between changes in the gut microbiota and the onset of these maladies has been recognized, offering an avenue for effective management. Kefir, a probiotic-enriched fermented food, has gained significance in this setting due to its promising resource for the development of functional or value-added food formulations and its ability to reshape gut microbial composition. This has led to increasing commercial interest worldwide as it presents a natural beverage replete with health-promoting microbes and several bioactive compounds. Given the substantial role of the gut microbiota in human health and the etiology of several diseases, we conducted a comprehensive synthesis covering a total of 33 investigations involving experimental animal models, aimed to elucidate the regulatory influence of bioactive compounds present in kefir on gut microbiota and their potential in promoting optimal health. This review underscores the outstanding nutritional properties of kefir as a central repository of bioactive compounds encompassing micronutrients and amino acids and delineates their regulatory effects at deficient, adequate, and supra-nutritional intakes on the gut microbiota and their broader physiological consequences. Furthermore, an investigation of putative mechanisms that govern the regulatory effects of kefir on the gut microbiota and its connections with various human diseases was discussed, along with potential applications in the food industry.

The increased prevalence of obesity with several other metabolic disorders, including diabetes and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, has reached global pandemic proportions. Lifestyle changes may result in a persistent positive energy balance, hastening the onset of these age-related disorders and consequently leading to a diminished lifespan. Although suggestions have been raised on the possible link between obesity and the gut microbiota, progress has been hampered due to the extensive diversity and complexities of the gut microbiota. Being recognized as a potential biomarker owing to its pivotal role in metabolic activities, the dysregulation of the gut microbiota can give rise to a persistent low-grade inflammatory state associated with chronic diseases during aging. This chronic inflammatory state, also known as inflammaging, induced by the chronic activation of the innate immune system via the macrophage, is controlled by the gut microbiota, which links nutrition, metabolism, and the innate immune response. Here, we present the functional roles of prebiotics, probiotics, synbiotics, and postbiotics as bioactive compounds by underscoring their putative contributions to (1) the reduction in gut hyperpermeability due to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) inactivation, (2) increased intestinal barrier function as a consequence of the upregulation of tight junction proteins, and (3) inhibition of proinflammatory pathways, overall leading to the alleviation of chronic inflammation in the management of obesity.

This present study was conducted to investigate the efficacy of the essential oils (EO) of Cymbopogon citratus (DC.) Stapf. (Lemon grass) and Zingiber officinale Roscoe (ginger) against bacteria associated with otitis media (OM) in children. Ear swab samples were collected from 12 children diagnosed with OM between the ages of 0 – 5 years. Essential oils were extracted from the plants using the hydro-distillation method. The antibacterial activity of the essential oils was determined using the agar well diffusion method against isolated bacteria including Proteus mirabilis, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Proteus vulgaris, Moraxella catarrhalis, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Staphylococccus epidermidis. The antibiotic susceptibility patterns of the bacteria isolated was determined using 10 standard antibiotics as control. Greater zones of inhibition were observed in essential oil of Lemon grass as compared to Ginger. Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) and Minimum Bactericidal concentrations (MBC) were carried out for each essential oil where higher values (12.5 -100%v/v) were recorded for ginger essential oil than lemon grass (0.78 – 1.56%v/v). Phytochemical analysis of the EOs of ginger and lemon grass carried out using GC-MS showed the presence of zingiberene (26.85%) and generaldehyde (21.13%) respectively as the most abundant phytocompounds. In silico study was carried out through the molecular docking method using the AutoDock version 2.1 by taking two proteins- osmoporin and mevalonate synthetase as targets and different phytocompounds from the essential oils as ligands. Molecular docking highlighted the potential of several phytocompounds in the essential oils to inhibit protein targets required by bacteria for survival.