Dietary habits strongly influence gut microbiota. The aim of this study was to compare and correlated the abundance of Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes phyla, some representative bacteria of these phyla such as Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron, Prevotella, Faecalibacterium prausnitzii, Clostridium leptum and Bifidobacterium longum as a member of Actinobacteria phylum in young adults with their food intake. Faecal samples used came from lean subjects (BMI = 19.83 ± 0.94 kg/m²), overweight (BMI = 27.17 ± 0.51 kg/m²) and obese (BMI = 41.33 ± 5.25 kg/m²). There were significant differences in total studied gut microbiota between the overweight and lean groups. Members of the Firmicutes phylum, and Bifidobacterium longum, were more abundant in the lean group. The results suggest that diet rich in unsaturated fatty acids and fibre promote an abundant population of beneficial bacteria such as B. longum and Bacteroidetes. However, it has been considered that the results may be biased due to the size of the individuals studied; therefore the results could be only valid for the studied population.

Viral infections represent a major health problem worldwide. Due to the wide variety of etiological agents and their increasing resistance to anti-virals and antibiotics treatments, new strategies for effective therapies need to be developed. Scientific evidence suggests that probiotics may have prophylactic and therapeutic effects in viral diseases. Indeed, these microorganisms interact harmoniously with the intestinal microbiota and protect the integrity of the intestinal barrier as well as modulate the host immune system. Currently, clinical trials with probiotics have been documented in respiratory tract infections, infections caused by human immunodeficiency viruses, herpes, human papillomavirus and hepatic encephalopathy. However, the benefits documented so far are difficult to extrapolate, due to the strain-dependent effect. In addition, the dose of the microorganism used as well as host characteristics are other parameters that should be consider when advocating the use of probiotics to treat viral infections. This review addresses the scientific evidence of the efficacy of probiotics in clinical strains perspective in viral infectious diseases in the last 10 years.

Background: Obesity is the excessive accumulation of adipose tissue, related to food intake and other factors. The aim of this study was to evaluate the intake of nutrients, anthropometric parameters, health indicators, adipokines and insulin levels in a population of young undergraduates. Method: In this study 378 young undergraduate were invited to participate; due to the inclusion criteria and their own decision of participating, 90 attended the anthropometric, health indicators (WC, WHR, WHtR y HOMA-IR) studies and completed the questionnaire of frequency of food intake; and 34 participants were selected to perform the determination of biochemical parameters, insulin and adipokines levels (leptin, IL-6, IL-8, TNF-α, MCP-1 and HGF). Results: According to WC, WHR and WHtR obese population showed a health, cardio vascular and metabolic risk. Overweight population, showed cardiometabolic risk. In general lipid intake was higher than 30% being animal fat the most consumed. The levels of leptin and insulin increased along with BMI, BFP, VFA, WC, WHR and WHtR. Lean, overweight and obese women and overweight and obese men showed insulin resistance according to HOMA-IR. Significant correlation between leptin and HOMA-IR was found. BMI, BFP, VFA, WC, and WHtR positively correlated with leptin and insulin, while WHR only with insulin. No significant differences were found in the other adipokines. Conclusion: The use of health indicators such VFA, WC, WHR, WHtR and HOMA-IR are useful tools in the determination of health, cardio vascular and metabolic risk and are correlated with levels of leptin and insulin in the studied population.

The trematode Clinostomum marginatum, secretes excretory-secretory products (ESPs) which have the potential to increase the viability and antioxidant activity of probiotic strains. The aim of this study was to identify the ESP profile of C. marginatum and to evaluate its anti-inflammatory activity in RAW 264.7 macrophages, as well as its effect on the viability and antioxidant activity of a consortium of bacteria comprising Lactobacillus and/or Bifidobacterium. C. marginatum was maintained in RPMI-1640 medium for ESP collection. Anti-inflammatory activity was assessed in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 cells treated with 800 µg/mL of ESPs, measuring cell viability, nitric oxide production, and the relative expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-6, TNF-α, INF-γ) and the COX-2 gene by qPCR. The influence of ESPs (800–1600 µg/mL) on probiotic viability and antioxidant activity was determined using MTT, DPPH, hydroxyl, and superoxide radical scavenging assays. C. marginatum showed 74% survival in vitro, and SDS-PAGE analysis revealed three major protein bands in the ESPs (47, 54, and 58 kDa). ESP treatment significantly reduced nitric oxide and the mRNA expression of pro-inflammatory markers in LPS-activated macrophages. ESPs supplemented at 1200 µg/mL optimized the growth kinetics of Lactobacillus (specific growth rate μ_L = 1.12 h⁻¹, doubling time t_d = 0.62 h) and Bifidobacterium (μ_B = 1.09 h⁻¹, t_d = 0.63 h) compared to control conditions. In conclusion, ESPs from C. marginatum exhibited significant anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects while enhancing bacterial viability, which positions them as promising candidates for biotherapeutics agents in the management of inflammatory control and gut microbiota modulation.