Nestlé (Switzerland)

Vitamin A deficiency remains a major health issue in many countries. Two types of vitamin A are naturally present in our diet, provitamin A carotenoids from plant sources and preformed vitamin A, mainly retinyl esters and retinol, found in animal products, fortified foods and supplements. The objective was to review current knowledge and gaps in understanding the mechanism and factors influencing preformed vitamin A bioavailability. The results show that the fate of retinyl esters in the intestine is well described, but that of retinol deserves further investigation. Preformed vitamin A present in liver, oil, sugar, and milk is well absorbed (70 to 99%), but data for other important matrices like eggs and fortified flours is lacking. The impact of the type and quantity of dietary lipids is unclear, especially whether low levels in a meal would be sufficient for optimal vitamin A absorption. Further research is needed to evaluate the effect of plant proteins and dietary fibers for which results are conflicting. The impact of host related factors like age is limited, and largely unknown for gender and genetic/epigenetic factors. It is well established that inflammation and other metabolic disorders affect vitamin A status, yet further study could help to distinguish absorption issues from other metabolic processes. An interesting avenue is the possible role of microbiota and probiotics on vitamin A absorption, as it could represent a complementary approach to food fortification. Further clinical research should prioritize the use of tracers to better quantify absorption under various nutritional conditions.

Sensory and consumer researchers are often required to identify clusters of consumers based on product liking. A widespread, if informally held, belief is that many studies contain a group of consumers whose data differ from the product means in their assigned cluster. The implication could be less discrimination between samples within a cluster, leading to poorer decision-making. This research presents a variant of existing cluster analysis methods to potentially improve insights by excluding subjects with non-typical response behaviour. The approach is intuitive, easy to implement, and cluster algorithm agnostic. After removing non-discriminators (i.e., those who like all samples equally), the principle is to conduct cluster analysis and then calculate the correlation of each subject's liking ratings with the mean in their assigned cluster, setting a fixed “trim out” threshold for the correlation coefficient. Consumers with correlations below the threshold are classified as non-typical and excluded. After introducing cluster trimming in a case study, the method is applied to another 29 data sets representing category appraisal and product optimisation applications. On average, the cluster-trimming process resulted in around 1/3 of study participants being “trimmed out.” These consumers tended to discriminate less between samples than the participants who were retained following cluster trimming. While cluster trimming was found to add some value regarding product discrimination, this benefit was somewhat obscured by the reduction in cluster size. Exploring within-cluster heterogeneity, made possible by examining histograms of correlation coefficients (r-values), is recommended. Because the cluster trimming approach is correlational, it should not be used in product studies with too few samples ( n < 6). • A correlational approach for refinement of consumer segments based on liking. • Subjects are retained or trimmed out based on similarity with the cluster product means. • Improves cluster homogeneity but has little impact on sample discrimination. • Cluster trimming is easy to perform and does not bias mean liking ratings.

<h3>Background and Importance</h3> A survey of market access experts of the Medical Nutrition International Industry was undertaken to understand the barriers contributing to inequity in optimal nutritional care in Europe. <h3>Aim and Objectives</h3> Disease-related malnutrition (DRM), an underdiagnosed, undertreated public health problem that affects 30–50% of hospital inpatients, results in poor health outcomes and higher costs.¹ Multidisciplinary care, including pharmacists, is essential to ensure optimal nutritional interventions.² Pharmacists are vital to multidisciplinary care coordination. Medical nutrition therapy is cost-effective and improves health outcomes, yet inequity exists in access.¹ This survey was conducted to address the limited insight across countries into the major barriers to implementation of equitable nutritional care beyond health technology assessment. <h3>Material and Methods</h3> An online survey was developed by the MNI, and members (n=6) participated between April and December 2024. Additional responses were included (National Industry Groups n=2; additional MNI members n=2). Results covered Croatia, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland, The Netherlands and the United Kingdom. Quantitative data were reported as percentages and qualitative data as key themes. <h3>Results</h3> Although screening for DRM was reported as being available in 80% of countries surveyed, it was mandatory in only 20% and often poorly implemented. Knowledge of nutritional care was described as inconsistent and specialty-dependent, with 56% reporting access to expert nutrition professionals as limited to hospital settings. Barriers identified included lack of funding, limited workforce availability and nutrition seen as a low priority. Although reimbursement of food for special medical purposes (FSMP) (medical nutrition products for oral or enteral nutrition) was reported by 90% of country respondents it varied by healthcare setting, and 50% reported that obtaining FSMP is ‘difficult/not easy’. Awareness of DRM amongst patients was reported as low, with difficulties navigating complex healthcare systems citied by 70% of country respondents as a key contributing factor to inequity. <h3>Conclusion and Relevance</h3> Knowledge of system-level barriers to nutritional care, beyond HTA, highlights actionable gaps within hospital practice. Hospital pharmacists can act as drivers of change. Through their roles in therapeutic committees, and care coordination, they can help embed medical nutrition into hospital standards and reduce access inequities. <h3>References and/or Acknowledgements</h3> 1. WHO-ESPEN 2023. https://www.who.int/europe/publications/i/item/WHO-EURO-2023-8931-48703-72392 2. Cederholm, <i>et al</i>. 2017. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27642056 <h3>Conflict of Interest</h3> Corporate sponsored research or other substantive relationships: MNI represents the companies that were surveyed for this exercise.

Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) are promising biodegradable alternatives to petroleum-based plastics, yet their large-scale application remains hindered by high production costs. Here, a direct and cost-effective microbial strategy to upcycle polyester waste into PHAs using Paracoccus denitrificans was investigated. Remarkably, the bacterium metabolized 10 out of 12 tested plastic-derived monomers and efficiently accumulated intracellular PHAs, even when fed with pretreated mixed polyester waste instead of purified substrates. More than 80% of polyester monomers supported growth, and medium optimization through nitrogen reduction boosted PHA content up to 30% of cell dry weight. This one-step process circumvents costly separation steps, enabling the valorization of heterogeneous plastic mixtures and significantly reducing both economic and processing burdens. By transforming post-consumer plastics into high-value biopolymers, this work positions P. denitrificans as a versatile platform for circular bioeconomy strategies, directly supporting global sustainability agendas and advancing sustainable bioprocessing for the green industry. • Direct green method for upcycling of polyester waste into PHAs • PHA production from polyester waste using Paracoccus denitrificans. • Over 80% of polyester monomers support P. denitrificans growth. • Optimized nitrogen reduction boosts specific PHA content up to 30%. • Cost-effective PHA production from mixed bioplastics via microbial process

Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD(H)) and its phosphorylated form NADP(H) are vitamin B3-derived redox cofactors essential for numerous metabolic reactions and protein modifications. Various health conditions are associated with disturbances in NAD+ homeostasis. To restore NAD+ levels, the main biosynthetic pathways have been targeted, with nicotinamide (Nam), nicotinamide riboside (NR) and nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN) being the most prominent boosters. However, while many preclinical studies have examined the effects of these precursors, a direct comparison in humans is lacking, and recent rodent research suggests that the NAD+-boosting effects of NR and NMN may depend on their microbial conversion to nicotinic acid (NA), a mechanism not yet confirmed in humans. Here we show in a randomized, open-label, placebo-controlled study in 65 healthy participants that 14 days of supplementation with NR and NMN, but not Nam, comparably increases circulatory NAD+ concentrations in healthy adults. Unlike the chronic effect, only Nam acutely and transiently affects the whole-blood NAD+ metabolome. Using ex vivo fermentation with human microbiota, we identify that NR and NMN give rise to NA and specifically enhance microbial growth and metabolism. We further demonstrate ex vivo in whole blood that NA is a potent NAD+ booster, while NMN, NR and Nam are not. Ultimately, we propose a gut-dependent model for the modes of action of the three NAD+ precursors with NR and NMN elevating circulatory NAD+ via the Preiss-Handler pathway, while rapidly absorbed Nam acutely affects NAD+ levels via the salvage pathway. Overall, these results indicate a dual effect of NR and NMN and their microbially produced metabolite NA: a sustained increase in systemic NAD+ levels and a potent modulator of gut health. ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT05517122 .

Abstract Cellulose nanocrystal (CNC) films can exhibit reflective and iridescent coloration due to their self‐assembled structure, but are brittle. This study compares glucose (monosaccharide), maltose (disaccharide), and gluconic acid (acidic sugar) as plasticizers and links suspension self‐assembly behavior to the optical and mechanical properties of the resulting films. Glucose‐plasticized films have been previously studied, but maltose and gluconic acid have not yet been applied in this capacity. Here, glucose and maltose do not change CNC liquid crystalline suspension properties, whereas gluconic acid significantly increases the critical concentration for liquid crystal formation and the chiral nematic pitch. All additives redshift the film color, with gluconic acid inducing the largest redshift; the homogeneity of the optical response trends as follows: pure CNC &gt; gluconic acid &gt; glucose &gt; maltose. The pronounced changes induced by gluconic acid are attributed to its acidity and negatively charged nature, which modify CNC‐CNC interactions. Added sugars increase strain‐at‐break and decrease Young's modulus – for example, an eight‐fold increase in strain‐at‐break and a nine‐fold decrease in Young's modulus are observed with gluconic acid. These results indicate that plasticizer identity offers a straightforward lever to tune CNC film properties for photonic applications but requires balancing mechanical performance against optical quality.

In this randomized, double-blind controlled trial, 182 Filipino children aged 2-3 years received either an experimental young child formula (EYCF) containing a combination of Limosilactobacillus reuteri DSM 17938 and galacto-oligosaccharides (GOS; n = 91) or a minimally fortified milk (CM; n = 91) for 6 months. Primary outcome was tibia speed of sound and secondary outcomes were muscle strength, blood vitamin D levels, bone turnover markers, gut microbiota, fecal calcium fatty acid soaps and gastro-intestinal tolerance. Compared to CM, those in the EYCF group showed increased tibia speed of sound after 3 and 6 months. The intervention remodeled the stool microbiome composition, assessed by shotgun metagenomics, with enrichment of L. reuteri and higher bifidobacteria presence in the EYCF group. Increased L. reuteri abundance after 6 months of EYCF consumption associates with higher bone quality and muscle strength. Stool metabolomics show 45 metabolites modulated by EYCF consumption and associated to microbiome compositional changes, leading to enrichment of tryptophane and indole metabolism. In summary, consumption of EYCF containing a L. reuteri + GOS synbiotic improves musculoskeletal development in toddlers via modulation of microbiota composition and function. These results provide insights on gut-musculoskeletal crosstalk during early life. Clinicaltrial.gov NCT04799028.

Dietary fiber supplementation can reduce cardiometabolic risk, but its effective use is limited by incomplete understanding of fibre-microbiome interactions and highly individualized responses. We tested acacia gum (AG; fermentable fibre), resistant starch type 4 (RS4; fermentable fibre), and microcrystalline cellulose (MCC; non-fermentable control fibre) in a six-week randomized trial in adults with excess body weight. Multi-omics profiling revealed distinct, structure-specific microbiota and short-chain fatty acid shifts with AG and RS4, which were not directly linked to physiological outcomes. Improvements in inflammation, gut barrier function, and satiety occurred across all arms, indicating fermentation-independent effects. AG reduced plasma ghrelin, linked to microbial carbohydrate-active enzyme genes targeting its structures. Machine-learning models predicted individualized, fiber-specific effects on blood pressure (AG) and C-reactive protein (RS4) from microbial pathways and fecal bile acids. These findings delineate fermentation-dependent and independent mechanisms of fibre action and provide a mechanistic basis for personalized fibre supplementation.Trial registration:ClinicalTrials.govNCT02322112

BackgroundNutritional deficiencies are one of the main factors that affect cognitive development. In Côte d'Ivoire, although nutritional deficiencies have been reported among schoolchildren, their association with cognitive function or academic performance remains unexplored.ObjectiveThe objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between nutritional status, cognition, and school performance in school-aged children from Taabo, Côte d'Ivoire.MethodsA sample of 252 schoolchildren (6–12 years) was recruited. Nutrient biomarkers were measured in blood samples, cognition (fluid intelligence) was assessed using the Raven's Colored Progressive Matrices (RCPM), and school performance was quantified based on academic results in mathematics and literature.ResultsOverall scores were 15.4 ± 4.4 for the RCPM, 6.0 ± 2.4 for mathematics, and 5.4 ± 1.8 for literature (out of a maximum of 36, 10, and 10, respectively). Most of the children had normal nutritional status, but all had inadequate plasma levels of iron, folate, thiamine, and vitamin B12. Significant correlations (p < 0.05) were found between biomarkers of iron, folate, tryptophan, calcium, potassium, and omega-3 fatty acids with cognition or school performance. In contrast, no associations were found with zinc, iodine, riboflavin, vitamin B12, or vitamin D. After adjusting for sociodemographic factors in regression models, calcium was identified as a predictor of cognitive skills (R2 = 0.3, p = 0.020; 95% CI: 8.2 × 10−6−9.3 × 105) and folate as a predictor of performance in both mathematics (R2 = 0.1, p = 0.006; 95% CI: 0.1–0.3) and literature (R2 = 0.1, p = 0.005; 95% CI: 0.1–0.2).ConclusionThis study found high rates of B vitamins and iron deficiencies in Ivorian school-aged children. Iron, folate, tryptophan, calcium, potassium, and omega-3 fatty acid biomarkers showed promising correlations with cognition and academic performance. Further research aimed at investigating such relationships is needed.