PhD conferral Ms Bouke N.H. Salden, MSc.

“Nutritional interventions focusing on gastrointestinal and metabolic health”

Keywords: nutritional interventions, gluten, AN-PEP, arabinoxylan, hesperidin, microbiotics

This dissertation examined the effects of various nutritional interventions on the gastrointestinal and metabolic health of healthy, overweight and obese individuals.  Aspergillus niger prolyl endoprotease (AN-PEP) is capable of processing nutritional gluten and efficiently breaking it down in the stomach of healthy volunteers before the gluten reaches the small intestine. The changing composition of intestinal microbiotics through nutrition is an interesting way to improve the intestinal barrier and to treat or prevent the development and progression of chronic illnesses. Arabinoxylan (AX), non-digestible carbohydrates found in wheat, are capable of changing microbiotic activity, which can have positive effects on both the intestinal barrier and the immune system. Large-scale studies have revealed that flavonoid-rich products have a positive effect on cardiovascular diseases and their associated risks, as well as on gastrointestinal parameters. The studies examined the effects of hesperidin, a flavonoid found in the peels of citrus fruits. They found that hesperidin can improve vascular function and potentially blood pressure as well in individuals with relatively healthy blood vessels. It could also have a positive effect on microbiotic activity.