Within many plants, such as seeds, nuts and cereals, there is a compound called phytic acid. Phytic acid has many beneficial properties, including producing molecules which slows down the damage that can be caused to other molecules within the body. Phytic acid has also been known to help in the treatment of cancer. Phytic acid binds iron very strongly. Iron is an extremely important nutrient not only for humans, but also for a lot of bacteria. In humans, iron is absorbed in the small intestine. Unfortunately, iron does not get absorbed very well and so a lot of it travels into the large intestine. The large intestine contains trillions of bacteria and a lot of these bacteria use iron as food. However, not all bacteria in the large intestine are 'good bacteria'. Some bacteria, such as Enterobacteria, can be harmful to people's health. For this reason, if iron is kept away from these 'bad bacteria' through the binding of phytic acid and iron, it could prove to be beneficial to human health. In general, the gut contains trillions of bacteria, many of which help to unlock extra nutrients from the food people eat. Some bacteria, such as Bifidobacteria, are often referred to as 'good bacteria' and are added to foods such as yoghurts. Many 'good bacteria' are able to survive without iron and this makes it even more important to make sure the 'bad bacteria' have limited access to iron. Otherwise, it is possible that the large intestine could populate more more harmful bacteria than beneficial bacteria. In this study, investigators will ask participants to consume either the test capsule, which contains phytin (a salt form of phytic acid), or a control capsule, which contains a powder resembling phytin but is actually an inactive substance. The investigators are interested in whether consuming these capsules will decrease Enterobacteria (one of the 'bad bacteria' in the large intestine).
The study will take place at the Clinical Research Facility (CRF) at the Quadram Institute in Norwich, with participants attending the QI CRF for screening and to collect the capsules for consumption (capsules will be randomly allocated, containing either phytin or placebo (microcrystalline cellulose)). The participants will be recruited from within a 40-mile radius of Norwich and this is clearly stated in the Participant Information Sheet (PIS). In this study, male and female participants aged between 18 and 50 years will be recruited until 14 participants complete the study. The participants will consume the randomly allocated capsules (containing either phytin or placebo), and collect their faecal samples at their home. The purpose of this study is to ascertain whether the delivery of phytin to the colon will cause a decrease in the proportions of human gut enterobacteriaceae, and a potential concomitant increase in the proportion of human gut bifidobacteriaceae, through chelation of iron.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
BASIC_SCIENCE
Masking
TRIPLE
Enrollment
14
Consumption of a rice extract, called phytin for a period of 2 weeks
Consumption of MCC, a placebo, for a period of 2 week
Quadram Institute Bioscience
Norwich, Norfolk, United Kingdom
QI NNUHFT Clinical Research Facility
Norwich, Norfolk, United Kingdom
Relative abundance of Enterobacteriaceae
To investigate whether consuming phytin for two weeks will cause a proportional decrease in human gut Enterobacteriaceae compared to the number of Enterobacteriaceae present in the participants' gut microbiome after consuming the control capsule.
Time frame: 4 months
Relative abundance of Bifidobacteriaceae
To investigate whether the delivery of phytin to the colon for a period of two weeks will be associated with an increase in human gut bifidobacteriaceae through the chelation of iron, compared to the number of bifidobacteriaceae present in the participants' baseline gut microbiota, as determined by faecal bacteria phylogenic analysis
Time frame: 4 months
Gut microbial composition
To ascertain whether consuming phytin modulates the gut microbial community as a whole, as compared to the consumption of a placebo capsule
Time frame: 4 months
Short chain fatty acids
To determine whether the consumption of phytin causes a change in short chain fatty acid levels in the faeces, via changes in the gut microbiome function
Time frame: 4 months
Iron concentrations
To determine whether the consumption of phytin causes a change in the available iron present in the faeces
Time frame: 4 months
Phytin degradation
To ascertain the extent of phytin degradation that takes place in the colon based on the known concentration of phytin administered via the capsule
Time frame: 4 months
Gut inflammation
To determine levels of calprotectin as a marker of gut inflammation
Time frame: 4 months
Systemic inflammation
To determine levels of C-Reactive Protein (CRP) as a marker of systemic inflammation
Time frame: 4 months
Release of capsule
To measure serum ferritin levels as a marker of the time of capsule release
Time frame: 4 months
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