ABSTRACT: The effects of chitin-glucan on early atherosclerosis and cardiac production of superoxide anion and hepatic antioxidant enzymes were evaluated in a hamster model of nutritionally induced atherosclerosis, a model similar in many respects to human atheroma, with all signs of high oxidative stress. The study showed that regular consumption of chitin-glucan is efficient in preventing the development of atherosclerosis, with a 97% decrease in the atheromatous plaque, thanks to a significant improvement of the antioxidant status. A pilot study on slightly overweight and hypocholesterolemic human volunteers was performed to assess the metabolic effects of a chitin-glucan enriched alimentation. Decreases in blood triglycerides levels and in plasmatic oxidized-LDL were observed, both parameters constituting major risk factors for the development of atherosclerosis.

Full published study: Managing oxidative stress with a vegetal ingredient, chitin-glucan. AUDREY DESCHAMPS, GERALDINE NOLLEVAUX, SANDRINE GAUTIER, FLORENCE KELLER. AgroFood industry hi-tech - July/August 2009

ABSTRACT: Chitin-glucan is an insoluble biopolymer, composed of chitin and beta-(1,3)-D-glucan, that is a component of the fungal cell wall. This study was conducted to assess the safety of chitin-glucan from the mycelium of Aspergillus niger (Artinia brand) for use as dietary supplement and food ingredient. Chitin-glucan was fed to Wistar rats (20/sex/group) at dietary levels of 0, 1, 5 and 10% for 13 weeks. Clinical and neurobehavioural observations, growth, feed and water consumption, ophthalmoscopy, haematology, clinical chemistry, urinalysis, organ weights, necropsy and histopathological examination revealed no adverse effects of chitin-glucan. Rats fed chitin-glucan at 10% consumed more feed than controls, probably due to lower energy density of their diet. Water intake was increased slightly at all dose levels. These changes were not toxicologically significant. Full and empty caecum weights were increased in mid-dose males and high-dose males and females. This caecal enlargement was a physiological response to the consumption of a high amount of poorly digestible carbohydrate and considered of no toxicological concern. In conclusion, feeding chitin-glucan at dietary levels up to 10% for 13 weeks was tolerated without any signs of toxicity. This level corresponded to 6.6 and 7.0 g chitin-glucan/kg body weight/day in male and female rats, respectively.

Full published study: Subchronic (13-week) oral toxicity study in rats with fungal chitin-glucan from Aspergillus niger. D. Jonker, C.F. Kuper , V. Maquet, G. Nollevaux, S. Gautier. Food and Chemical Toxicology. 48 (2010) 2695–2701
 

ABSTRACT: Recent studies have provided new evidence that alterations in the composition of the gut microbiota – known as dysbiosis – participate in the development of obesity. The aim of the present study was to investigate the ability of chitin-glucan (CG) from a fungal source to modulate both the gut microbiota and glucose and lipid metabolism in high-fat (HF) diet-induced obese mice. Supplementation of the HF diet with fungal CG (10% w/w) induced caecal enlargement with prominent changes in gut microbiota: it restored the number of bacteria from clostridial cluster XIVa including Roseburia spp., which were decreased due to HF feeding. Furthermore, CG treatment significantly decreased HF-induced body weight gain, fat mass development, fasting hyperglycemia, glucose intolerance, hepatic triglyceride accumulation and hypercholesterolemia, independently of the caloric intake. All those parameters were negatively correlated with specific bacteria of clostridial cluster XIVa, i.e., Roseburia spp. (Pearson’s correlations analysis). In contrast to prebiotics that more specifically target the bifidobacteria species, CG effects on obesity appear to be independent of the incretin glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) production, since portal GLP-1 and proglucagon (its precursor) expression were not modified by the dietary intervention. In conclusion, our findings support the view that chronic consumption of CG has potential beneficial effects with respect to the development of obesity and associated metabolic diabetes and hepatic steatosis, through a mechanism related to the restoration of the composition and/or the activity of gut bacteria, namely, bacteria from clostridial cluster XIVa.

Full published study: Dietary modulation of clostridial cluster XIVa gut bacteria (Roseburia spp.) by chitin–glucan fiber improves host metabolic alterations induced by high-fat diet in mice. Audrey M. Neyrincka, Sam Possemiersb, Willy Verstraeteb, Fabienne De Backera, Patrice D. Cania, Nathalie M. Delzennea, Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry (2010)
 

ABSTRACT: The effects of chitin-glucan (CG) on early atherosclerosis, cardiac production of superoxide anion, and hepatic antioxidant enzymes were studied in an animal model of atherosclerosis. Three groups of 12 hamsters were fed an atherogenic diet for 12 weeks. They received by gavage either water (control group) or CG in water at a dose of 21.4 mg/kg BW• d-1 of chitin-glucan (CG ld) or 42.8mg/kg BW• d-1 (GG hd). CG did not affect plasma cholesterol but lowered triglycerides. It also strongly reduced the area of aortic fatty streak deposition by 87-97%, cardiac production of superoxide anion by 25% and liver MDA by 77-85%, and enhanced liver superoxide dismutase activity by 7-45% and glutathionne peroxidase activity by 38-120%. These findings support the view that chronic consumption of chitin-glucan has potential beneficial effects with respect to the development of atherosclerosis. The underlying mechanism is related mainly to improving the antioxidant status.

Full published study: Fungal Chitin-Glucan from Aspergillus niger Efficiently Reduces Aortic Fatty Streak Accumulation in the High-Fat Fed Hamster, an Animal Model of Nutritionally Induced Atherosclerosis. ARLET BERECOCHEA-LOPEZ,KELLY DECORD ´ E,EMILIE VENTURA, MARL ` ENE GODARD, AUR ´ ELIE BORNET, PIERRE-LOUIS TEISS ` EDRE,JEAN-PAUL CRISTOL, AND JEAN-MAX ROUANET. Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry (2009).