Theodoro Jaqueline Maciel Vieira, da Silva Lucimar Aguiar, de São José Vinícius Parzanini Brilhante, Willis Nathaniel Baldwin, Toledo Renata Celi Lopes, Grancieri Mariana, Carvalho Carlos Wanderlei Piler, Pierre Joseph Francis, da Silva Bárbara Pereira, Martino Hércia Stampini Duarte
Department of Nutrition and Health, Federal University of Viçosa, Viçosa 36570900, Brazil.
Department of Nutritional Sciences, College of Agriculture and Life Science, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706-1527, USA.
Foods. 2025 Aug 7;14(15):2752. doi: 10.3390/foods14152752.
This study evaluated the effect of pearl millet subjected to different processing on the intestinal health of rats. The animals were fed a standard iron-free diet (28 days) (hemoglobin depletion: 8.65 + 1.40 g/dL of hemoglobin). Subsequently, they were divided into four groups for hemoglobin repletion (21 days): standard diet + ferrous sulfate (SD + FS); standard diet + non-germinated open-pan cooked millet flour (SD + NGOPCMF); standard diet + germinated open-pan cooked millet flour (SD + GOPCMF); and standard diet + extrusion-cooked millet flour (SD + ECMF). Hemoglobin level did not differ among groups. The SD + NGOPCMF, SD + GOPCMF and SD + ECMF groups demonstrated a higher Chao index in the microbiome and a higher number and area of goblet cells and longitudinal muscle layer width. The SD + NGOPCMF and SD + GOPCMF groups demonstrated increased cecum weight, crypt depth, crypt thickness, and circular muscle layer width; lower fecal pH; and a higher relative abundance of Bacteroidota, while the SD + FS group showed the highest abundance of Actinobacteriota. The SD + GOPCMF group stood out for showing the lowest fecal pH, better α-diversity (Chao and Shannon index), and the highest width of the longitudinal muscle layer. In conclusion, pearl millet subjected to different processing, mainly germination, has the potential to improve the composition of the intestinal microbiota and the intestinal morphology in rats induced to iron deficiency.
本研究评估了经过不同加工处理的珍珠粟对大鼠肠道健康的影响。给动物喂食标准无铁饮食（28天）（血红蛋白耗竭：血红蛋白8.65 + 1.40 g/dL）。随后，将它们分为四组进行血红蛋白补充（21天）：标准饮食 + 硫酸亚铁（SD + FS）；标准饮食 + 未发芽的平底锅煮熟粟米粉（SD + NGOPCMF）；标准饮食 + 发芽的平底锅煮熟粟米粉（SD + GOPCMF）；以及标准饮食 + 挤压熟粟米粉（SD + ECMF）。各组之间血红蛋白水平无差异。SD + NGOPCMF、SD + GOPCMF和SD + ECMF组在微生物群落中表现出较高的Chao指数，杯状细胞数量和面积以及纵肌层宽度更大。SD + NGOPCMF和SD + GOPCMF组盲肠重量增加、隐窝深度增加、隐窝厚度增加以及环肌层宽度增加；粪便pH值较低；拟杆菌门相对丰度较高，而SD + FS组放线菌门丰度最高。SD + GOPCMF组表现突出，粪便pH值最低，α多样性（Chao和Shannon指数）较好，纵肌层宽度最大。总之，经过不同加工处理的珍珠粟，主要是发芽处理，有可能改善缺铁诱导大鼠的肠道微生物群组成和肠道形态。
