NUTR 3000 Take-home assignment-Gut Microbiota and Metabolism 40 points

With the help of the reference posted on Blackboard (Gentile C.L. and Weir T.L. (2018) The gut microbiota at the intersection of diet and human health. Science 362: 776-780), answer the following questions:

Q-1. What are MACs? List any two benefits of a MAC-rich diet and two potential consequences of a MAC-poor diet for host health. (10 points)

Q-2. In class, we have discussed the importance of the type of fat rather than just the quantity of fat. From the ‘dietary fats’ section of the article, find an example of a study that highlights varying effects of different fat-types on metabolism as well as microbiota, and briefly describe the findings. (6 points)

Q-3. Name two beneficial and two detrimental products of microbial action on dietary proteins. Also list the precursor (what that product is formed from, e.g. TMAO from L-carnitine). (8 points)

Q-4. The article lists two food additives that can lead to obesity and inflammation in mice that had a microbiota, vs. germ-free mice. What additives are these? List one example each of a processed food that contains these additives by researching the internet or reviewing your pantry or grocery aisles. (8 points).

Q-5. From the article, cite an example of gut microbes’ ability to enhance bioavailability of dietary phytochemicals. (3 points)

Q-6. Based on the information provided in the article, list two gut microbiota-related findings that pertain the health effects of a Mediterranean diet. (5 points)