Defatted raspberry seeds (dfrs) are rich in phytochemicals which can be metabolized by the GUT microbiota into bioactive compounds

These compounds are associated with a wide variety of beneficial health effects that may combat risk of obesity-related chronic disease. Moreover, there may be additive, or even synergistic, effects between these compounds and fiber to enhance the GUT microbiota and the microbial production of the bioactive compounds.nutraberry has developed a method of grinding dfrs to allow incorporation as an ingredient in a variety of foods, thus creating a functional food that may confer health benefits beyond the nutritional value of the food itself. We propose to test the ability of the products from this process to 1) increase the abundance of beneficial GUT microbes in human feces and 2) enhance the production of bioactive compounds by the GUT microbiota, utilizing the anaerobic chamber at the nutrition and GUT microbiome lab at washington state university in spokane. The process will include five test breads including: defatted raspberry seed ground to 5 microns in a refined grain bread, defatted raspberry seed ground to 10 microns in a refined grain bread, coarsely ground defatted raspberry seeds (210 microns) in a refined grain bread, a refined grain bread without defatted raspberry seeds, and a fiber-enriched wholewheat bread. The breads will undergo a model digestion and absorption process before being combined with human fecal samples and fermented in the anaerobic chamber. We will analyze the microbial genes and taxonomy of the fecal samples before and after fermentation to determine what changes took place from fecal fermentation of our experimental breads. In addition, we will determine changes that have occurred in the bioactive compounds of the ground seeds. This work will inform on potential functional nutritional benefits that can be derived from dfrs, and validate the utilization of an upcycled food that reduces production food waste and addresses food security by highlighting an inexpensive, healthy, and pleasant tasting food ingredient.