Project description:Background and study aims
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most commoncancers among humans worldwide. Recent studies demonstrated that the composition of the bacterial community in the human gut, as well as inflammation occurring in the gut, are some of the factors that modify the risk of an individual to develop CRC. The human gut is home to more than 1000 bacterial species, including health-promoting species and disease-causing species.
The consumption of rice bran, a by-product of rice milling, was previously shown to positively modify bacterial composition in the gut among healthy adults. The protective effect of a long-term rice bran consumption against CRC among individuals known to have higher risk of CRC, such as older individuals who are regular smokers and having a family history of CRC, needs to be established.
This study aims to investigate whether the implementation of a 24-week dietary programme involving rice bran consumption among adults at high risk of CRC is feasible, and whether it has any effect in inducing a health-promoting modification of the bacterial community, as well as a reduction of inflammation, in the gut of these individuals.
Who can participate?
Chinese adults of either gender, who are aged 50 or above and are categorised to be in the high risk CRC group by the Asian-Pacific Colorectal Screening tool, in which classification is based on age, smoking status and family history of CRC.
What does the study involve?
After the recruited subjects were screened for eligibility of study participation and written informed consent had been obtained from them, they were randomly assigned into either Group A or Group B. Participants in Group A were given packets of rice bran and were asked to consume 30 grams of the rice bran at 24-hour intervals for 24 weeks. Participants in Group B were given packets of rice powder that has similar appearance and colour as the rice bran, and were asked to consume 30 grams of the rice powder, also at 24-hour intervals for 24 weeks. All participants were asked to provide a stool sample and blood sample at various time points during the study, namely just before rice bran consumption, as well as 6 weeks, 12 weeks and 24 weeks after the start of rice bran consumption. Laboratory tests were conducted on these samples. All participants were also instructed to complete a log book, detailing the date and time of rice bran or rice powder intake each day, and the amount consumed. The participants also completed a faecal diary where they documented the frequency of egestion, and the shape and amount of stool egested each day, as well as the occurrence of any abdominal discomfort or pain.
Project description:The microbial community and enzymes in fermented rice using defined microbial starter, containing Rhizopus oryzae, Saccharomycopsis fibuligera, Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Pediococcus pentosaceus, play an important role in quality of the fermented rice product and its biological activities including melanogenesis inhibitory activity. The microbial metaproteome revealed large-scale proteins expressed by the microbial community to better understand the role of microbiota in the fermented rice.