Bacterial Bio-transformation to Optimize Catechin's Insulin Sensitivity
Standing
Undergraduate
Type of Proposal
Oral Presentation
Faculty
Faculty of Science
Faculty Sponsor
Dr. John Trant
Proposal
Insulin is a hormone produced by the body that helps humans process and store glucose. People with Type 2 Diabetes suffer from their cells lacking insulin sensitivity, causing them to not process it accordingly. The loss of control over glucose production and storage leads to a hyperglycemic state which leads to the symptoms of diabetes. Unfortunately, anti-diabetic medications often have negative side effects. Preliminary work has shown that catechols can increase cellular sensitivity towards insulin, and could possibly be a nutraceutical therapy for diabetes. Catechol is not found free in many foods, but its precursor, catechin, is present in many natural sources, such as blueberries, berry juices, and green tea, and has exhibited anti-diabetic effects on cultured cells. Lactobacillus, gut bacteria found in yoghurt, has been shown to transform catechin into catechols through prior research, but not proven in all types of the bacteria. Based on previous literature, we have analyzed bacterial processes that can help moderate insulin sensitivity. Bacterial metabolism of catechin produces catechol, either as an intermediate or end product. This presentation will discuss progress in our lab towards identifying and developing a Lactobacillus strain that can effectively convert catechin into catechol. The underlying biology, analytical chemistry, and our preliminary microbiology results will be discussed on how our work is expanding on previous literature and its methods.
Grand Challenges
Sustainable Industry
Bacterial Bio-transformation to Optimize Catechin's Insulin Sensitivity
Insulin is a hormone produced by the body that helps humans process and store glucose. People with Type 2 Diabetes suffer from their cells lacking insulin sensitivity, causing them to not process it accordingly. The loss of control over glucose production and storage leads to a hyperglycemic state which leads to the symptoms of diabetes. Unfortunately, anti-diabetic medications often have negative side effects. Preliminary work has shown that catechols can increase cellular sensitivity towards insulin, and could possibly be a nutraceutical therapy for diabetes. Catechol is not found free in many foods, but its precursor, catechin, is present in many natural sources, such as blueberries, berry juices, and green tea, and has exhibited anti-diabetic effects on cultured cells. Lactobacillus, gut bacteria found in yoghurt, has been shown to transform catechin into catechols through prior research, but not proven in all types of the bacteria. Based on previous literature, we have analyzed bacterial processes that can help moderate insulin sensitivity. Bacterial metabolism of catechin produces catechol, either as an intermediate or end product. This presentation will discuss progress in our lab towards identifying and developing a Lactobacillus strain that can effectively convert catechin into catechol. The underlying biology, analytical chemistry, and our preliminary microbiology results will be discussed on how our work is expanding on previous literature and its methods.