<p>As obesity has become one of the most prevalent metabolic diseases, and diabetes mellitus has become the seventh leading causes of death in the United States, alternative food/nutrition-based approaches to tackle obesity that are both efficacious and cost effective are in high demand. Since starch and its derived products are the principal dietary supply of glucose, strategies of using slowly digestible starch to achieve moderated glycemic response and prolonged glucose delivery, as well as to locationally digest starch into the ileum, have shown successful results such as moderation of insulinemia and reducing food intake in obese animals. An important regulator of appetite suppression is the neuroendocrine system of the gut-brain axis. Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), oxyntomodulin (OXM), and peptide YY (PYY) are the main anorexigenic peptide products of the intestinal enterendocrine L-cells that regulate postprandial insulin levels as well as satiety signals. The stimulation of the enteroendocrine L-cells throughout the gastrointestinal tract through glucose, fatty acids and proteins has been extensively studied and confirmed. However, the stimulatory effect of complex dietary carbohydrates on L-cells is not described. In this dissertation, we investigated the <i>in vitro</i> intestinal cell chemosensation of L-cells to α-amylase starch digestion products, named maltooligosaccharides (MOS), and in the possible application of using slowly digestible starch delivery of MOS <i>in vivo</i>.</p> <p>In Chapter II of this dissertation, we reported a significantly higher stimulatory effect of MOS on GLP-1 and OXM secretion compared to glucose in mouse and human L-cells, respectively. Additionally, maltotriose enhanced the relative expression of the gastrointestinal peptide, cholecystokinin. Moreover, MOS exhibited protective effects on barrier function and monolayer integrity of intestinal epithelial cells. </p> <p>In Chapters III and IV, we performed a multiomics approach where transcriptomic analysis and global protein profiling of mouse L-cells treated with different types of MOS showed that the carbohydrates exhibit their effects through the induction of exocytosis of GLP-1- or OXM-containing vesicles and not through a positive regulation of the proglucagon gene expression. It is suggested that MOS induce higher secretion, but not higher synthesis, of the proglucagon gene products. In addition, maltotriose treatment downregulated the relative expression of the glucotoxicity marker, thioredoxin-interacting protein, and upregulated the relative expression of tight junction proteins supporting a role of MOS in barrier function integrity.</p> <p>Translating the <i>in vitro</i> findings into an <i>in vivo</i> application that is beneficial for human health required the use of controllable tool for the delivery of MOS throughout the small intestine for sensing by a higher number of L-cells. Slowly digestible starch (SDS), compared to rapidly digestible starch, provided such a tool. For this purpose, we used alginate-entrapped SDS microspheres that digest distally into the ileum to examine the role of SDS in the intervention and prevention of obesity in C57BL/6J diet-induced obese (DIO) and lean mice models.</p> <p>Results showed that 20% SDS in low-fat diets significantly improved weight loss and food intake reduction in DIO mice converted to low-fat diet for 12 weeks. Similarly, 15% SDS in high-fat diets showed significant reduction in body fat percent and significant increase in lean body mass as well as considerable reduction in weight gain rate and food intake in lean mice fed on 45% of calories high-fat diet. Immunohistochemistry of small intestine of mice in both the intervention and prevention studies revealed an even and thorough distribution of GLP-1 positive L-cells.</p> <p>Overall, this dissertation proposes several insights into L-cell sensation of dietary starch-degraded MOS delivered by the consumption of slowly digestible starch. MOS exhibit unique influences on L-cell sensitivity and gut hormone productivity. Future research investigating the mechanisms of intestinal sensing of MOS, as well as the development of bioactive carbohydrate structures that could preserve body weight and modulate glucose tolerance <i>in vivo</i> is needed to translate these findings into nutritional recommendations and food products beneficial for human health. The intricate role of dietary carbohydrates on gut physiological response, related to satiety and food intake could be a new approach for design of foods for health applications.</p>

Raw seeds of sixteen common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) cultivars were evaluated along two consecutive harvests (2001/2002 and 2002/2003) concerning their physicochemical characteristics, as well as the effect of cooking and storage conditions on starch and dietary fiber contents. Serum lipids and blood glucose levels were also evaluated in normolipidemic-normoglycemic rats witch were fed diets containing bean cultivars with different soluble fiber/total fiber ratios (SF/TF): Pérola diet (0.11), Diamante Negro diet (0.19) and Iraí diet (0.26); control group was fed a standard diet (with insoluble fiber). Except for dry matter, moisture, and total dietary fiber, cultivars kept their chemical characteristics between harvests. Regarding similarity among macronutrient levels (crude protein-CP, total dietary fiber, insoluble dietary fiber, soluble dietary fiber-SF, digestible starch-DS, and resistant starch-RS) seeds from harvests 2001/2002 and 2002/2003 were categorized into four different groups; the same was done for micronutrients (Fe, Zn, Mn, Cu, Ca, Mg, and P), and four groups were also identified. Guateian 6662 and Rio Tibagi were considered the cultivars with the best nutritional profile (highest levels of CP, SF, DS, Fe, and Zn). Storage under refrigerated or freezing conditions did not change fiber content of cooked beans, but decreased their DS content and increased RS content, mainly in seeds with low RS levels before cooking. Concerning biological response, rats fed bean diets experienced lower values for serum cholesterol (P<0.05) and lower glycemic indexes (P<0.05). It was also observed a similar weight gain among groups, however animals fed bean based diets showed lower fat retention (P<0.05). The effects of bean diets on experimental groups were more remarkable in animals fed Iraí diet (SF/TF: 0.26). / Foram analisadas as características físico-químicas de sementes cruas de dezesseis cultivares de feijão comum (Phaseolus vulgaris L.), ao longo de duas safras consecutivas (2001/2002 e 2002/2003), bem como os teores de amido e fibra alimentar nas sementes após cozimento e estocagem. Avaliaram-se, também, os lipídeos séricos e a glicose sanguínea de ratos normolipidêmicos e normoglicêmicos, alimentados com dietas contendo cultivares de feijão com diferentes relações fibra solúvel/fibra total (FS/FT): dieta Pérola (0,11), dieta Diamante Negro (0,19) e dieta Iraí (0,26); o grupo controle recebeu dieta padrão (com fibra insolúvel). Exceto pelos teores de matéria seca, umidade e fibra alimentar total, as cultivares estudadas mantiveram suas características físico-químicas constantes ao longo das safras. Conforme a similaridade nos teores de macronutrientes (proteína bruta-PB, fibra alimentar total, fibra alimentar insolúvel, fibra alimentar solúvel-FS, amido disponível-AD e amido resistente-AR) as sementes das safras 2001/2002 e 2002/2003 foram categorizadas em quatro grupos distintos; da mesma forma, em relação aos micronutrientes (Fe, Zn, Mn, Cu, Ca, Mg e P), quatro grupos puderam ser identificados. As cultivares Guateian 6662 e Rio Tibagi apresentaram o melhor perfil nutricional (maiores teores de PB, FS, AD, Fe e Zn). A armazenagem sob refrigeração e o congelamento não determinaram alterações nos teores de fibra dos grãos cozidos, mas redução do AD e aumento do AR, principalmente naqueles com AR mais baixo antes do cozimento. Em relação à resposta biológica, os ratos alimentados com dietas contendo feijão apresentaram valores para colesterol sérico e índice glicêmico menores que os do grupo controle (p<0,05). Foi observado, também, que apesar do ganho de peso dos animais ter sido semelhante entre os grupos, os ratos alimentados com as dietas contendo feijão apresentaram menor retenção de gordura corporal (p<0,05). Os efeitos das dietas sobre os animais experimentais foram mais expressivos no grupo alimentado com a dieta Iraí (FS/FT: 0,26).