Sugarcane molasses enhances TGF-β secretion and FOXP3 gene expression by Bifidobacterium Animalis Subsp. Lactis stimulated PBMCs of Ulcerative Colitis patients.

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is one of the inflammatory diseases of the gut with frequent bloody diarrhea leads to increased rates of anemia. Evidences indicate the immunomodulation disorders in the response to intestinal microbiota in UC. Although sugarcane molasses, rich in necessary minerals and vitamins, could be a good support nutrient but its effect on immune system of UC patients is unknown. To determine how the immune system of UC patients responds to molasses this study was planned. Bifidobacterium lactis were cultivated on MRS broth. PBMCs of 12 UC patients were separated by Ficoll-Hypaque centrifugation and co-cultured with different concentrations of UV killed bacteria and/or molasses in RPMI-1640 plus 10 % FCS. The gene expression of FoxP3 was measured by real-time PCR. TGF-β and TNF-α were measured in supernatant of PBMCs by ELISA. Sugarcane molasses and B. lactis significantly augmented TGF-β compared to control (p < 0.01 and p < 0.001 respectively). The secretion levels of TGF-β by B. lactis plus molasses compared to B. lactis stimulated PBMCs was significantly higher (p < 0.05) but the level of TNF-α by PBMCs after 2/4/12 h incubation with B. lactis plus molasses compared to B. lactis alone was not changed (p > 0.2). The level of FOXP3 expression after treatment with molasses was increased significantly (p < 0.05). These data show that if sugarcane molasses added to B. lactis, not only do not increase the pro-inflammatory cytokine, TNF-α, but also augments the anti-inflammatory cytokine, TGF-β by PBMCs. Therefore, these results pave the way for further investigation to show sugarcane molasses as a safe support to compensate the lost nutrients in UC patients.