H: Health, Nutrition & Food Influence of Green and Gold Kiwifruit on Indices of Large Bowel Function in Healthy Rats Gunaranjan Paturi, Christine A. Butts, Kerry L. Bentley-Hewitt, and Juliet Ansell Abstract: The effects of kiwifruit on large bowel health were investigated in healthy rats. Four-week old Sprague-Dawley rats were given diets containing 10% homogenized green kiwifruit, gold kiwifruit or 10% glucose solution (control) over 4 or 6 wk. Green kiwifruit increased the fecal output compared to control. Growth of certain bacterial species in cecum was influenced by both green and gold kiwifruit. A significant increase in cecal Lachnospiraceae in rats fed the green kiwifruit diet was observed at week 4. At week 6, green and gold kiwifruit diets assisted in improving colonic barrier function by upregulating the expression of mucin (MUC)-2, MUC3, Toll-like receptor (TLR)-4 or trefoil factor-3 genes. Gold kiwifruit consumption increased the colonic goblet cells per crypt at week 6. Significant negative correlations between E. coli and β -defensin 1 and TLR4 expression were observed. Consuming green and gold kiwifruit for 6 wk significantly altered the biomarkers of large bowel health; indicating that regularly consuming kiwifruit helps attain optimal digestive health. Keywords: functional foods, gene expression, gut health, Lachnospiraceae, mucin, Toll-like receptors Practical Application: This study suggests that kiwifruit need to be consumed regularly and consistently to maximize the conferred large bowel health benefits. The dietary fiber and polyphenols in kiwifruit may have been utilized as an energy source by the resident microbiota, and the alterations in microbiota composition and their metabolism may have assisted toward promoting an improved gut environment. Introduction The gastrointestinal (GI) tract is a complex environment that harbors diverse microbial populations throughout its length, in- cluding the oral cavity, stomach, small bowel and large bowel. The density and composition of microbiota in each region of the GI tract is distinctive; the large bowel harbors higher concentrations of microbiota compared to any other regions of the GI tract (Xu and others 2007). The intestinal microbiota is dynamic and sus- ceptible to change, and impacts on human health from birth to old age (Nicholson and others 2012). It is well recognized that our diets are the primary source of energy and nutrients, which sup- port the body’s physiological functions. There are more and more data emerging that suggest a vital role of our diet in influencing the intestinal microbiota composition (Scott and others 2013). In recent years, links between diet, microbiota and host health have prompted the food industry to identify whole foods and food in- gredients with functional properties that can be incorporated into the diet as healthy food choices by consumers. Polyphenols and dietary fiber in fruit and vegetables can con- tribute to GI health benefits. Whilst the majority of phytochem- icals are absorbed in the small intestine, it is estimated that ap- proximately 42% of dietary polyphenols reach the large bowel (Saura-Calixto and others 2007). Here these polyphenols may be modified by the microbiota and can also exert prebiotic effects by MS 20131838 Submitted 12/8/2013, Accepted 5/23/2014. Author Paturi is with The New Zealand Inst. for Plant and Food Research Limited, Private Bag 92169, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand. Authors Butts, Bentley-Hewitt, and Ansell are with The New Zealand Inst. for Plant and Food Research Limited, Private Bag 11600, Palmerston North, 4442, New Zealand. Author Ansell is with Riddet Inst., Massey Univ., Palmerston North, 4442, New Zealand. Direct inquiries to author Paturi (E-mail: gunaranjan.paturi@plantandfood.co.nz). modifying the human microbiota composition (Queipo-Ortuno and others 2012). Similarly, dietary fiber resists digestion in the small bowel and becomes available as a substrate for microbial fermentation in the large bowel, exerting a number of favorable effects on digestive health (Brownlee 2011). For example, resistant starch alters microbiota composition, enhances the production of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) or modulates host gene expression in the large bowel of pig (Haenen and others 2013) and rat (Paturi and others 2012c; Paturi and others 2013). Kiwifruit, a native plant of China and adjoining countries was introduced and has been cultivated in New Zealand since the early 1900s. Kiwifruit belongs to the genus Actinidia (Actinidi- aceae) comprising many different species and cultivars. The 2 species of kiwifruit most widely grown in New Zealand, Actinidia deliciosa (green kiwifruit) and Actinidia chinensis (gold kiwifruit), are recognized as having high nutrient densities and as a good source of other components, for example, vitamins, minerals, di- etary fiber, and polyphenols (Drummond 2013; McGhie 2013). These functional components are known to have positive effects on host health. Kiwifruit have been suggested to improve iron status (Beck and others 2011), promote laxation (Rush and oth- ers 2002) and enhance immunological functions (Bentley-Hewitt and others 2012; Hunter and others 2012). The benefit of con- suming whole kiwifruit for promoting the development of GI health is an emerging research area. In a recent study using the in vitro batch culture model of gastric–ileal digestion and colonic fermentation, we demonstrated the positive effects of green and gold kiwifruit on human gut microbial populations, specifically increasing the growth of Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus species and promoting butyrate levels (Parkar and others 2012). These in vitro changes in microbiota metabolism suggest that kiwifruit consumption could positively influence mucosal cell development C  2014 Institute of Food Technologists R  doi: 10.1111/1750-3841.12532 Vol. 79, Nr. 8, 2014  Journal of Food Science H1611 Further reproduction without permission is prohibited