Anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effect of fermented whole wheat on TNF alpha-stimulated HT-29 and NF-kappa B signaling pathway activation

The present study compared the phenolic profile, the in vitro and ex vivo antioxidant activity, as well as the anti-inflammatory effect of fermented (LG) and unfermented (FG) whole wheat flour from Triticum aestivum on tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF alpha)-inflamed human intestinal epithelial cells (HT-29). Gallic acid, 3-hydroxybenzoic acid, and vanillic acid were identified by HPLC-DAD as the main polyphenols increased by fermentation. LG showed a higher antioxidant activity than FG in vitro and ex vivo. In inflamed HT-29 cells, LG exhibited a better protective effect on TNF alpha-induced alterations by significantly reducing the expression of IL-8 and COX-2 inflammatory mediators. Further, under inflammatory insult, LG has better normalized ROS overproduction and strengthened the antioxidant defense system. Finally, LG and FG significantly attenuated the TNFa-induced NF-kappa B nuclear translocation. Our results pointed out a potential therapeutical role of LG in hardly managed intestinal inflammatory disease.