Inflammatory bowel diseases, familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) and colorectal cancer (CRC) are associated with alterations of the intestinal microbiota. However, few data are available on the perpetuation of FAP and ulcerative colitis (UC) in relation to microbial dysbiosis. This study evaluated the UC and genetically confirmed FAP patients’ gut microbial balance in concordance to clinical outcome. Fecal materials (average mass of 0.54 g) were collected from three FAP and five UC patients to compare with healthy individuals as control group. Genomic materials of micro-biota were isolated for next generation sequencing of 16S rRNA that was performed by using QIAseq 16S/ITS panel in Illumina Miseq Platform. Data processing and bioinformatics analysis were performed via CLC Genomic Workbench bioinformatics tool. The comparison between FAP, UC and control group revealed an alteration in the intestinal microbial composition. More in details, relative abundance of class levels showed statistical significance differences among FAP, UC and control groups. Our preliminary data focused on the explanation of how dysbiosis can lead to inflammation and drive processes together with host genetic profile that leads to colorectal carcinogenesis.

BMAP-27 peptide known to exert cytotoxic effects against cancer cells by membrane integrity disruption. In the current investigation, we aimed to study the role of the BMAP-27 peptide in reducing colon cancer cell proliferation and inducing apoptosis. This study utilized both primary and metastatic colon cancer cell lines (SW480 and SW620). Proliferation was measured using CCK-8, and cellular damage was analyzed by lactate dehydrogenase assay. The study assessed apoptosis, cell cycle, and proliferation by measuring the expression of CASPASE3, BAX, BCL-2, TP53, CDK-6, PCNA, Wnt11, AXIN1, and CTNNB1. Additionally, in-silico studies were conducted to determine the binding affinities of BMAP-27 with APC and β-catenin proteins. BMAP-27 peptide reduced colon cancer cell proliferation, upregulated CASPASE3, BAX, TP53, AXIN1 expression, and downregulated BCL-2, CDK-6, PCNA, WNT11, CTNNB1 in both colon cancer cell lines, however, demonstrated higher activity in primary than metastatic colon cancer cells. The molecular dynamic simulation revealed substantial binding affinity of the peptide to adenomatous polyposis coli and β-catenin proteins.BMAP-27 peptide effectively inhibited the proliferation and enhanced apoptosis in the primary than in metastatic colon cancer cells. In-silico findings suggest that BMAP-27 exhibits a strong binding affinity with APC and β-catenin, highlighting its potential role as an anti-colon cancer agent.

Natural herbs and functional foods contain bioactive molecules capable of augmenting the immune system and mediating anti-viral functions. Functional foods, such as prebiotics, probiotics, and dietary fibers, have been shown to have positive effects on gut microbiota diversity and immune function. The use of functional foods has been linked with en-hanced immunity, regeneration, improved cognitive function, maintenance of gut mi-crobiota, and significant improvement in overall health. The gut microbiota plays a critical role in maintaining overall health and immune function, and disruptions to its balance have been linked to various health problems. SARS-CoV-2 infection has been shown to affect gut microbiota diversity, and the emergence of variants poses new challenges to combat the virus. SARS-CoV-2 recognizes and infects human cells through ACE2 receptors prevalent in lung and gut epithelial cells. Humans are prone to SARS-CoV-2 infection because the respiratory and gastrointestinal tracts are rich in microbial diversity and contain high ACE2 and TMPRSS2. This review article explores the potential use of functional foods in mitigating the impact of SARS-CoV-2 variants on gut microbiota diversity and the potential use of functional foods as a strategy to combat these effects.