Branched chain fatty acids for prevention or treatment of gastrointestinal disorders

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a method of preventing or treating a gastrointestinal condition in a subject, that includes administering one or more branched chain fatty acid to the subject under conditions effective to prevent or treat the gastrointestinal condition in the subject. The present invention is also directed to methods of promoting gastrointestinal health in a subject and propagation of probiotic organisms. Also disclosed is a formulation which includes one or more branched chain fatty acid and an aqueous phase emulsified with the one or more branched chain fatty acids, where the formulation includes over 25 wt % of the one or more branched chain fatty acid.

1 - 51 . (canceled) 
     
     
         52 . A method for promoting the propagation of one or more probiotic microorganisms, said method comprising:
 providing a population of cells comprising said one or more probiotic microorganisms; and   administering a composition comprising one or more branched chain fatty acids to the population of cells under conditions effective to promote propagation of said one or more probiotic microorganisms in the population of cells, wherein the one or more branched chain fatty acids is a C 11  to C 26  mono- or di-alkyl substituted branched chain fatty acid or mixture thereof, and wherein the one or more branched chain fatty acid comprises at least one mono-alkyl-substituted iso- or anteiso-branched chain fatty acid.   
     
     
         53 . The method of  claim 52 , wherein the at least one mono-alkyl-substituted iso- or anteiso-branched chain fatty acid is selected from the group consisting of iso-dodecanoic acid, iso-tridecanoic acid, anteiso-tridecanoic acid, iso-tetradecanoic acid, iso-pentadecanoic acid, anteiso-pentadecanoic acid, iso-hexadecanoic acid, anteiso-hexadecanoic acid, iso-heptadecanoic acid, anteiso-heptadecanoic acid, iso-octadecanoic acid, iso-eicosanoic acid, anteiso-heneicosanoic acid, iso-dodecanoic acid, iso-tetracosanoic acid, iso-pentacosanoic acid, anteiso-pentacosanoic acid, iso-hexacosanoic acid, and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         54 . The method of  claim 52 , wherein the one or more branched chain fatty acid is selected from the group consisting of saturated and monounsaturated fatty acids and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         55 . The method of  claim 54 , wherein the one or more branched chain fatty acid comprises a branched form of a fatty acid selected from the group consisting of an octanoic acid, a decanoic acid, a lauric acid, a myristic acid, a palmitic acid, a stearic acid, an eicosanoic acid, a palmitoleic acid, an oleic acid, and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         56 . The method of  claim 52 , wherein the method is carried out in vitro. 
     
     
         57 . The method of  claim 52 , wherein the method is carried out in vivo in a subject in need of probiotic microorganism propagation. 
     
     
         58 . The method of  claim 57 , wherein the propagation of said population of cells comprising one or more probiotic microorganisms occurs in the gastrointestinal tract of the subject. 
     
     
         59 . The method of  claim 57 , comprising the step of selecting a subject in need of probiotic microorganism propagation prior to said administering. 
     
     
         60 . The method of  claim 52 , wherein the one or more probiotic microorganisms comprise  Lactobacillus  species,  Bifidobacterium  species, or mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         61 . The method of  claim 60 , wherein the  Lactobacillus  species is selected from the group consisting of  L. acidophilus, L. amylovorus, L. brevis, L. casei, L. casei  subsp.  rhamnosus  ( Lactobacillus  GG),  L. caucasicus, L. crispatus, L. delbrueckii  subsp.  bulgaricus  ( L. bulgaricus ),  L. fermentum  ( L. fermenti ),  L. gasseri, L. helveticus, L. johnsonii, L. lactis, L. leichmannii, L. paracasei, L. plantarum, L. reuteri, L. rhamnosus , and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         62 . The method of  claim 60 , wherein the  Bifidobacterium  species is selected from the group consisting of  B. adolescentis, B. bifidum, B. breve, B. infantis, B. lactis  ( B. animalis ),  B. licheniformis, B. longum , and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         63 . The method of  claim 52 , wherein the one or more probiotic microorganisms comprise a lactic acid bacteria selected from the group consisting of  Enterococcus faecium, Lactococcus lactis, Leuconstoc mesenteroides, Pediococcus acidilactici, Streptococcus thermophilus , and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         64 . The method of  claim 52 , wherein the one or more probiotic microorganisms comprise a nonlactic acid bacteria selected from the group consisting of  Bacillus subtilis, Escherichia coli  strain Nissle,  Saccharomyces boulardii, Saccharomyces cerevisiae , and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         65 . The method of  claim 52 , wherein the composition is not milk or colostrum. 
     
     
         66 . The method of  claim 52 , wherein the composition comprises at least 25 wt % of the one or more branched chain fatty acids. 
     
     
         67 . The method of  claim 52 , wherein the composition comprises at least 20 wt % of the one or more branched chain fatty acids. 
     
     
         68 . The method of  claim 52 , wherein the composition comprises at least 10 wt % of the one or more branched chain fatty acids. 
     
     
         69 . The method of  claim 52 , wherein the composition comprises at least 5 wt % of the one or more branched chain fatty acids. 
     
     
         70 . The methods of  claim 52 , wherein the composition comprises at least 2 wt % of the one or more branched chain fatty acids. 
     
     
         71 . The method of  claim 52 , wherein the composition is in the form of a tablet, capsule, powder, solution, suspension, or emulsion. 
     
     
         72 . The method of  claim 52 , wherein the composition is in the form of an emulsion. 
     
     
         73 . The method of  claim 52 , wherein the composition comprises the one or more branched chain fatty acids emulsified in an aqueous phase. 
     
     
         74 . The method of  claim 52 , wherein the composition is a food product supplemented with the one or more branched chain fatty acids. 
     
     
         75 . The method of  claim 74 , wherein the food product is selected from the group consisting of infant formula, baby food, a dietary supplement, vegetable oil, mayonnaise, yogurt, margarine, shortening, and a combination thereof. 
     
     
         76 . The method of  claim 74 , wherein the food product is infant formula. 
     
     
         77 . The method of  claim 52 , wherein the one or more branched chain fatty acid further comprises 4,7-dimethyl-nonanoic acid, 4,8-dimethyl-decanoic acid, 8-methyl-undecanoic acid, 4,8-dimethyl-undecanoic acid, 4,9-dimethyl-undecanoic acid, 4,10-dimethyl-dodecanoic acid, 4,11-dimethyl-tridecanoic acid, 8,10-dimethyl-tetradecanoic acid, 4,12-dimethyl-tetradecanoic acid, 2-methyl hexadecanoic acid, 4,11-dimethyl-pentadecanoic acid, 4,13-dimethyl-pentadecanoic acid, or mixtures thereof.