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In order to increase beneficial effects of bioactive compounds in functional food and dietary supplements, enormous efforts are put in the technological development of microcapsules. Although these products are often tailor-made for disease susceptible consumer, the physiological impact of microcapsule uptake on the respective target consumer has never been addressed. The present study aimed to assess the relevance of this aspect by analyzing the impact of milk protein based microcapsules on experimental inflammatory bowel disease. Long-term feeding of sodium caseinate or rennet gel microcapsules resulted in significant alterations in the intestinal microbiota of healthy mice. In TNFΔARE/wt mice, a model for chronic ileal inflammation, rennet gel microcapsules resulted in further increased splenomegaly, whereas ileal inflammation was unchanged. In IL10(-/-) mice, a model for chronic colitis, both types of microcapsules induced a local increase of the intestinal inflammation. The present study is the first to demonstrate that, independent of their cargo, microcapsules have the potential to affect the intestinal microbiota and to exert unprecedented detrimental effects on disease-susceptible individuals. In conclusion, the impact of microcapsule uptake on the respective target consumer groups should be thoroughly investigated in advance to their commercial use in functional food or dietary supplements., (© 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

Background: Workers in a rennet producing plant reported airway symptoms, mainly rhinitis. Rennet was produced as fluid and powder with proteolytic enzymes as the active component., Methods: Data on airway symptoms and known allergies were collected and skin prick tests (SPTs) with the rennet types produced in the plant and standard allergens were carried out on 35 plant employees. An identical SPT was carried out on 28 controls without known exposure to rennet., Results: Twenty-one employees (60%) had hay fever-like symptoms, 10 cases mainly at work. Nine had mild to moderate asthma-like symptoms, in six cases related to the work place. Fourteen had a positive SPT to one or more rennets. The sensitization rate was highest among employees with regular contact to rennet powder., Conclusion: Rennet is a potent allergen. Respiratory symptoms and sensitization can occur in connection with rennet exposure, especially as a powder.