| Summary: | <i>Cyperus esculentus</i> L. tubers (tiger nuts) contain different compounds with several intestinal health-promoting properties. Here, we studied the capacity of tiger nuts from Valencia, Spain, to prevent epithelial barrier function disruption induced by <i>Salmonella</i> enteritidis in Caco-2 cell cultures. Paracellular permeability was assessed by transepithelial electrical resistance (TER) and tight junction protein immunolocalization. Moreover, the effect of tiger nuts on<i> S. </i>enteritidis agglutination, oxidative stress, and <i>Lactobacillus plantarum</i> growth was tested. Compared to controls, tiger nuts partially restored TER in <i>S. </i>enteritidis-infected cultures, an effect confirmed by immunolocalization of tight junction proteins ZO-1 and occludin. The results also revealed that this protective effect may be associated with the capacity to agglutinate the pathogen, restore TER in TNFα-stimulated cultures, and reduce reactive oxygen species in H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub>-stimulated cultures. Moreover, they favor <i>L. plantarum</i> growth. In conclusion, this study demonstrates that the tiger nut protects epithelial barrier function by reducing bacterial invasion, along with counteracting TNFα and H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub> effects, thus giving an additional value to this tuber as a potential functional food.
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