About

Milena Saqui Salces is an Associate Professor and the Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Programs at the Department of Animal Science at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities. Her main research interest is understanding how diet can affect gastrointestinal physiology. She uses in vitro models, such as cell lines and enteroids (intestinal organoids or “mini-guts”), as well as in vivo models involving feeding animals with different diets, nutritional supplements, or novel feed ingredients to evaluate changes in epithelial cell composition, local immune response, expression of nutrient sensing molecules, and hormone secretion in the digestive tract. Her research includes studying the effects of dietary fiber on intestinal cell differentiation and digestive function, the impact of high-fiber diets on immune responses, and the influence of zinc sources on intestinal epithelium function. She also employs swine enteroids as models to investigate gastrointestinal physiology and bacterial pathogen mechanisms affecting pigs. Her work aims to improve diet design to enhance health in humans and animals. She is part of the Integrated Animal Systems Biology team and has contributed extensively to research on gastrointestinal responses, nutrient digestibility, and microbial interactions in animal models.

Research topics

• Biology
• Medicine
• Chemistry
• Internal medicine
• Endocrinology

Selected publications

• Procedure for in vitro evaluation of antimicrobial compounds against <i>Lawsonia intracellularis</i>

  Canadian Journal of Animal Science · 2025-01-01

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  Lawsonia intracellularis is an obligate intracellular bacterium invading the intestinal epithelium. The culture conditions for L. intracellularis make evaluation of antimicrobial compounds challenging. This study demonstrates an in vitro procedure to evaluate antimicrobial efficacy using green tea extract (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) as a test compound. To evaluate EGCG's effect on extracellular bacteria, infectivity of L. intracellularis (PHE MN-100) exposed to EGCG or control media was assessed using mouse fibroblast (McCoy) cells. Lawsonia intracellularis in media was quantified by qPCR and in cells by immunostaining at 3- and 5-days post infection (dpi). As no safe dose of EGCG for intestinal epithelial cells is established, enteroids (swine-derived organoids) were exposed to varying concentrations of EGCG. Cell viability indicated a safe dose of ≤500 nM EGCG. To evaluate EGCG's effect on intracellular bacteria, enteroid monolayers were infected. At 3-dpi, enteroids were treated with up to 500 nM EGCG . Lawsonia intracellularis in media was quantified every 48 h by qPCR. Presence of L. intracellularis was evaluated by immunostaining cells at 5-, 7-, and 14-dpi. Although we found no differences in L. intracellularis infection when treated with EGCG, the procedures are useful to evaluate safety and efficacy of antimicrobial compounds on obligate intracellular bacteria in vitro.

  PublisherDOI

• Effect of polysaccharide-induced viscosity on the digestion of proteins, fats, and carbohydrates in food: A comprehensive review and future perspectives

  Trends in Food Science & Technology · 2024-10-22 · 42 citations

  reviewOpen access

  Polysaccharides play a crucial role in slowing macronutrient digestion, contributing to satiety, glycemic control, regulating blood sugar levels, and cholesterol management. Their impact on food digestion and absorption is largely mediated by their ability to increase the viscosity of chyme and digesta, affecting the activity of digestive enzymes. This review examines the effects of polysaccharides on digestive enzymes, focusing on their inhibition of proteolysis, lipolysis, and amylolysis. While other ingredients like gelatin or specific food additives can increase food viscosity, this review specifically emphasizes polysaccharides, particularly soluble fibers. A comprehensive search in Web of Science/ScienceDirect identified 1589 articles published between January 1982 and August 2023. After applying selection criteria, 212 trials from 96 articles that directly examined the influence of polysaccharide viscosity on macronutrient digestibility were included. The review identifies 38 polysaccharides, including pectin, xanthan, guar gum, carboxymethylcellulose, carrageenan, and konjac glucomannan, known for their viscosity-enhancing properties. These polysaccharides impact nutrient digestion through several mechanisms: they reduce diffusion and mass transfer, impede mixing of digestive components, block enzyme active sites, induce conformational changes, and form aggregates and surface bonds that immobilize substrates. The extent of digestion inhibition is influenced by factors such as polysaccharide concentration, viscosity, and molecular structure, as well as the properties of the substrate, including molecular weight and conformation. The review highlights the need for more accurate modeling of digestive processes and in vitro systems that effectively replicate digestive conditions to better understand the impact of polysaccharides on nutrient digestion and absorption. Future research should explore complex systems, including whole foods and fiber-rich by-products like fruit peels or grain husks containing both soluble and insoluble fiber, to gain deeper insights into how polysaccharides affect into nutrient digestion and absorption in real-world scenarios. • Review explores how polysaccharides affect proteolysis, lipolysis, and amylolysis. • Polysaccharides enhance viscosity, impacting macronutrient digestion and absorption. • Viscosity depends on polysaccharide concentration, structure, and substrate properties. • Polysaccharides slow digestion by reducing enzyme diffusion and blocking their action. • Exploration of polysaccharide-rich food waste can boost sustainability and nutrition.

  PublisherDOI

• Protocol to establish turkey oviductal organoids as an in vitro model

  STAR Protocols · 2024-10-09 · 5 citations

  articleOpen access

  The study of reproductive function in turkey hens has been difficult due to the lack of a reliable, representative in vitro model for investigating profound physiological aspects. This article presents a protocol to establish turkey oviductal organoids, including steps for isolating turkey oviduct epithelial cells followed by seeding and maintaining 3D organoid cultures. We also detail procedures for organoid fixation for histological analysis. This organoid model could serve as a valuable in vitro tool for understanding the intricacies of turkey reproductive physiology.

  PublisherDOI

• 324 Use of organoids as in vitro model to study intestinal function

  Journal of Animal Science · 2024-09-01

  articleOpen access1st authorCorresponding

  Abstract Organoids are tridimensional structures cultured in the lab from stem cells. Organoids have been developed for many different organs, particularly those with Lgr5+ stem cells. The organs of the digestive system belong to this group of organs and to date, organoids have been established from all the digestive tract tissues and organs including liver, gall bladder and pancreas. Although most protocols to generate organoids have focused on human and mouse organs, organoids from domestic and production animals like dogs, cats, rabbits, pigs, chickens, turkeys, and horses are actively used in research. In this presentation, the principles of developing intestinal organoids will be covered, along with a summary of how they have been used to address intestinal function and disease in our lab and by others. In our lab, we use swine enteroids (intestinal organoids) to study the intestinal epithelial responses to nutrients and pathogens. We have explored differential responses of the intestinal epithelium to organic and inorganic sources of dietary zinc, and we are currently investigating the mechanism of pathogenesis of Lawsonia intracellularis, the causative agent of porcine intestinal adenopathy. We will also discuss methods for modeling intestinal physiology using enteroids, and the advantages and challenges of working with swine enteroids.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Myosin Vb Traffics P-Glycoprotein to the Apical Membrane of Intestinal Epithelial Cells

  Gastroenterology · 2024-09-18 · 3 citations

  articleOpen access
  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Supplemental Table 1 from Transcription Factor ZBP-89 Drives a Feedforward Loop of β-Catenin Expression in Colorectal Cancer

  2023-03-31

  preprintOpen access

  &lt;p&gt;Percentage of APC, CTNNB1 and ZNF148 mutations in CRC (TCGA)&lt;/p&gt;

  PublisherDOI

• Supplemental Data from Transcription Factor ZBP-89 Drives a Feedforward Loop of β-Catenin Expression in Colorectal Cancer

  2023-03-31

  preprintOpen access

  &lt;p&gt;Supplemental Methods, Figure Legends and References for Supplemental Methods&lt;/p&gt;

  PublisherDOI

• Supplemental Table 1 from Transcription Factor ZBP-89 Drives a Feedforward Loop of β-Catenin Expression in Colorectal Cancer

  2023-03-31

  preprintOpen access

  &lt;p&gt;Percentage of APC, CTNNB1 and ZNF148 mutations in CRC (TCGA)&lt;/p&gt;

  PublisherDOI

• Supplemental Figure 1 from Transcription Factor ZBP-89 Drives a Feedforward Loop of β-Catenin Expression in Colorectal Cancer

  2023-03-31

  preprintOpen access

  &lt;p&gt;ZBP-89 Probe Sets:BFCOL1 and BERF1&lt;/p&gt;

  PublisherDOI

• Supplemental Figure 3 from Transcription Factor ZBP-89 Drives a Feedforward Loop of β-Catenin Expression in Colorectal Cancer

  2023-03-31

  preprintOpen access

  &lt;p&gt;Complementation of ZNF148 reduced viability by S33Y using MTT&lt;/p&gt;

  PublisherDOI

Frequent coauthors

• Armando Gamboa‐Domínguez

  Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Médicas y Nutrición Salvador Zubirán

  173 shared

• N Schlect

  162 shared

• Candelaria Cordova-Uscanga

  Centro Medico Nacional Siglo XXI

  162 shared

• Candice C. Black

  162 shared

• Richard V. Smith

  Albert Einstein College of Medicine

  162 shared

• Radma Mahmood

  162 shared

• Mingyue Lun

  Harvard University

  162 shared

• Gary L. Bratthauer

  162 shared

Labs

• Milena Saqui Salces LaboratoryPI

Education

• PhD, Facultad de Ciencias

  Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico

  2006