Search

A selective DNA pooling approach was applied to identify QTL for conjugated linoleic acid ( CLA), vaccenic acid ( VA) and Δ9-desaturase (D9D) milk content in Italian Brown Swiss dairy cattle. Milk samples from 60 animals with higher values (after correction for environmental factors) and 60 animals with lower values for each of these traits from each of five half-sib families were pooled separately. The pools were genotyped using the Illumina Bovine SNP50 BeadChip. Sire allele frequencies were compared between high and low tails at the sire and marker level for SNPs for which the sires were heterozygous. An r procedure was implemented to perform data analysis in a selective DNA pooling design. A correction for multiple tests was applied using the proportion of false positives among all test results. BTA 19 showed the largest number of markers in association with CLA. Associations between SNPs and the VA and Δ9-desaturase traits were found on several chromosomes. A bioinformatics survey identified genes with an important role in pathways for milk fat and fatty acids metabolism within 1 Mb of SNP markers associated with fatty acids contents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deregulation of Cyclin-dependent kinase 5 (CDK5) by binding to the activated calpain product p25, is associated with the onset of neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease (AD). Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA), a calpain inhibitor, is a metabolite of Punicic Acid (PA), the main component of Pomegranate seed oil (PSO). We have shown recently that long-term administration of Nano-PSO, a nanodroplet formulation of PSO, delays mitochondrial damage and disease advance in a mouse model of genetic Creutzfeldt Jacob disease (CJD). In this project, we first demonstrated that treatment of mice with Nano-PSO, but not with natural PSO, results in the accumulation of CLA in their brains. Next, we tested the cognitive, biochemical and pathological effects of long-term administration of Nano-PSO to 5XFAD mice, modeling for Alzheimer's disease. We show that Nano-PSO treatment prevented age-related cognitive deterioration and mitochondrial oxidative damage in 5XFAD mice. Also, brains of the Nano-PSO treated mice presented reduced accumulation of Aβ and of p25, a calpain product, and increased expression of COX IV-1, a key mitochondrial enzyme. We conclude that administration of Nano-PSO results in the brain targeting of CLA, and suggest that this treatment may prevent/delay the onset of neurodegenerative diseases, such as AD and CJD.

Carrageenan (CGN), a family of marine polysaccharides isolated from seaweeds, has been at the heart of considerable debate in recent years. To date, CGN is generally recognized as safe based on a history of safe use, various acute toxicology studies and some recent chronic toxicology tests. This review offers readers an overview of evidence on CGN characteristics and digestive fate that highlight various gaps in our understanding. Specifically, three unresolved gaps are identified. Firstly, little information can be found on the current levels of public exposure to CGN. Secondly, the link between CGN physicochemical properties, its impact on digestive proteolysis, the colon microbiome and inflammation are yet to be fully resolved. Thirdly, scant scientific evidence exists on the differential digestive fate of CGN in the gut of liable and predisposed populations, such as elderly people or IBD patients. Altogether, revisiting the scientific evidence indicates that more research is needed to elucidate the possibility that continued exposure to increasing levels of CGN in the human diet may compromise human health and well-being.

Background: Human milk produced during prolonged lactation (> 1 year) is extraordinarily rich in fat and has a higher energy content than human milk produced during short lactation., Objectives: To estimate the fatty acid (FA) profile of human milk and to test the hypothesis that the proportion of C12 and C14 (two dietary saturated FA known to most promote hypercholesterolemia) in human milk during prolonged lactation is similar to that in short lactation., Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study of 30 mothers of term infants lactating for more than 1 year as compared with 25 mothers of full-term infants who lactated for 2-6 months. Milk was collected by manual expression in mid-breastfeeding., Results: The two groups did not differ in maternal height, weight, body mass index, diet, infant birth weight and gestational age, but mothers in the prolonged lactation group were significantly older. There was a significant correlation between lactation duration and C12 or C14. The percentage of all FA combined (except for C12 and C14) decreased significantly overtime. In contrast, C12:0 and C14:0 combined increased significantly during lactation (R2 = 10.0%, P < 0.03)., Conclusions: Women who lactated for more than 1 year had higher C12 and C14 FA percentages in their milk than women who lactated for 2-6 months.

Complexes of amylose or high-amylose corn starch (HACS) with genistein were prepared by the acidification of an alkali solution to yield a V 6IotaIotaIota structure. The amylose-genistein complexes exhibited significantly higher genistein content (11 mg/100 mg of complex) than HACS-genistein complexes (9 mg/100 mg of complex). The effect of genistein on the amylose complexes was examined in different genistein-amylose ratios, and a model for genistein organization in the amylose complexes was suggested. The complexes were stable at different pH values, with <10% of the complexed genistein released, and were stable at 30 and 50 degrees C. Lower stability was observed at 80 degrees C as shown by the extensive release of genistein. All complexes showed high retention of genistein in simulated stomach conditions and released genistein upon digestion in pancreatin solution. It is therefore suggested that the complexes can be used as carriers for the slow release of genistein.

Peritoneal dialysis (PD) is commonly performed by using preprepared dialysis solutions containing glucose, which are thermally treated to achieve commercial sterilization. A series of glucose degradation products (GDPs) are being formed, which react with the tissue during the dialysis procedure, thus baring a negative effect on the patient and the dialysis process. The present study tested the efficacy of ohmic heating as an alternative thermal treatment for continuous sterilization of PD solutions. The process was compared to conventional retort treatment, and GDPs accumulation was measured. Thermal treatments using the ohmic heating system were performed at three temperatures (105, 125, and 150 degrees C) with residence time at each temperature ranging from 0.84 to 12.0 s. The resulting concentrations of glyoxal (GO), methylglyoxal (MGO), and 3-deoxyglucosone (3-DG) in the PD solutions were measured. None of these GDPs were found in PD fluids treated by ohmic heating at 105 degrees C. The concentration of 3-DG, after a standard sterilization treatment (121 degrees C, 20 or 40 min) was one order of magnitude higher (approximately 140 and 242 microM) than after ohmic heating treatment at 125 degrees C. The results of the present study suggest that this technique can be used to produce solutions with much lower content of GDPs. It also demonstrates the advantage of using the ohmic heating technology as a tool for high temperature short time treatment of PD fluids.

Soy isoflavones, present in many processed soy foods, are known for their phytoestrogenic and antioxidant activities. The aim of this work was to study the kinetics of genistein and daidzein degradation at elevated temperatures and to follow changes in their antioxidant activity. Daidzein and genistein in model solutions (pH 7 and 9) were thermally treated at 120 degrees C or incubated at 70, 80, and 90 degrees C. Isoflavone degradation was observed at all temperatures, with apparent first-order kinetics at 70-90 degrees C, and E(a) = 8.4 and 11.6 kcal/mol at pH 9, respectively. Microcalorimetric stability tests showed a similar pattern of degradation, however, with higher E(a) (genistein, 73.7 kcal/mol; daidzein, 34.1 kcal/mol) that may be attributed to the anaerobic conditions. The antioxidant activity of incubated isoflavone solutions, followed by the ABTS test, decreased rapidly at pH 9 for genistein, whereas only moderate reduction was observed for daidzein (pH 7 and 9) or genistein at pH 7. This may indicate different degradation mechanisms for genistein and daidzein.

Soy isoflavones are widely recognized for their potential health benefits. The increased use of traditional and new food products calls for the assessment of their stability during processing and storage. The present study examines the stability of genistein and daidzein derivatives in soy milk. Soy milk was stored at ambient and elevated temperatures, and the change in isoflavone concentration was monitored with time. Genistin loss in time showed typical first-order kinetics, with rate constants ranging from 0.437-3.871 to 61-109 days(-1) in the temperature ranges of 15-37 and 70-90 degrees C, respectively. The temperature dependence of genistin loss followed the Arrhenius relation with activation energies of 7.2 kcal/mol at ambient temperatures and 17.6 kcal/mol at elevated temperatures. At early stages of soy milk storage at 80 and 90 degrees C, the 6' '-O-acetyldaidzin concentration increased, followed by a slow decrease. The results obtained in this study can serve as a basis for estimating the shelf life of soy milk as related to its genistin content.