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Background: Group Model Building (GMB) is a participatory system dynamics method increasingly used to address complex public health issues like obesity. GMB represents a set of well-defined steps to engage key stakeholders to identify shared drivers and solutions of a given problem. However, GMB has not yet been applied specifically to develop multi-duty interventions that address multiple inter-related issues such as malnutrition in all its forms (MIAIF). Moreover, a recent systematic review of empirical applications of a systems approach to developing obesity interventions found no published work from non-western, low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). In this paper we describe adaptations and innovations to a common GMB process to co-develop systemic MIAIF interventions with Chinese decision-makers. Methods: We developed, piloted and implemented multiple cultural adaptations and two methodological innovations to the commonly used GMB process in Fang Cheng Gang city, China. We included formal, ceremonial and policy maker engagement events before and between GMB workshops, and incorporated culturally tailored arrangements during participant recruitment (officials of the same seniority level joined the same workshop) and workshop activities (e.g., use of individual scoring activities and hand boards). We made changes to the commonly used GMB activities which enabled mapping of shared drivers of multiple health issues (in our case MIAIF) in a single causal loop diagram. We developed and used a 'hybrid' GMB format combining online and in person facilitation to reduce travel and associated climate impact. Results: Our innovative GMB process led to high engagement and support from decision-makers representing diverse governmental departments across the whole food systems. We co-identified and prioritised systemic drivers and intervention themes of MIAIF. The city government established an official Local Action Group for long-term, inter-departmental implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the co-developed interventions. The 'hybrid' GMB format enabled great interactions while reducing international travel and mitigating limitations of fully online GMB process. Conclusions: Cultural and methodological adaptations to the common GMB process for an Asian LMIC setting were successful. The 'hybrid' GMB format is feasible, cost-effective, and more environmentally friendly. These cultural adaptations could be considered for other Asian settings and beyond to address inter-related, complex issues such as MIAIF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Trimethylamine-N-oxide (TMAO) is an independent risk factor for atherosclerosis. Consumption of hawthorn fruit is believed to be cardio-protective, yet whether it is able to suppress the TMAO-induced atherosclerosis remains unexplored. The present study was to investigate the effects of hawthorn fruit extract (HFE) on TMAO-exacerbated atherogenesis. Methods: Five groups of male Apolipoprotein E knock-out (ApoE−/−) mice were fed a low-fat diet (LFD), a Western high-fat diet (WD), or one of the three WDs containing 0.2% TMAO (WD + TMAO), 0.2% TMAO plus 1% HFE (WD + TMAO + L-HFE), or 0.2% TMAO plus 2% HFE (WD + TMAO + H-HFE), respectively. After 12-weeks of intervention, plasma levels of TMAO, lipid profile, inflammatory biomarkers, and antioxidant enzyme activities were measured. Atherosclerotic lesions in the thoracic aorta and aortic sinus were evaluated. The sterols and fatty acids in the liver and feces were extracted and measured. Hepatic expressions of inflammatory biomarkers and antioxidant enzymes were analyzed. Results: Dietary TMAO accelerated atherogenesis, exacerbated inflammation, and reduced antioxidant capacities in the plasma and the liver. TMAO promoted hepatic cholesterol accumulation by inhibiting fecal excretion of acidic sterols. HFE could dose-dependently reduce the TMAO-aggravated atherosclerosis and inflammation. HFE was also able to reverse the TMAO-induced reduction in antioxidant capacity by up-regulating the expression of antioxidant enzymes including superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1), SOD2, glutathione peroxidase 3 (GSH-Px3), and catalase (CAT) in the liver. Moreover, the hepatic cholesterol content was lowered by HFE via enhanced fecal excretion of neutral and acidic sterols. Conclusions: The present results indicated that HFE was able to reduce the TMAO-exacerbated atherogenesis by attenuating inflammation and improving antioxidant capacity at least in mice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Regulatory actions are increasingly used to tackle issues such as excessive alcohol or sugar intake, but such actions to reduce sedentary behaviour remain scarce. World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines on sedentary behaviour call for system-wide policies. The Chinese government introduced the world's first nation-wide multi-setting regulation on multiple types of sedentary behaviour in children and adolescents in July 2021. This regulation restricts when (and for how long) online gaming businesses can provide access to pupils; the amount of homework teachers can assign to pupils according to their year groups; and when tutoring businesses can provide lessons to pupils. We evaluated the effect of this regulation on sedentary behaviour safeguarding pupils. Methods: With a natural experiment evaluation design, we used representative surveillance data from 9- to 18-year-old pupils before and after the introduction of the regulation, for longitudinal (n = 7,054, matched individuals, primary analysis) and repeated cross-sectional (n = 99,947, exploratory analysis) analyses. We analysed pre-post differences for self-reported sedentary behaviour outcomes (total sedentary behaviour time, screen viewing time, electronic device use time, homework time, and out-of-campus learning time) using multilevel models, and explored differences by sex, education stage, residency, and baseline weight status. Results: Longitudinal analyses indicated that pupils had reduced their mean total daily sedentary behaviour time by 13.8% (95% confidence interval [CI]: -15.9 to -11.7%, approximately 46 min) and were 1.20 times as likely to meet international daily screen time recommendations (95% CI: 1.01 to 1.32) one month after the introduction of the regulation compared to the reference group (before its introduction). They were on average 2.79 times as likely to meet the regulatory requirement on homework time (95% CI: 2.47 to 3.14) than the reference group and reduced their daily total screen-viewing time by 6.4% (95% CI: -9.6 to -3.3%, approximately 10 min). The positive effects were more pronounced among high-risk groups (secondary school and urban pupils who generally spend more time in sedentary behaviour) than in low-risk groups (primary school and rural pupils who generally spend less time in sedentary behaviour). The exploratory analyses showed comparable findings. Conclusions: This regulatory intervention has been effective in reducing total and specific types of sedentary behaviour among Chinese children and adolescents, with the potential to reduce health inequalities. International researchers and policy makers may explore the feasibility and acceptability of implementing regulatory interventions on sedentary behaviour elsewhere. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Blueberry and cranberry are rich in anthocyanins. The present study was to investigate the effects of anthocyanin extracts from blueberry and cranberry on body weight and gut microbiota. Methods: C57BL/6 J Mice were divided into six groups (n = 9 each) fed one of six diets namely low-fat diet (LFD), high-fat diet (HFD), HFD with the addition of 1% blueberry extract (BL), 2% blueberry extract (BH), 1% cranberry extract (CL), and 2% cranberry extract (CH), respectively. Results: Feeding BL and BH diets significantly decreased body weight gain by 20–23%, total adipose tissue weight by 18–20%, and total liver lipids by 16–18% compared with feeding HFD. Feeding CH diet but not CL diet reduced the body weight by 27%, accompanied by a significant reduction of total plasma cholesterol by 25% and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) by 38%. The metagenomic analysis showed that the supplementation of blueberry and cranberry anthocyanin extracts reduced plasma lipopolysaccharide concentration, accompanied by a reduction in the relative abundance of Rikenella and Rikenellaceae. Dietary supplementation of berry anthocyanin extracts promoted the growth of Lachnoclostridium, Roseburia, and Clostridium_innocuum_group in genus level, leading to a greater production of fecal short-chain fatty acids (SCFA). Conclusions: It was concluded that both berry anthocyanins could manage the body weight and favorably modulate the gut microbiota at least in mice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Tea catechins have been shown to have beneficial effects on the alleviation of obesity, the prevention of diabetes, and the amelioration of metabolic syndrome. The purpose of the present work is to explore the underlying mechanisms linking the intestinal microbiota and anti‐obesity benefits of green tea, oolong tea, and black tea catechins in C57BL/6J mice fed with a high‐fat diet (HFD). RESULTS: The results indicated that, after the dietary intake of three tea catechins, obesity and low‐grade inflammation were significantly alleviated. Hepatic steatosis was prevented, and this was accompanied by the upregulation of the mRNA and protein expressions of hepatic peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptor α (PPARα). Metagenomic analysis of fecal samples suggested that the three tea catechins similarly changed the microbiota in terms of overall structure, composition, and protein functions by regulating the metabolites, facilitating the generation of short‐chain fatty acids (SCFAs), and repressing lipopolysaccharides. CONCLUSION: The anti‐obese properties of three tea catechins were partially mediated by their positive effect on gut microbiota, hepatic steatosis alleviation, and anti‐inflammatory activity. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: We aim to investigate the relationship between gut microbiota and dietary variety in a Chinese population using Dietary Variety Score (DVS), an index of dietary variety, as little has studied the relationship of dietary variety and gut microbiota in a general population. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, recruited participants were conducted with face-to-face interview to collect information on 24-h food intake and dietary consumption using a valid food frequency questionnaire. Subjects (n = 128) were divided as high and low DVS groups by the median of DVS after rigorously matching for confounding factors. The gut microbiota was assessed by 16S rRNA sequencing and the correlations between key phylotypes and DVS, Index of Nutritional Quality (INQ) and clinical indices were examined using generalized linear model in negative binomial regression. Results: Higher score of DVS, INQVB6, INQVE and INQZn exhibited higher α-diversity. DVS was correlated with INQ and six genera. Among the DVS-correlated genera, Turicibacter, Alistipes and Barnesiella were positively correlated with INQVE, INQZn and INQCu, individually or in combination, while Cetobacterium was negatively correlated with INQCu, INQZn and INQVE. The abundance of Coprococcus and Barnesiella increased with the elevated cumulative scores of INQVE, INQVB6 and INQZn. The combination of Alistipes, Roseburia and Barnesiella could moderately predict dietary variety status. Conclusion: Higher DVS was correlated with higher microbial diversity and more abundance of some potentially beneficial bacteria but with less some potentially pathogenic bacteria. A high variety dietary, therefore, should be recommended in our daily life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Hypercholesterolemia and gut microbiota dysbiosis are associated with the risk of cardiovascular diseases. Hawthorn fruits has shown to be cardioprotective and hypocholesterolemic. However, no studies to date have studied the biological activity of hawthorn seed oil (HSO). The present study was to investigate if HSO could favourably reduce plasma cholesterol and modulate gut microbiota in hypercholesterolemia hamsters. Methods: Golden Syrian hamsters (age, 8 weeks) were randomly divided into five groups (n = 8, each) and fed one of the following five diets, namely a non-cholesterol diet, a high cholesterol diet containing 0.15% cholesterol (HCD); a HCD diet with addition of 4.75% HSO (LHSO), a HCD diet with addition of 9.5% HSO (HHSO), a HCD diet with addition of 0.50% cholestyramine as positive control diet. After 6-week dietary intervention, plasma lipids, inflammatory markers, atherosclerosis plaque, hepatic and fecal lipids were quantified. Microbiota in fresh feces were analysed by sequencing 16S rRNA genes, while RT-PCR and Western blot analyses were employed to quantify the expression of genes involved in cholesterol homeostasis. Results: HSO at a dose of 9.5% HSO could decrease plasma cholesterol and non-HDL-cholesterol by 15%. Additionally, both HSO experimental groups also suppressed mRNA of 3-Hydroxy-3-Methylglutaryl-CoA Reductase (HMG-CoA-R). Supplementation of HSO at 4.75% could significantly increase the excretion of fecal acidic sterols, accompanied by elevation of short-chain fatty acid levels in feces. The analyses of gut microbiome indicated that HSO supplementation could selectively alter the genera abundance of gut bacteria that were correlated with cholesterol metabolism including unclassified_f__Christensenellaceae, Ruminococcaceae_NK4A214_ group, norank_o_Gastranaerophilales, Faecalibaculum, Peptococcus, norank_f__Clostridiales_vadinBB60_group and Ruminococcus_2. Conclusions: HSO supplementation was able to decrease plasma cholesterol by favourably modulating gut microbiota composition and gut-derived metabolites associated with cholesterol regulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Peony (Paeonia spp.) seed oil (PSO) contains a high amount of α-linolenic acid. The effects of PSO on hypercholesterolemia and gut microbiota remains unclear. The present study was to investigate effects of PSO supplementation on cholesterol metabolism and modulation of the gut microbiota. Methods: Male Golden Syrian hamsters (n = 40) were randomly divided into five groups (n = 8, each) fed one of the following diets namely low-cholesterol diet (LCD); high cholesterol diet (HCD); HCD with PSO substituting 50% lard (LPSO), PSO substituting 100% lard (HPSO) and HCD with addition of 0.5% cholestyramine (PCD), respectively, for 6 weeks. Results: PSO supplementation dose-dependently reduced plasma total cholesterol (TC) by 9–14%, non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (non-HDL-C) by 7–18% and triacylglycerols (TG) by 14–34% (p < 0.05). In addition, feeding PSO diets reduced the formation of plaque lesions by 49–61% and hepatic lipids by 9–19% compared with feeding HCD diet (p < 0.01). PSO also altered relative genus abundance of unclassified_f__Coriobacteriaceae, unclassified_f__Erysipelotrichaceae, Peptococcus, unclassified_f__Ruminococcaceae, norank_o__Mollicutes_RF9 and Christensenellaceae_R-7_group. Conclusions: It was concluded that PSO was effective in reducing plasma cholesterol and hepatic lipids and favorably modulating gut microbiota associated with cholesterol metabolism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although various types of water-oil-water (W/O/W) double emulsions were explored and applied for intestine-targeted delivery, further research was needed to protect probiotics from the gastrointestinal barrier. Thus, this study aimed to encapsulate probiotics through a gel bead-bound emulsion system to improve the ability to resist the external environment, and sustained release of probiotics. In this study, sodium caseinate (NaCas)-κCarrageenan (κCar) by Maillard reaction was prepared as the external emulsifier. Then emulsions combined with sodium alginate (SA)-carboxymethyl chitosan (CMCS) hydrogel shells to encapsulate the internal aqueous phase of L. rhamnosus 76 (LR76) for intestinal targeted delivery. The gel shell assembled with SA and CMCS in a citric acid solution was demonstrated by the combination of hydrogen bonding (protonated carboxyl –COOH and –OH) and electrostatic interactions (-COO- and –NH 3 +) through IR spectroscopy. The system also showed excellent pH responsiveness and good thermal stability. The in vitro gastrointestinal simulated experiment showed the release of probiotics was managed through their swelling behavior with survival rate reaching 90.69 ± 0.04%. The slow-release properties of gel beads were also verified in vivo, which could be applicable in animals for further healthy effects. The 16S rRNA analysis revealed a high relative abundance of Lactobacillus from the Firmicutes, highest up to 88.08%. The above results suggested that the hydrogel bead system could be used as carriers for encapsulating probiotics, which provided a theoretical basis for the future application of probiotics in the food and pharmaceutical industries. [Display omitted] • W/O/W emulsions were formed using sodium caseinate-carrageenan as an emulsifier. • A delivery system (SCCS) was constructed by combining bilayer emulsion and gel. • Successful loading of probiotics for intestinal delivery by the SCCS system. • Good thermal stability of probiotics loaded in the SCCS system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rutin (R) and quercetin (Q) are two widespread dietary flavonoids. Previous studies regarding the plasma cholesterol-lowering activity of R and Q generated inconsistent results. The present study was therefore carried out to investigate the effects of R and Q on cholesterol metabolism in both HepG2 cells and hypercholesterolemia hamsters. Results from HepG2 cell experiments demonstrate that both R and Q decreased cholesterol at doses of 5 and 10 µM. R and Q up-regulated both the mRNA and protein expression of sterol regulatory element binding protein 2 (SREBP2), low-density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR), and liver X receptor alpha (LXRα). The immunofluorescence study revealed that R and Q increased the LDLR expression, while only Q improved LDL-C uptake in HepG2 cells. Results from hypercholesterolemia hamsters fed diets containing R (5.5 g/kg diet) and Q (2.5 g/kg diet) for 8 weeks demonstrate that both R and Q had no effect on plasma total cholesterol. In the liver, only Q reduced cholesterol significantly. The discrepancy between the in vitro and in vivo studies was probably due to a poor bioavailability of flavonoids in the intestine. It was therefore concluded that R and Q were effective in reducing cholesterol in HepG2 cells in vitro, whereas in vivo, the oral administration of the two flavonoids had little effect on plasma cholesterol in hamsters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

D-pinitol (DP) has been extensively regarded as the main active component of legumes for anti-aging. In this study, we intended to explore the anti-aging mechanism of DP, utilizing computer modeling techniques. The results demonstrated that DP significantly delayed H 2 O 2 -induced cellular senescence. Model PC12 cells treated with DP exhibited increased cell viability, increased antioxidant enzyme activity (SOD, CAT), and reduced ROS and MDA levels. Furthermore, DP was discovered to have a positive effect on healthy longevity. In C. elegans , DP treatment enhanced lifespan, stress capacity, antioxidant capacity (T-SOD/CAT/GSH-Px/MDA/ROS), and altered aging-related indicators of lipofuscin accumulation, pharyngeal pump rate, motility, and reproduction. Moreover, DP could reduce the toxicity Aβ in transgenic C. elegans CL4176, CL2355, and CL2331. Further mechanistic studies indicated DP increased transcription factor (daf-16 , skn-1 , hsf-1) expression of insulin/insulin-like growth factor-1 signaling (IIS) pathway. As expected, DP also extended the downstream target genes of the three transcription factors (sod-3 , ctl-1 , ctl-2 , gst-4 , hsp-16.1 , and hsp-16.2). Further mutant lifespan experiments, network pharmacology, and molecular docking revealed that DP might be life-extending through the IIS pathway. DP deserves extensive investigation and development as a potential anti-aging drug in the future. [Display omitted] • Network pharmacology showed the anti-aging effect of DP was mediated by IIS pathway. • Both in vivo and in vitro experiments have shown that DP has an anti-aging effect. • DP exerted anti-aging effects through IIS signaling pathway. • The key genes of DP and IIS pathways were verified by molecular docking technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]