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In response to global challenges such as climate change and food insecurity, plant proteins have gained interest. Among these, lentils have emerged as a promising source of proteins due to their good nutritional profile and sustainability considerations. However, their widespread use in food products has been impeded by limited solubility. This study aimed to investigate the potential of high-shear mixing, a resource-efficient technique, to enhance lentil protein solubility and its functional properties. Red lentil protein isolate powders were rehydrated and subjected to a semi-continuous in-line high-shear treatment at 10,200 rpm for a timespan ranging from 0 to 15 min. The results highlighted a significant ( p < 0.05) increase in solubility from 46.87 to 68.42% after 15 min of shearing and a reduction in particle size as a result of the intense shearing and disruption provided by the rotor and forced passage through the perforations of the stator. The volume-weighted mean diameter decreased from 5.13 to 1.72 µm after 15 min of shearing, also highlighted by the confocal micrographs which confirmed the breakdown of larger particles into smaller and more uniform particles. Rheological analysis indicated consistent Newtonian behaviour across all dispersions, with apparent viscosities ranging from 1.69 to 1.78 mPa.s. Surface hydrophobicity increased significantly ( p < 0.05), from 830 to 1245, indicating exposure of otherwise buried hydrophobic groups. Furthermore, colloidal stability of the dispersion was improved, with separation rates decreasing from 71.23 to 24.16%·h -1 . The significant enhancements in solubility, particle size reduction, and colloidal stability, highlight the potential of in-line high-shear mixing in improving the functional properties of lentil protein isolates for formulating sustainable food products with enhanced techno-functional properties.

Bisphosphonates are used in the treatment of hypocalcaemia, mainly in cancer and osteoporosis. Some patients experience adverse events, such as BP-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (BRONJ). DNA methylation plays a key role in gene regulation in many tissues, but its involvement in bone homeostasis is not well characterized, and no information is available regarding altered methylation in BRONJ. Using the Illumina Infinium HumanMethylation27 BeadChip assay, we performed an epigenome-wide association study in peripheral blood samples from 68 patients treated with nitrogenous BP, including 35 with BRONJ. Analysis of the estimated cumulative BP exposure distribution indicated that the exposure of the case group to BP was slightly higher than that of the control group; more severely affected cases (i.e., with BRONJ in both mandible and maxilla) were significantly more exposed to BP than were those with BRONJ only in the mandible or maxilla (one-sided Wilcoxon rank sum test, p=0.002). Logistic regression analysis confirmed the positive association between cumulative bisphosphonates exposure and risk of BRONJ (OR 1.015 per mg of cumulative exposure, 95% CI 1.004-1.032, p=0.036). Although no statistically significant differences were observed between case and control groups, methylation levels of probes mapping on three genes, ERCC8, LEPREL1 and SDC2, were strongly associated with cumulative BP exposure levels (p<1.31E-007). Enrichment analysis, combining differentially methylated genes with genes involved in the mevalonate pathway, showed that BP treatment can affect the methylation pattern of genes involved in extracellular matrix organization and inflammatory responses, leading to more frequent adverse effects such as BRONJ. Differences in DNA methylation induced by BP treatment could be involved in the pathogenesis of the bone lesion., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: The aim of this prospective hospital-based study was to refine a surgical protocol for tooth extractions in patients with a history of intravenous use of a potent bisphosphonate by modifying a previously reported protocol to produce a significantly shortened operating time., Patients and Methods: Prospective patients with a follow-up of at least 4 months were included. Tooth extractions were performed without a vestibular split-thickness flap; healing was stimulated by filling the extraction site with autologous plasma rich in growth factors (PRGF System, BTI Biotechnology Institute, Vitoria, Spain). Local and systemic infection control was obtained with dental hygiene and antibiotic therapy., Results: Sixty-three patients participated in the study. Two hundred two tooth extractions were performed. Differences between the present and previous protocols (the previous protocol used a vestibular flap) were analyzed and the surgical time proved significantly shorter for the present approach (P = .00)., Conclusions: The proposed surgical protocol appears to be a better choice for patients treated with intravenous bisphosphonates who need tooth extraction, because it seems to be faster and simpler than the previously reported successful protocol., (Copyright © 2013 American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)