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Food Chemistry Aug 2024An increase in the consumption of carbohydrate-rich cereals over past few decades has led to increased metabolic disorders in population. This nutritional imbalance in... (Review)
Review
An increase in the consumption of carbohydrate-rich cereals over past few decades has led to increased metabolic disorders in population. This nutritional imbalance in diets may be corrected by substituting cereal grains with pseudocereals that are richer in high-quality proteins, dietary fibers, unsaturated fats, and bioactive compounds (e.g., polyphenols and phytosterols) as compared to cereal grains. These nutrients have been associated with numerous health benefits, such as hypolipidemic, anti-inflammatory, anti-hypertensive, anti-cancer, and hepatoprotective properties, and benefits against obesity and diabetes. In this review, the nutritional composition and health benefits of quinoa, amaranth, and buckwheat are compared against wheat, maize, and rice. Subsequently, the processing treatments applied to quinoa, amaranth, and buckwheat and their applications into food products are discussed. This is relevant since there is substantial market potential for both pseudocereals and functional foods formulated with pseudocereals. Despite clear benefits, the current progress is slowed down by the fact that the cultivation of these pseudocereals is limited to its native regions. Therefore, to meet the global needs, it is imperative to support worldwide cultivation of these nutrient-rich pseudocereals.
PubMed: 38547702
DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2024.139072 -
Nutrients Mar 2024The association between phytosterols and lipid levels remains poorly assessed at a population level. We assessed the associations between serum levels of six...
The association between phytosterols and lipid levels remains poorly assessed at a population level. We assessed the associations between serum levels of six phytosterols (campesterol, campestanol, stigmasterol, sitosterol, sitostanol and brassicasterol) and of lipids [total, low-density lipoprotein (LDL)- and high-density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol, triglycerides, apolipopoprotein A-IV and lipoprotein Lp(a)] in two cross-sectional surveys of a population-based, prospective study. Data from 910 participants (59.1% women, 70.4 ± 4.7 years) for the first survey (2009-2012) and from 721 participants (60.2% women, 75.1 ± 4.7 years) for the second survey (2014-2017) were used. After multivariable adjustment, all phytosterols were positively associated with total cholesterol: slope and (95% confidence interval) 1.594 (1.273-1.915); 0.073 (0.058-0.088); 0.060 (0.044-0.076); 2.333 (1.836-2.830); 0.049 (0.033-0.064) and 0.022 (0.017-0.028) for campesterol, campestanol, stigmasterol, sitosterol, sitostanol and brassicasterol, respectively, in the first survey, and 1.257 (0.965-1.548); 0.066 (0.052-0.079); 0.049 (0.034-0.063); 1.834 (1.382-2.285); 0.043 (0.029-0.057) and 0.018 (0.012-0.023) in the second survey, all < 0.05. Similar positive associations were found between all phytosterols and LDL cholesterol. Positive associations were found between campesterol and sitosterol and HDL-cholesterol: slope and (95% CI) 0.269 (0.134-0.405) and 0.393 (0.184-0.602) for campesterol and sitosterol, respectively, in the first survey, and 1.301 (0.999-1.604) and 0.588 (0.327-0.849) in the second survey, all < 0.05. No associations were found between phytosterols and triglyceride or lipoprotein Lp(a) levels, while a positive association between campesterol and apolipoprotein A-IV levels was found: 2.138 (0.454-3.822). Upon normal dietary intakes, serum phytosterol levels were positively associated with total and LDL cholesterol levels, while no consistent association with other lipid markers was found.
Topics: Humans; Female; Male; Sitosterols; Cholesterol, LDL; Stigmasterol; Cross-Sectional Studies; Prospective Studies; Phytosterols; Cholesterol; Cholesterol, HDL; Triglycerides; Lipoprotein(a)
PubMed: 38542686
DOI: 10.3390/nu16060775 -
Biomolecules Mar 2024Pigmented corn is a gramineae food of great biological, cultural and nutritional importance for many Latin American countries, with more than 250 breeds on the American... (Review)
Review
Pigmented corn is a gramineae food of great biological, cultural and nutritional importance for many Latin American countries, with more than 250 breeds on the American continent. It confers a large number of health benefits due to its diverse and abundant bioactive compounds. In this narrative review we decided to organize the information on the nutrients, bioactive compounds and phytochemicals present in pigmented corn, as well as their effects on human health. Phenolic compounds and anthocyanins are some of the most studied and representative compounds in these grasses, with a wide range of health properties, mainly the reduction of pro-oxidant molecules. Carotenoids are a group of molecules belonging to the terpenic compounds, present in a large number of pigmented corn breeds, mainly the yellow ones, whose biological activity incorporates a wide spectrum. Bioactive peptides can be found in abundance in corn, having very diverse biological effects that include analgesic, opioid and antihypertensive activities. Other compounds with biological activity found in pigmented corn are resistant starches, some fatty acids, phytosterols, policosanols, phospholipids, ferulic acid and phlobaphenes, as well as a great variety of vitamins, elements and fibers. This review aims to disseminate and integrate the existing knowledge on compounds with biological activity in pigmented corn in order to promote their research, interest and use by scientists, nutrition professionals, physicians, industries and the general population.
Topics: Humans; Antioxidants; Zea mays; Anthocyanins; Plant Breeding; Carotenoids
PubMed: 38540758
DOI: 10.3390/biom14030338 -
Biomolecules Feb 2024This study explores the impact of rotational frying of three different food products on degradation of sterols, as well as their migration between frying oils and food....
This study explores the impact of rotational frying of three different food products on degradation of sterols, as well as their migration between frying oils and food. The research addresses a gap in the existing literature, which primarily focuses on changes in fat during the frying of single food items, providing limited information on the interaction of sterols from the frying medium with those from the food product. The frying was conducted at 185 ± 5 °C for up to 10 days where French fries, battered chicken, and fish sticks were fried in succession. The sterol content was determined by Gas Chromatography. This research is the first to highlight the influence of the type of oil on sterol degradation in both oils and food. Notably, sterols were found to be most stable when food products were fried in high-oleic low-linolenic rapeseed oil (HOLLRO). High-oleic soybean oil (HOSO) exhibited higher sterol degradation than high-oleic rapeseed oil (HORO). It was proven that cholesterol from fried chicken and fish sticks did not transfer to the fried oils or French fries. Despite initially having the highest sterol content in fish, the lowest sterol amount was recorded in fried fish, suggesting rapid degradation, possibly due to prefrying in oil with a high sterol content, regardless of the medium used.
Topics: Animals; Soybean Oil; Rapeseed Oil; Brassica napus; Sterols; Cooking; Oils; Phytosterols
PubMed: 38540690
DOI: 10.3390/biom14030269 -
Antioxidants (Basel, Switzerland) Mar 2024Rosacea is a chronic skin disease that significantly reduces the quality of life (QoL) of patients. The aim of this study was to assess whether dietary antioxidants can...
Rosacea is a chronic skin disease that significantly reduces the quality of life (QoL) of patients. The aim of this study was to assess whether dietary antioxidants can support the effect of cosmetic treatment in improving the QoL of patients with rosacea. Basic data about participants (N = 160) were collected using a self-reported survey. QoL was assessed using the standardized Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) questionnaire. An interventional cosmetic treatment was performed using cavitation peeling and sonophoresis with a commercial capillary repair serum. The study was registered as a clinical trial (NCT06271135). To assess antioxidant diet quality, for the first time, a new dietary antioxidant quality index (DAQI) was developed, which consisted of 12 items: dietary total antioxidant capacity, dietary polyphenols, phytosterols, lignans, vitamin C, vitamin E, β-carotene, zinc, iron, copper, manganese and selenium. It was found that the highest tertiles of DAQI diminished the odds about 40-45% of the moderate, large and extremely large effect of rosacea on QoL and about 8-11% of the occurrence of rosacea symptoms compared with the lowest tertile. This study showed that rosacea has a negative impact on QoL, but a comprehensive approach to treatment, including antioxidant cosmetic treatment and dietary antioxidants, can improve the QoL of patients with rosacea.
PubMed: 38539914
DOI: 10.3390/antiox13030381 -
Antioxidants (Basel, Switzerland) Mar 2024Cancer immunotherapy as a promising anti-cancer strategy has been widely studied in recent years. Stigmasterol (STIG), a phytosterol, is known to have various...
Cancer immunotherapy as a promising anti-cancer strategy has been widely studied in recent years. Stigmasterol (STIG), a phytosterol, is known to have various pharmacological effects, including anti-inflammatory effects. However, the pharmacological role of STIG on melanoma immunotherapy has not been investigated. The present study demonstrates the anti-melanoma potency of STIG through the regulation of PD-L1 levels. The results reveal that STIG reduces reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels induced by hydrogen peroxide and increases glutathione levels decreased by α-MSH in B16F10 cells. Moreover, STIG significantly decreases melanin content and tyrosinase activities elevated by α-MSH. It also suppresses nitric oxide production induced by α-MSH. Additionally, STIG induces apoptosis with the up-regulation of PARP activation. STIG inhibits IFN-γ-induced PD-L1 expression and STAT1 phosphorylation levels. STIG also reverses the up-regulation of PD-L1 and phosphorylated STAT1 levels augmented by cisplatin, and STIG enhances CD8(+) T-cell-mediated cell death against B16F10 cells. These findings represent the first evidence of pro-apoptotic activity of STIG on melanoma cells through the down-regulation of ROS and PD-L1 pathways. Therefore, STIG may be an effective candidate for melanoma immunotherapy.
PubMed: 38539913
DOI: 10.3390/antiox13030380 -
Zhonghua Xue Ye Xue Za Zhi = Zhonghua... Jan 2024This article focuses on a case study of sitosterolemia in a child who initially presented with hemolytic anemia and thrombocytopenia. Sitosterolemia is a rare autosomal...
This article focuses on a case study of sitosterolemia in a child who initially presented with hemolytic anemia and thrombocytopenia. Sitosterolemia is a rare autosomal recessive lipid metabolism disorder, difficult to diagnose due to its non-typical clinical manifestations. The 8-year-old patient was initially misdiagnosed with pyruvate kinase deficiency. Comprehensive biochemical and molecular biology analyses, including gene sequencing, eventually led to the correct diagnosis of sitosterolemia. This case highlights the complexity and diagnostic challenges of sitosterolemia, emphasizing the need for increased awareness and accurate diagnosis in patients presenting with similar symptoms.
Topics: Child; Humans; Hypercholesterolemia; Phytosterols; Anemia, Hemolytic; Intestinal Diseases; Thrombocytopenia; Lipid Metabolism, Inborn Errors
PubMed: 38527845
DOI: 10.3760/cma.j.cn121090-20230915-0068 -
Biomolecular Concepts Jan 2024Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a highly metastatic subtype of breast cancer. Due to the absence of obvious therapeutic targets, microRNAs (miRNAs) provide...
Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a highly metastatic subtype of breast cancer. Due to the absence of obvious therapeutic targets, microRNAs (miRNAs) provide possible hope to treat TNBC. Withaferin A (WA), a steroidal lactone, possesses potential anticancer activity with lesser side effects. The present study identifies hub genes (, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ) from the list of predicted targets of the differentially expressed miRNAs (DEMs) in WA-treated MDA-MB-231 cells using protein-protein interaction network analysis. , , and hub genes were predicted as targets of miR-34a-5p and miR-146a-5p, respectively. The study found the lower expression of miR-34a-5p and miR-146a-5p in MDA-MB-231 cells, and further, it was observed that WA treatment effectively restored the lost expression of miR-34a-5p and miR-146a-5p in MDA-MB-231 cells. An anti-correlation expression pattern was found among the miR-34a-5p and miR-146a-5p and the respective target hub genes in WA-treated TNBC cells. In conclusion, WA might exert anti-cancer effect in TNBC cells by inducing miR-34a-5p and miR-146a-5p expressions and decreasing CCND1, CDK6, and TARF6 target hub genes in TNBC cells.
Topics: Humans; Triple Negative Breast Neoplasms; MDA-MB-231 Cells; N-Myc Proto-Oncogene Protein; TNF Receptor-Associated Factor 6; Cell Line, Tumor; MicroRNAs; Withanolides
PubMed: 38525814
DOI: 10.1515/bmc-2022-0045 -
Scientific Reports Mar 2024Utilizing the organic fraction of agri-food industry waste for fertilization represents one approach to waste management, with composting emerging as a popular method....
Utilizing the organic fraction of agri-food industry waste for fertilization represents one approach to waste management, with composting emerging as a popular method. Composts derived from this waste may contain plant hormones alongside primary macronutrients. This study aimed to evaluate the content of plant hormones in composts crafted from the organic fraction of agri-food industry waste. The presence of these substances was ascertained using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) analysis, applied to extracted samples from three composts produced in a bioreactor and three obtained from companies. The results indicate the presence of 35 compounds, which belong to six types of plant hormones: auxins, cytokinins, gibberellins, brassinosteroids, abscisic acid, and salicylic acid, in composts for the first time. The highest amount of plant hormones was noted in buckwheat husk and biohumus extract (35 compounds), and the lowest in hemp chaff and apple pomace (14 compounds). Brassinosteroids (e.g., brassinolide, 28-homobrassinolide, 24-epicastasterone, 24-epibrassinolide, and 28-norbrassinolide) and auxins (e.g., indolilo-3-acetic acid) are dominant. The highest concentration of total phytohormones was reported in biohumus extract (2026.42 ng g dry weight), and the lowest in organic compost (0.18 ng g dry weight).
Topics: Composting; Plant Growth Regulators; Brassinosteroids; Food Loss and Waste; Soil; Indoleacetic Acids
PubMed: 38514768
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-57524-x -
Blood Advances May 2024Sitosterolemia is a rare autosomal recessive genetic disorder in which patients develop hypercholesterolemia and may exhibit abnormal hematologic and/or liver test...
Sitosterolemia is a rare autosomal recessive genetic disorder in which patients develop hypercholesterolemia and may exhibit abnormal hematologic and/or liver test results. In this disease, dysfunction of either ABCG5 or ABCG8 results in the intestinal hyperabsorption of all sterols, including cholesterol and, more specifically, plant sterols or xenosterols, as well as in the impaired ability to excrete xenosterols into the bile. It remains unknown how and why some patients develop hematologic abnormalities. Only a few unrelated patients with hematologic abnormalities at the time of diagnosis have been reported. Here, we report on 2 unrelated pedigrees who were believed to have chronic immune thrombocytopenia as their most prominent feature. Both consanguineous families showed recessive gene variants in ABCG5, which were associated with the disease by in silico protein structure analysis and clinical segregation. Hepatosplenomegaly was absent. Thrombopoietin levels and megakaryocyte numbers in the bone marrow were normal. Metabolic analysis confirmed the presence of strongly elevated plasma levels of xenosterols. Potential platelet proteomic aberrations were longitudinally assessed following dietary restrictions combined with administration of the sterol absorption inhibitor ezetimibe. No significant effects on platelet protein content before and after the onset of treatment were demonstrated. Although we cannot exclude that lipotoxicity has a direct and platelet-specific impact in patients with sitosterolemia, our data suggest that thrombocytopenia is neither caused by a lack of megakaryocytes nor driven by proteomic aberrations in the platelets themselves.
Topics: Humans; Lipid Metabolism, Inborn Errors; Hypercholesterolemia; Phytosterols; Blood Platelets; ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Subfamily G, Member 5; Intestinal Diseases; Male; Thrombocytopenia; Female; Proteomics; Pedigree; ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Subfamily G, Member 8; Adult; Proteome; Adolescent; Lipoproteins
PubMed: 38513134
DOI: 10.1182/bloodadvances.2023012018