Nutrition
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We evaluated the antibacterial activities of various fruit and vegetable extracts on common potential pathogens including antibiotic-resistant strains. ⋯ Tea and garlic have the potential for exploration of broader applications as antibacterial agents.
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Comparative Study
Effect of glutamine dipeptide on hepatic regeneration in partially hepatectomized malnourished rats.
Glutamine promotes hepatic regeneration in nourished (N) rats. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of glutamine-enriched total parenteral nutrition (TPN) on liver regeneration in malnourished (MN) rats. Seventy-two male Wistar rats ( congruent with 270 g) were assigned to one of two groups: N and MN. ⋯ In MN rats, HRI and HG were higher with glutamine enrichment (HRI = 81 and HG = 190) than with proline-containing TPN (HRI = 66 and HG = 154; P < 0.05) and HRI was 100 times higher in animals that underwent PH than in control animals. Morphologic analysis of hepatic tissue showed no difference among the six groups. Glutamine-enriched TPN promoted growth of the remnant liver in MN rats after PH, maintained cellular proliferation in the various experimental groups after surgery, and maintained hepatic morphology of MN rats after surgery.
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We reviewed dietary intake of several nutrients in a large group of patients with taste and smell dysfunction, compared intake of these nutrients with standard values, and recognized that intake of vitamin E was significantly less than that of most other nutrients. Based on this observation we attempted to develop an hypothesis of the possible role vitamin E might play in these sensory disorders. ⋯ Although specific relations between vitamin E intake and smell and taste dysfunctions are unclear, the non-antioxidant roles of vitamin E indicate that it is a factor in apoptosis, cellular signaling, and growth of various cell lines, suggesting that this vitamin may play a role in growth and development of stem cells in taste buds and olfactory epithelium.