Nutrition
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Comparative Study
Artemisia dracunculus L. polyphenols complexed to soy protein show enhanced bioavailability and hypoglycemic activity in C57BL/6 mice.
Scientifically validated food-based interventions are a practical means of addressing the epidemic of metabolic syndrome. An ethanolic extract of Artemisia dracunculus L. (PMI-5011) containing bioactive polyphenols, such as 2', 4'-dihydroxy-4-methoxydihydrochalcone (DMC-2), improved insulin resistance in vitro and in vivo. Plant polyphenols are concentrated and stabilized when complexed to protein-rich matrices, such as soy protein isolate (SPI), which act as effective food-based delivery vehicles. The aim of this study was to compare the bioaccessibility, bioavailability, and efficacy of polyphenols extracted from A. dracunculus and delivered as PMI-5011 (ethanolic extract alone), formulated with the non-food excipient Gelucire(®), (5011- Gelucire), or sorbed to SPI (5011-Nutrasorb(®)). ⋯ Complexation with soy protein makes antidiabetic A. dracunculus polyphenols more bioavailable and bioaccessible.
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The aim of this study was to examine the association of the genetic variants in the fatty acid desaturase (FADS) gene cluster with erythrocyte phospholipid fatty acids (PLFA), and their relation to risk for type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in Han Chinese. ⋯ Genetic variants in the FADS gene cluster are associated with altered erythrocyte PLFAs. High levels of PL 18:3 ω-3, 22:5 ω-3, and total ω-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid were associated with low risk for T2DM.
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The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of rice as a carbohydrate source and its molecular mechanisms on insulin resistance induced by a high-fat diet (HFD). ⋯ Rice consumption as a carbohydrate source might potentiate improvements in glucose uptake via AMP-activated protein kinase activation and glucose transporter 4 expression in the skeletal muscles, thereby improving insulin sensitivity.
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The onset of puberty in females has been occurring earlier over the past decades, presumably as a result of improved nutrition in developed countries. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms responsible for the early attainment of puberty as a result of nutrition fortification remain largely unknown. The aim of this study was to evaluate the hormone and gene expression changes in prepubescent gilts fed a high-fat diet to investigate whether these changes could predict the early timing of puberty. ⋯ These data showed that the consumption of additional fat can facilitate early attainment of puberty, which can be predicted by the changes in secreted hormones and gene expression in the hypothalamus-pituitary-gonadal axis.
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Oxidative damage to lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids in the brain often causes progressive neuronal degeneration and death that are the focal traits of chronic and acute pathologies, including those involving cognitive decline. The aim of this study was to investigate the specific effects of both Euterpe oleracea and Euterpe precatoria açaí fruit pulp on restoring stressor-induced calcium dysregulation, stunted growth of basal dendrites, and autophagy inhibition using embryonic hippocampal and HT22 hippocampal neurons. ⋯ Although the polyphenol profile of Euterpe precatoria showed substantially higher concentrations of major flavonoids han Euterpe oleracea, the relative effects were essentially similar for both species. The study adds to growing evidence that supports the putative health effects of açaí fruit species on brain cells.