Transposable Elements and Stress in Vertebrates: An Overview

Since their identification as genomic regulatory elements, Transposable Elements (TEs) were considered, at first, molecular parasites and later as an important source of genetic diversity and regulatory innovations. In vertebrates in particular, TEs have been recognized as playing an important role in major evolutionary transitions and biodiversity. Moreover, in the last decade, a significant number of papers has been published highlighting a correlation between TE activity and exposition to environmental stresses and dietary factors. In this review we present an overview of the impact of TEs in vertebrate genomes, report the silencing mechanisms adopted by host genomes to regulate TE activity, and finally we explore the effects of environmental and dietary factor exposures on TE activity in mammals, which is the most studied group among vertebrates. The studies here reported evidence that several factors can induce changes in the epigenetic status of TEs and silencing mechanisms leading to their activation with consequent effects on the host genome. The study of TE can represent a future challenge for research for developing effective markers able to detect precocious epigenetic changes and prevent human diseases.     

巴马长寿饮食模式在衰老小鼠模型中的抗氧化应激效果

为了验证巴马长寿饮食模式的抗衰老作用,通过给小鼠皮下注射D-半乳糖(500 mg/(kg·d))制备衰老模型,根据本团队前期研究结果,选取巴马长寿老人饮食中具有代表性的营养特征(能量限制及VA、大豆异黄酮、膳食纤维、微量元素铁、锰、钴、硒的摄入),分别设计了能限组、胡豆组、纤维组、元素组和复合组饮食,并以自由采食的方式饲喂小鼠,连续8周。对小鼠血清、肝脏和脑组织中丙二醛(malondialdehyde,MDA)水平、血清和脑组织中总超氧化物歧化酶(total superoxide dismutase,T-SOD)活力、肝脏和脑组织中总抗氧化能力(total antioxidant capacity,T-AOC)进行测定。结果表明:与衰老组小鼠相比,5种特征饮食都能抑制小鼠体内MDA的蓄积,提高抗氧化酶活力和T-AOC;通过正向化和无量纲化处理,发现复合组饮食抗氧化应激效果最强,能显著抑制衰老小鼠血清、肝脏和脑组织中MDA蓄积(P0.05),使血清中T-SOD活力增强12.33%(P0.05),并使肝脏中T-AOC显著提高35.35%(P0.05)。5种模式综合量化评价的顺序为:复合组胡豆组能限组纤维组元素组。说明巴马长寿饮食模式对D-半乳糖致衰老小鼠有明显的抗氧化应激作用,这也预示着其具有较显著的抗衰老作用效果和良好的开发潜力。     

芸豆渣膳食纤维超声辅助酶法提取工艺优化及特性研究

超声波辅助复合酶(1.0%碱性蛋白酶和0.2%耐高温α-淀粉酶)酶解脱脂后的奶白花芸豆豆渣,提取其中的膳食纤维。研究了超声条件对水不溶性膳食纤维(IDF)和水溶性膳食纤维(SDF)提取率的影响,优化了提取工艺条件,并研究了芸豆渣膳食纤维的结构及理化性质。试验结果表明:超声时间25 min、功率250 W、温度60℃时,IDF提取率达到60.11%,SDF提取率为5.63%;两种膳食纤维的红外光谱中有特征吸收峰;SDF持水力比IDF高出1.828g/g,持油力高出0.69g/g。     

几类不同食物对肠道菌群调节作用的研究进展

肠道菌群是机体的重要组成部分，肠道菌群能在一定程度上影响宿主的营养代谢和健康。肠道菌群的组成与功能受宿主生理状态、遗传、饮食习惯、年龄和环境等多重因素的影响。其中，膳食是影响肠道菌群结构和功能最为重要且较为迅速的因素。作为日常生活中常见的食物资源，杂粮、杂豆和果蔬等食物含有的膳食纤维和多酚等物质已经被证明具有调节肠道菌群的作用。肠道菌群能够发酵膳食纤维，代谢后释放维生素以及短链脂肪酸等代谢产物，并选择性地促进一些肠道有益菌的增殖，进而在一定程度上促进宿主健康。此外，大部分酚类物质也在肠道中被肠道菌群代谢分解后进一步提高酚类物质的生物利用率，从而改善宿主生理状态。本文围绕日常生活中常见的食物资源如杂粮杂豆以及水果蔬菜等对肠道菌群的调节作用进行综述，展望以肠道菌群为靶点的代谢性疾病预防与治疗或膳食干预的前景。     

韭菜中农药腐霉利残留的膳食暴露风险评估

目的评估上海市市售韭菜中农药腐霉利的残留情况及居民膳食暴露风险。方法通过2016～2018年间市售韭菜中腐霉利残留的监测数据,结合本市居民食物消费量调查结果,基于蒙特卡罗分析法,采用@Risk7.5软件和风险商值(%ADI)进行风险评估。结果根据GB 2763-2016《食品安全国家标准食品中农药最大残留限量》进行判定,近3年市售韭菜中腐霉利超标率为23.2%,残留量均值和95%分位值(P_(95))分别为0.76 mg/kg和4.81 mg/kg。本市居民通过韭菜腐霉利暴露量均值为6.17×10~(-5) mg·(kg·bw)~(-1)·d~(-1),风险商为0.06%ADI;高端暴露量(P_(95))为1.68×10~(-3)mg·(kg·bw)~(-1)·d~(-1),风险商为1.68%ADI。本市全人群居民通过韭菜、番茄、茄子等8种食用农产品摄入的腐霉利暴露量均值为8.44×10~(-5) mg·(kg·bw)~(-1)·d~(-1)。结论近3年来上海市市售韭菜中腐霉利残留检出率和超标率呈现下降趋势,食品安全监管工作取得一定成效。本市居民通过韭菜摄入腐霉利的风险商值很小,健康风险不大。     

Chewing gum consumption in the United States among children,adolescents and adults

Data regarding chewing gum consumption habits and attitudes were collected for 963 children and adolescents (aged 6–14) and 3150 adolescents and adults (aged 13 years+) in the United States (U.S.) using a dedicated online food frequency questionnaire. A total of 79.6% of children/adolescents reported using chewing gum in the last 3 months, whereas 61.8% of adolescents/adults chewed gum in the previous 6 months. The mean and 90th percentile of consumption among children/adolescents aged 6–14 were 1.95 and 4.71 g day^?1, equivalent to 0.75 and 1.78 pieces per day, respectively. Stratification by gender and age brackets revealed that the consumption of chewing gum was more heavily reported in boys compared to girls. Among adolescents/adults aged 13 years and older, the mean and 90th percentile of consumption of chewing gum was estimated to be 2.98 and 7.67 g day^?1, or 1.05 and 3.00 pieces per day, respectively. Stratification by gender and by age brackets in this cohort did not reveal any marked patterns although it was noted that there was a decrease in the percent consuming with age (from 87.0 to 34.5%). The most commonly reported chew frequency among all ages was ‘two or three times a week’ (23.7 to 26.8%). The average and high-level estimates reported herein provide up-to-date estimates of chewing gum consumption in the U.S. Comparisons of the calculated intake values with those reported from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey dataset suggests that national nutrition surveys may result in an under-reporting of the percent consumers, but similar estimates for the daily intakes in g day^?1.     

The effect of rice bran on physicochemical,textural and glycaemic properties of ready-to-eat extruded corn snacks

In this work, corn extruded snack products were enriched with rice bran (RB) at 10% and 15%. A co-rotating twin-screw extruder was used with a feed moisture content of 16 g 100 g⁻¹, a screw speed of 240 r.p.m. and four heating sections of the barrel (100, 140, 150 and 150 °C). The impact of RB inclusion on nutritional profile, starch digestion, physicochemical and textural properties of snack products was evaluated. RB-enriched extrudates showed a lower specific volume and hardness and higher crispness than control. RB at 15% gave a water-holding capacity lower than control. Rheology of extrudate dispersions indicated an increase in elastic interactions and solid-like behaviour with RB supplementation. Differences in rheological properties resulted in attenuation of predictive glycaemic response for RB-enriched snacks.