Effect of Acute Sprint Exercise on Myokines and Food Intake Hormones in Young Healthy Men

Physical exercise is known to influence hormonal mediators of appetite, but the effect of short-term maximal intensity exercise on plasma levels of appetite hormones and cytokines has been little studied. We investigated the effect of a 30 s Wingate Test, followed by a postprandial period, on appetite sensations, food intake, and appetite hormones. Twenty-six physically active young males rated their subjective feelings of hunger, prospective food consumption, and fatigue on visual analogue scales at baseline, after exercise was completed, and during the postprandial period. Blood samples were obtained for the measurement of nesfatin-1, ghrelin, leptin, insulin, pancreatic polypeptide (PP), human growth factor (hGH) and cytokine interleukin-6 (IL-6), irisin and plasma lactate concentrations, at 30 min before exercise, immediately (210 s) after exercise, and 30 min following a meal and at corresponding times in control sedentary males without ad libitum meal intake, respectively. Appetite perceptions and food intake were decreased in response to exercise. Plasma levels of irisin, IL-6, lactate, nesfatin-1 and ghrelin was increased after exercise and then it was returned to postprandial/control period in both groups. A significant rise in plasma insulin, hGH and PP levels after exercise was observed while meal intake potentiated this response. In conclusion, an acute short-term fatiguing exercise can transiently suppress hunger sensations and food intake in humans. We postulate that this physiological response involves exercise-induced alterations in plasma hormones and the release of myokines such as irisin and IL-6, and supports the notion of existence of the skeletal muscle–brain–gut axis. Nevertheless, the detailed relationship between acute exercise releasing myokines, appetite sensations and impairment of this axis leading to several diseases should be further examined.     

α-Triazolylboronic Acids: A Promising Scaffold for Effective Inhibitors of KPCs

Boronic acids are known reversible covalent inhibitors of serine β-lactamases. The selectivity and high potency of specific boronates bearing an amide side chain that mimics the β-lactam's amide side chain have been advanced in several studies. Herein, we describe a new class of boronic acids in which the amide group is replaced by a bioisostere triazole. The boronic acids were obtained in a two-step synthesis that relies on the solid and versatile copper-catalyzed azide–alkyne cycloaddition (CuAAC) followed by boronate deprotection. All of the compounds show very good inhibition of the Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase KPC-2, with K_i values ranging from 1 nM to 1 μM, and most of them are able to restore cefepime activity against K. pneumoniae harboring bla_KPC-2. In particular, compound 1 e , bearing a sulfonamide substituted by a thiophene ring, proved to be an excellent KPC-2 inhibitor (K_i=30 nM); it restored cefepime susceptibility in KPC-Kpn cells (MIC=0.5 μg/mL) with values similar to that of vaborbactam (K_i=20 nM, MIC in KPC-Kpn 0.5 μg/mL). Our findings suggest that α-triazolylboronates might represent an effective scaffold for the treatment of KPC-mediated infections.     

Characterization of Fenugreek (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Trigonella foenum-graecum</Emphasis>) Seed Lipids

The composition and content of lipids, fatty acids, triacylglycerols, tocopherols and sterols in nine fenugreek genotypes were analyzed. Lipid content in fenugreek seeds ranged from 5.8 to 15.2%. Major fatty acids were: linoleic acid (45.1–47.5%), α-linolenic (18.3–22.8%), oleic (12.4–17.0%), palmitic (9.8–11.2%) and stearic (3.8–4.2%) acids. The ratios of n-6 to n-3 fatty acids were between 2.1 and 2.7. Similar fatty acid distribution was observed in all analyzed samples with some deviations. α-Tocopherol was the predominant component found in the fenugreek lipid antioxidants, and it constituted over 84% of the total amounts of tocopherols. It amounts ranged from 620 to 910 mg/kg lipids. β-Sitosterol was the major sterol in all samples, varying from 14,203 to 18,833 mg/kg of lipids. Campesterol and cycloartenol were other major sterols, and these compounds including β-sitosterol constituted 56–72% of all sterols. Fenugreek seed lipids consisted predominantly triunsaturated (56.9–66.5%) and diunsaturated (32.2–41.6%) triacylglycerides. Among these components trilinolein (LLL; 12.9–20.5%) dominated followed by PLL (14.0–20.4%), LnLnO (7.8–17.7%), PLO (5.7–11.6%), OLL (6.9–10.6%), LLLn (3.2–9.6%), and LnLnL (3.5–7.6%). Results of the study show that fenugreek seed lipids may be a source of a nutraceutical ingredient for food applications.     

Synthesis of Novel Phosphonic‐Type Activity‐Based Probes for Neutrophil Serine Proteases and Their Application in Spleen Lysates of Different Organisms

Neutrophils are a type of granulocyte important in the “first line of defense” of the innate immune system. Upon activation, they facilitate the destruction of invading microorganisms by the production of superoxide radicals, as well as the release of the enzymatic contents of their lysozymes. These enzymes include specific serine proteases: cathepsin G, neutrophil elastase, proteinase 3, as well as the recently discovered neutrophil serine protease 4 (NSP4). Under normal conditions, the proteolytic activity of neutrophil proteases is tightly regulated by endogenous serpins; however, this mechanism can be subverted during tissue stress, thereby resulting in the uncontrolled activity of serine proteases, which induce chronic inflammation and subsequent pathology. Herein, we describe the development of low‐molecular‐weight activity‐based probes that specifically target the active sites of neutrophil proteases.     

Environmental applications of biosurfactants: recent advances

Increasing public awareness of environmental pollution influences the search and development of technologies that help in clean up of organic and inorganic contaminants such as hydrocarbons and metals. An alternative and eco-friendly method of remediation technology of environments contaminated with these pollutants is the use of biosurfactants and biosurfactant-producing microorganisms. The diversity of biosurfactants makes them an attractive group of compounds for potential use in a wide variety of industrial and biotechnological applications. The purpose of this review is to provide a comprehensive overview of advances in the applications of biosurfactants and biosurfactant-producing microorganisms in hydrocarbon and metal remediation technologies.     

Ozonation reduces sludge production and improves denitrification

The effectiveness of partial ozonation of return activated sludge for enhancing denitrification and waste sludge minimization were examined. A pair of nitrifying sequencing batch reactors was operated in either aerobic or alternating anoxic/aerobic conditions, with one control and one ozonated reactor in each set. The amount of solids produced decreased with the ozone dose. Biomass in the anoxic/aerobic reactor was easier to destroy (up to 25% of the initial excess sludge) than in the aerobic (10%) one, generating approximately twice as much soluble COD by cell lysis. Denitrification rate improved up to 60% due to additional carbon released by ozonation. Nitrification rates deteriorated much more in the aerobic than in the alternating reactor, possibly as a result of direct destruction of nitrifying autotrophs as well as competition created by growth of heterotrophs receiving the additional COD. Overall, ozonation provided the expected benefits in denitrification and had less impact on nitrification in the alternating reactors.     

Modeling the tryptic hydrolysis of pea proteins using an artificial neural network

Experimentally determined values for the degree of hydrolysis (DH) were used with an artificial neural network (ANN) model to predict the tryptic hydrolysis of a commercially available pea protein isolate at temperatures of 40, 45, and 50 °C. Analyses were conducted using the STATISTICA Neural Networks software on a personal computer. Input data were randomized to two sets: learning and testing. Differences between the experimental and calculated DH% were slight and ranged from 0.06% to 0.24%. The performance of the educated ANN was then tested by inputting temperatures ranging from 35 to 50 °C. Very strong correlations were found between calculated DH% values obtained from the ANN and those experimentally determined at all temperatures; the determination coefficients (R²) varied from 0.9958 to 0.9997. The results so obtained will be useful to reduce the time required in the design of enzymatic reactions involving food proteins.     

Long-term storage stability of selected potato starch – Non-starchy hydrocolloid binary gels

All 3, 4 and 5% potato starch gels containing either κ-carrageenan, guar gum or xanthan gum were prepared and their stability in terms of rheological and textural properties was checked on 30 day storage. It was shown that rheology of these binary potato starch – non-starchy hydrocolloid mixtures could be controlled by anionic character of the admixed hydrocolloid. Depending on the hydrocolloid added, gels made of the tuber starch can either retain their pattern typical for tuber starches or turn into that typical for gels of cereal starches. Hydrocolloids added plasticity to the binary gels but it was lost to a significant extent within the first day of storage. Resulting gels with dominating elastic character are rheologically and texturally fairly stable for subsequent 30 days of storage. Generally, hydrocolloids stabilized potato starch gel on long-time storage to the extent dependent on the gel concentration.     

Sprouted wheat grain with ferritin overexpression as a potential source of iron for cereal product fortification

Grains of winter wheat (Korweta variety) were partially germinated in an abiotic stress condition (0–15 mM FeSO₄ solutions) in order to accumulate iron by ferritin overexpression. The physical, chemical, biochemical properties and technological parameters of the obtained material as well as their resistance to an insect storage pest—granary weevil—were analyzed. Sprouted wheat grains with overexpression of ferritin contain 52 times more iron, more than 50 % in form of ferritin. The contents of reducing sugars, crude protein, fiber and ash as well as amylolytic activity increased significantly in sprouted wheat grain, while starch, fat, wet gluten, falling number and inhibition activity against granary weevil α-amylase decreased. Germinated wheat grain enriched with iron strongly affected granary weevil developmental parameters. Despite the fact that technological parameters of the product were deteriorated, it is worth to consider this material application as an iron supplement for cereal products, when the application of soybean is impossible.     

Freshness and quality attributes of cold stored Atlantic bonito (Sarda sarda) gravad

Quality and safety parameters of Atlantic bonito gravad during 42 days of storage at 7 ± 1 °C were analysed using monitoring sensory quality, microbial contamination, nucleotide degradation products, biogenic amines (BA), trimethylamine (TMA) and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS). The shelf‐life of vacuum packed Atlantic bonito gravad was found to be 28 days. Total viable count (TVC) did not exceed 6 log CFU g^?1. Malonodialdehyde (MDA) content did not surpass 10 mg kg^?1. Nine biogenic amines were detected. Histamine level at the end of the storage was 355.3 mg kg^?1. TMA increased from 53.9 to 619.1 mg kg^?1. Among indicators based on the products of nucleotide degradation, the H value is best correlated with the sensory assessment. It can be concluded that the storage temperature of bonito gravad must be below 7 °C to prevent the threat to safety and quality posed by biogenic amines, especially histamine.