The Microbiota and the Gut–Brain Axis in Controlling Food Intake and Energy Homeostasis

Obesity currently represents a major societal and health challenge worldwide. Its prevalence has reached epidemic proportions and trends continue to rise, reflecting the need for more effective preventive measures. Hypothalamic circuits that control energy homeostasis in response to food intake are interesting targets for body-weight management, for example, through interventions that reinforce the gut-to-brain nutrient signalling, whose malfunction contributes to obesity. Gut microbiota–diet interactions might interfere in nutrient sensing and signalling from the gut to the brain, where the information is processed to control energy homeostasis. This gut microbiota–brain crosstalk is mediated by metabolites, mainly short chain fatty acids, secondary bile acids or amino acids-derived metabolites and subcellular bacterial components. These activate gut–endocrine and/or neural-mediated pathways or pass to systemic circulation and then reach the brain. Feeding time and dietary composition are the main drivers of the gut microbiota structure and function. Therefore, aberrant feeding patterns or unhealthy diets might alter gut microbiota–diet interactions and modify nutrient availability and/or microbial ligands transmitting information from the gut to the brain in response to food intake, thus impairing energy homeostasis. Herein, we update the scientific evidence supporting that gut microbiota is a source of novel dietary and non-dietary biological products that may beneficially regulate gut-to-brain communication and, thus, improve metabolic health. Additionally, we evaluate how the feeding time and dietary composition modulate the gut microbiota and, thereby, the intraluminal availability of these biological products with potential effects on energy homeostasis. The review also identifies knowledge gaps and the advances required to clinically apply microbiome-based strategies to improve the gut–brain axis function and, thus, combat obesity.     

Effects of gas composition in modified atmosphere packaging on the meat quality of Spanish Manchega lamb

The effects of four types of packaging atmosphere, each with a different gas composition (20–80% CO₂), on the meat quality of Spanish Manchega lamb were examined in order to suggest a gas composition for optimal preservation. Meat quality was assessed by pH, colour (L*,a* and b* values), water‐holding capacity (WHC), cooking loss (CL) and shear force (SF). Gas composition affected all parameters except L* and SF. The pH values decreased significantly in samples packed with 80% CO₂ but remained constant in the other groups. The b* values were lower in samples packed without O₂ than in the other groups and increased with time. However, the a* values decreased in all groups with time. Samples packed in low‐CO₂ atmosphere tended to lose more water (ie to have less WHC and show more CL). The SF values decreased with time, and similar values of this parameter were observed for all treatments. © 2001 Society of Chemical Industry     

Effect of Osmotic Dehydration and Vacuum-Frying Parameters to Produce High-Quality Mango Chips

ABSTRACT:  Mango ( Mangifera indica  L.) is a fruit rich in flavor and nutritional values, which is an excellent candidate for producing chips. The objective of this study was to develop high-quality mango chips using vacuum frying. Mango (" Tommy Atkins ") slices were pretreated with different maltodextrin concentrations (40, 50, and 65, w/v), osmotic dehydration times (45, 60, and 70 min), and solution temperatures (22 and 40 °C). Pretreated slices were vacuum fried at 120, 130, and 138 °C and product quality attributes (oil content, texture, color, carotenoid content) determined. The effect of frying temperatures at optimum osmotic dehydration times (65 [w/v] at 40 °C) was assessed. All samples were acceptable (scores > 5) to consumer panelists. The best mango chips were those pretreated with 65 (w/v) concentration for 60 min and vacuum fried at 120 °C. Mango chips under atmospheric frying had less carotenoid retention (32%) than those under vacuum frying (up to 65%). These results may help further optimize vacuum-frying processing of high-quality fruit-based snacks.     

Microbial quality and lipid oxidation of Manchega breed suckling lamb meat: Effect of stunning method and modified atmosphere packaging

The effect of CO₂ concentration and exposure time at stunning [80% CO₂ for 90 s (G1); 90% CO₂ for 90 s (G2); 90% CO₂ for 60 s (G3); 80% CO₂ for 60 s (G4)] plus an electrically stunned control group (G5) was assessed for lipid oxidation (LO) and microbial levels, [total viable counts, lactic acid bacteria, Enterobacteriaceae and Pseudomonas spp.] in Manchega breed suckling lamb meat at 24 h and 7 days post-mortem. Differences in LO were found at 7 days post-mortem (P < 0.05) with the highest value for G4. In general, values of all microorganisms studied were higher in G5.     

Monitoring of carboxylic carbon nanotubes in surface water by using multiwalled carbon nanotube-modified filter as preconcentration unit

In this paper, for the first time, the possibility of preconcentrating and determining carboxylic single-walled carbon nanotubes (c-SWNTs) from environmental water samples is demonstrated. The method is based on the preconcentration of c-SWNTs and their further electrophoretic analysis. The preconcentration of c-SWNTs has been successfully performed on a filter modified with multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs), which allows the use of high preconcentration rates. MWNT-modified filters were fabricated in the laboratory from a surfactant dispersion of MWNTs. The main variables affecting the preconcentration of analytes are studied and discussed in the paper. Electrophoretic separation of carboxylic SWNTs was accomplished by using a 50 mM ammonium acetate solution at pH 7.5 as a background electrolyte and a potential of 15 kV. Under these conditions, separation was completed within only 5 min. Recoveries for the analysis of spiked samples ranged from 70 to 85% and the precision from 6.4 to 7.3%.     

Quality and microbial stability of partially baked bread during refrigerated storage

Partially baked bread was prepared and stored at 1 °C or 7 °C for 28 days. Periodically, this product was subjected to moisture, hardness, and microbiological analyses. After storage, the baking process of part-baked bread was completed and product evaluated according to microbiological, physical, and sensorial tests, as well as hardness analysis. Part-baked breads stored at 7 °C showed mold growth at day ninth, while the product stored at 1 °C did not show mold growth through 28 days. The full-baked bread obtained from part-baked samples stored at 1 °C showed higher values of hardness and change in crumb hardness, and lower sensorial quality than bread from part-baked samples stored at 7 °C. Moisture content, specific volume, and width/height ratio in the full-baked bread were not affected by storage time and temperature.     

Influence of germination on the soluble carbohydrates and dietary fibre fractions in non-conventional legumes

Influence of light exposure during germination on structural and soluble carbohydrates including total dietary fibre (TDF), insoluble dietary fibre (IDF) and soluble (SDF) dietary fibre fractions and also raffinose family oligosaccharides (RFOs) was studied in non-conventional legumes Vigna unguiculata (cowpea), Canavalia ensiformis (jack bean), Stizolobium niveum (mucuna), and Lablab purpureus (dolichos), and compared to a well known and used Glycine max (soybean). Non-conventional legumes were rich in DF, mainly IDF, which represented 93–97% of TDF. It was relevant the proportion of protein that remained associated to the insoluble DF matrix. Non-conventional legumes exhibited important levels of RFOs but their profile was different depending on the tropical seed. The germination of seeds produced changes in the carbohydrate fraction, mainly an increase of TDF in most instances, except for soybean, and a drastic reduction of RFOs, from 98% to 63%, with the corresponding increase in the amounts of total soluble sugars.     

找一个支点，撬动奥运——大处着眼 顺势而动

当北京将奥运的旗帜转交给伦敦,很多国际品牌也将随之备战伦敦的奥运营销。所以,即使北京奥运会结束了,中国企业对于奥运的思考却不能停止,在零点研究咨询集团董事长袁岳看来,虽然中国汽车自主品牌没有赞助北京奥运会有一点遗憾,但是如果中国汽车企业没有好好地思考那些赞助企业是如何运营此次奥运营销的话,那才是真正的遗憾。中国的服装企业又何尝不是如此,对于它们来说,北京奥运会提供的思考机会大于实践机会。     

It Bag两要两不要

it bag的辉煌．离不开制造者们对包的特性把握、挖掘和高明的市场推广手段;it bag的走低．也只能说是制造者们的不当操作的结果。正所谓“成也萧何败也萧何”。     

Tailoring reversible insulin aggregates loaded in electrosprayed arabinoxylan microspheres intended for colon-targeted delivery

Arabinoxylans (AX) covalent gels are little affected by pH changes and fermentable by colonic microbiota, which make them suitable for insulin oral administration and colon-targeted delivery. In this work, the tailoring of insulin aggregates size using glutamic acid and their loading in AX microspheres (2%w/v) prepared by triaxial electrospray is presented. Dynamic light scattering showed that insulin-glutamic acid aggregates are reversible under intestinal conditions. AX microspheres presented a spherical shape, a mean diameter of 233 μm, a heterogeneous microstructure as shown by scanning electron microscopy, and a homogeneous distribution of insulin aggregates as observed by confocal laser scanning microscopy. In this AX-insulin system, 20% of insulin is released under simulated gastrointestinal pH conditions, indicating that most of the insulin stays into the microspheres, available for colonic release. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2019 , 136, 47960.