Artifactual seven-day cycles in spontaneous activity in wild rodents and squirrel monkeys.

Found 7-day cycles in spontaneous activity in wild animals (recently trapped Norway rats, chipmunks, ground squirrels, and squirrel monkeys) but not in tame domesticated animals (laboratory Norway rats and hamsters). This cycle turned out to be a function of emotional reaction of the wild animals to hitherto overlooked slight differences in activities of relevant human beings between weekdays and weekends. Elimination of ability of wild animals to react to slight environment differences by blinding or deafening abolished the 7-day cycles. No definite evidence has been found for the presence of inherent 7-day cycles in animals or man. (17 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

α-Glucosidase, α-amylase inhibition kinetics,in vitro gastro-intestinal digestion,and apoptosis inducing abilities of Ficus microcarpa L. f. and Ficus racemosa L. fruit polysaccharides

Food Science and Biotechnology - A rich source of nutrients, figs have a number of clinically validated benefits. This study aimed to evaluate the in vitro simulated gastrointestinal digestion, and...     

Energy substrate efficiency during batch cultures of Geotrichum candidum

BACKGROUND: Metabolisation of carbon and nitrogen substrates is a key factor during the ripening process of white soft cheeses but has not previously been examined in terms of energy substrate efficiency. Such work could be useful to improve physiological knowledge concerning Geotrichum candidum, a yeast involved in the neutralisation of curd during ripening. Its behaviour was therefore examined during batch cultures on simple (glutamate) or complex (peptones) substrates as nitrogen and carbon sources and lactate as a second carbon source. RESULTS: In addition to their assimilation as carbon and nitrogen sources, G. candidum used peptides and amino acids as energy sources during growth in preference to lactate. Contrarily, during stationary state, lactate was preferred over peptides and amino acids for carbon dissimilation for energy supply, allowing the avoidance of ammonium production. Indeed, lactate dissimilation theoretically yields 15 adenosine triphosphates (ATPs), while only nine ATPs are theoretically yielded during the dissimilation of an amino acid such as glutamate. CONCLUSION: This behaviour can be considered as an energy‐saving response. Indeed, the use of peptides and amino acids as energy sources in addition to being used as carbon and nitrogen sources during G. candidum growth can be related to its deaminating activity and was in agreement with the better energy efficiency expected from utilisation of the same substrate as both carbon and energy source. Contrarily, the better efficiency of lactate dissimilation led to its use during stationary state instead of peptides and amino acids. Copyright © 2008 Society of Chemical Industry     

Diet effects in the asthma treatment: A systematic review

Introduction: Obesity in asthmatic patients has important relationships with asthma control, pulmonary function, and quality of life. The objective of this study was to conduct a systematic review of the literature on the effect of diet on asthma management in adults. Methods: We searched PubMed, Embase, and Scopus (January 1948–October 2014) for randomized clinical trials that evaluated the effects of diet in adults with asthma. Results: Of 12,215 studies identified, 21 were included. A reduction in weight of at least 7.5% from baseline as a result of caloric restriction can be beneficial for improving disease control, quality of life, and pulmonary function in obese patients with asthma. A dietary pattern rich in foods with potential antioxidant effect had an impact in improving asthma control, but with little clinical significance. Studies involving antioxidant supplementation showed improvements in asthma control with magnesium supplementation and less decline in lung function with vitamin C supplementation. Studies of fatty acid supplementation demonstrated effects on weight loss and improvement of asthma control and lung function. Studies of supplementation with propolis and caffeine reported significant increases in FEV1. Conversely, studies of high dietary salt intake reported greater declines in lung function. Conclusions: The evidence shows that, for obese adults with asthma, the best dietary intervention seems to be caloric restriction, regardless of specific dietary components.     

Evaluation of rapeseed meals in broiler chicks: Effect of iodine supply and glucosinolate degradation by myrosinase or copper

In rapeseed meals (RSM) of a conventional (c) or a newly bred (n) variety 117 or 44 mmol glucosinolates and glucosinolate degradation products per kg dry matter were detected. Soaking meals in aqueous myrosinase or copper sulphate solution and subsequent drying reduced the content of antinutrients by more than 90%. Broiler chickens were fed (i) a glucosinolate-free diet, or this diet in which half the soybean meal was replaced by RSM of various origins and treatment; (ii) untreated cRSM; (iii) cRSM treated with myrosinase: (iv) cRSM treated with Cu (v) untreated nRSM; or (vi) nRSM treated with myrosinase. These diets were administered with or without supplementary iodine. Chickens receiving the iodine-deficient diets with myrosinase-treated RSM showed growth depression, incomplete feathering, leg injuries and severe goitre. In the serum T⁴ could not be detected. Giving myrosinase-treated RSM plus iodine, or giving other RSM diets irrespective of iodine administration, no growth depression was observed. RSM diets without iodine dosage markedly increased thyroid weight: there were no differences between the RSM variants. In contrast to the treatment with myrosinase, in the sera of the chickens fed on untreated RSM or RSM treated with copper T⁴ could be detected, suggesting that in iodine-deficient conditions differences in serum T⁴ concentration between RSM groups indicate a differing anti-thyroid activity. With iodine supplementation the RSM had a significant effect on thyroid weight. The largest thyroids (five-fold heavier) were in the animals with myrosinase-treated cRSM. The untreated cRSM and the nRSM trebled or doubled the thyroid weight, and the myrosinase-treated nRSM trebled it. The thyroid weight of chicks fed cRSM treated with copper did not differ significantly from the glucosinolate-free control. There was evidence that heating the myrosinase-treated RMS produced anti-thyroid compounds; these should be identified in further investigations.     

Tobacco-related disease mortality among men who switched from cigarettes to spit tobacco

Background

Although several epidemiological studies have examined the mortality among users of spit tobacco, none have compared mortality of former cigarette smokers who substitute spit tobacco for cigarette smoking (“switchers”) and smokers who quit using tobacco entirely.

Methods

A cohort of 116 395 men were identified as switchers (n = 4443) or cigarette smokers who quit using tobacco entirely (n = 111 952) when enrolled in the ongoing US American Cancer Society Cancer Prevention Study II. From 1982 to 31 December 2002, 44 374 of these men died. The mortality hazard ratios (HR) of tobacco‐related diseases, including lung cancer, coronary heart disease, stroke and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, were estimated using Cox proportional hazards regression modelling adjusted for age and other demographic variables, as well as variables associated with smoking history, including number of years smoked, number of cigarettes smoked and age at quitting.

Results

After 20 years of follow‐up, switchers had a higher rate of death from any cause (HR 1.08, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.01 to 1.15), lung cancer (HR 1.46, 95% CI 1.24 to 1.73), coronary heart disease (HR 1.13, 95% CI 1.00 to 1.29) and stroke (HR 1.24, 95% CI 1.01 to 1.53) than those who quit using tobacco entirely.

Conclusion

The risks of dying from major tobacco‐related diseases were higher among former cigarette smokers who switched to spit tobacco after they stopped smoking than among those who quit using tobacco entirely.Several epidemiological studies have examined morbidity and mortality among users of spit tobacco (spit‐tobacco users),^1,2 but none have compared the mortality of former cigarette smokers who substitute spit tobacco for cigarette smoking (“switchers”) to those of smokers who quit using tobacco entirely. Comprehensive reviews by the US Surgeon General,³ and the International Agency for Research on Cancer⁴ and others⁵ have concluded that evidence is sufficient that the use of spit tobacco causes several types of cancer in humans. Although the evidence linking use of spit tobacco to increased risk of cardiovascular diseases is limited,⁶ these products cause acute increases in heart rate and blood pressure, as well as long‐term adverse effects on blood pressure and lipid profiles.⁷We compared mortality of switchers to those of former cigarette smokers who quit using tobacco entirely among men enrolled in a large prospective cohort.     

Influence of sugars on the characteristics of glucono-δ-lactone-induced soy protein isolate gels

The effects of the reducing sugars (glucose and lactose) and the non-reducing sugar (sucrose), heated in combination with soy protein isolate (SPI) at neutral pH, on the physicochemical and rheological properties of SPI were determined. After formation of gels induced by glucono-δ-lactone (GDL), the textural profile and physicochemical bonds of the non-heated and heated SPI gels were investigated. The gelation of SPI was induced in three stages of processing that is similar to some tofu-making procedures. First, SPI was heated in the presence of sugars at neutral pH above the denaturation temperature of SPI; then gelation was induced by GDL at iso-electric pH and finally the acidic gels were heat treated again. Heat treatment with glucose at neutral pH resulted in SPI with higher glycation degree than with lactose, whereas SPI heat treated in the presence of sucrose was not glycated. GDL-induced gels of SPI glycated with glucose was more soluble in water than gels of SPI reacted with lactose, which in turn was more soluble than the control and gels of SPI heated in the presence of sucrose. This indicates a change in the net charge of proteins caused by the glycation reaction. Glucose and lactose had a protective effect on protein denaturation at neutral pH, albeit less than sucrose, resulting in GDL-induced gels with increased water holding capacity and reduced gel hardness than sucrose. Chemical analysis indicated that disulphide bonds were involved in maintaining the structure of the gels, and solubility profiles of gels in different buffers indicate that other types of covalent bonds besides disulphide bonds were formed in gels of glycated SPI, resulting in reduced gel elasticity.