Xanthohumol kills B-chronic lymphocytic leukemia cells by an apoptotic mechanism

B-chronic lymphocytic leukemia (B-CLL) is an indolent lymphoid malignancy with variable prognosis. Adverse prognostic factors comprise treatment resistance, cytogenetics (11q- and 17p-), the presence of unmutated Ig genes, and the more comprehensive activation marker Zap 70. In contrast to diminished sensitivity to chemotherapy, Zap 70+ B-CLL cells retain their responsiveness to manipulation of signal transduction and monoclonals. Xanthohumol (XA) has recently been documented to have an impact on breast cancer cell growth and invasiveness in vitro. Based on these observations, lymphocytes from patients with B-CLL were cultured in the presence of XA in vitro. XA induced a dose-dependent killing of B-CLL cells at an LD(50) ((24 h)) of 24.4 +/- 6.6 microM, independent of known adverse prognostic factors including functional loss of p53. Cell death was associated with poly (ADP)-ribose polymerase cleavage and annexin V positivity, suggestive of an apoptotic mechanism. Surprisingly, p 70(S 6 K) phosphorylation was stimulated upon XA treatment. In conclusion, XA has an antitumor activity on B-CLL cells in vitro. The molecular mechanisms behind this pro-apoptotic effect deserve further investigation.     

High-pressure treatments induce folate polyglutamate profile changes in intact broccoli (Brassica oleraceae L. cv. Italica) tissue

In plant matrices, folates exist largely as folylpoly-γ-glutamates requiring deglutamylation to monoglutamates prior to absorption, which might impair dietary folate bioavailability. This study investigated folylpoly-γ-glutamate stability and conversions in broccoli tissue during thermal (25–90 °C, 30 min) and high-pressure treatments (0.1–600 MPa, 25–45 °C, 30 min) after vacuum packaging. Folates were analyzed based on poly-γ-glutamate side chain length by RP-HPLC. During thermal treatments, folates were stable up to 90 °C, whereas differences in folylpoly-γ-glutamate profiles towards higher conjugated folylpoly-γ-glutamates were observed at elevated temperatures (70–90 °C). High-pressure treatments resulted in significant folate losses (48–78%). Depending on the pressure–temperature combinations studied, folylpoly-γ-glutamates were converted to folylmono- and folyldi-γ-glutamates, which was shown to occur mainly during the initial stages of the high-pressure treatments, i.e. during pressure build-up and subsequent equilibration. Targeted application of high-pressure treatments can hence be applied to obtain broccoli with higher monoglutamate folate content. Implications towards folate bioavailability in relation to the observed folate degradation, however, requires further investigation.     

Biochemical characterization and process stability of polyphenoloxidase extracted from Victoria grape (Vitis vinifera ssp. Sativa)

Polyphenol oxidase (PPO) was isolated from Victoria grapes (Vitis vinifera ssp. Sativa) grown in South Africa and its biochemical characteristics were studied. Optimum pH and temperature for grape PPO activity were pH 5.0 and T = 25 °C with 10 mM catechol in McIlvaine buffer as substrate. PPO showed activity using the following substances: catechol, 4 methyl catechol, d, l-DOPA, (+) catechin and chlorogenic acid. K_m and V_max values were 52.6 ± 0.00436 mM and 653 ± 24.0 OD_400 nm/min in the case of 10 mM catechol as a substrate. Eight inhibitors were tested in this study and the most effective inhibitors were found to be ascorbic acid, l-cysteine and sodium metabisulfite. Kinetic studies showed that the thermal inactivation of Victoria grape PPO followed first-order kinetics, with an activation energy, E_a = 225 ± 13.5 of kJ/mol. Both in semipurified extract and in grape juice, PPO showed a pronounced high pressure stability.     

Effect of box materials on the distribution of 1-MCP gas during cold storage: A CFD study

1-Methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) is a synthetic plant growth regulator used commercially to delay ripening of fruits. The substance is applied in gas form (as a fumigant) in the storage room. In long term postharvest cold storage, fruit are placed in boxes (usually plastic or wooden bins) and stacked in a specific pattern. The top of the boxes are frequently covered with a thin plastic sheet for the purpose of reducing fruit moisture loss. Wooden boxes, card linings and other plant based porous materials used in bins have 1-MCP adsorption capacity. Plastic covers affect the airflow and with that the 1-MCP transport. In this paper, the influence of box materials and plastic cover on the distribution of 1-MCP in cold storage was studied using validated CFD models. Reynolds Average Navier–Stokes equations with the SST k–ω turbulence model were used to calculate the airflow. Diffusion, convection and adsorption of 1MCP were modeled to obtain 3D spatial and temporal distributions of 1-MCP inside a storage container, boxes and fruit. Time dependent profiles of calculated 1-MCP concentrations in the air in the container agreed well with measurement data. The plastic cover imposed no effect on the adsorption of 1-MCP. Wooden boxes notably adsorbed 1-MCP from the treatment atmosphere and may reduce the efficacy and uniformity of the treatment.     

Comparison of a self-control approach and an emotional coping approach to the treatment of obesity.

Compared the relative effectiveness of a self-control program that emphasized modification of external environmental-eliciting cues for eating behavior with an induced affect program aimed at decreasing eating behavior as a response to emotional states. Data from 40 female Ss indicate that although the self-control group lost significantly more of their proportion overweight than any of the other groups and significantly more pounds than the control groups at posttreatment assessment, they did not demonstrate continued treatment superiority during the follow-up period. It appears that some continued treatment contact may be critical for continued weight loss by self-control Ss. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Relationship between word difficulty and access of single-word meaning by skilled and less skilled readers.

Previous research, by R. M. Golinkoff and R. R. Rosinski (1976), used a picture-word interference task to show that skilled and less skilled comprehenders in the 3rd and 5th grades could retrieve the meaning of primer-level words equally well. With a similar task and comparable groups of children ( N = 64), the present study assessed the relationship between word difficulty and semantic access by using both the easy words and a new set of more difficult words. Retrieval of the meaning of these difficult words was least apparent for the less skilled 3rd graders, the group that had the most difficulty decoding these words. Results indicate that decoding ease and extraction of word meanings are related and also suggest that decoding ability must be considered a factor in reading comprehension. (19 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Food-compatible method for the efficient extraction and stabilization of cranberry pomace polyphenols

Cranberry pomace is a byproduct of cranberry processing and is comprised of seeds, skins and stems of the cranberry fruit. While cranberry pomace contains beneficial polyphenols, including proanthocyanidins and anthocyanins, it is not a palatable source of these compounds and is typically discarded. In this study, we have developed and optimized a method to extract polyphenols from cranberry pomace using aqueous ethanol, a food grade solvent. Biochemical characterization of the pomace extract showed the presence of a broad range of polyphenols also present in cranberry juice concentrate. By co-drying cranberry pomace extract with a protein-rich food matrix, such as soy protein isolate (SPI), we have developed a method to produce a cranberry polyphenol–SPI complex (CBP-SPI) containing 10% cranberry polyphenols. Unlike dried cranberry pomace extract alone, proanthocyanidins, anthocyanins and total polyphenols were found to be highly stable at 37 °C in the CBP-SPI powder. The extraction and stabilization of cranberry pomace polyphenols using SPI provides an innovative approach for utilizing pomace in the development of novel food ingredients.     

Impact of cell wall‐degrading enzymes on water‐holding capacity and solubility of dietary fibre in rye and wheat bran

BACKGROUND: Rye and wheat bran were treated with several xylanases and endoglucanases, and the effects on physicochemical properties such as solubility, viscosity, water‐holding capacity and particle size as well as the chemical composition of the soluble and insoluble fractions of the bran were studied. A large number of enzymes with well‐defined activities were used. This enabled a comparison between enzymes of different origins and with different activities as well as a comparison between the effects of the enzymes on rye and wheat bran. RESULTS: The xylanases derived from Bacillus subtilis were the most effective in solubilising dietary fibre from wheat and rye bran. There was a tendency for a higher degree of degradation of the soluble or solubilised dietary fibre in rye bran than in wheat bran when treated with most of the enzymes. CONCLUSION: None of the enzymes increased the water‐holding capacity of the bran or the viscosity of the aqueous phase. The content of insoluble material decreased as the dietary fibre was solubilised by the enzymes. The amount of material that may form a network to retain water in the system was thereby decreased. © 2012 Society of Chemical Industry