Effects of Applied Process on the In Vitro Digestibility and Resistant Starch Content of Pasta Products

Resistant starch (RS) included in pasta can have auspicious health benefits and functional properties. The resistance of starch, however, can be greatly influenced by the applied food preparation process. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of two different resistant starches on the digestibility of pasta and to predict the impact of the conventional pasta processing (extrusion under standard conditions, 120 bars, 40°C; drying in an air-drying room at 35–40°C and cooking until the optimum cooking time) on the quality of different resistant starch included in products by using an in vitro enzymatic hydrolysis method. Results showed that the applied, conventional pasta extrusion step had only a small effect on the liberated glucose level and did not influence the RS content significantly. The cooking in contrast caused an increased digestibility and the lost of resistance of all pasta products. The digestibility was significantly lower (p < 0.05) in the case of raw and dried samples compared to the cooked pastas. It can be concluded that the resistant starches used in the samples are heat sensitive and their properties change radically during the pasta preparation, mainly during cooking.     

Five years of research on health risks and benefits of Maillard reaction products: an update

When the COST Action 919 started to investigate the role of melanoidins in food and health in 1999, the chemical structures of dietary melanoidins were poorly defined and hardly anything was known about structure-specific health effects of this chemical class. In addition, the degradation of melanoidins in the gut and their absorption and function or that of any of their degradation products had not yet been reported. In the past five years, results from in vitro studies demonstrated that at least some of the dietary melanoidins are degraded by intestinal microorganisms, possibly influencing their growth rate. The absorption and excretion rates of individual Maillard reaction compounds and melanoidin structures have been investigated in animal studies. These studies show that at least 30% of the ingested dose of low-molecular-weight compounds are absorbed. Structure-specific health-promoting effects of newly identified compounds have been described by means of their antioxidant and chemopreventive activity in cell culture investigations as well as in animal feeding studies and human trials. Harmful effects of dietary melanoidins have been investigated in the context of their ability to promote glycation reactions in vivo, which are involved in the progression of several diseases, such as diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular complications, and Alzheimer's disease. Toxicological studies were performed showing that melanoidin structures can not be classified as potent dietary mutagens or genotoxins. Thus, substantial knowledge on the health effects of melanoidins has been gained within COST Action 919. But still, further studies are needed to distinguish between chemically identified harmful and health-beneficial melanoidins.     

Effects of Salvia officinalis and Thymus vulgaris on oxidant-induced DNA damage and antioxidant status in HepG2 cells

Salvia officinalis (SO) and Thymus vulgaris (TV) are medicinal plants well known for their curative powers. However, the molecular mechanisms responsible for these abilities of sage and thyme have not been fully understood yet. In this study we investigated the composition and the quantitative estimation of plant extracts, the protective effects of plant extracts against hydrogen peroxide- and 2,3-dimethoxy-1,4-naphthoquinone-induced DNA damage, and levels of enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidants (superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, glutathione) in human HepG2 cells. To measure antioxidative activity of plant extracts we used three assays: 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) and 2,2′-azinobis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS). The results showed that the oxidant-induced DNA lesions were significantly reduced in cells pre-treated with the plant extracts studied. The observed DNA-protective activity could be explained by both elevation of GPx activity in cells pre-treated with SO and TV and antioxidant activity of SO and TV.     

Mortality from ship emissions: a global assessment

Epidemiological studies consistently link ambient concentrations of particulate matter (PM) to negative health impacts, including asthma, heart attacks, hospital admissions, and premature mortality. We model ambient PM concentrations from oceangoing ships using two geospatial emissions inventories and two global aerosol models. We estimate global and regional mortalities by applying ambient PM increases due to ships to cardiopulmonary and lung cancer concentration-risk functions and population models. Our results indicate that shipping-related PM emissions are responsible for approximately 60,000 cardiopulmonary and lung cancer deaths annually, with most deaths occurring near coastlines in Europe, East Asia, and South Asia. Under current regulation and with the expected growth in shipping activity, we estimate that annual mortalities could increase by 40% by 2012.