Content of various elements in different parts of the tea plant and in infusions of black tea from Southern India

Contents of various elements in dyferent parts of the tea plant (shoot, mature leaf, small stem, thick wood and root), black tea manufactured by the crush-tear-curl and orthodox processes, and tea brew after 1 and 5 min of infusion were determined by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry. From these, the amount of each element assimilated in the production of 1000 kg of marketable tea, as well as the quantity of each element brought into infusion and thus possib f y taken up through drinking tea, were calculated and discussed. Among the various elements assimilated by the tea plant, the shoot jraction (economically important for manufacturing commercial tea) contained high concentrations of N, P, K and Mg while the mature leaf accumulated Al, Bu, Ca, Cd, Mn, Pb and Sr. Of the dgerent elements brought into infusion while brewing black tea, the amount of K was found to be the largest (> 10000 μg g⁻¹ tea) followed by P (700–1200 μg g⁻¹), Mg (300–700 μg g⁻¹), Ca and A1 (each 150–300 μg⁻¹), Mn (60–150 μg g⁻¹), Cu, Na, Si and Z n (each 6–50 μg g⁻¹), B, Ba, Cr, Fe, Ni and Pb (each Id μg g⁻¹), and Sr, Co and Gd (each <1μg g⁻¹). The proportion of the totalamount of an element brought into infusion showed that the elements Ba, Ca, Fe and Sr were less soluble (<10 % of total amount), Al, B, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Mg, Mn, P, Pb, Si and Zn were moderately soluble (10–50 %), and K, Nu and Ni were highly soluble (>50%). The overall mean of the extent of solubility of all elements in 1 and 5 min showed that, out of the amount soluble in 5 min, about 68% was dissolved within 1 min.     

Daily Enteral DHA Supplementation Alleviates Deficiency in Premature Infants

Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is an essential fatty acid (FA) important for health and neurodevelopment. Premature infants are at risk of DHA deficiency and circulating levels directly correlate with health outcomes. Most supplementation strategies have focused on increasing DHA content in mother's milk or infant formula. However, extremely premature infants may not reach full feedings for weeks and commercially available parenteral lipid emulsions do not contain preformed DHA, so blood levels decline rapidly after birth. Our objective was to develop a DHA supplementation strategy to overcome these barriers. This double‐blind, randomized, controlled trial determined feasibility, tolerability and efficacy of daily enteral DHA supplementation (50 mg/day) in addition to standard nutrition for preterm infants (24–34 weeks gestational age) beginning in the first week of life. Blood FA levels were analyzed at baseline, full feedings and near discharge in DHA (n = 31) or placebo supplemented (n = 29) preterm infants. Term peers (n = 30) were analyzed for comparison. Preterm infants had lower baseline DHA levels (p < 0.0001). Those receiving DHA had a progressive increase in circulating DHA over time (from 3.33 to 4.09 wt% or 2.88 to 3.55 mol%, p < 0.0001) while placebo‐supplemented infants (receiving standard neonatal nutrition) had no increase over time (from 3.35 to 3.32 wt% or 2.91 to 2.87 mol%). Although levels increased with additional DHA supplementation, preterm infants still had lower blood DHA levels than term peers (4.97 wt% or 4.31 mol%) at discharge (p = 0.0002). No differences in adverse events were observed between the groups. Overall, daily enteral DHA supplementation is feasible and alleviates deficiency in premature infants.     

Effect of Heat Treatment Upon the Chemical Composition of Cottonseed Meal and Upon the Reactivity of Cottonseed Condensed Tannins

The effects of heat treatment on the chemical composition of cottonseed meal (CSM), with or without the addition of cottonseed hulls (containing condensed tannins; CT), and upon reactivity of the CT were studied. Heat was applied in a forced draught oven at 100°C for 2 h. Fluorodinitrobenzene (FDNB)-available lysine, free gossypol, extractable- and bound-CT concentrations, in vitro total nitrogen (N) solubility and the in vitro rumen degradation of the two major seed proteins (52 and 48 kDa) present in cottonseed kernel (which does not contain CT) were determined. The reactivity of CT was assessed by determining N solubility and rumen degradation of cottonseed kernel proteins in the presence or absence of polyethylene glycol (PEG; molecular weight (MW) 3500), which binds and inactivates CT. Heat treatment reduced the concentrations of free gossypol and FDNB-available lysine by small amounts, reduced measurable total CT content by 13%, reduced the solubility of total N, and reduced potential degradability of the 52 and 48 kDa cottonseed storage proteins by mixed rumen microorganisms. Addition of hulls further depressed solubility of total N and ruminal degradation of the two major storage proteins in cottonseed kernel. The action of PEG in vitro indicated that only part of the depression caused by hull addition could be explained by the presence of CT in the hulls, and that the effects of CT upon N solubility and potential degradability in heated CSM were similar to that in unheated CSM. Addition of hulls also substantially reduced FDNB-available lysine. In commercially produced materials, CSM from the Brisbane mill had a lower total CT content, lower N solubility and lower ruminal protein degradation rate than CSM from the Narrabri mill, but a similar level of FDNB-available lysine. Although application of heat inactivated 13% of the total CT, such that it could no longer be extracted and detected with butanol/HCl, it did not seem to change the overall effects produced by CT in reducing N solubility and protein degradation. The effect of hull addition in reducing available lysine has considerable relevance for feeding CSM to monogastric livestock. Interactions involving heat, hulls and CT need to be further studied.     

Intrinsic 42Ca-Labelling of Green Bean Pods for Use in Human Bioavailability Studies

A hydroponic growth procedure which enables the intrinsic ⁴²Ca-labelling of green beans ( Phaseolus vulgaris L) has been developed. Whole-plant Ca influx was measured from planting through the period of pod expansion for a crop of 60 plants grown hydroponically in a 3m²area. Total Ca influx was 10·1mmol per plant; 35% of this influx occurred during the period of pod growth. Plants were labelled with ⁴²Ca via the nutrient solution during the period of pod expansion; isotopic composition of harvested pods was nearly identical to that of the administered solution. Recovery of isotopic tracer at harvest was as follows: pods 8·4%; leaves, 61·1%; stems, 17·1%, roots, 9·0%. Pod yield was 98·8g FW per plant. ⁴²Ca-labelled green beans can be used safely to investigate Ca bioavailability in humans.     

Effect of Oral and Parenteral N Nutrition vs N-Free Nutrition on the Endogenous Amino Acid Flow at the Ileum of the Pig*

Two methods were tested for suppressing the depressive effect of N-free diets on the digestive secretions in pigs: the blood perfusion of amino acids (AA) or the peptide alimentation method. In the latter, enzymically hydrolysed casein (EHC), composed of oligopeptides and free AA, was used as the source of nitrogen. The unabsorbed dietary N molecules were discarded from the ileal digesta by ultrafiltration or gel filtration, assuming that the endogenous fraction did not contain significant amounts of small molecules. The AA supply by blood perfusion had no effect on the ileal endogenous AA losses (8·0 g AA kg⁻¹ DM intake) in growing pigs (±50 kg), compared with the N-free diet alone (8·3 g), whereas the EHC supplementation significantly increased them (18·0 g). The increase was due to both endogenous and dietary N. The presence of unabsorbed dietary AA in the ileal digesta was confirmed by the AA profile of the soluble molecules with a very low molecular mass (<3 kDa), which was close to that of EHC. Both ultrafiltration (cut-offs of 3 or 10 kDa) and gel filtration methods, utilised to discard the remaining dietary molecules, also eliminated a significant proportion of endogenous AA.     

Kinome-Wide Profiling Identifies Human WNK3 as a Target of Cajanin Stilbene Acid from Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp.

Pigeon Pea (Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp.) is a common food crop used in many parts of the world for nutritional purposes. One of its chemical constituents is cajanin stilbene acid (CSA), which exerts anticancer activity in vitro and in vivo. In an effort to identify molecular targets of CSA, we performed a kinome-wide approach based on the measurement of the enzymatic activities of 252 human kinases. The serine-threonine kinase WNK3 (also known as protein kinase lysine-deficient 3) was identified as the most promising target of CSA with the strongest enzymatic activity inhibition in vitro and the highest binding affinity in molecular docking in silico. The lowest binding affinity and the predicted binding constant pKi of CSA (−9.65 kcal/mol and 0.084 µM) were comparable or even better than those of the known WNK3 inhibitor PP-121 (−9.42 kcal/mol and 0.123 µM). The statistically significant association between WNK3 mRNA expression and cellular responsiveness to several clinically established anticancer drugs in a panel of 60 tumor cell lines and the prognostic value of WNK3 mRNA expression in sarcoma biopsies for the survival time of 230 patients can be taken as clues that CSA-based inhibition of WNK3 may improve treatment outcomes of cancer patients and that CSA may serve as a valuable supplement to the currently used combination therapy protocols in oncology.     

Impact of Rutin and Other Phenolic Substances on the Digestibility of Buckwheat Grain Metabolites

Tartary buckwheat (Fagopyrum tataricum Gaertn.) is grown in eastern and central Asia (the Himalayan regions of China, Nepal, Bhutan and India) and in central and eastern Europe (Luxemburg, Germany, Slovenia and Bosnia and Herzegovina). It is known for its high concentration of rutin and other phenolic metabolites. Besides the grain, the other aboveground parts of Tartary buckwheat contain rutin as well. After the mixing of the milled buckwheat products with water, the flavonoid quercetin is obtained in the flour–water mixture, a result of rutin degradation by rutinosidase. Heating by hot water or steam inactivates the rutin-degrading enzymes in buckwheat flour and dough. The low buckwheat protein digestibility is due to the high content of phenolic substances. Phenolic compounds have low absorption after food intake, so, after ingestion, they remain for some time in the gastrointestinal tract. They can act in an inhibitory manner on enzymes, degrading proteins and other food constituents. In common and Tartary buckwheat, the rutin and quercetin complexation with protein and starch molecules has an impact on the in vitro digestibility and the appearance of resistant starch and slowly digestible proteins. Slowly digestible starch and proteins are important for the functional and health-promoting properties of buckwheat products.     

Metabolic effects in mice of cream formulation: Addition of both thickener and emulsifier does not alter lipid metabolism but modulates mucus cells and intestinal endoplasmic reticulum stress

Additives stabilize or improve the organoleptic or functional properties (or both) of many dairy products including whipping cream. Their influence on the metabolic effect of dairy cream is scarcely known. We tested the hypothesis that added emulsifier (lactic acid esters of mono- and diglycerides; MAG/DAG), thickener (carrageenan, CGN), or both, could modify the metabolic effect, notably in the intestine and liver. Nine-week-old male C57Bl/6J mice were fed UHT cream (indirect treatment) mixed with nonlipidic powder (final: 13% milkfat) for 1 or 4 wk. We compared creams (1) without additive (Ctl), (2) with thickener (Th), 0.02% of κ-CGN, and (3) with both thickener and emulsifier, 0.1% of MAG/DAG esters (Th/Em). We analyzed plasma parameters, intestine, and liver. Fasting glycemia, insulinemia, triglyceridemia, nonesterified fatty acids, body weight gain, and liver weight did not differ among groups. After 1 wk, Th/Em had higher expression in the duodenum of some of the genes involved in (1) intestinal lipid absorption and (2) tight junction proteins versus Ctl and Th. After 4 wk, mucus cell number in the small intestine was higher in Th/Em versus Ctl and Th. Genes involved in endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress in the duodenum were more expressed in Th/Em after 1 wk. After 4 wk, in the colon, a higher expression of ER stress genes was observed for Th versus Th/Em and Ctl. Liver damage score was not altered by additives. Adding both CGN (0.02%) and MAG/DAG esters (0.1%) in dairy cream did not result in deleterious outcomes in mice after 4 wk regarding lipid metabolism, intestinal permeability, and liver disorders. The longer term effect of intestinal ER stress modulation deserves further investigation.     

Far-off and close-up dry matter intake modulate indicators of immunometabolic adaptations to lactation in subcutaneous adipose tissue of pasture-based transition dairy cows

The common practice of increasing dietary energy density during the close-up dry period (last ～3 wk prepartum) has been recently associated with a higher incidence of metabolic disorders after calving. Despite these reports, over-feeding of metabolizable energy (ME) during the far-off, nonlactating period is a common management policy aimed at achieving optimum calving body condition score (BCS) in pasture-based systems, as cows are generally thinner than total mixed ration cows at the end of lactation. Our hypothesis was that both far-off and close-up overfeeding influence the peripartum adipose tissue changes associated with energy balance and inflammatory state. Sixty mid-lactation, grazing dairy cows of mixed age and breed were randomly allocated to 1 of 2 groups that were managed through late lactation to achieve a low and high BCS (approximately 4.25 and 5.0 on a 10-point scale) at dry-off. The low BCS cows were then overfed ME to ensure that they achieved the same BCS as the higher BCS group by calving. Within each rate of BCS gain treatment, cows were offered 65, 90, or 120% of their pre-calving ME requirements for 3 wk pre-calving in a 2 × 3 factorial arrangement of treatments (i.e., 10 cows/treatment). Subcutaneous adipose tissue was collected via biopsy at ?1, 1, and 4 wk relative to parturition. Quantitative PCR was used to measure mRNA and microRNA expression of targets related to adipogenesis and inflammation. Cows overfed in the far-off period had increased expression of miR-143 and miR-378 prepartum (?1 wk) indicating greater adipogenesis, consistent with their rapid gain in BCS following dry-off. Furthermore, the lower postpartum expression of IL6, TNF, TLR4, TLR9, and miR-145, and a higher abundance of miR-99a indicated lower body fat mobilization in early lactation in the same group. In the close-up period, feeding either 65 or 120% of ME requirements caused changes in FASN, IL1B, IL6R, TLR9, and the microRNA miR-143, miR-155, and miR-378. Their respective expression patterns indicate a tentative negative-feedback mechanism in metabolically compromised, feed-restricted cows, and a possible immune-related stimulation of lipolysis in apparently static adipocytes in overfed cows. Data from cows fed 90% of ME requirements indicate the existence of a balance between lipolytic (inflammatory-related) and anti-lipolytic signals, to prime the mobilization machinery in light of imminent lactation. Overall, results indicate that far-off dry cow nutrition influences peripartum adipose tissue metabolism, with neither strategy negatively affecting the physiological adaptation to lactation. Furthermore, to ensure a favorable transition, cows should be subjected to a small feed restriction in the close-up period, irrespective of far-off nutritional management.     

米糠油生理功能及制取工艺的研究

概述了米糠油的营养价值及生理功能,详细介绍了米糠制油技术及米糠油精炼技术,并分析了各种米糠油精炼技术的优缺点.