Ancient Food Research Articles

Freshwater Clam Extract Mitigates Neuroinflammation and Amplifies Neurotrophic Activity of Glia: Insights from In Vitro Model of Neurodegenerative Pathomechanism.

Background. An extensive body of research suggests that brain inflammation and oxidative stress are the underlying causes of Parkinson’s disease (PD), for which no potent therapeutic approach exists to mitigate the degradation of dopamine neurons. Freshwater clams, an ancient health food of Chinese origin, have been documented to exhibit anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. We previously reported that freshwater clam extract (FCE) can attenuate astrocytic activation and subsequent proinflammatory cytokine production from substantia nigra in an MPTP-induced PD mouse model. This article provides insight into the potential mechanisms through which FCE regulates neuroinflammation in a glia model of injury. Materials and methods. In total, 1 μg/mL lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and 200 μM rotenone were conducted in primary glial cell cultures to mimic the respective neuroinflammation and oxidative stress during injury-induced glial cell reactivation, which is relevant to the pathological process of PD. Results. FCE markedly reduced LPS-induced neuroinflammation by suppressing NO and TNF-α production and the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines. In addition, FCE was effective at reducing rotenone-induced toxicity by diminishing ROS production, promoting antioxidant enzymes (SOD, catalase, and GPx) and minimizing the decline in glial-cell-secreted neurotrophic factors (GDNF, BDNF). These impacts ultimately led to a decrease in glial apoptosis. Conclusions. Evidence reveals that FCE is capable of stabilizing reactive glia, as demonstrated by reduced neuroinflammation, oxidative stress, the increased release of neurotrophic factors and the inhibition of apoptosis, which provides therapeutic insight into neurodegenerative diseases, including PD.

Therapeutic effect of garlic containing S-allyl cysteine and Diallyl-di-sulfide on improving blood lipid profile

Cardiovascular-related diseases are considered as the major risk for health and may lead to many illnesses. Hyperlipidemia is the highest common cause of diseases related to heart known as CHD. Since ancient times, innumerable herbs and organic foods are used to treat diseases among which garlic has been shown beneficial for treating hyperlipidemia and normalizing lipid profile levels. Garlic may be used in different forms like powder, tablets, extracts or after ageing. Its sulfur containing compounds like allicin, S-allylcysteine, alliin, ajoene, diallyl disulfide are proven to have the pharmacological benefits. The main aim of the current review is to analyze and evaluate the studies regarding anti-hyperlipidemic effects of garlic and its supplements on normalizing lipid profile among hyperlipidemicsubjects.After analyzing different studies being carried out earlier, it is concluded that garlic is effective in managing lipid profile including total cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL, HDL levels among people with hyperlipidemia ranging from mild to moderate intensity.

A glimpse into ancient food storage: Sequestrichnia and associated nucleocave Chondrites from Eocene deep-sea deposits

A glimpse into ancient food storage: Sequestrichnia and associated nucleocave Chondrites from Eocene deep-sea deposits

Taphonomy of an Eocene micromammal assemblage in a lake-margin depositional setting elucidates an ancient food web

Taphonomy of an Eocene micromammal assemblage in a lake-margin depositional setting elucidates an ancient food web

Sea Otters, Mercury, and Monitoring Climate Change

An increase in mobility of heavy metals, like mercury (Hg), has the potential to be one of the climate change related impacts on Arctic and sub-Arctic ecosystems. Sea level rise and flooding events in high latitude coastal ecosystems could increase the bioavailability of contaminants such as mercury. Mercury concentrations have been used as an indicator of past exposure to heavy metals in ancient Pacific cod and here we report on concentrations in archeologically recovered sea otter bones (Enhydra lutris). Methods utilizing stable isotope ratios can be used to reconstruct ancient food webs and help identify prey which may have bioaccumulated high concentrations of mercury. Modern sea otters have δ13C, δ15N, and mercury values corresponding largely to a benthic diet. Conversely, if higher δ15N and mercury levels were found in ancient sea otter bones located in a coastal ecosystem, these increases may be associated with rising sea level following the last glacial maximum. These data place present day and projected climate change related perturbations, like sea level rise, in a historical context.

Lactiplantibacillus plantarum 299v as starter culture suppresses Enterobacteriaceae more efficiently than spontaneous fermentation of carrots

Fermentation, especially spontaneous fermentation, has become from an ancient food preservation method to a stylish cooking trend in very recent years. Accordingly, the associated food safety should be revisited, particularly since inexperienced people increasingly performing spontaneous fermentation on an ad hoc basis. In this study, three lactic acid bacteria (LAB) strains were tested. Lactiplantibacillus plantarum 299v at high initial inoculation levels (>6 log CFU/mL brine water) effectively eliminated Salmonella spiked in a carrot fermentation system from 4.6 ± 0.2 log CFU/mL to < 1 log CFU/mL after 7 days fermentation at 20 °C. Next, the bacterial enumeration and 16s rRNA gene sequencing results between spontaneous fermentation and fermentation samples using L. plantarum 299v as the starter culture were compared. It was found that the inhibiting effect of L. plantarum 299v could be extended beyond Salmonella spp. to the entire Enterobacteriaceae family during the carrot fermentation. Therefore, our study suggests that in comparison with spontaneous fermentation, selected starter culture such as L. plantarum 299v can consistently improve the safety and quality of fermented foods.

Water Kefir and Derived Pasteurized Beverages Modulate Gut Microbiota, Intestinal Permeability and Cytokine Production In Vitro.

Fermentation is an ancient food preservation process, and fermented products have been traditionally consumed in different cultures worldwide over the years. The interplay between human gut microbiota, diet and host health is widely recognized. Diet is one of the main factors modulating gut microbiota potentially with beneficial effects on human health. Fermented dairy products have received much attention, but other sources of probiotic delivery through food received far less attention. In this research, a combination of in vitro tools mimicking colonic fermentation and the intestinal epithelium have been applied to study the effect of different pasteurized and non-pasteurized water kefir products on gut microbiota, epithelial barrier function and immunomodulation. Water kefir increased beneficial short-chain fatty acid production at the microbial level, reduced detrimental proteolytic fermentation compounds and increased Bifidobacterium genus abundance. The observed benefits are enhanced by pasteurization. Pasteurized products also had a significant effect at the host level, improving inflammation-induced intestinal epithelial barrier disruption and increasing IL-10 and IL-1β compared to the control condition. Our data support the potential health benefits of water kefir and demonstrate that pasteurization, performed to prolong shelf life and stability of the product, also enhanced these benefits.

Evaluating the Potential of the Malaysian Borneo Sarawak Acacia mangium Honey and Australian Honey as Prebiotic towards Mixed Culture Probiotics of Bifidobacteria animalis and Lactobacillus acidophilus

Honey is an ancient food that is preferable as a health supplement. It contains oligosaccharides which made it an interesting candidate as a putative prebiotic. Hence, this study aims to evaluate the potential of Malaysian Borneo Sarawak <em>Acacia mangium</em> honey as a prebiotic source for the mixed culture of probiotics (Microflora of large intestines); <em>Bifidobacteria animalis,</em> and <em>Lactobacillus acidophilus</em> in an <em>in vitro</em> fermentation system. The outcome was compared with the Multiflora Australian honey and glucose, thus, to determine the potential of <em>Acacia mangium</em> honey oligosaccharides as a prebiotic in both extracted and non-extracted substrates. The mixed culture was able to grow on MRS agar by feeding the extracted oligosaccharides from the honey. Both non-extracted honeys resulted a significant bacterial count (CFU/mL) compared to the extracted samples. The non-extracted substrate showed higher spectrophotometer absorbance for <em>in vitro</em> fermentation of 24 h compared to the extracted substrate. <em>Acacia mangium</em> honey obtained 0.6418 Abs_600nm, whilst Australian honey was found to be 0.7746 Abs_600nm and glucose, 0.331 Abs_600nm. The enumeration of probiotics showed that all samples tested significantly increased bacterial count (CFU/mL) at 24 h fermentation period. <em>Acacia mangium</em> honey acquired 900 CFU/mL. However, the Australian honey achieved 2605 CFU/mL. The extract (oligosaccharides) of <em>Acacia mangium</em> honey (445 CFU/mL) contributes to a higher bacterial count than glucose (410 CFU/mL), yet no significant difference from Australian honey extract (448 CFU/mL). Thus, <em>Acacia mangium</em> honey has the potential to be prebiotic for mixed cultures of <em>Bifidobacteria animalis</em> and <em>Lactobacillus acidophilus</em>.

Abstracts from the Spectra 2018 Symposium Part 4: Interspecies

Abstracts from the Spectra 2018 Symposium Part 4: <i>Interspecies</i>

Effect on integrated nutrient management on finger millet (Eleusine coracana (L.) Gaertn.): A review

Millets, one of the ancient foods known to mankind, are often referred to as the crops of the future due to its adaptability to harsh soil and climatic conditions and ability to support sustainable diets. Among millets, finger millet, recognised as Ragi ranks fourth in importance. In spite of multi-farious benefits, millets are cultivated as rainfed crops in marginal lands with few or no external inputs. Therefore, nutrient management assumes paramount importance in boosting the productivity of the crop. Integrated Nutrient Management (INM) and organic nutrition are two means for achieving these goals of sustainability. It was found that INM had significant effect on finger millet in terms of growth and growth attributes, yield attributes and yield, nutritional quality of the grains, nutrient uptake, nitrogen ue efficiency indices, soil nutrient status and economics. Several studies have also brought out the positive effects of adopting organic nutrition in finger millet.

In Silico Bioactive Peptide Prediction from The Enzymatic Hydrolysates of Edible Seaweed Rubisco Large Chain

Seaweeds are one of the ancient food supplements on Earth. Especially Asian countries use seaweeds as the fundamental ingredient in their cuisine. Seaweeds are photosynthetic organisms living in aquatic ecosystems and in the coastal territories. Seaweeds out of farm areas are frequently observed as coastal wastes. However, seaweeds are outstanding sources for bioactive substances and investigation bioactive properties of seaweed RuBisCO has never been done. RuBisCO is the most abundant protein on Earth but a vast amount of RuBisCO goes through waste. In this study, bioactive peptide prediction of frequently consumed seaweed RuBisCO proteins were analyzed in silico to identify possible bioactive peptides as substitute or support for grain, meat, and dairy based bioactive peptides. A huge portion of peptides were di-, tri- peptides with IC50 values less than 300 µM according to the comparison of BIOPEP database. Including gastric digestion, more than half of the peptides showed DDP-IV and ACE inhibitory activity followed by antioxidant properties. Also, novel antiinflammatory and anti-cancer peptides were found through in silico analysis.

State-of-the-Art Biocatalysis.

The use of enzyme-mediated reactions has transcended ancient food production to the laboratory synthesis of complex molecules. This evolution has been accelerated by developments in sequencing and DNA synthesis technology, bioinformatic and protein engineering tools, and the increasingly interdisciplinary nature of scientific research. Biocatalysis has become an indispensable tool applied in academic and industrial spheres, enabling synthetic strategies that leverage the exquisite selectivity of enzymes to access target molecules. In this Outlook, we outline the technological advances that have led to the field’s current state. Integration of biocatalysis into mainstream synthetic chemistry hinges on increased access to well-characterized enzymes and the permeation of biocatalysis into retrosynthetic logic. Ultimately, we anticipate that biocatalysis is poised to enable the synthesis of increasingly complex molecules at new levels of efficiency and throughput.

Voluminous Evidence for an Elusive Period: Storage Pits and Surplus from Middle Chalcolithic Anatolia

ABSTRACT Pit clusters have not received systematic attention from archaeologists working in Anatolia and the Near East, in contrast to many other parts of the world. This paper presents a case study of Middle Chalcolithic pits from the prehistoric site of Barcın Höyük in northwestern Anatolia to show how pit clusters, interpreted as underground grain silos, can inform us about ancient food economies, social organization, and inhabited landscapes. It is argued that the silos at Barcın Höyük were used by small family-sized groups to store surplus grain. Dated to the first quarter of the 5th millennium b.c., the silos present evidence for agricultural productivity during a period that has largely eluded archaeological investigation in western Anatolia.

Reconstruction of the eating habits of the Japonesians by proteomics

The study of ancient civilisations enables us to establish an understanding of how societies have changed over thousands of years and helps provide useful context for present-day civilisations, as well as highlighting similarities between past and present civilisations. The large-scale study of proteins – proteomics – is one way that scientists can discover the foodstuffs that ancient civilisations grew and ate and gain interesting insights into what life was like back then. This is done through the identification of proteins in materials found during excavations and is at the heart of the work of Associate Professor Takumi Nishiuchi, Advanced Science Research Center, Kanazawa University, Japan. Through the analysis of ancient proteins, Nishiuchi and his team are stimulating ancient food and using archeological data to envisage the lifestyles of ancient civilisations. The researchers are working at ruins in China and South Korea, as well as at two Japanese ruins in Fukuoka prefecture, with a view to better understanding the propagation of rice food culture and, in the process, providing context to Asia's ongoing food culture. In innovative work involving Orbitrap mass spectrometry, the team has performed protein analysis in plant remains and food crusts found at various sites, which is something that has not been done many times before. The researchers hope their work will lay the foundations for similar studies at sites across the globe, providing insights into other civilisations.

Spatiotemporal dynamics of habitat suitability for the Ethiopian staple crop, Eragrostis tef (teff), under changing climate.

Teff (Eragrostis tef (Zucc.) Trotter) is a staple, ancient food crop in Ethiopia. Its growth is affected by climate change, so it is essential to understand climatic effects on its habitat suitability in order to design countermeasures to ensure food security. Based on the four Representative Concentration Pathway emission scenarios (i.e., RCP2.6, RCP4.5, RCP6.0 and RCP8.5) set by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), we predicted the potential distribution of teff under current and future scenarios using a maximum entropy model (Maxent). Eleven variables were selected out of 19, according to correlation analysis combined with their contribution rates to the distribution. Simulated accuracy results validated by the area under the curve (AUC) had strong predictability with values of 0.83–0.85 for current and RCP scenarios. Our results demonstrated that mean temperature in the coldest season, precipitation seasonality, precipitation in the cold season and slope are the dominant factors driving potential teff distribution. Proportions of suitable teff area, relative to the total study area were 58% in current climate condition, 58.8% in RCP2.6, 57.6% in RCP4.5, 59.2% in RCP6.0, and 57.4% in RCP8.5, respectively. We found that warmer conditions are correlated with decreased land suitability. As expected, bioclimatic variables related to temperature and precipitation were the best predictors for teff suitability. Additionally, there were geographic shifts in land suitability, which need to be accounted for when assessing overall susceptibility to climate change. The ability to adapt to climate change will be critical for Ethiopia’s agricultural strategy and food security. A robust climate model is necessary for developing primary adaptive strategies and policy to minimize the harmful impact of climate change on teff.

Deciphering ancient ‘recipes’ from charred cereal fragments: An integrated methodological approach using experimental, ethnographic and archaeological evidence

This paper assesses a series of experimentally generated cereal fragments with the aim to develop criteria for interpreting archaeological remains of ground cereals. Modern grain of einkorn and barley was subjected to processing by means of grinding, boiling and malting and then charred under controlled laboratory conditions. Neolithic replica grinding stones, cooking pots and hearths were used for the production of modern reference material, informed by ethnographic observations. In this way a range of different types of cereal fragments were generated. Our results are based on observations on the fracture surfaces of these cereals, using stereomicroscopy and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). Diagnostic features for specific grain treatments have been identified that facilitate the interpretation of ancient foods using cereal fragments. Bulging of the fracture surface is the main criterion for the identification of fragments generated prior to charring as the result of ancient grinding. Parboiling of grain in a liquid towards the production of bulgur (boiled in water) or trachanas (boiled or soaked in milk/sour-milk etc) can be identified archaeologically and in certain cases, ground barley may be distinguished from ground malt. Charring ground grain during cooking in liquid or preparing wort for brewing is also potentially identifiable in archaeological material. Archaeological finds of ground wheat from Mesimeriani Toumba in northern Greece dated to the end of the 3rd millennium B.C. are interpreted as boiled grain, dried and ground, corresponding to some form of bulgur or trachanas. Our results contribute new information towards the identification of past culinary practices such as grinding, boiling and brewing with cereals.

Sugar derived from genetically modified sugarcane

Sugar is an ancient food and currently one of the most used ingredients in human nutrition and in the food industry. In tropical regions, sugar is produced mainly from sugarcane, while temperate countries produce sugar preferably from sugar beets. Due to its widespread use, the forthcoming adoption of genetically modified (GM) sugarcane varieties may raise questions about the quality and classification of the sugar produced. Here, we describe the several varieties of sugar and their specific uses and legal classifications. Regardless of whether they are produced from beet or from sugarcane and their final use, sugar consists of highly purified substances composed almost entirely from a disaccharide (sucrose) whose molecules consist of two monosaccharide residues: glucose and fructose. The differences between commercial sugar types are primarily in sucrose content (> 99.00 to 99.80 °Z), moisture content, ICUMSA color, conductivity ashes and reducing sugar. Neither DNA nor proteins can be detected at relevant levels in the different types of sugar. Therefore, sugar from genetically modified sugarcane varieties is virtually identical to sugar produced from conventional sugarcane, and the adoption of GM sugarcane varieties should not cause any change to the current use of sugar in human nutrition and in the food industry.

Interdisciplinary education of fermentation engineering graduates

Fermentation engineering is an industrial process that uses the transformation of microorganisms or other cells to produce a specific product in a specific bioreactor. Fermentation engineering has developed from an ancient food fermentation relying solely on experience accumulation to an important production mode of food, agriculture, medicine, chemical industry and other means of production and life. It has become a key technology to support the sustainable development of human beings, and is inseparable from the continuous progress of interdisciplinary technology. The interdisciplinary integration and the continuous upward movement of China's global industrial chain will inevitably put forward higher requirements for the cultivation of fermentation engineering composite talents in the new situation. In order to constantly improve the interdisciplinary fermentation engineering compound talent training system, in recent years, the research lab has been refining and improving the concept of talent training, and actively deepening the reform of talent training system. Systematic research and practice have been carried out around the aspects of training program, enrollment system, teacher background, subject setting, scientific research practice, evaluation system, etc., which has promoted the technological progress of fermentation engineering and related supporting industries, and contributed an important force to the transformation of China from a big fermentation country to a powerful fermentation country.

Disentangling ecological and taphonomic signals in ancient food webs

AbstractAnalyses of ancient food webs reveal important paleoecological processes and responses to a range of perturbations throughout Earth's history, such as climate change. These responses can inform our forecasts of future biotic responses to similar perturbations. However, previous analyses of ancient food webs rarely accounted for key differences between modern and ancient community data, particularly selective loss of soft-bodied taxa during fossilization. To consider how fossilization impacts inferences of ancient community structure, we (1) analyzed node-level attributes to identify correlations between ecological roles and fossilization potential and (2) applied selective information loss procedures to food web data for extant systems. We found that selective loss of soft-bodied organisms has predictable effects on the trophic structure of “artificially fossilized” food webs because these organisms occupy unique, consistent food web positions. Fossilized food webs misleadingly appear less stable (i.e., more prone to trophic cascades), with less predation and an overrepresentation of generalist consumers. We also found that ecological differences between soft- and hard-bodied taxa—indicated by distinct positions in modern food webs—are recorded in an early Eocene web, but not in Cambrian webs. This suggests that ecological differences between the groups have existed for ≥48 Myr. Our results indicate that accounting for soft-bodied taxa is vital for accurate depictions of ancient food webs. However, the consistency of information loss trends across the analyzed food webs means it is possible to predict how the selective loss of soft-bodied taxa affects food web metrics, which can permit better modeling of ancient communities.

New genus of the tribe Ceutorhynchini (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) from the late Oligocene of Enspel, southwestern Germany, with a remark on the role of weevils in the ancient food web

Abstract. The new weevil genus Igneonasus gen. nov. (type species: I. rudolphi sp. nov.) of the tribe Ceutorhynchini (Curculionidae: Conoderinae: Ceutorhynchitae) is described from the late Oligocene of Fossillagerstätte Enspel, Germany. The new genus differs from the similar genus Stenocarus Thomson, 1859 in the anterior margin of the pronotum, which is not raised, a pronotum without tubercles on the sides, and a femur without teeth. This weevil is the largest representative of this supertribe and the first fossil Curculionidae species described from the paleolake Enspel. In this ancient ecosystem, weevils were at least sometimes an important food resource for the cyprinid fish Palaeorutilus enspelensis.