Fat Food Research Articles

A Phase 2 Open-Label, Multicenter, Dose Optimization Clinical Study of the Safety, Tolerability, and Pharmacokinetic (PK) and Pharmacodynamic (PD) Profiles of Cfi-400945 As a Single Agent or in Combination with Azacitidine or Decitabine in Patients with Acute Myeloid Leukemia

A Phase 2 Open-Label, Multicenter, Dose Optimization Clinical Study of the Safety, Tolerability, and Pharmacokinetic (PK) and Pharmacodynamic (PD) Profiles of Cfi-400945 As a Single Agent or in Combination with Azacitidine or Decitabine in Patients with Acute Myeloid Leukemia

Early metformin treatment improves pancreatic function and prevents metabolic dysfunction in early overfeeding male rats at adulthood.

What is the central question of this study? Studies reported the efficacy of metformin as a promising drug for preventing or treating of metabolic diseases. Nutrient stresses during neonatal life increase long-term risk for cardiometabolic diseases. Can early metformin treatment prevent the malprogramming effects of early overfeeding? What is the main finding and its importance? Neonatal metformin treatment prevented early overfeeding-induced metabolic dysfunction in adult rats. Inhibition of early hyperinsulinaemia and adult hyperphagia might be associated with decreased metabolic disease risk in these animals. Therefore, interventions during infant development offer a key area for future research to identify potential strategies to prevent the long-term metabolic diseases. We suggest that metformin is a potential tool for intervention. Given the need for studies investigating the possible long-term effects of metformin use at crucial stages of development, and taking into account the concept of metabolic programming, the present work aimed to evaluate whether early metformin treatment might program rats to resist the development of adult metabolic dysfunctions caused by overnutrition during the neonatal suckling phase. Wistar rats raised in small litters (SLs, three pups per dam) and normal litters (NLs, nine pups per dam) were used as models of early overfeeding and normal feeding, respectively. During the first 12 days of suckling, animals from SL and NL groups received metformin, whereas the controls received saline injections. Food intake and body weight were monitored from weaning until 90days of age, when biometric and biochemical parameters were assessed. The metformin treatment decreased insulin concentrations in pups from SL groups, and as adults, these animals showed improvements in glucose tolerance, insulin sensitivity, body weight gain, white fat pad stores and food intake. Low-glucose insulinotrophic effects were observed in pancreatic islets from both NL and SL groups. These results indicate that early postnatal treatment with metformin inhibits early overfeeding-induced metabolic dysfunctions in adult rats.

Attributes of the food addiction phenotype within overweight and obesity.

Previous studies have demonstrated overlapping behavioral features between substance-use disorders and food addiction, the latter of which is particularly prevalent among individuals with overweight or obesity. However, the unique attributes of food addiction as a possible phenotype within overweight and obesity are not fully understood. This cross-sectional study recruited participants (n = 46) with overweight or obesity, nearly half (n = 20) of whom met the criteria for food addiction based on the Yale Food Addiction Scale 2.0 (YFAS 2.0) and examined responses to self-report questionnaires that indexed behavioral characteristics relevant to addictive disorders. Individuals with food addiction exhibited significantly higher scores on the Palatable Eating Motives Scale overall score (p < .001) and subscales for coping (p < .001) and enhancement (p < .001) of emotions, Dutch Eating Behavior Questionnaire Emotional Eating subscale (p < .001), UPPS-P Impulsivity Scale negative urgency (p < .001) and lack of perseverance (p = .01) subscales, and the Food Craving Inventory overall score (p = .02) and subscales of cravings for sweets (p < .01) and fast food fats (p = .02). Food addiction appears to represent a distinct phenotype within overweight and obesity, marked by greater emotion dysregulation, impulsivity, and cravings, which have been observed in prior studies examining features of individuals with addictive disorders. Level III: Evidence obtained from well-designed cohort or case-control analytic studies.

Thyroid Cancer and Circadian Clock Disruption.

Simple SummaryIn this manuscript we review the recent literature supporting a biological link between circadian clock disruption and thyroid cancer development and progression. After a brief description of the involvement of the circadian clock machinery in the cell cycle, stemness and cancer, we discuss the scientific evidence supporting the contribution of circadian clockwork dysfunction in thyroid tumorigenesis and the possible molecular mechanisms underlying this relationship. We also point out the potential clinical implications of this link highlighting its impact on thyroid cancer prevention, diagnosis and therapy.Thyroid cancer (TC) represents the most common malignancy of the endocrine system, with an increased incidence across continents attributable to both improvement of diagnostic procedures and environmental factors. Among the modifiable risk factors, insulin resistance might influence the development of TC. A relationship between circadian clock machinery disfunction and TC has recently been proposed. The circadian clock machinery comprises a set of rhythmically expressed genes responsible for circadian rhythms. Perturbation of this system contributes to the development of pathological states such as cancer. Several clock genes have been found deregulated upon thyroid nodule malignant transformation. The molecular mechanisms linking circadian clock disruption and TC are still unknown but could include insulin resistance. Circadian misalignment occurring during shift work, jet lag, high fat food intake, is associated with increased insulin resistance. This metabolic alteration, in turn, is associated with a well-known risk factor for TC i.e., hyperthyrotropinemia, which could also be induced by sleep disturbances. In this review, we describe the mechanisms controlling the circadian clock function and its involvement in the cell cycle, stemness and cancer. Moreover, we discuss the evidence supporting the link between circadian clockwork disruption and TC development/progression, highlighting its potential implications for TC prevention, diagnosis and therapy.

Exposure of Slovenian children and adolescents to bisphenols, parabens and triclosan: Urinary levels, exposure patterns, determinants of exposure and susceptibility

Chemicals such as bisphenols, parabens and triclosan are endocrine disrupting chemicals. They are used in a wide variety of consumer products, making human exposure to those chemicals widespread.In the present study, levels of three bisphenols (bisphenol A, F and S), 7 parabens (methyl-, ethyl-, isopropyl-, propyl-, isobutyl-, butyl-, benzyl paraben) and triclosan were measured in first morning void from 246 Slovenian children and adolescents, aged 6–9 and 11–15 years and living in a rural region of Slovenia. Median levels of specific-gravity corrected levels for bisphenol A, bisphenol F, methyl paraben and ethyl paraben were 1.9, 0.085, 5.4 and 2.5 µg/L for children and 1.6, 0.11, 7.2 and 6.0 µg/L for adolescents, respectively. Median levels for all other endocrine disrupting chemicals were < LOQ. The levels are comparable with the levels reported in studies across the world. Exposure was age, sex, and location specific. Higher levels of bisphenol F and ethyl paraben were found in the samples of adolescents, while higher levels of methyl paraben were found in samples from girls. Furthermore, individuals living in one of the sampling locations, Goričko, were exposed to higher levels of bisphenol F and ethyl paraben than those in the remaining two sampling locations. Information about participants’ dietary habits, use of food packaging and personal care products was obtained through questionnaires, and used to investigate associations between urinary levels of the biomarkers and potential exposure sources. High fat foods were associated with bisphenol A exposure, and cosmetics items such as lipstick and perfume with methyl paraben exposure. Significant correlation between methyl- and propyl paraben was observed in children’s samples, suggesting similar exposure sources, while other compounds were not largely correlated, indicating independent sources. Furthermore, association between a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in UGT2B15 gene and urinary levels of methyl and ethyl paraben was observed, showing the role of UGT2B15 isoform in methyl and ethyl paraben metabolism as well as indicating the SNP rs1902023 as a potential biomarker of susceptibility to adverse effects caused by the exposure.The present study reports exposure of children and adolescents in Slovenia to a wide range of different endocrine disrupting chemicals for the first time, connecting it to exposure patterns and exposure sources. The study is to the authors’ knowledge the first that investigates direct connection between levels of urinary endocrine disrupting chemical biomarkers and genetic polymorphism in UGT2B15.

The Effect of Atopic Dermatitis and Diet on the Skin Transcriptome in Staffordshire Bull Terriers.

Canine atopic dermatitis (CAD) has a hereditary basis that is modified by interactions with the environment, including diet. Differentially expressed genes in non-lesional skin, determined by RNA sequencing before and after a dietary intervention, were compared between dogs with naturally occurring CAD (n = 4) and healthy dogs (n = 4). The dogs were fed either a common commercial heat-processed high carbohydrate food (kibble diet) (n = 4), or a non-processed high fat food (raw meat-based diet) (n = 4). At the end of the diet intervention, 149 differentially expressed transcripts were found between the atopic and healthy dogs. The main canonical pathways altered by the dysregulation of these genes were angiopoietin signaling, epidermal growth factor signaling, activation of angiogenesis, and alterations in keratinocyte proliferation and lipid metabolism. On the other hand, 33 differently expressed transcripts were found between the two diet groups, of which 8 encode genes that are annotated in the current version of the dog genome: immunoglobulin heavy constant mu (IGHM), immunoglobulin lambda-like polypeptide 5 (IGLL5), B-cell antigen receptor complex-associated protein beta chain (CD79B), polymeric immunoglobulin receptor (PIGR), cystathionine β-synthase (CBS), argininosuccinate synthase 1 (ASS1), secretory leukocyte peptidase inhibitor (SLPI), and mitochondrial ribosome recycling factor (MRRF). All genes were upregulated in the raw diet group. In conclusion the findings of this study suggest alterations in lipid and keratinocyte metabolism as well as angiogenesis in the skin of atopic dogs. Additionally, a possible enhancement of innate immunity and decrease in oxidative stress was seen in raw food fed dogs, which could have an important role in preventing hypersensitivities and disturbed immunity at young age.

Targeting the perinatal diet to modulate the gut microbiota increases dietary variety and prebiotic and probiotic food intakes: results from a randomised controlled trial.

To evaluate the hypothesis that a perinatal educational dietary intervention focused on 'eating for the gut microbiota' improves diet quality of pregnant women pre- and postnatally. The Healthy Parents, Healthy Kids study is a prospectively registered randomised controlled trial designed to evaluate the efficacy of a dietary intervention in altering the maternal and infant gut microbiota and improving perinatal diet quality. Eligible pregnant women were randomised to receive dietary advice from their healthcare provider or to additionally receive a three session dietary intervention. Dietary data were collected at gestation weeks 26, 31, 36 and postnatal week 4. Outcome measures were diet quality, dietary variety, prebiotic and probiotic food intakes, energy, fibre, saturated fat and discretionary food intakes. Between-group differential changes from baseline before and after birth in these dietary measures were assessed using generalised estimating equations. Melbourne, Australia. Healthy pregnant women from gestation week 26. Forty-five women were randomised (twenty-two control, twenty-three intervention). Compared with the control group, the intervention group improved diet quality prior to birth (5·66 (95 % CI 1·65, 9·67), Cohen's d: 0·82 (se 0·33)). The intervention improved dietary variety (1·05 (95 % CI 0·17, 1·94), d: 0·66 (se 0·32)) and increased intakes of prebiotic (0·8 (95 % CI 0·27, 1·33), d: 0·91 (se 0·33)) and probiotic foods (1·05 (95 % CI 0·57, 1·53), d: 1·3(se 0·35)) over the whole study period compared with the control group. A dietary intervention focused on 'eating for the gut microbiota' can improve aspects of perinatal diet quality during and after pregnancy.

Lipid and protein corona of food-grade TiO2 nanoparticles in simulated gastrointestinal digestion

In the presence of biological matrices, engineered nanomaterials, such as TiO2, develop a biomolecular corona composed of lipids, proteins, etc. In this study, we analyzed the biocorona formed on the food grade TiO2 (E171) going through an in vitro simulated gastrointestinal digestion system in either a fasting food model (FFM), a standardized food model (SFM), or a high fat food model (HFFM). Lipids and proteins were extracted from the biocorona and underwent untargeted lipidomic and label-free shotgun proteomic analyses. Our results showed that the biocorona composition was different before and after food digestion. After digestion, more diverse lipids were adsorbed compared to proteins, most of which were the enzymes added to the simulated digestion system. The corona lipid profile was distinct from the digested food model they presented in, although similarity in the lipid profiles between the corona and the food matrix increased with the fat content in the food model. The corona formed in the two low-fat environments of FFM and SFM shared a higher degree of similarity while very different from their corresponding matrix, with some lipid species adsorbed with high enrichment factors, indicating specific interaction with the TiO2 surface outperforming lipid matrix concentration in determination of corona formation. Formation of the biocorona may have contributed to the reduced oxidative stress as well as toxicological impacts observed in cellular studies. The present work is the first to confirm persistent adsorption of biomolecules could occur on ingested nanomaterials in food digestae. More future studies are needed to study the in vivo impacts of the biocorona, and shed light on how the biocorona affects the biotransformations and fate of the ingested nanomaterials, which may impose impacts on human health.

Effect of hydrocolloid addition on batter properties and quality of deep-fried banana (Musa spp.) fritters

PurposeDeep-fried banana (Musa spp.) fritters is one of the frequently consumed fruit based snacks in Southeast Asian countries despite its substantial amount of oil content. Consistent with the demand for low fat food with maintained palatability, this study aimed to determine the quality of banana fritters as affected by batter system containing selected hydrocolloids such as pectin (PCN), whey protein isolate (WPI) and soy protein isolate (SPI).Design/methodology/approachBanana fritter batters were prepared with individual addition of 2% PCN (w/w), 10% WPI (w/w), 10% SPI (w/w), combination of 2% PCN and 10% WPI, combination of 2% PCN and 10% SPI and control (without hydrocolloid addition). Batter viscosity (Pa.s) and batter pick-up (%) were determined. Banana fritters were analysed for moisture and fat contents, moisture loss, colour, hardness and sensory characteristics.FindingsHydrocolloid addition in the batter system resulted in a higher batter pick-up and viscosity in comparison to control batter system. Moisture loss from banana fritters with batter formulation of 2% PCN and 10% SPI was the lowest while the reduction in oil content (55%) was the highest. Banana fritters with inclusion of hydrocolloids in the batter formulation were equally accepted as the control sample by the sensory panelists with a score range between 6 and 7 for most of the sensory attributes evaluated except for oiliness.Originality/valueApplication of PCN and SPI in batter system to develop banana fritters with low oil content, moist fruit core and crunchy crust is reported for the first time. Batter premix containing PCN and SPI can be produced for fresh and frozen fritters preparation.

Food as medicine: targeting the uraemic phenotype in chronic kidney disease.

The observation that unhealthy diets (those that are low in whole grains, fruits and vegetables, and high in sugar, salt, saturated fat and ultra-processed foods) are a major risk factor for poor health outcomes has boosted interest in the concept of 'food as medicine'. This concept is especially relevant to metabolic diseases, such as chronic kidney disease (CKD), in which dietary approaches are already used to ameliorate metabolic and nutritional complications. Increased awareness that toxic uraemic metabolites originate not only from intermediary metabolism but also from gut microbial metabolism, which is directly influenced by diet, has fuelled interest in the potential of 'food as medicine' approaches in CKD beyond the current strategies of protein, sodium and phosphate restriction. Bioactive nutrients can alter the composition and metabolism of the microbiota, act as modulators of transcription factors involved in inflammation and oxidative stress, mitigate mitochondrial dysfunction, act as senolytics and impact the epigenome by altering one-carbon metabolism. As gut dysbiosis, inflammation, oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, premature ageing and epigenetic changes are common features of CKD, these findings suggest that tailored, healthy diets that include bioactive nutrients as part of the foodome could potentially be used to prevent and treat CKD and its complications.

Sex-Dependent Wheel Running Effects on High Fat Diet Preference, Metabolic Outcomes, and Performance on the Barnes Maze in Rats.

Excessive and prolonged intake of highly palatable, high fat (HF) foods contributes to the pathogenesis of obesity, metabolic syndrome, and cognitive impairment. Exercise can restore energy homeostasis and suppress HF diet preference in rats. However, it is unclear if exercise confers similar protection against the detrimental outcomes associated with a chronic HF diet preference and feeding in both sexes. We used our wheel running (WR) and two-diet choice (chow vs. HF) paradigm to investigate the efficacy of exercise in reversing HF diet-associated metabolic and cognitive dysregulation in rats, hypothesizing that beneficial effects of exercise would be more pronounced in males. All WR rats showed HF diet avoidance upon running initiation, and males, but not females, had a prolonged reduction in HF diet preference. Moreover, exercise only improved glucose tolerance and insulin profile in males. Compared to sedentary controls, all WR rats improved learning to escape on the Barnes maze. Only WR females increased errors made during subsequent reversal learning trials, indicating a sex-dependent effect of exercise on behavioral flexibility. Taken together, our results suggest that exercise is more effective at attenuating HF-associated metabolic deficits in males, and highlights the importance of developing sex-specific treatment interventions for obesity and cognitive dysfunction.

Laquinimod Prevents Adipogenesis and Obesity by Down-Regulating PPAR-γ and C/EBPα through Activating AMPK.

Background and Purpose: obesity is defined as excessive accumulation of adipose tissues and is becoming one of the main global severe public health issues. The present study aims to investigate the anti-adipogenesis of laquinimod and the underlying mechanism. Methods: a differentiation cocktail was used to differentiate 3T3-L1 cells, and mice were fed with high fat food to establish the obesity animal model. Oil red O staining, glycerol production assay, and the release of triglyceride were used to evaluate the differentiation degree of 3T3-L1 cells. The expression level of sterol regulatory element binding transcription factor 1 (Srebp1), fatty acid binding protein-4 (FABP4), glucose transporter 4 (GLUT4), peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ (PPAR-γ), CCAAT enhancer-binding proteins (C/EBPα), and phosphorylation of adenosine 5′-monophosphate (AMP)-activated protein kinase α (p-AMPKα) was determined by quantitative real time PCRqRT-PCR and western blot analysis. The pathological state of adipose tissues was evaluated by hematoxylin–eosin staining. Results: the amount and UV absorption of oil red O, glycerol production, release of triglyceride, and the expression of SREBP1, FABP4, and Glut4 in differentiated 3T3-L1 cells were decreased by the administration of laquinimod. PPAR-γ and C/EBPα were down-regulated, and p-AMPKα was up-regulated by laquinimod. The down-regulated PPAR-γ and C/EBPα, as well as the inhibited lipid accumulation functioned by laquinimod, were reversed by the coincubation with the AMPK inhibitor compound C. Decreased body weight, visceral adipocyte tissue weight, and size of adipocytes were observed in in vivo obesity mice after administration with laquinimod. Conclusion: laquinimod might prevent adipogenesis by down-regulating PPAR-γ and C/EBPα through activating AMPK.

Cross-cultural adaptation and translation into Brazilian Portuguese of the instruments Sick Control One Stone Fat Food Questionnaire (SCOFF), Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (EDE-Q) and Clinical Impairment Assessment Questionnaire (CIA).

Introduction Eating disorders (EDs) affect up to 13% of young people and are associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Nevertheless, important, internationally recognized instruments for brief ED screening (Sick Control One Stone Fat Food Questionnaire [SCOFF]), symptom severity assessment and diagnosis (Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire [EDE-Q]) and assessment of ED-associated psychosocial impairment (Clinical Impairment Assessment Questionnaire [CIA]) were not yet available in Brazilian Portuguese. Our objective was to perform the cross-cultural adaptation and translation into Brazilian Portuguese of the instruments SCOFF, EDE-Q and CIA.Method The process involved a series of standardized steps, as well as discussions with experts. First, the relevance and adequacy of the scales’ items to our culture and population were extensively discussed. Then, two independent groups translated the original documents, creating versions that were compared. With the participation of external ED experts (i.e., who did not take part in the translation process), synthesized versions were produced. The syntheses were then applied to a focal group of patients with ED (n = 8). After that step, a preliminary version of the three scales in Brazilian Portuguese was produced and sent for back-translation by two English native speakers, who worked independently. A synthesis of the back-translations, along with the preliminary versions in Brazilian Portuguese, were sent to the original authors.Results The Brazilian Portuguese versions of SCOFF, EDE-Q and CIA were approved by the original authors and are now available for use.Conclusion This study provides important tools for the ED research field in Brazil.

Meal plan prescription, biochemical parameters, and practicality in poorly controlled type-II diabetes mellitus patients

Background: Diabetes health complications seen in everyday life are strongly related to consumption of high carbohydrate and fat foods and the overweight or the obesity.Methods: To shift this equilibrium and to decrease the probability of health problems the opposite was advised; a low carbohydrate and a low-fat daily food plan.Results: The food plan encountered a few environmental and individual hindering factors but the patients who finished the 12-months plan duration achieved significant improvements.Conclusions: The prescribed meal plan was very useful to the poorly controlled type-2 diabetes mellitus patient however it needs further investigation to make it more practical with a wider applicability.

High fat-fed GPR55 null mice display impaired glucose tolerance without concomitant changes in energy balance or insulin sensitivity but are less responsive to the effects of the cannabinoids rimonabant or Δ(9)-tetrahydrocannabivarin on weight gain.

BackgroundThe insulin-sensitizing phytocannabinoid, Δ(9)-tetrahydrocannabivarin (THCV) can signal partly via G-protein coupled receptor-55 (GPR55 behaving as either an agonist or an antagonist depending on the assay). The cannabinoid receptor type 1 (CB1R) inverse agonist rimonabant is also a GPR55 agonist under some conditions. Previous studies have shown varied effects of deletion of GPR55 on energy balance and glucose homeostasis in mice. The contribution of signalling via GPR55 to the metabolic effects of THCV and rimonabant has been little studied.MethodsIn a preliminary experiment, energy balance and glucose homeostasis were studied in GPR55 knockout and wild-type mice fed on both standard chow (to 20 weeks of age) and high fat diets (from 6 to 15 weeks of age). In the main experiment, all mice were fed on the high fat diet (from 6 to 14 weeks of age). In addition to replicating the preliminary experiment, the effects of once daily administration of THCV (15 mg kg−1 po) and rimonabant (10 mg kg−1 po) were compared in the two genotypes.ResultsThere was no effect of genotype on absolute body weight or weight gain, body composition measured by either dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry or Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR), fat pad weights, food intake, energy expenditure, locomotor activity, glucose tolerance or insulin tolerance in mice fed on chow. When the mice were fed a high fat diet, there was again no effect of genotype on these various aspects of energy balance. However, in both experiments, glucose tolerance was worse in the knockout than the wild-type mice. Genotype did not affect insulin tolerance in either experiment. Weight loss in rimonabant- and THCV-treated mice was lower in knockout than in wild-type mice, but surprisingly there was no detectable effect of genotype on the effects of the drugs on any aspect of glucose homeostasis after taking into account the effect of genotype in vehicle-treated mice.ConclusionsOur two experiments differ from those reported by others in finding impaired glucose tolerance in GPR55 knockout mice in the absence of any effect on body weight, body composition, locomotor activity or energy expenditure. Nor could we detect any effect of genotype on insulin tolerance, so the possibility that GPR55 regulates glucose-stimulated insulin secretion merits further investigation. By contrast with the genotype effect in untreated mice, we found that THCV and rimonabant reduced weight gain, and this effect was in part mediated by GPR55.

Dietary strategies to manage diabetes and glycemic control in youth and young adults with youth-onset type 1 and type 2 diabetes: The SEARCH for diabetes in youth study.

Examine associations of dietary strategies used to manage diabetes over time with hemoglobin A1c in youth-onset type 1 or type 2 diabetes. The SEARCH for Diabetes in Youth observational study assessed dietary strategies used by 1814 participants with diabetes (n = 1558 type 1, n = 256 type 2) at two to three research visits over 5.5 years (range 1.7-12.2). Participants reported often, sometimes, or never using 10 different dietary strategies, and use over time was categorized into five mutually exclusive groups: often using across visits; started using at later visits; sometimes using across visits; stopped using at later visits; or never using across visits. General multivariable linear models evaluated most recent A1c by use category for each strategy. In type 1 diabetes, A1c was lower among those who starting tracking calories (-0.4%, Tukey P < .05), often counted carbs (-0.8%, Tukey P < .001), or sometimes chose low glycemic index foods (-0.5%, Tukey P = .02) vs those with less use, while participants who never drank more milk had the lowest A1c (-0.5%, Tukey P = .04). In type 2 diabetes, A1c was lower among those who often limited high fat foods (-2.0%, Tukey P = .02) or started counting carbohydrates (-1.7%, Tukey P = .07) than those who did so less. For several dietary strategies, more frequent use over time was related to lower A1c in youth-onset type 1 and type 2 diabetes, suggesting these strategies can likely support diabetes management for this population. Investigation into factors predicting receipt of advice for specific strategies and corresponding impact on intake might be considered.

Sustained-release antibacterial pads based on nonwovens polyethylene terephthalate modified by β-cyclodextrin embedded with cinnamaldehyde for cold fresh pork preservation

Abstract This work aimed to explore the effect of antibacterial pads containing cinnamaldehyde on the shelf life of cold fresh pork. A nonwovens polyethylene terephthalate (nonwovens PET) was used as the substrate, crosslinked on the surface by β-cyclodextrin embedded with cinnamaldehyde, to prepare the sustained-release antibacterial pad. Cinnamaldehyde in the antibacterial pads can be continuously and uniformly released in a fat food simulant. Antibacterial tests revealed that the antibacterial pads can inhibit the growth of Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. In combination with the tray packaging, the antibacterial pads were used to preserve cold fresh pork. The results showed that the antibacterial pads can effectively prolong the shelf life of cold fresh pork, and could maintain the quality of the pork. The antibacterial pads could control the sustained-release of cinnamaldehyde, allowing long-term antibacterial effect, with great potential in active packaging to extend the shelf life of cold fresh pork.

Optimization of culture conditions of Streptomyces antibioticus strain 1083 to improve the antimicrobial activity against Aeromonas hydrophila

Fish is a healthy, high protein and low fat food that encourages the health and growth of people, especially children. However, in fact fish is very sensitive to many diseases which affects the productivity and quality of fish. Therefore, identifying the cause of the diseases and finding preventive measures become an urgent task today. In the previous study, we isolated Streptomyces antibioticus strain 1083 that has the ability to antagonize Aeromonas hydrophila - a pathogenic bacterium in fish. Based on the obtained results, we continue to perform this study to determine optimal conditions for the culture of S. antibioticus strain 1083 in order to produce antimicrobial compounds against A. hydrophila. The production of antagonists by the strain 1083 was optimized by controlling the condition of different inoculations such as media, pH, temperature and incubation period. The results indicated that International Streptomyces Project 2 (ISP2) was the best medium for S. antibioticus strain 1083 to produce the highest antimicrobial activity against A. hydrophila with 32 mm in diameter of inhibited zone. The actinomycete strain 1083 could express the maximum antimicrobial activity when they were incubated in shaker incubator (200rpm) at 40oC with pH8 in 8 days. The ability of the actinomycete strain in antagonism against A. hydrophila was evaluated by adding different culture medium volume of S. antibioticus strain 1083. With adding 10% cultured solution volume of S. antibioticus strain 1083 into the culture medium of A. hydrophila, after 1 day of inoculation the number of pathogenic bacteria cells were completely eliminated.

The food craving inventory in an Iranian population: post-hoc validation and individual differences.

The present study was performed to develop the Persian version of food craving inventory (FCI) (FCI-P) and to assess food craving in Iranian adult population. In addition, individual differences, including sex and body mass index (BMI) in food craving were assessed. Eight hundred and twenty subjects who participated in the same study Hill (Proc Nutr Soc 66: 277-285, 2007) were studied (540 women and 280 men). The FCI-P, International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ), Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire (TFEQ), and a questionnaire pertaining to demographic characteristics were completed for all participants. Good content, construct, and convergent validity was observed for the FCI-P. A good reliability was found for both aggregate scores of the FCI-P and scores of its five factors. Exploratory factor analysis showed a five-factor model including "sweets," "high-fat foods," "fast food fats," "carbohydrates/starches" and "high-fat meats". These five factors accounted for 47.31% of the total variance. The scores of "uncontrolled eating" and "emotional eating" of the TFEQ were significantly correlated with the scores of the FCI-P factors and its total score. A significant correlation was found between BMI and the FCI-P score (r = 0.199). Significant differences were observed in the mean age and physical activity score among normal weight, overweight, and obese participants. Normal weight and overweight groups were more active than obese group. Obese participants had higher FCI-P score (P < 0.001) than the normal and overweight groups. FCI-P score was significantly higher in women than men. FCI-P can be used as a valid and reliable measure to assess food craving in Iranian populations. Obese individuals experienced food craving more than normal weight subjects. Similarly, women may experience food craving more than men. Level V, cross sectional study.

Elafin inhibits obesity, hyperglycemia, and liver steatosis in high-fat diet-treated male mice

Elafin is an antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory protein. We hypothesize that elafin expression correlates with diabetes. Among non-diabetic and prediabetic groups, men have significantly higher serum elafin levels than women. Men with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) have significantly lower serum elafin levels than men without T2DM. Serum elafin levels are inversely correlated with fasting blood glucose and hemoglobin A1c levels in men with T2DM, but not women with T2DM. Lentiviral elafin overexpression inhibited obesity, hyperglycemia, and liver steatosis in high-fat diet (HFD)-treated male mice. Elafin-overexpressing HFD-treated male mice had increased serum leptin levels, and serum exosomal miR181b-5p and miR219-5p expression. Transplantation of splenocytes and serum exosomes from elafin-overexpressing HFD-treated donor mice reduced food consumption and fat mass, and increased adipose tissue leptin mRNA expression in HFD-treated recipient mice. Elafin improved leptin sensitivity via reduced interferon-gamma expression and induced adipose leptin expression via increased miR181b-5p and miR219-5p expression. Subcutaneous and oral administration of modified elafin inhibited obesity, hyperglycemia, and liver steatosis in the HFD-treated mice. Circulating elafin levels are associated with hyperglycemia in men with T2DM. Elafin, via immune-derived miRNAs and cytokine, activates leptin sensitivity and expression that subsequently inhibit food consumption, obesity, hyperglycemia, and liver steatosis in HFD-treated male mice.