High Vitamin Research Articles

Association Between Vitamin Intake and Colorectal Cancer: Evidence from NHANES Data.

This study aims to investigate the associations between vitamins and colorectal cancer (CRC) based on a national sample of US adults. A total of 6200 samples were collected from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey to explore the relationship between vitamins (specifically, A, C, and D) and CRC. Logistic regression models were employed to assess the associations between dietary vitamin intake and CRC. Our findings indicate a negative association between vitamin C intake and CRC. However, the associations of vitamin A and vitamin D with CRC were not statistically significant. For vitamin C, compared to the first tertile, the odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were 0.91 (0.76-0.97) for the second tertile and 0.81 (0.64-0.95) for the third tertile (P < 0.01). Conversely, for vitamin A, compared to the first tertile, the odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were 1.02 (0.82-1.22) for the second tertile and 1.04 (0.75-1.25) for the third tertile (P < 0.01). For vitamin D, compared to the first tertile, the odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were 0.96 (0.84-1.06) for the second tertile and 1.01 (0.83-1.15) for the third tertile (P < 0.01). Additionally, the negative association between vitamin C and CRC was more pronounced among females (0.76, 0.67-0.92), individuals aged 60 and above (0.75, 0.69-0.95), and those with a BMI > 30 (0.78, 0.67-0.93). Our findings suggest that higher vitamin C intake is associated with a reduced prevalence of CRC. However, further large-scale prospective cohort studies are warranted to validate our results.

Response of postharvest treatments on shelf life, biochemical and microbial quality of banana variety Red Banana.

The popular Red Banana variety faces transportation challenges and has a limited postharvest shelf life due to its ripe fruits being less resistant and being a climacteric fruit. This study aims to prolong the shelf life of Red Banana fruits through different postharvest treatments. Fruit bunches of Red Banana were harvested at the mature green stage, separated into hands, precooled, subjected to 12 treatments and stored in corrugated fibre board boxes till the end of shelf life under ambient conditions. Fruits coated with 10% bee wax + 0.5% clove oil (T4), fruits subjected to coating with 10% bee wax and packaging with potassium permanganate (T9) and fruits dipped in hot water at 50 °C for 10 min. and packaging with potassium permanganate (T11) registered highest shelf life of 18.67 days. The highest TSS of 26.33°Brix was noticed in fruits stored with potassium permanganate (T8) after 12.67 days of storage and lowest titratable acidity of 0.19% and the highest sugar-acid ratio of 79.76 was noticed in control (T12) after 11.33 days of storage. Moreover, the highest vitamin C content (7.74 mg 100 g?¹), total sugar content (18.47%), reducing sugar content (15.49%), total carotenoid content (24.13 µg 100 g-1) was noticed in treatment T7 (hot water dipping at 50 °C for 10 min.) after 17.67 days, T10 (coating with 40% aloe vera extract and packaged with potassium permanganate) after 13.33 days, T4 (coating with 10% bee wax + 0.5% clove oil) after 18.67 days and T9 (coating with 10% bee wax + potassium permanganate) after 18.67 days of storage respectively. Furthermore, the lowest fungal and bacterial count was observed in treatments T2 (dipping in 30ppm sodium hypochlorite solution), T7 (hot water dipping at 50 °C for 10 min.), T9 (coating with 10% bee wax + potassium permanganate) and T10 (coating with 40% aloe vera extract + potassium permanganate) .

Development of novel functional thickened drinks enriched with vitamin D3 for the older adult population – behaviour under dynamic in vitro digestion

The older adult population is greatly affected by malnutrition. This condition can arise from inappropriate micro and micronutrient intake, as well as due to experienced age-related changes. For instance, a significant number of older adults suffer from dysphagia. Thus, the development of foods with adequate consistency/viscosity are vital for overcome this condition. Within this framework, novel functional thickened drinks were developed and tailored for the older adult population, by using chia seed gum as the thickening agent enriched with vitamin D3-loaded solid lipid nanoparticles (SLN). Rheological properties of different thickened drinks formulated with water, semi-skimmed milk or orange juice were optimized using a central composite rotational design. Results showed that SLN delivered high vitamin D3 encapsulation efficiency with high concentration (i.e., 32 IU/mg). The different drink matrices attained distinct rheological properties, being observed that the viscosity and consistency attained with the same thickening agent concentration was higher in more complex matrices. An optimized formulation containing the tolerable upper intake level (ca. 4000 IU) was selected to study the vitamin D3 release and bioaccessibility on older adults’ population using a dynamic in vitro gastrointestinal digestion system. Once more, strong matrix effects were observed and significantly affected vitamin D3 release profile, bioaccessibility and recovery during the in vitro digestion. Additionally, the drinks enrichment with SLN-VitD3 did not display a negative effect on cells viability. The development of novel functional thickened drinks tailored for older adults could provide a safer swallowing and improved vitamin D3 intake.

The independent association between 25 (OH) vitamin D deficiency, HOMA-IR, and lipid profile with APOE genotyping in obese cases with and without T2DM

IntroductionVitamin D deficiency, insulin resistance, dyslipidemia, and APOE genotyping are implicated in the pathogenesis of obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). We wanted to find out if there was a link between a lack of 25(OH) vitamin D, HOMA-IR, and lipids and APOE genotyping in obese people with and without T2DM.MethodsWe divided 300 Egyptians of both sexes into three groups in a case-control study: 100 obese cases with a body mass index of more than 30, 100 obese cases diagnosed with T2DM, and 100 controls with a body mass index of less than 30. Levels of 25 (OH) vitamin D, fasting blood sugar (FBS), HbA1C, fasting insulin, HOMA-IR, and lipid profile parameters were measured, and APOE genotypes were assessed using Applied BiosystemsTM TaqMan® SNP Genotyping Assays.ResultsHigher levels of FBS, fasting insulin, HOMA-IR, and dyslipidemia were found in obese people with and without T2DM compared to the control group (p < 0.05). Lower levels of 25(OH) vitamin D were also found. Insulin resistance and lipid profile parameters, particularly in obese cases with T2DM, inversely correlate with vitamin D deficiency. The APOE genotyping analysis revealed strong links between vitamin D levels and certain APOE genotypes. Independent of metabolic parameters, higher vitamin D levels were associated with lower odds of E3/E4 and E4/E4 genotypes among obese cases with T2DM.ConclusionThis study highlights the independent role of vitamin D deficiency in modulating APOE genotypes in obese T2DM individuals. The findings suggest potential implications for personalized interventions targeting vitamin D status to mitigate genetic predispositions to metabolic disorders such as obesity and T2DM.

The effectiveness of interventions to reduce the transmission of acute respiratory infections in care homes: a systematic review.

Care home residents are at high risk from outbreaks of respiratory infections, such as influenza and COVID-19. We conducted a systematic review of randomized controlled trials, to determine which interventions (apart from vaccines) are effective at reducing transmission of acute respiratory illnesses (ARIs) in care homes. We searched CINAHL, Medline, Embase and Cochrane for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of interventions to prevent transmission of ARIs in care homes (excluding vaccines), to April 2023. A total of 21 articles met inclusion criteria. Two infection control interventions significantly reduced respiratory infections. Oseltamivir significantly reduced risk of symptomatic laboratory-confirmed influenza (OR 0.39, 95%CI 0.16-0.94, three trials), and influenza-like illness (OR 0.50, 95%CI 0.36-0.69), even in a vaccinated population. High dose vitamin D supplementation reduced incidence of ARIs (incidence rate ratio 0.60; 95%CI 0.38-0.94, one trial). Nine other RCTs of vitamin, mineral, probiotic and herbal supplements showed no significant effect. Transmission of respiratory infections in care homes can be reduced by educational interventions to improve infection control procedures and compliance by staff, by antiviral prophylaxis soon after a case of influenza has been detected, and by supplementation with high-dose Vitamin D3. Further research is needed to confirm the effect of high-dose Vitamin D3.

Association of sociodemographic and lifestyle factors and dietary intake with overweight and obesity among U.S. children: findings from NHANES

Childhood overweight/obesity is a serious problem that has not been adequately addressed. As a key factor affecting weight gain, the association between dietary intake with childhood overweight and obesity is still unclear. The objective of this study was to analyze the association between sociodemographic, lifestyle factors and dietary intake with overweight or obesity. We used data from a large cross-sectional National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). The U.S. children aged 6–15 years with both weight data and dietary data were included. For univariate analysis of sociodemographic data, t tests was performed for continuous variables and chi-square tests was performed for discrete variables. Dietary intakes were described by median and quartile, and differences in dietary intake between children with normal weight and children with overweight or obesity were compared by rank sum tests. A modern statistical shrinkage technique, LASSO regression was used to examine the association between dietary intake and childhood obesity. Our study confirms that Hispanic ethnicity, increasing age, passive exposure to smoking, higher protein intake, and higher caffeine intake were positively associated with child overweight or obesity. Additionally, non-Hispanic White race, higher physical activity levels, higher household income, and higher vitamin A intake were negatively associated with child overweight or obesity.

Association between serum vitamin D status and severity of liver cirrhosis: implications for therapeutic targeting in Nigerian patients

BackgroundLiver cirrhosis is a chronic and progressive liver disease with significant global health implications. Recent evidence suggests an association between serum vitamin D levels and the severity of liver cirrhosis, potentially serving as a therapeutic target. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between serum vitamin D status and the severity of liver cirrhosis in a population of Nigerian patients.MethodsThis analytical, cross-sectional study involved 201 participants, including 103 with liver cirrhosis and 98 age- and sex-matched controls. Serum vitamin D was measured using ELISA, with deficiency defined as < 20 ng/ml. Cirrhosis severity was assessed using Child-Pugh and MELD scores. Spearman’s correlation was used to assess the relationship between vitamin D and severity of liver cirrhosis while ordinal regression analysis assessed its performance as an indicator of the disease severity.ResultAmong cirrhotic patients, 36.9% were deficient, 31.1% insufficient, and 32.0% had sufficient vitamin D levels. Serum vitamin D showed strong negative correlations with Child-Pugh and MELD scores (r = -0.696, p < 0.001; r = -0.734, p < 0.001, respectively). Ordinal regression showed that higher vitamin D levels were associated with lower severity scores (Child-Pugh: OR = 0.856, 95% CI: 0.815–0.900, p < 0.001; MELD: OR = 0.875, 95% CI: 0.837–0.915, p < 0.001).ConclusionLower serum vitamin D levels correlated with increased liver cirrhosis severity, suggesting its potential as both a prognostic marker and therapeutic target. Further studies should investigate the efficacy of vitamin D supplementation in improving cirrhosis outcomes.

Intratumoral vitamin D signaling and lethal prostate cancer.

High circulating vitamin D levels and supplementation may lower prostate cancer mortality. To probe for direct effects of vitamin D signaling in the primary tumor, we assessed how activation of intratumoral vitamin D signaling in prostate cancer is associated with lethal prostate cancer during long-term follow-up. Among 404 participants with primary prostate cancer in the Health Professionals Follow-up Study and the Physicians' Health Study, we defined a gene score of expected activated intratumoral vitamin D signaling consisting of transcriptionally upregulated (CYP27A1, CYP2R1, RXRA, RXRB, and VDR) and downregulated genes (CYP24A1 and DHCR7). We contrasted vitamin D signaling in tumors that progressed to lethal disease (metastases/prostate cancer-specific death, n = 119) over up to three decades of follow-up with indolent tumors that remained nonmetastatic for >8 years post-diagnosis (n = 285). The gene score was downregulated in tumor tissue compared with tumor-adjacent histologically normal tissue of the same men. Higher vitamin D gene scores were inversely associated with lethal prostate cancer (odds ratio for highest versus lowest quartile: 0.46, 95% confidence interval: 0.21-0.99) in a dose-response fashion and after adjusting for clinical and pathologic factors. This association appeared strongest among men with high predicted plasma 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 and men with body mass index ≥25 kg/m2. Findings were replicated with broader gene sets. These data support the hypothesis that active intratumoral vitamin D signaling is associated with better prostate cancer outcomes and provide further rationale for testing how vitamin D-related interventions after diagnosis could improve prostate cancer survival through effects on the tumor.

Cadmium in Market Pork Kidneys: A Study on Cadmium Bioavailability and the Health Effects Based on Mouse Models.

Edible offal of farmed animals can accumulate cadmium (Cd). However, no studies have investigated Cd bioavailability and its health effects. Here, based on mouse models, market pork kidney samples exhibited high Cd relative bioavailability of 74.5 ± 11.2% (n = 26), close to 83.8 ± 7.80% in Cd-rice (n = 5). This was mainly due to high vitamin D3 content in pork kidney, causing 1.7-2.3-fold up-regulated expression of duodenal Ca transporter genes in mice fed pork kidney compared to mice fed Cd-rice, favoring Cd intestinal absorption via Ca transporters. However, although pork kidney was high in Cd bioavailability, subchronic low-dose (5% in diet) consumption of two pork kidney samples having 0.48 and 0.97 μg Cd g-1 dw over 35 d did not lead to significant Cd accumulation in the tissue of mice fed Cd-free rice but instead remarkably decreased Cd accumulation in the tissue of mice fed Cd-rice (0.48 μg Cd g-1) by ∼50% and increased abundance of gut probiotics (Faecalibaculum and Lactobacillus). Overall, this study contributed to our understanding of the bioavailability and health effects associated with Cd in edible offal, providing mechanistic insights into pork kidney consumption safety based on Cd bioavailability.

First Report of Colletotrichum aenigma Causing Anthracnose on Dragon Fruit in Korea.

Dragon fruit (Selenicereus undatus) is a valuable fruit crop in tropical and subtropical regions. It is renowned for its nutritional benefits, such as high sodium, potassium, and vitamin levels, and as a source of prebiotics and antioxidants (Balendres et al. 2019). In July 2023, anthracnose symptoms on stems were detected on dragon fruit plants in Jeju, South Korea. The typical anthracnose symptoms, such as sunken necrotic lesions (5-20 mm in diameter), were seen on the mature stems. The disease incidence ranged from 10% to 12% among the three surveyed greenhouses. To isolate the causative organism, infected stem samples were surface sterilized, cut into small pieces, and placed on potato dextrose agar (PDA). After two days of incubation at 24ºC, white hyphae appeared on the PDA around the plant tissues. Isolates CNU H23009 and CNU H23010 were purified from a single hypha under a stereoscope (e-Xtra Figure 1). Conidial morphology was examined from two-day-old fungal cultures grown on V8 juice agar. The conidia were transparent, aseptate, cylindrical to clavate, with a rounded apex and base, and measured 11.9 - 16.85 × 5.17 - 6.91 μm (mean = 15.28 × 5.93 μm, n = 30). No appressoria was observed. Morphological characteristics indicated the isolates were Colletotrichum sp. matching the description of the C. gloeosporioides species complex (Weir et al. 2012). To further identify the isolates, genomic DNA was extracted and the ribosomal internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region, glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH), and actin (ACT) were amplified using ITS1/ITS4, GDF/GDR, and ACT-512F/ACT-783R, respectively (Weir et al. 2012). Based on phylogenetic analysis, the isolates clustered with C. aenigma (strains ICMP18608, ICMP18686, CSH2, and QSG1), with 71% bootstrap support, as determined using the maximum parsimony method in PAUP 4.0 (e-Xtra Figure 2). Based on morphological and molecular characteristics, isolates were identified as C. aenigma. Sequences of CNU H23009 and CNU H23010 were deposited in GenBank with accession numbers OR535144 and OR535145 for ITS, OR540725 and OR540726 for GAPDH, and OR540723 and OR540724 for ACT. The pathogenicity was tested on healthy dragon fruit stems using wound inoculation with mycelial plugs of the CNU H23009 isolate. Controls were inoculated with PDA plugs. The plants were covered with plastic bags to maintain humidity and incubated in a greenhouse at 25ºC. After two days, necrotic spots had developed on the inoculated tissues; after four days, black, irregular, and sunken necrotic lesions similar to those seen in the field were observed. No symptoms occurred in the controls. C. aenigma was re-isolated from the artificially inoculated plants and re-identified based on conidial morphology. The pathogenicity test was repeated three times with three replications for each treatment. Previous studies have reported that C. aenigma, C. gloeosoporioides, C. siamense, C. truncatum, and C. karsti cause anthracnose in dragon fruit. However, C. aenigma has been reported only in Thailand (Balendres et al. 2019; Meetum et al. 2015). To our knowledge, this is the first report of C. aenigma causing anthracnose in dragon fruit in Korea.

Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels and risk of all-cause and cause-specific mortality: A 14-year prospective cohort study

Background & AimsThe circulating vitamin D level that is optimal for health is unknown. This study aimed to examine the association between circulating vitamin D level and risk of all-cause and cause-specific mortality. MethodsThis prospective cohort study included 18,797 Korean adults aged 40 years or older, living in rural areas, with no history of cancer or cardiovascular disease (CVD) at baseline. Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) levels were measured at baseline. Participants were followed-up from the survey date (2005–2012) until December 31, 2021. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for mortality by baseline vitamin D level. Restricted cubic splines were used to explore the nonlinearity. ResultsThe median (interquartile range) of 25(OH)D level was 55.8 (40.8–71.8) nmol/L. During a median follow-up of 14.3 years, 2,250 deaths were recorded. Compared with participants with a 25(OH)D level < 30 nmol/L, higher vitamin D levels (30 to < 50, 50 to < 75, and ≥ 75 nmol/L) were associated with a lower risk of all-cause mortality: HR (95% CI) of 0.82 (0.69–0.98), 0.74 (0.62–0.88), and 0.69 (0.57–0.84), respectively. A nonlinear relationship between vitamin D level and all-cause mortality was observed, with the risk plateauing between 50 and 60 nmol/L (p for nonlinearity = 0.009). The association was more pronounced for cancer-related mortality. HR 0.55 (95% CI: 0.39–0.77) for a 25(OH)D level ≥ 75 nmol/L compared with < 30.0 nmol/L. Low vitamin D levels were associated with increased CVD mortality in men. ConclusionsVitamin D level was inversely associated with all-cause and cause-specific mortality in middle-aged and older adults. Maintaining a serum 25(OH)D level of approximately 50–60 nmol/L may contribute to longevity and warrants further investigation.

Assessment of nutritional value and safety of soft drinks enriched with berries growing in the Republic of Azerbaijan in comparison with traditional drinks

The study used modified formulations of traditional drinks to enrich them with several nutrients and microelements. Berries selected for the study, namely: dogwood, pomegranate, persimmon, blueberry, and raspberry, demonstrated high antioxidant activity and rich vitamin composition. The study revealed a significant increase in the antioxidant activity of traditional Azerbaijani drinks when enriched with berry extracts. The antioxidant activity of arrowroot increased by 20 mg GAE/100 ml after dogwood enrichment. Sherbet showed an increase in activity of 22.5 mg GAE/100 ml with the addition of raspberries. Tea enriched with persimmon increased its antioxidant activity by 125%. The pomegranate-enriched compote increased its activity by 24 mg GAE/100 ml. Blueberry pekmez showed average results, although due to the high level of nutritional properties of blueberries, it was also a promising research object. The study also analysed the selected berries, further evaluating potential changes in the vitamin composition, antioxidant activity, and organoleptic properties of the beverages after adding the berries. The most significant improvement in taste, aroma, colour and texture of the drinks was observed in persimmon extract-enriched tea and blueberry pekmez, which received the highest scores for all parameters after enrichment. The antioxidant activity of the drinks also increased significantly after adding berry extracts. The microbiological and chemical risks associated with the use of fresh berries and the proposed measures to ensure the safety of beverages helped to shape the further vector of research in this area

Association of serum 25-hydroxy vitamin D status with cardiometabolic risk factors and total and regional obesity in southern Iran: evidence from the PoCOsteo study

Cardiometabolic risk factors increase the chance of developing cardiovascular disease (CVD) and type 2 diabetes. Most CVD risk factors are influenced by total and regional obesity. A higher risk of developing CVD may be linked to vitamin D deficiency, which is more prevalent in the older population. With the goal of evaluating the association between vitamin D and cardiometabolic risk factors and total and regional obesity in older adults, this research included 25 (OH) vitamin D3 concentrations and biochemical markers associated with cardiometabolic diseases, as well as total and regional adiposity, which was measured by DXA. A total of 1991 older participants in the PoCOsteo study were included. Overall, 38.5% of participants had vitamin D deficiency. After adjusting for confounders, the results of multiple linear and logistic regression suggested an inverse association between vitamin D and body mass index (P = 0.04), waist circumference (P = 0.001), total fat (P = 0.02), android fat (P = 0.001), visceral fat (P < 0.001), subcutaneous fat (P = 0.01), trunk fat (P = 0.006), arm fat (P = 0.03), high systolic blood pressure (P = 0.004), high total cholesterol (P < 0.001), high LDL-cholesterol (P < 0.001), high serum triglycerides (P = 0.001), and high fasting glucose (P < 0.001). Additionally, higher vitamin D concentrations decreased the risk of dyslipidemia by 2%. Our results showed a significant association between serum vitamin D and a number of cardiometabolic risk factors, including total and regional obesity.

Exposure to volatile organic compounds and growth indicators in adolescents: Unveiling the association and potential intervention strategies

Environmental pollutant is considered to be one of the important factors affecting adolescent growth. However, the effects of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) exposure on adolescent growth have not been assessed. Data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2011–2018 was used to examine the associations between VOCs exposure and adolescent growth indicators through three statistical models. The mediating effect of bone mineral density (BMD) on these associations was examined. The potential pathways and key targets were identified by the network pharmacology analysis methods. This study included 746 adolescents. Three statistical methods consistently showed a negative correlation between VOCs exposure and adolescent growth indicators. Furthermore, BMD mediated the relationship between VOCs exposure and adolescent growth indicators, with mediated proportion ranging from 4.3 % to 53.4 %. Network pharmacology analysis found a significant enrichment in IL-17 signaling pathway. Moreover, the adverse effects of VOCs exposure on adolescent growth were observed to significantly attenuate in adolescents with high serum vitamin D levels. Our results suggested that VOCs exposure was an adverse factor affecting adolescent growth, with BMD playing a significant regulatory role, and IL-17 signaling pathway was the underlying mechanism. Vitamin D supplementation may be a viable strategy to prevent VOCs exposure from affecting adolescent growth.

Cooling the high temperature nutrition solution to improve growth, yield and water productivity of hydroponic red lettuce (Lactuca sativa L Var Red rapids) in a tropical location

Red lettuce is preferred because of its high nutritional, vitamin, and antioxidant contents. Hydroponic cultivation has been known to successfully improve the quality and productivity of red lettuce. But the efforts to increase the productivity of hydroponic red lettuce face constraints of high temperatures in the tropics. The aim of this study was to compare the growth, yield, and water productivity of red lettuce in three hydroponic systems namely wick, floating raft, and dry systems by controlling the temperature of the nutrient solutions using protected nutrient containers. The experimental design of randomized complete block split plots with the main plots of the nutrient containers which consisted of three levels: Refrigerated container, styrofoam-insulated container, and bare bucket container in which the nutrient solution was delivered to plants in three separated gutters as the cultivation beds, then recirculated back to the corresponding nutrient container. The secondary plot is hydroponic systems including three systems namely wick, floating raft, and dry systems. The blocks were the arrangement of plants according to the flow direction of the nutrient solution, namely upstream, middle and downstream in each gutter. Each experimental unit was represented by 3 plants. Data sets were analyzed by using analysis of variance and followed by LSD multiple comparisons at the 5% level. The results showed that the temperature of the nutrient solution controlled by the three containers had a significant effect on all observed plant parameters. Meanwhile, the hydroponic systems and the blocks had no significant effect. The use of Refrigerated container showed the best performance in improving the growth, yield, and water productivity of the red lettuce.

In vivo vitamin D targets reveal the upregulation of focal adhesion-related genes in primary immune cells of healthy individuals

Vitamin D modulates innate and adaptive immunity, the molecular mechanisms of which we aim to understand under human in vivo conditions. Therefore, we designed the study VitDHiD (NCT03537027) as a human investigation, in which 25 healthy individuals were supplemented with a single vitamin D3 bolus (80,000 IU). Transcriptome-wide differential gene expression analysis of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), which were isolated directly before and 24 h after supplementation, identified 452 genes significantly (FDR < 0.05) responding to vitamin D. In vitro studies using PBMCs from the same individuals confirmed 138 of these genes as targets of 1α,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3. A subset of the 91 most regulated in vivo vitamin D target genes indicated focal adhesion as the major pathway being upregulated by vitamin D3 supplementation of healthy individuals. Differences in the individual-specific responsiveness of in vivo vitamin D target genes in relation to the increase of the person’s vitamin D status allowed a segregation of the VitDHiD participants into 9 high, 12 mid and 4 low responders. The expression profile of nearly 600 genes elucidate the difference between high and low vitamin D responders, the most prominent of which is the HLA-C (major histocompatibility complex, class I, C) gene.

Storage quality assessment of a sheet snack produced from liang leaves (Gnetum gnemon var. tenerum)

This study investigates a novel leaf sheet snack from liang, an indigenous vegetable in Southern Thailand. The prepared snack has high protein, fiber, calcium, and vitamins A and B2. Storage conditions and packaging impact its shelf life. Based on the calculation, laminated aluminum foil extended shelf life to 1 year at 30°C and relative humidity (RH) of 60%. Moisture absorption during storage led to physicochemical changes, including reduced vitamin content, while total polyphenols, flavonoids, and antioxidant activity remained stable. Microbiological quality was acceptable over a period of 12 weeks but high RH during storage deteriorated sensory attributes. Liang leaves showed promise of being a functional food ingredient.

Association between composite dietary antioxidant index and cardiovascular health: Results from two observational studies

BackgroundThe effect of dietary antioxidant capacity on health has attracted increasing attention, but unequivocal evidence for its benefits on cardiovascular diseases is still lacking. ObjectivesOur aim was to assess the association between composite dietary antioxidant index (CDAI) and Life’s Essential 8 (LE8), an evaluation indicator of cardiovascular health (CVH), in two large cohorts. MethodsThe cross-sectional study used data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2005–2018 and Community Cohort Study on Specialized Nervous System Diseases (CCSNSD) 2018. The relationship between CDAI and CVH was studied by multinomial logistic regression, restricted cubic spline, subgroup and sensitivity analysis. ResultsAfter adjusting for all potential confounding factors, it suggested that higher CDAI was positively associated with higher CVH (NHANES: OR Q4 vs. Q1 = 0.19, 95 % CI: 0.14–0.25; CCSNSD: OR Q4 vs. Q1 = 0.03, 95 % CI: 0.03–0.04). And a nonlinear dose–response relationship between CDAI and CVH was observed in two large cohorts. The robustness of the results was further demonstrated by sensitivity analysis. Among them, Mendelian randomization analysis showed that higher Vitamin C and Vitamin E intakes were causally associated with a lower risk of CVD. Moreover, there was a stronger positive correlation between the CDAI and CVH among individuals with lower socioeconomic status in both cohorts. ConclusionOur findings demonstrated the potential benefit of dietary antioxidant intake in improving CVH. Besides, the relationship between CDAI and CVH may be influenced by income levels, highlighting the need for targeted interventions in populations with low income to increase CVH levels.

New evidence that vitamin D prevents headache: a bidirectional two-sample Mendelian randomization analysis.

Previous observational clinical studies and meta-analyses have yielded inconsistent results regarding the relationship between vitamin D and headache, and the causal relationship remains unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate the causal relationship between vitamin D and headache by bidirectional two-sample Mendelian randomisation (MR) analysis. The relationship between high levels of vitamin D and headache was investigated by two-sample MR analysis using publicly available genome-wide association study (GWAS) data. The primary method was inverse variance weighting (IVW), and secondary methods were weighted median and MR-Egger methods. No heterogeneity or horizontal multidirectionality was found in the MR results. The robustness and validity of the findings were assessed using the leave-behind method. A significant causal relationship was found between high vitamin D levels and headache using the IVW method (OR = 0.848; p = 0.007; 95% CI = 0.752-0.956). However, in a reverse analysis, no evidence of a causal relationship between headache and high levels of vitamin D was found using the IVW method (OR = 1.001; p = 0.906; 95% CI = 0.994-1.006). Our MR analyses showed no significant horizontal multidimensionality or heterogeneity (p > 0.05). Sensitivity analyses confirmed that MR estimates were not affected by single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). Confirmation that our results are robust and valid has been obtained by the leave-one-out method. Our study suggests that high levels of vitamin D prevent the risk of headache. However, there is no evidence of a causal relationship between headache and high levels of vitamin D. Vitamin D may reduce the risk of headache.

Rheology and Extrusion Printing of κ-Carrageenan/Olive Oil Emulsion Gel Tablets with Varying Surface Area to Volume Ratios for Release of Vitamin C and Curcumin.

In this work, κ-carrageenan and olive oil at different oil to κ-carrageenan ratios (OCR) are homogenized to create emulsion gels. Interestingly, confocal imaging shows that the oil droplets are stabilized in the κ-carrageenan-structured gel matrix without using any surfactants. Rheological studies show that the oil droplets enhanced the oscillatory yield stress and the maximum printable height of the emulsion gels. The creation of the emulsion gels with an OCR of 1:9-3:7 led to an improvement in the structural integrity of extrusion printed structures. The emulsion gel with an OCR of 3:7 efficiently encapsulates vitamin C in the aqueous phase and curcumin in the hydrophobic oil phase, enabling the extrusion 3D printing of tablets with varying surface area to volume (SA/V) ratios. The release of vitamin C and curcumin is influenced by the preparation method of printing versus casting and the SA/V ratio of the tablets. The hollow cylinder with the highest SA/V ratio was observed to have the highest vitamin C release, whereas for curcumin, the printed tablets had a higher release compared to the cast tablet. Additionally, through rheo-dissolution experiments, we observe a lower modulus and higher vitamin C release from the 3D-printed disc versus the higher modulus and lower vitamin C release from the cast disc tablet.