Risk Of Degenerative Diseases Research Articles

The economic status of parents and family food security as a risk factor for stunting in children under five years old in Bejiharjo Village

Background: The prevalence of stunting among children under five years old in Gunungkidul Regency are 27.9%, and in the Karangmojo II Community Health Center work area are 30.25% or 337 children under five years old. Stunting that occurs in children under five years old can have an impact on decreasing productivity, increasing the risk of degenerative diseases, decreasing intelligence, and increasing the birth of babies with low birth weight in the future. Objective: To examine the risk factors of parents' economic status and family food security against the incidence of stunting in children under five years old in Bejiharjo Village. Methods: The type of research was an analytical (observational) survey with a case-control study approach. The subjects of this study were children aged 24−59 months. This research was conducted on February 2019. The sampling technique used to determine the area was purposive sampling, and to determine the sample was simple random sampling. The research instruments used were economic and family food security questionnaires. One hundred forty-one children under five years old became the subject in this study. Data were analyzed by using Chi-Square analysis. Results: Bivariate analysis showed economic status of parents (p=0.002; OR=3.182) and family food security (p=0.007; OR=3.164) were risk factor for stunting in children under five years old in Bejiharjo Village. Conclusion: The economic status of parents and family food security act as risk factor for stunting in infants in Bejiharjo Village

Konseling Diet Rendah Kolesterol Dan Tinggi Serat Terhadap Pengetahuan Dan Kadar Kolesterol Pada Penderita Hiperkolesterolemia

Perubahan pola konsumsi menyebabkan masyarakat cenderung mengonsumsi makanan yang mengandung lemak dan kolesterol tinggi. Secara terus-menerus hal tersebut akan mengakibatkan terjadinya hiperkolesterolemia. Menurut WHO tahun 2011 diperkirakan sekitar 35% penduduk Indonesia memiliki kadar kolesterol lebih tinggi dari batas normal, artinya sepertiga dari penduduk Indonesia beresiko tinggi mengalami hiperkolesterolemia. Selain itu, kurangnya pengetahuan mengenai pengaturan diet menjadi dampak buruk sebagai resiko terjadinya berbagai penyakit degeneratif. Salah satu upaya untuk menanggulangi hal tersebut yaitu konseling gizi mengenai diet rendah kolesterol dan tinggi serat. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui pengaruh konseling diet rendah kolesterol dan tinggi serat terhadap pengetahuan dan kadar kolesterol total pada penderita hiperkolesterolemia. Pengumpulan data dilakukan pada bulan Februari 2019 di wilayah kerja Puskesmas Pasirkaliki menggunakan desain penelitian quasi eksperimental dengan one group pretest posttest design. Sampel dipilih secara purposive sampling dan didapat sebanyak 12 orang. Data dianalisis menggunakan uji paired sample t-test dan wilcoxon. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan ada pengaruh konseling diet rendah kolesterol dan tinggi serat terhadap pengetahuan (p=0,002) dan penurunan kadar kolesterol total (p=0,000). Disarankan agar penderita hiperkolesterolemia tetap mengaplikasikan diet rendah kolesterol dan tinggi serat sebagai upaya dalam mengontrol peningkatan kadar kolesterol darah total.

Kader hidup sehat dalam upaya promotif penyakit denegeratif

Degenerative diseases occur because of interactions between genetics and lifestyle. The prevalence of non-communicable diseases in Sleman Regency is higher than the provincial average and occupies the second position in Daerah Istimewa Yogyakarta (DIY) or Special Region of Yogyakarta. The prevalence of diabetes mellitus 3.1% and central obesity is 29.8%. Health cadres have routinely carried out posyandu activities but have a role in preventing the risk of degenerative diseases which have not gone well. Research methods conducted with quasi-experimental one group pre-test and post-test designs on health cadres who were given counseling, tutorial, and discussions. The post test material was the cadre's knowledge before counseling and discussion were held. The measurement results are analyzed using quantitatif and pair t test analysis. The results of material delivery did not have a significant effect on the increase in knowledge of degenerative diseases p = 0.225 known from the pre-test (4.3 ± 1.6) and post-test (4.8 ± 1.4) with an increase in the mean of 0.4. Although statistically does not show significance, there is an increase in the value between pre and post test. There is an increase in the average knowledge before and after counseling.

Risiko Stunting Anak Baduta (7-24 bulan)

<p>The results of Nutritional Status Monitoring (PSG) showed that the prevalence of stunting 29,6% in 2017. The adverse effects of stunting in toddlers is a disorder of decreased cognitive abilities and learning achievement, decreased immunity, the risk of degenerative diseases. The city of Bandar Lampung is still faced with acute and chronic nutritional problems because the prevalence of stunting in children under five is still high. Therefore, the research conducted in Sukaraja Village, Panjang District, Bandar Lampung City, considering that the Village has the highest population of poverty compared to other villages. The aim of the research is to obtain information about the risk factors for stunting in children under two years (7-24 months) This type of research was observational using case-control design, with a sample of 53 people for the case group and 106 people for the control group where the selection for the case group and controls was done in a simple random manner. Data analysis using chi-square test. The results showed that energy consumption factors (p=0.040), exclusive breastfeeding (p=0.011), history of infectious diseases (p=0.000), history of premature birth (p=0.022), and maternal education level (p=0.029) were related significantly with the incidence of stunting. While protein consumption factors (p=0.283), Zink consumption (p=0.321), Early Breastfeeding Initiation (p=0.538), maternal nutrition status (p = 0.056), maternal age (p=0.438), and distance the age of birth (p=0.188) was not significantly associated with the incidence of stunting of children aged 7-23 months in the Sukaraja Village of Panjang District. Regular home visits by health workers are expected to increase maternal awareness during pregnancy to have a pregnancy checked.</p>

Faktor-Faktor Yang Berhubungan Dengan Kegemukan Pada Balita di Kelurahan Warnasari Kecamatan Citangkil Kota Cilegon

Status gizi lebih merupakan kondisi dimana berat badan melebihi standar berat badan normal. Gizi lebih dapat terjadi pada semua lapisan umur, dari mulai bayi, balita, anak-anak, orang dewasa, dan lansia. Persatuan ahli gizi rumah sakit Cipto Mangun Kusumo (RSCM), mengatakan gizi lebih yang dapat menyebabkan kegemukan pada usia balita, kegemukkan berpotensi menyebabkan terjadinya peningkatan resiko penyakit degeneratif, gangguan saluran pernafasan, masalah jantung serta dapat beresiko terjadinya diabetes. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui hubungan kegemukkan pada balita di Kelurahan Warnasari Kecamatan Citangkil Kota Cilegon. Sampel pada penelitian ini adalah balita yang berusia 24-59 bulan, diperoleh sebanyak 94 balita. Hasil penelitian ini menunjukan terdapat 18 balita atau 19,1% balita yang termasuk dalam kategori gemuk, terdapat 60,6% balita yang berjenis kelamin laki-laki, berat badan lahir beresiko terdapat 16,0% balita, dan 13,8% ibu balita yang bekerja, 76,6% pendidikan ibu balita yang memiliki pendidikan tinggi, dan 75,5% keluarga balita yang memiliki jumlah keluarga <4 atau keluarga kecil. Terdapat hubungan anatara jenis kelamin (pv: 0,003), Berat badan lahir (pv: 0,00), pekerjaan ibu (pv:0,00) dengan kegemukan pada anak balita. Tidak ada hubungan antara pendidikan dan jumlah anggota keluarga dengan kegemukan pada balita. Disarankan agar Dinas Kesehatan mengadakan upaya untuk mencegah kegemukan pada balita melalui monitoring dan evaluasi terhadap kegemukan Balita.

EVALUATION OF FREE RADICAL SCAVENGING ABILITY AND ANTIRADICAL ACTIVITIES OF XIMENIA CAFFRA FRUIT EXTRACTS AT DIFFERENT RIPENING STAGES

Methods: Using standard procedures, Ximenia caffra fruit extracts were determined for ferrous ions chelating ability, nitric oxide and hydroxyl radical scavenging ability. Antiradical activities were assessed using 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) in which the fruit extracts were evaluated for the number of antiradical units (AU515), the number of antiradical units per 1 mg of extracts (EAU515) and the total number of antiradical units per 1g of raw fruits (TAU515).Results: The fruit extracts exhibited significant higher ferrous ion chelating and free radical scavenging capacity compared to synthetic antioxidants (standard). Fruit extracts in early ripening stage (ERS) exhibited stronger ion chelation, nitric oxide and hydroxyl radical scavenging ability with low effective fruit extract concentration required to reduce free radicals by 50% (EC50) that were 14, 25 and 30µg/ml respectively than the late ripening stage (LRS) extracts. The fruit extracts also showed high AU515, EAU515 and TAU515. The values of AU515 ranged from 0.93 to 0.95, while EAU515 from 78.30 to 79.34 and TAU515 ranged from 19762.46 to 23821.23 of the extracts in LRS and ERS respectively.Conclusion: Based on these observations Ximenia caffra is potentially beneficial to human health due to its strong ability to scavenge free radicals. Its utilization can potentially reduce the risk of degenerative diseases to human beings.

The influence of juicing on the appearance of blueberry metabolites 2 h after consumption: a metabolite profiling approach.

The consumption of berries has been linked to decreased risk of degenerative disease. Berries are regularly processed into juices. It is largely unknown how the juicing process affects the bioavailability of metabolites. As metabolomics has shown to be a valuable nutritional tool to study global metabolite differences, the aim of this study was to investigate the effect of juicing on the relative appearance of blueberry metabolites in humans using metabolomics. Nine healthy subjects consumed 250 g of fresh blueberries either as the whole fruit or after juicing, and provided blood and urine samples before and 2 h after intake in a cross-over design. Samples underwent metabolite profiling using LCMS, and data were mined with multivariate analysis. Overall, <12 % of all ions detected were significantly influenced by blueberry treatment (P<0·05). Partial least-squared discriminant analysis models of post-treatment samples revealed good discrimination. In urinary samples, whole blueberry treatment resulted in 108 ions that were significantly higher compared with juiced treatment (positive and negative mode combined), whereas only eight were significantly higher after juiced treatment. Examples of putative annotations included metabolites of ferulic and caffeic acids, several phenolic metabolites conjugated to sulphate, glycoside or glucuronide and fatty acyl derivatives, which were of higher intensity after whole blueberry treatment. In conclusion, consumption of whole blueberries resulted in a higher range of phenolic and other metabolites in plasma and urine samples 2 h after consumption. Both whole and juiced blueberries resulted in very similar metabolite profiles at 2 h, although this was the only time point measured.

EFEKTIVITAS SENAM AEROBIK INTENSITAS SEDANG TERHADAP TEKANAN DARAH DAN KESEGARAN JASMANI PADA REMAJA OVERWEIGHT DI JURUSAN GIZI POLTEKKES KEMENKES SEMARANG

Background : Overweight is one nutritional status problem with excess body fat percent, has a prolonged impact on the risk of degenerative diseases. Overweight is one of factor that triggers hypertension and affects the physical fitness of the decreasing and easily tired.Objective : To know the effectiveness of moderate intensity aerobic exercise on blood pressure and physical fitness of overweight adolescentsatthe Nutrition Department of PoltekkesKemenkes Semarang.Methods : This study was one of community nutrition. True-Experimental with pre and post-control group design was used. Random sampling technique was used to get 17 treatment samples and 17 control samples. The collected data contained characteristics data, anthropometric (height, weight), Systolic Blood Pressure (SBP), Dyastolic Blood Pressure (DBP), Physical fitness, energy intake and physical activity. T-tests(paired t test and independent t test) were analyzed to determine the differences between variables.Results : After moderat intensity of aerobic exercise at 5 weeks, there was a significant different (p0,05) between treatment and control groups on physical fitness (21,84±5,25 vs 12,92±5,24 ml/kg/minutes). There were no differences (p0,05) for SBP (113.47±9,47 vs 117,17±13,11 mmHg) and DBP (80,2±11,55 vs 76,71±8,42 mmHg ) in both of group.Conclusion : There was a difference in the increase in physical fitness of the treatment group p = 0,000 (p 0.05)

Effects of the Insulin‐like Growth Factor Axis and its Relationship in Nonsurgical Treatments in Patients with Lumbar Spinal Stenosis

BackgroundLumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) is commonly caused by degenerative arthritis of the spine and is characterized by narrowing of the spinal canal and/or neural foraminae. It is prevalent in older adults and leads to limitations in physical function and activities of daily living. Insulin‐like growth factor I (IGF‐I) and insulin‐like growth factor binding proteins (IGFBPs) have been associated with osteoporosis, chronic musculoskeletal diseases and metabolic disorders. A potential relationship between LSS and the IGF axis is currently unknown.PurposeThe purpose of this study was to examine the effects of three nonsurgical treatment programs in patients with LSS to determine potential relationships with the IGF axis and outcome measures of pain and physical function.MethodsThe study was a secondary analysis of stored plasma from a previously conducted randomized controlled trial. The final data set consisted of 102 participants (39 medical care (MC), 26 community‐based group exercise (GE), and 37 clinic‐based manual therapy and individual exercise (MT). The primary outcome measures were IGF‐I and IGFBP 1–7. Secondary outcome measures consisted of the Swiss Spinal Stenosis (SSS) Questionnaire, physical activity (defined as amount of time spent in light/moderate/vigorous activity (&gt; 1.5 METSs), and distance walked (meters) on a self‐paced walking test (SPWT). These outcome measures were collected at baseline, 2‐month, and 6‐month follow‐ups. IGF‐I and IGFBPs 1–7 were analyzed for within and between group differences across time using a two‐way repeated measures ANOVA. Correlation coefficients between the primary and secondary outcome measures were analyzed using Spearmans's rho. All data are means ± SD.ResultsThe two‐way ANOVA revealed a small group difference with IGFBP‐3 between GE and MT (6.81 ± 4.34 vs. 4.96 ± 1.79 ng/mL, respectively, p = 0.03), but not between GE and MC (6.81 ± 3.07 vs 5.45 ± 2.15 ng/mL, respectively, p = 0.18). No other differences between groups or other variables across time were observed (p &gt; 0.05). Using Spearman's rho we observed a small but significant positive correlation between baseline IGF‐I and IGFBP‐7 with baseline SSS (rs = 0.20, p = 0.04 and rs = 0.21, p = 0.03) but neither correlation was apparent at the 2‐ or 6‐month follow‐up. Lastly, a small positive correlation was also observed between baseline IGFBP‐1 and physical activity time at the 2‐month follow‐up (rs = 0.21, p = 0.04).ConclusionThe present study examined the systemic effects of three different nonsurgical treatment modalities on concentrations of IGF‐I and IGFBPs 1–7 in patients with LSS. Both physical activity and muscle stretch have been shown to favorably alter the IGF axis, potentially improving muscle function and reducing risk of degenerative diseases. However, the present study did not observe any effects suggesting improvement in the IGF axis from any of the three interventions.Support or Funding InformationFunding provided by a pilot grant from Wabtec Corporation, through the Center for Military Medicine ResearchThis abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2018 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal.

Genotype‐dependent changes in the phenolic content of durum under water‐deficit stress

Background and objectivesConsumption of whole grain cereal products, which are rich in phenolic acids, is associated with lower risk of degenerative diseases. Phenolics in plants are associated with abiotic stress adaptation due to their antioxidant activities. Free, bound, and total phenolics in the wholemeal flour of 50 durum wheat (Triticum turgidum L. ssp. durum) genotypes were examined, in addition to the water stress tolerance capacity of selected genotypes.FindingsThis study revealed significant variation, with wholemeal flour from “Purple Grain” having the highest total phenolic content (391.0 mg gallic acid equivalent per 100 g of dry weight [GAE/100 g DW]). Under water‐deficit stress, the stress‐tolerant genotype Tamaroi had higher total phenolic content in the leaf (2880.3 mg GAE/100 g DW) compared to stress‐sensitive genotypes EGA Bellaroi and Tjilkuri (2292.6 and 2450.1 mg GAE/100 g DW, respectively). In the mature grains, stress‐tolerant genotypes Tamaroi and Yawa had significantly higher total phenolic content under stress compared to the control, while no significant change was found in the stress‐sensitive genotypes EGA Bellaroi and Tjilkuri.ConclusionsResults suggest that phenolic content could be associated with water‐deficit stress tolerance.Significance and noveltySelected genotypes could now be used as parents for breeding varieties with increased phenolics and stress tolerance capacity.

Identification of phenolic compounds, antibacterial and antioxidant activities of raisin extracts.

In this study, antibacterial, antioxidant and phenolic compounds of raisin extracts was evaluated. Different solvent extraction methods were utilized to extract phenolic compounds from raisin. The phenolic compounds of raisin extracts was determined using HPLC and three compounds were found, catechin, quercetin and rutin. The antibacterial activity of the acetonic extract was tested against four bacterial pathogens viz. Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeroginosa, Salmonella typhimurium and Escherichia coli using both disk diffusion and minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) methods. The acetonic extract exhibited the highest activity against Staphylococcus aureus with zone of inhibition of 14mm and the MIC of 25 mg/ml. However, there was a little activity against E. coli and S. typhimurium. The methanolic extract showed good antioxidant activity as indicated by 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl free radical assay (DPPH). In conclusion, raisin contains potent phenolic compounds and their application might function as promising natural preservative and antimicrobial agents in food industry and also good antioxidant food that helps to minimize the risk of degenerative diseases.

Assessment of Plasma Selenium-Binding Protein-1 Level in Geriatric Population

Geriatric physiologically undergoes aging process that can cause decreasing cell function and increasing risk of degenerative diseases caused by the accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the body. Selenium (Se) is an antioxidant, which is needed for maintaining the balance of ROS. The aim of this study was to observe the selenium-binding protein (SELENBP1) level in relation with the geriatric patients charcateristics including sex, age, body mass index (BMI), activity of daily living (ADL), instrumental activity of daily living (IADL), cognitive function, nutrition, depression, and insomnia status. The study used cross-sectional quantitative descriptive study design on 14 geriatric patients in Geriatric Outpatients Clinics, at a hospital in Bandung. The data was obtained by interviewing the patients and then blood samples were taken. The analysis of SELENBP1 was done using ELISA kit. The average level (SD) of SELENBP1 from all of the characteristics group was 2.68 (0.69) ng/ml. The highest SELENBP1 level was identified in female geriatric patients and followed by male and pre-obese groups. The lowest SELENBP1 level was identified in geriatric patients aged 70-79 years. Keywords: elderly, SELENBP1, selenium.

Lower Limb Muscular Activation During Transitions to Symmetric High Knee Flexion Postures in Young Females

OCCUPATIONAL APPLICATIONS Movements involving substantial knee flexion, such as squatting and kneeling, are common in many occupations and in some activities of daily living. However, the level of muscle activity required to perform these movements has not been well investigated, and only peak activations have been previously reported from a few leg muscles. This limits our understanding of the physical demands on workers when attempting to understand joint degenerative disease risk or developing guidelines for occupations commonly using these postures. The present study compared kneeling and squatting movements, based on activity levels, from seven leg muscles. Minimal differences were found when descending into these movements, but higher activity from two thigh muscles were observed when ascending from squatting when compared to kneeling. Therefore, future modeling efforts may use these data to verify estimates of muscle activity for joint loading prediction of symmetric descending transitions to high knee flexion postures.TECHNICAL ABSTRACT Rationale: Many occupations and activities of daily living require individuals to use their full range of knee motion, but fundamental data on muscle activity is lacking. Lower limb data are limited above 100° of knee flexion and have not been reported for dynamic movements with high knee flexion. Purpose: To determine if the levels of quadriceps, hamstring, gastrocnemii, and tibialis anterior activity differed between two symmetric high flexion movements (heels-up squat and dorsi-flexed kneel). Methods: Electromyographic signals from the dominant lower limb were normalized to maximum voluntary contractions and discretized in 1° increments of knee flexion angle; principal component analysis was then used as a means of comparing time-series data between dynamic movements. The descent and ascent phases of these movements were assessed separately. Results: Semitendinosus and vastus lateralis at peak principal component scores were 14.2% and 16.1% maximum voluntary contractions higher in the ascending phase, respectively, during squatting when compared to kneeling. Negligible differences were present in the biceps femoris during the descending phase. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that, for ascent to standing, activation waveforms for the semitendinosus and vastus lateralis muscles are different, at respective knee flexion angles, during these movements. However, muscular activity is similar between movements during descent.

Causes, Consequences and Public Health Implications of Low B-Vitamin Status in Ageing.

The potential protective roles of folate and the metabolically related B-vitamins (vitamins B12, B6 and riboflavin) in diseases of ageing are of increasing research interest. The most common cause of folate and riboflavin deficiencies in older people is low dietary intake, whereas low B12 status is primarily associated with food-bound malabsorption, while sub-optimal vitamin B6 status is attributed to increased requirements in ageing. Observational evidence links low status of folate and the related B-vitamins (and/or elevated concentrations of homocysteine) with a higher risk of degenerative diseases including cardiovascular disease (CVD), cognitive dysfunction and osteoporosis. Deficient or low status of these B-vitamins alone or in combination with genetic polymorphisms, including the common MTHFR 677 C → T polymorphism, could contribute to greater disease risk in ageing by causing perturbations in one carbon metabolism. Moreover, interventions with the relevant B-vitamins to optimise status may have beneficial effects in preventing degenerative diseases. The precise mechanisms are unknown but many have been proposed involving the role of folate and the related B-vitamins as co-factors for one-carbon transfer reactions, which are fundamental for DNA and RNA biosynthesis and the maintenance of methylation reactions. This review will examine the evidence linking folate and related B-vitamins with health and disease in ageing, associated mechanisms and public health implications.

Nutritional and phytochemical value of Brassica crops from the agri‐food perspective

AbstractBrassica foods are among the top 10 economic crops in the world (i.e. broccoli, kale, cauliflower and Chinese cabbage). These vegetables have been identified as important components of a healthy diet because of their high levels of nutrients and health‐promoting phytochemicals (i.e. phenolics, glucosinolates, vitamins and minerals). Epidemiological studies have shown that increased consumption of Brassica foods is strongly associated with a reduced risk of degenerative diseases, cancer, cardiovascular disease and immune dysfunction. Nevertheless, the nutritional content and profile in Brassica vegetables have been reported to vary considerably during the growth period due to agronomical factors including light, temperature, water availability and soil fertility among others. Moreover, the conditions of postharvest processing and cooking are also important factors on food quality. A better understanding of specific preharvest and postharvest conditions is essential to improve cultivars with value‐added nutritional quality. Thus, in this article are going to be addressed the effects of the most common crop management strategies and processes on the variation of nutritive compounds present within Brassica from the agri‐food perspective.

Unsustainability of Obesity: Metabolic Food Waste.

The obesity burden, with 1.5 billion overweight (OW) and 500 million obese (OB) worldwide, significantly increased the risk of degenerative diseases. Excessive consumption of foods that are energy dense lead to obesity, which represents a titanic cost for not only the world’s health systems but also a substantial ecological cost to the environment. The waste of resources and the unnecessary green house gas emissions (GHGs) emission, due to “obesigen” consumption of foods, have been ignored so far in practical assessments of ecological impacts. Our position is that food eaten above physiological needs, manifesting as obesity, should be considered waste. In this study, we developed a new indicator, metabolic food waste [MFW(kg of food)], corresponding to the amount of food leading to excess body fat and its impact on environment expressed as carbon , water [MFW(×10 L)], and land footprint . Results shows that the average amount of MFW(kg of food) was of 63.1 and 127.2 kg/capita in a observational study on 60 OW and OB subjects. Animal products contributed mostly to MFW(kg of food) in both OW (24.3 kg) and OB (46.5 kg), followed by cereals, legumes and starchy roots (19.4 kg OW; 38.9 kg OB), sugar and sweets (9.0 kg OW; 16.4 kg OB), and alcoholic beverages (7.5 kg OW; 20.1 kg OB). When dietary intake corresponding to MFW was transformed in ecological indexes, animal products displayed the highest values for carbon emissions, water consumption, and land use in both OW and OB followed by cereals, legumes, and starchy roots. The estimated MFW(kg of food) of the Italian population resulted to be 2.081 million kilograms of food for OB and OW. Reducing obesity will make a contribution toward achieving sustainable and functional diets, preserving and re-allocating natural resources for fighting hunger and malnutrition, and reducing GHGs emissions. Although further evidences in epidemiological studies are needed, MFW represents an innovative and reliable tool to unravel the diet–environment–health trilemma.

A study of food and nutrient intake of Punjabi adult males engaged in varied occupations

The combination of a healthy weight, prudent diet and daily physical activity clearly plays a role in primary, secondary and tertiary prevention of chronic diseases. Occupational level greatly influences the physical activity which in turn has significant effect on body composition. The present scenario of high prevalence of life style diseases is a serious threat to health and wellbeing of Punjabi community, the males being more prone due to their genetic pre-disposition. The study was conducted to determine the food and nutrient intake of adult males engaged in varied occupations. Thirty adult male subjects in the age group of 40 to 50 years from each category i.e. field workers, laboratory workers and office workers were selected from Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana. The consumption of pulses, green leafy vegetables and other vegetables and fruits were inadequate while cereals, milk and milk products and fats and oils and sugars were adequate in all the three groups. Diets were inadequate for energy, protein but adequate for fat in all the three categories. The contribution of fats to total energy was higher i.e. more than 20 per cent in case of lab workers and office workers which was undesirable as it may lead to obesity and other degenerative disorders. Thiamine was found to be adequate while rest of the five vitamins namely niacin, folic acid, vitamin B 12 and vitamin C were inadequate in all the three groups. Iron intake was adequate in field workers but marginally inadequate in lab and office workers while calcium was inadequate in field workers. Excess consumption of food especially in the form of cereals, pulses, sugar, fats and oils resulted in gaining total body weight which may result in increased risk of degenerative diseases. Hence, it is recommended that people must be educated to consume adequate diet so as to achieve desirable body weights.

Mitochondrial content is central to nuclear gene expression: Profound implications for human health.

We review a recent paper in Genome Research by Guantes et al. showing that nuclear gene expression is influenced by the bioenergetic status of the mitochondria. The amount of energy that mitochondria make available for gene expression varies considerably. It depends on: the energetic demands of the tissue; the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) mutant load; the number of mitochondria; stressors present in the cell. Hence, when failing mitochondria place the cell in energy crisis there are major effects on gene expression affecting the risk of degenerative diseases, cancer and ageing. In 2015 the UK parliament approved a change in the regulation of IVF techniques, allowing “Mitochondrial replacement therapy” to become a reproductive choice for women at risk of transmitting mitochondrial disease to their children. This is the first time that this technique will be available. Therefore understanding the interaction between mitochondria and the nucleus has never been more important.

Anticancer Effects of Extracts from the Fruit of Morinda Citrifolia (Noni) in Breast Cancer Cell Lines.

Morinda citrifolia L. (NONI) fruits have been used for thousands of years for the treatment of many health problems including cancer, cold, diabetes, flu, hypertension, and pain. Plant extracts have reported several therapeutic benefits, but extraction of individual compound from the extract often exhibits limited clinical utility as the synergistic effect of various natural ingredients gets lost. They generally constitute polyphenols and flavonoids. Studies have suggested that these phytochemicals, especially polyphenols, display high antioxidant properties, which help to reduce the risk of degenerative diseases, such as cancer and cardiovascular diseases. Several in-vitro and in-vivo studies have shown that Noni fruits have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-dementia, liver-protective, anticancer, analgesic, and immunomodulatory effects. Till date about 7 in vitro cancer studies have been done, but a detailed in vitro study including cell cycle and caspase activation assay on breast cancer cell line has not been done. In the present study different Noni fruit fractions have tested on cancer cell lines MCF-7, MDA-MB-231 (breast adenocarcinoma) and one non-cancer cell line HEK-293 (Human embryonic kidney). Out of which ethylacetate extract showed a higher order of in vitro anticancer activity profile. The ethylacetate extract strongly inhibited the proliferation of MCF-7, MDA-MB-231 and HEK-293 cell lines with IC50 values of 25, 35, 60 µg/ml respectively. The extract showed increase in apoptotic cells in MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cells and arrested the cell cycle in the G1/S phase in MCF-7 and G0/G1 phase in MDA-MB-231 cells. Noni extract also decreases the intracellular ROS generation and mitochondrial membrane potential.

Zinc supplementation influences genomic stability biomarkers, antioxidant activity, and zinc transporter genes in an elderly Australian population with low zinc status.

An increased intake of Zinc (Zn) may reduce the risk of degenerative diseases but may prove to be toxic if taken in excess. This study aimed to investigate whether zinc carnosine supplement can improve Zn status, genome stability events, and Zn transporter gene expression in an elderly (65-85 years) South Australian cohort with low plasma Zn levels. A 12-week placebo-controlled intervention trial was performed with 84 volunteers completing the study, (placebo, n = 42) and (Zn group, n = 42). Plasma Zn was significantly increased (p < 0.05) by 5.69% in the Zn supplemented group after 12 weeks. A significant (p < 0.05) decrease in the micronucleus frequency (-24.18%) was observed for the Zn supplemented cohort relative to baseline compared to the placebo group. Reductions of -7.09% for tail moment and -8.76% for tail intensity were observed for the Zn group (relative to baseline) (p < 0.05). Telomere base damage was found to be also significantly decreased in the Zn group (p < 0.05). Both MT1A and ZIP1 expression showed a significant increase in the Zn supplemented group (p < 0.05). Zn supplementation may have a beneficial effect in an elderly population with low Zn levels by improving Zn status, antioxidant profile, and lowering DNA damage.