A novel antioxidant iron-chelating peptide from yak skin: analysis of the chelating mechanism and digestion stability in vitro.

BACKGROUND: The global prevalence of iron deficiency has posed significant public health risks. Animal-derived collagen peptides have been recognized for their potent metal ion-chelating capabilities, which can greatly enhance the bioavailability of iron. Yak skins, typically discarded during production and processing, serve as a valuable resource. Based on yak skin collagen peptide (YSP), we have developed a novel iron-chelating peptide: yak skin collagen iron-chelating peptide (YSP-Fe). RESULTS: The maximum level of iron chelation of YSP-Fe achieved was 42.72 ± 0.65 mg g-1. Structural analysis indicated that YSP-Fe was primarily formed from amino, carboxyl and carbonyl groups combined with ferrous ions. Through examination of the amino acid composition, molecular docking and peptide sequence identification, it was determined that Gly, Asp and Arg played crucial roles in the chelation of ferrous ions by YSP. Furthermore, YSP-Fe was more stable in simulated gastrointestinal digestion compared to FeSO4. CONCLUSION: YSP-Fe demonstrated dual benefits of iron supplementation and antioxidant effects. These significant findings provide a foundation for the development of novel iron supplements and the effective utilization of yak skin as a valuable resource. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.

Chitosan entrapping of sodium alginate / Lycium barbarum polysaccharide gels for the encapsulation, protection and delivery of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum with enhanced viability.

To preserve the viability of probiotics during digestion and storage, encapsulation techniques are necessary to withstand the challenges posed by adverse environments. A core-shell structure has been developed to provide protection for probiotics. By utilizing sodium alginate (SA) / Lycium barbarum polysaccharide (LBP) as the core material and chitosan (CS) as the shell, the probiotic load reached 9.676 log CFU/mL. This formulation not only facilitated continuous release in the gastrointestinal tract but also enhanced thermal stability and storage stability. The results obtained from Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analysis confirmed that the addition of LBP and CS affected the microstructure of the gel by enhancing the hydrogen bond force, so as to achieve controlled release. Following the digestion of the gel within the gastrointestinal tract, the released amount was determined to be 9.657 log CFU/mL. The moisture content and storage stability tests confirmed that the encapsulated Lactiplantibacillus plantarum maintained good activity for an extended period at 4 °C, with an encapsulated count of 8.469 log CFU/mL on the 28th day. In conclusion, the newly developed core-shell gel in this study exhibits excellent probiotic protection and delivery capabilities.

Dietary intervention in depression - a review.

Depression is a mental illness that affects the normal lives of over 300 million people. Unfortunately, about 30% to 40% of patients do not adequately respond to pharmacotherapy and other therapies. This review focuses on exploring the relationship between dietary nutrition and depression, aiming to find safer and efficient ingredients to alleviate depression. Diet can affect depression in numerous ways. These pathways include the regulation of tryptophan metabolism, inflammation, hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, microbe-gut-brain axis, brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and epigenetics. Furthermore, probiotics, micronutrients, and other active substances exhibit significant antidepressant effects by regulating the above pathways. These provide insights for developing antidepressant foods.

Mixing Oil-Based Microencapsulation of Garlic Essential Oil: Impact of Incorporating Three Commercial Vegetable Oils on the Stability of Emulsions.

The active components in garlic essential oil are easily degradable, which limits its application in the food industry. Vegetable oils (VOs) were used to improve the stability of garlic essential oil (GEO) emulsion. The volatile compounds of GEO and its mixtures with vegetable oils (VOs), including corn oil (CO), soybean oil (SO), and olive oil (OO) indicated that GEO-VO mixtures had a higher percentage of Diallyl disulfide and Diallyl trisulfide than pure GEO. Adding an appropriate amount of VOs promoted the GEO emulsion (whey protein concentrate and inulin as the wall materials) stability in order of CO > SO > OO. Evaluation of the encapsulation efficiency, controlled release, and antimicrobial activity of GEO-VO microcapsules showed that the GEO was successfully entrapped and slowly released with active antibacterial activities on both E. coli and S. aureus. Collectively, these results implied that VOs, especially for 20% CO, improved the stability of GEO emulsions and the encapsulation efficiency of GEO microcapsules. The mechanism might be related to (1) the regulating effect of density difference between oil and water phases on prevention to gravitational separation, (2) the promotion to the compatibility of GEO and VOs to inhibit the phase separation caused by Ostwald ripening.

A case report on non-specific synovitis of the knee due to septic foreign body in the Hoffa fat pad causing diagnostic dilemma.

INTRODUCTION & IMPORTANCE: Recurrent chronic synovitis due to foreign body is a rare entity and it may progress into chronic septic arthritis. Chronic recurrent synovitis or septic arthritis may leave permanent damage to the articular cartilage and renders the child with permanent disabilities. CASE PRESENTATION: A 03-year-old girl has been transferred to a tertiary centre with a history of recurrent pain and swelling of the right knee and on and off limping for six weeks duration. These symptoms were preceded by a history of prick injury to the ipsilateral knee. CLINICAL FINDINGS & INVESTIGATIONS: The knee was warm to the touch, moderately tender and contains effusion. C-Reactive peptide level series were elevated, Erythrocyte sedimentation rate was 83 mm/1 st hour and White cell count was 10,300/mm3. The ultrasonography revealed suprapatellar bursitis, other investigations such as Antinuclear antibody levels, Rheumatoid factor and Bacterial culture of the aspirate were negative. INTERVENTIONS & OUTCOME: Arthrotomy and synovectomy performed. While performing synovectomy, an organic thorn has been retrieved from the Hoffa fat pad. The child was treated with intravenous antibiotics for ten days (Co-amoxiclav) and discharged. Her recovery was uneventful and in six weeks she has shown marked improvement of the knee function. Histological examination revealed non-specific chronic synovitis. RELEVANCE & IMPACT: Chronic synovitis due to foreign body mimicking septic arthritis or causing diagnostic difficulty is a rare entity in the paediatric population. Careful clinical evaluation after creating a good rapport with the child is of utmost importance.

Carboxymethylation of (1 → 6)-α-dextran from Leuconostoc spp.: Effects on microstructural, thermal and antioxidant properties.

The carboxymethylated (1 â†’ 6)-α-dextran (CM-dex) was synthesized by introducing carboxymethyl groups at different degrees of substitution (DS). The resulting dex1-1, dex2-1, dex3-1, and dex4-1 products had degrees of substitution of 0.57, 0.78, 1.13, and 1.25, respectively. The dex3-1 showed the highest glass transition temperature (Tg) of 215.96 °C, whereas Tg of pure dextran was 149.83 °C. TGA results indicated that the residual loss was reduced along with the increase of DS in the high-temperature region (450-600 °C). Besides, the CM-dex had stronger scavenging capacity against OH radicals but lower scavenging capacity for DPPH (1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl) radicals compared to that of pure dextran. The carboxymethylation of (1 â†’ 6)-α-dextran will extend the applications for modified dextran.