Effect of Three Defatting Solvents on the Techno-Functional Properties of an Edible Insect (Gryllus bimaculatus) Protein Concentrate.

Edible insects have received global attention as an alternative protein-rich food. However, their structural characteristics make them difficult to digest. To overcome this obstacle, we assessed the techno-functional properties of three protein concentrates from the cricket Gryllus bimaculatus. Freeze-dried G. bimaculatus powder was defatted using ethanol, hexene, or acetone as solvents, and the techno-functional properties (protein solubility, water and oil holding capacity, foaming properties, emulsion capacity, and gel formation) of the protein concentrates were determined. Freeze-dried G. bimaculatus powder comprised approximately 17.3% crude fat and 51.3% crude protein based on dry weight. Ethanol was the most effective solvent for reducing the fat content (from 17.30% to 0.73%) and increasing the protein content (from 51.3% to 62.5%) of the concentrate. Techno-functionality properties drastically differed according to the defatting solvent used and foaming properties were most affected. Thus, the techno-functional and whole properties must be considered for proper application of edible insects to achieve global food sustainability.

Protaetia brevitarsis seulensis Derived Protein Isolate with Enhanced Osteomodulatory and Antioxidative Property.

The osteogenic differentiation of stem cells is profoundly affected by their microenvironmental conditions. The differentiation behavior of stem cells can be tuned by changing the niche environments. The proteins or peptides that are derived by living organisms facilitate the osteogenic differentiation of stem cells. Here, we have evaluated the osteoinductive and antioxidative potential of the Protaetia brevitarsis seulensis insect-derived protein for human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hBMSCs). The amino acid contents in the isolated protein were determined by an amino acid analyzer. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were used to analyze the extract's functional groups and surface morphology. The extracted protein exhibited 51.08% ß-sheet conformation. No adverse effects were observed in extract-treated cells, indicating their biocompatibility. The protein isolate showed an excellent antioxidative property. Besides this, an enhancement in the hBMSCs' mineralization has been observed in the presence of treated protein isolates. Notably, osteogenic marker genes and proteins were effectively expressed in the treated cells. These results indicated that the P. brevitarsis-derived protein isolate can be used as a potential antioxidative biomaterial for bone tissue engineering applications.

Effect of pH-shifting on the water holding capacity and gelation properties of mung bean protein isolate.

In this study, alkaline pH-shifting modified the globular structure of mung bean protein isolate (MBPI) to form flexible and stretched structures. In contrast, acidic pH-shifting increased the rigidity of MBPI. The increased flexibility (at the level of the secondary structure) and newly exposed intermolecular amino acid groups induced by alkaline pH-shifting improved the water holding capacity and gelation properties of proteins. Specifically, MBPI treated at pH 12 (MP12) showed the most flexible structure and highest water holding capacity and gel formation properties (least gelation concentration). The water-holding capacity of native MBPI increased from 1.56 g/g to 4.81 g/g, and its least gelation concentration decreased from 22 % to 15 % by pH-shifting at pH 12. Furthermore, MP12 formed stronger and more elastic heat-induced gels than native MBPI. We identified significant differences in the structural properties and water holding capacity, and gelation properties of acidic and alkaline pH-shifted MBPI and investigated the gelation properties of MP12 including rheological and morphological analyses. Our findings can facilitate the use of mung beans as a protein source in a wide range of food applications, including plant-based and processed meats.

Unraveling the phase behavior of cricket protein isolate and alginate in aqueous solution.

The associative phase behavior of cricket protein isolate (CPI) and sodium alginate (AL) in aqueous solutions was explored using turbidimetry, methylene blue spectroscopy, zeta potentiometry, dynamic light scattering, and confocal microscopy as a function of pH, biopolymer ratio, total biopolymer concentration (CT), and ionic strength. When both biopolymers had net-negative charges, soluble complexes formed between pH 6.0 and 8.0, however when both biopolymers had opposing net charges, insoluble complexes formed as complex coacervates below pH 5.5, defined as pHφ1, followed by precipitates below another critical pH 3.0 (pHp). Increasing the CPI:AL weight ratio or CT facilitated complex formation, and the addition of salts (NaCl/KCl) had a salt-enhancement and salt-reduction impact at low and high salt concentrations, respectively. Ionic interactions between oppositely charged CPI and AL were mainly responsible for the formation of their insoluble complexes, while hydrogen bonding and hydrophobic interactions also played significant roles.

Bioengineered Lab-Grown Meat-like Constructs through 3D Bioprinting of Antioxidative Protein Hydrolysates.

Lab-grown bovine meat analogues are emerging alternatives to animal sacrifices for cultured meat production. The most challenging aspect of the production process is the rapid proliferation of cells and establishment of the desired 3D structure for mass production. In this study, we developed a direct ink writing-based 3D-bioprinted meat culture platform composed of 6% (w/v) alginate and 4% (w/v) gelatin (Alg/Gel)-based hydrogel scaffolds supplemented with naturally derived protein hydrolysates (PHs; 10%) from highly nutritive plants (soybean, pigeon pea, and wheat), and some selected edible insects (beetles, crickets, and mealworms) on in vitro proliferation of bovine myosatellite cells (bMSCs) extracted from fresh meat samples. The developed bioink exhibited excellent shear-thinning behavior (n < 1) and mechanical stability during 3D bioprinting. Commercial proteases (Alcalase, Neutrase, and Flavourzyme) were used for protein hydrolysis. The resulting hydrolysates exhibited lower-molecular-weight bands (12-50 kDa) than those of crude isolates (55-160 kDa), as determined by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The degree of hydrolysis was higher in the presence of Alcalase for both plant (34%) and insect (62%) PHs than other enzymes. The 3D-printed hydrogel scaffolds displayed excellent bioactivity and stability after 7 days of incubation. The developed prototype structure (pepperoni meat, 20 × 20 × 5 mm) provided a highly stable, nutritious, and mechanically strong structure that supported the rapid proliferation of myoblasts in a low-serum environment during the entire culture period. The 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging assay enhanced the free radical reduction of Alcalase- and Neutrase-treated PHs. Furthermore, the bioprinted bMSCs displayed early myogenesis (desmin and Pax7) in the presence of PHs, suggesting its role in bMSC differentiation. In conclusion, we developed a 3D bioprinted and bioactive meat culture platform using Alg/Gel/PHs as a printable and edible component for the mass production of cultured meat.

Is body mass index associated with pathological outcomes after radical prostatectomy in Korean men?

UNLABELLED: Study Type--Therapy (case series) Level of Evidence 4. What's known on the subject? and What does the study add? Today, controversies continue with regards to the potential impact of obesity or increased body mass index (BMI) on actual pathological features of prostate cancer and/or clinical outcome after radical prostatectomy (RP). Moreover, a paucity of relevant data exist in the literature regarding Asian or Korean men. For the first time to our knowledge, the study demonstrated that although higher BMI was significantly associated with extracapsular extension of tumour, BMI did not significantly enhance ability to preoperatively predict extracapsular extension of tumour and was not significantly associated with PSA outcome as well as other objective pathological outcomes in Korean men undergoing RP, who are generally leaner than Western counterparts. OBJECTIVE: • To investigate the impact of increased body mass index (BMI) on pathological features after radical prostatectomy (RP) in Korean patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS: • We reviewed the records of 1000 Korean patients who underwent RP for prostate cancer and assessed the differences in pathological outcomes and biochemical recurrence-free survival after RP according to BMI of subjects via univariate and multivariate analyses. • A multivariate logistics regression model, the performance of which was analysed from a receiver operator characteristics curve, was applied to assess the predictive capacity of variables shown to be significant predictors of adverse pathological outcome. RESULTS: • Among our subjects, only 17 (1.7%) men had BMI ≥30 kg/m(2). After adjusting for various clinical variables, BMI (highest quartile vs others) was shown to be significantly associated with extracapsular extension of tumour (P= 0.014) and positive surgical margin (P= 0.019), but not with high pathological Gleason score (P= 0.912) and seminal vesicle invasion (P= 0.191). • Meanwhile, the addition of BMI to a multivariate model devised for preoperatively predicting extracapsular extension of tumour did not significantly increase predictive accuracy of the model (P= 0.319). On multivariate analysis, BMI was not shown to be a significant predictor of biochemical recurrence-free survival (P= 0.201). CONCLUSION: • Although higher BMI was significantly associated with extracapsular extension of tumour, BMI did not significantly enhance the ability to preoperatively predict extracapsular extension of tumour and was not significantly associated with PSA outcome or with other objective pathological outcomes in Korean men undergoing RP, who are generally leaner than their western counterparts.

Naturally-derived protein extract from Gryllus bimaculatus improves antioxidant properties and promotes osteogenic differentiation of hBMSCs.

Naturally-derived proteins or peptides are promising biopolymers for tissue engineering applications owing to their health-promoting activity. Herein, we extracted proteins (~90%) from two-spotted cricket (Gryllus bimaculatus) and evaluated their osteoinductive potential in human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hBMSCs) under in vitro conditions. The extracted protein isolate was analyzed for the amino acid composition and the mass distribution of the constituent peptide fraction. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy was used to determine the presence of biologically significant functional groups. The cricket protein isolate (CPI) exhibited characteristic protein peaks in the FTIR spectrum. Notably, an enhanced cell viability was observed in the presence of the extracted proteins, showing their biocompatibility. The CPI also exhibited antioxidant properties in a concentration-dependent manner. More significant mineralization was observed in the CPI-treated cells than in the control, suggesting their osteoinductive potential. The upregulation of the osteogenic marker genes (Runx2, ALP, OCN, and BSP) in CPI treated media compared with the control supports their osteoinductive nature. Therefore, cricket-derived protein isolates could be used as functional protein isolate for tissue engineering applications, especially for bone regeneration.

Pretreatment assessment of tumor enhancement on contrast-enhanced computed tomography as a potential predictor of treatment outcome in metastatic renal cell carcinoma patients receiving antiangiogenic therapy.

BACKGROUND: Tumor vascularity is a potential predictor of treatment outcomes in metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC), and contrast enhancement of tumors in computed tomography (CT) is correlated significantly with microvessel density. In this study, the authors investigated whether tumor enhancement in contrast-enhanced CT (CECT) is useful for predicting outcomes in patients with mRCC who are receiving antiangiogenic therapy. METHODS: Attenuation values were reviewed retrospectively on CECT images of all metastatic lesions in 66 patients from February 2007 to November 2008. All patients received a tyrosine kinase inhibitor (either sunitinib or sorafenib). Tumor response was evaluated on CECT studies every 12 weeks. The authors analyzed the association between contrast enhancement and treatment outcomes, including objective response, tumor size reduction rate, time to response, and time to progression. RESULTS: In 46 patients, 198 metastatic lesions were assessed. Tumor size was reduced in 140 lesions (70.7%) and was increased in 58 lesions (29.3%). The mean reduction in size was 23.8%. The overall mean time to response and the time to progression were 8.6 months and 16.4 months, respectively. In multivariate analyses, tumor enhancement and enhancement pattern were associated with objective responses (P = .003 and P = .028, respectively). In addition, tumor enhancement was associated with tumor size reduction (P = .004). In Cox proportional hazards models, only tumor enhancement was associated significantly with the time to size reduction and progression-free survival (P = .03 and P = .015, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Tumor enhancement on CECT images was associated with treatment outcomes and was identified as a potential predictor of treatment outcomes after antiangiogenic therapy in patients with mRCC.