The effects of a low carbohydrate diet combined with partial meal replacement on obese individuals.

OBJECTIVE: We explored the dietary effects of replacing normal dietary staple foods with supplementary nutritional protein powder, dietary fiber, and fish oil on several metabolic parameters. We examined weight loss, glucose and lipid metabolism, and intestinal flora in obese individuals when compared with individuals on a reduced staple food low carbohydrate diet. METHODS: From inclusion and exclusion criteria, 99 participants (28 kg/m2 ≤ body mass index (BMI) ≤ 35 kg/m2) were recruited and randomly assigned to control and intervention 1 and 2 groups. Physical examinations and biochemical indices were performed/gathered before the intervention and at 4 and 13 weeks post intervention. After 13 weeks, feces was collected and 16s rDNA sequenced. RESULTS: After 13 weeks, when compared with controls, body weight, BMI, waist circumference, hip circumference, systolic blood pressure, and diastolic blood pressure values in intervention group 1 were significantly reduced. In intervention group 2, body weight, BMI, waist circumference, and hip circumference were significantly reduced. Triglyceride (TG) levels in both intervention groups were significantly reduced. Fasting blood glucose, glycosylated hemoglobin, glycosylated albumin, total cholesterol, and apolipoprotein B levels in intervention group 1 were decreased, while high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c) decreased slightly. Glycosylated albumin, TG, and total cholesterol levels in intervention group 2 decreased, while HDL-c decreased slightly, High sensitive C-reactive protein, MPO, Ox-LDL, LEP, TGF-ß1, IL-6, GPLD1, pro NT, GPC-4, and LPS levels in both intervention groups were lower when compared with controls. Adiponectin (ADPN) levels in intervention groups were higher when compared with controls. Tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) levels in intervention group 1 were lower when compared with controls. There is no obvious difference in α diversity and ß diversity between intestinal flora of 3 groups. Among the first 10 species of Phylum, only the control group and the intervention group 2 had significantly higher Patescibacteria than the intervention group 1. Among the first 10 species of Genus, only the number of Agathobacter in intervention group 2 was significantly higher than that in control group and intervention group 1. CONCLUSIONS: We showed that an LCD, where nutritional protein powder replaced some staple foods and dietary fiber and fish oil were simultaneously supplemented, significantly reduced weight and improved carbohydrate and lipid metabolism in obese individuals when compared with an LCD which reduced staple food intake.

[Composition of fatty acid in commercially available bottled vegetable oil].

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the fatty acid composition of commercially available bottled vegetable oil, and to explore its characteristic composition and content and the proportion of specific fatty acids. METHODS: A total of eight varieties of bottled vegetable oil which are popular in use or famous with local brand from eight districts of Beijing, Yunnan, Zhejiang, Hunan, Henan, Harbin, Jiangsu and Gansu were collected, and selected two different batches for each variety. After being saponified and methyl esterified, the fatty acids of vegetable oil samples were analyzed by Shimadzu GC2014 gas chromatography. RESULTS: The commercially available bottled vegetable oils were mainly consisted of palmitic acid, oleic acid, linoleic acid and alpha-linolenic acid. The average content of trans fatty acids was 1.05g/100g. The ratio of saturated fatty acids: monounsaturated fatty acids: polyunsaturated fatty acid (S: M: P) of vegetable oil samples was in the range of 1:1. 6-9. 4: 0.9-7.4; the ratio of polyunsaturated fatty acid n-6 : n-3 was in the range of 0.37-289.5 : 1. CONCLUSION: The content of trans fatty acid in commercially available bottled vegetable oil was low, however, most of the proportion of fatty acid did not meet the standards suggested by the Chinese Nutrition Society, and most of vegetable oils are lack of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids.

[Menstrual blood loss and iron nutritional status in female undergraduate students].

OBJECTIVE: To study menstrual blood loss and iron nutritional status in female undergraduate students. METHODS: Thirty female undergraduate students were selected by simple random sampling method, the general information were investigated by questionnaire. The menstrual blood was collected by weighing every pad before and after use, and the blood not collected in pads was estimated. Hemoglobin, serum free protoporphyrin and serum ferritin were measured by regular method. The relationship between menstrual blood loss and iron nutritional status was analyzed by bivariate correlation statistics. RESULTS: The average menstrual period was (4.5 +/- 1.4) days. The average menstrual blood loss was (59.3 +/- 25.1) g, in a range of 24 g to 110 g. The average content of serum ferritin, free protoporphyrin and hemoglobin was (25.13 +/- 14.33) ng/ml, (0.06 +/- 0.01) microg/ml and (131.61 +/- 9.76) g/L respectively. There were 22.58% of subjects in iron reduction period (serum ferritin < 12 ng/ml). The menstrual blood loss was negatively correlated with serum ferritin. CONCLUSION: The amount of menstrual blood loss among individual students was significantly different. No clinical anemia does not mean in a good iron nutritional status. Serum ferritin is a sensitive indicator for iron nutritional status.

The combined use of gamma-aminobutyric acid and walnut peptide enhances sleep in mice.

BACKGROUND: γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) is a naturally occurring non-protein amino acid in the nervous system and has a wide range of physiological functions in the body. Walnut peptide (WP) contains high levels of arginine, aspartic acid, and glutamate, and has been shown to improve cognitive deficits and memory impairment in mice, while restoring antioxidant enzyme levels and reducing brain inflammatory mediators. METHODS: This study investigated the effects of GABA and WP, either alone or in combination, on sleep disturbances in mice. The pentobarbital-prolonged sleep test, pentobarbital-threshold sleep test, and barbital-induced sleep test were conducted to assess the effects of GABA and WP on sleep quality by gavage for 30 days as follows: GABA (102.25 mg/kg), WP (102.25 mg/kg), GABA (33.95, 102.25, 306.75 mg/kg)/WP (102.25 mg/kg) mixture. Furthermore, neurotransmitter tests were performed using mice brain tissue to investigate the possible mechanisms of GABA and WP on sleep status. RESULTS: The results showed that the combined use of GABA and WP significantly increased sleep duration compared with single administration of either WP or GABA. Increasing doses of GABA in mice treated with combined GABA and WP elevated the sleep rate to 50.00%, 64.28%, and 64.28%, respectively, compared to mice treated with GABA alone (35.71%) or mice treated with WP alone (28.57%). In mice that received a combination of GABA and WP orally, the latency time was significantly decreased after 30 days compared to control mice (P<0.05). Additionally, in mice treated with GABA, WP, or the combination of GABA and WP, the concentrations of GABA and acetylcholine (Ach) in the brain were significantly elevated and the concentration of serotonin (5-HT) was decreased compared to untreated mice. CONCLUSIONS: These results demonstrated that the combined administration of GABA and WP could prolong the sleep duration, increase sleep rate, and shorten the sleep latency more effectively than the administration of either GABA or WP alone. The mechanisms of action may be related to the regulation of neurotransmitters in the brain tissue by the combination of GABA and WP.

Protective effect of lutein on oxidative stress damage caused by acute PM2.5 exposure in rats.

BACKGROUND: Particulate matter (PM) is the sum of organic and inorganic substances suspended in air. Particles with a diameter equal to or smaller than 2.5 µm (PM2.5) can induce extensive oxidative stress damage in lung tissues. Lutein can prevent oxidative stress and the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines. However, its role in lung injury induced by PM2.5 is still unclear. This study used lutein to intervene in lung injury induced by PM2.5 in rats to confirm the protective function of lutein in PM2.5- induced lung injury. METHODS: A total of 80 rats were divided into five groups according to body weight (bw). Rats in the blank control group and the PM2.5 exposure group were treated with normal saline. The low-, medium-, and high-dose lutein groups were treated with 12.5, 25.0, and 50.0 mg/kg·bw lutein continuously for 28 days. In addition, on days 22-28, 10 mg/kg PM2.5 was introduced by intratracheal instillation into the PM2.5 exposure group and all lutein dose groups continuously for 7 days to establish PM2.5 injury models. Lung tissues were collected and subjected to hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining to observe histomorphological changes. Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) was collected to detect the expression of cell damage indicators including lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), acidic phosphatase (ACP), alkaline phosphatase (AKP), interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-8 (IL-8), and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α). In addition, the levels of serum oxidative stress indicators in rats, including methane dicarboxylic aldehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione (GSH), nitric oxide synthase (NOS), and 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG), as well as cytokines, including IL-6, IL-8, and TNF-α, were analyzed. RESULTS: Lung tissues of rats after PM2.5 exposure exhibited different degrees of pathological changes. In serum, oxidative damage indicators MDA, NOS, and 8-OHdG and inflammatory cytokines IL-6, IL-8, and TNF-α significantly increased whereas GSH levels significantly decreased (P<0.05). In BALF, cell damage indicators ACP and AKP and inflammatory cytokines IL-6, IL-8, and TNF-α all increased (P<0.05). After lutein intervention, oxidative damage and cellular inflammatory cytokines in serum and BALF all significantly decreased (P<0.05) whereas serum GSH levels increased (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: PM2.5 caused significant oxidative damage and inflammatory injury in rat lungs. Lutein alleviated these effects, playing a protective role in lung tissues.