The fatty acid profile of adipose tissue as a predictor of the ponderal and inflammatory response in adult women six years after bariatric surgery.

BACKGROUND: Adipose tissue is involved in several metabolic changes. This study investigated the association between the fatty acid (FA) composition of subcutaneous (SAT) and visceral (VAT) adipose tissue pre-surgery and the postsurgical response regarding the evolution of weight and concentrations of tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF) and interleukin 6 (IL-6) in adult women who underwent Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB, n = 14) or sleeve gastrectomy (SG, n = 19) at one (T1), three (T3) and six (T6) years after surgery. METHODS: Blood samples were collected to obtain plasma for the measurement of IL-6 and TNF. Anthropometric measurements were performed, collecting samples of VAT and SAT during surgery to assess the FA profiles. RESULTS: Weight loss had a positive correlation with the percentage of VAT-C17:0 (T1, T3) and SAT-C18:2 (T1, T3, T6), and it had a negative correlation with SAT-C22:0 (T1, T3) and VAT-C22:0 (T3). Regarding the inflammatory response, SAT-C14:0 (T6), VAT-C14:0 (T6), SAT-C14:1 (baseline), SAT-C15:0 (T6), SAT-C16:1 (T6), VAT-C16:1 (baseline), SAT-C17:1 (T6), VAT-C17:1 (baseline), VAT-C18:1 (T6), and VAT-C20:1 (T6) exhibited positive correlations with the concentration of IL-6, which were different from the correlations of IL-6 concentrations with SAT-C18:2, VAT-C18:2 (T6), and VAT-C18:3 (T6). The FA SAT-C18:0 (T1) was negatively correlated with TNF concentrations. CONCLUSIONS: Saturated FAs were predominantly proinflammatory, primarily in the late postoperative period. Alternately, the polyunsaturated FAs exhibited anti-inflammatory potential and predicted weight loss. Thus, the FA profile of the adipose tissue of obese adult women may be a predictor of the ponderal and inflammatory response 6 years after bariatric surgery. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This study was approved by the ethics committee of Federal University of Viçosa; Registration n. 17287913.2.0000.5153; Date: 07/05/2013.

The addition of whole soy flour to cafeteria diet reduces metabolic risk markers in wistar rats.

BACKGROUND: Soybean is termed a functional food because it contains bioactive compounds. However, its effects are not well known under unbalanced diet conditions. This work is aimed at evaluating the effect of adding whole soy flour to a cafeteria diet on intestinal histomorphometry, metabolic risk and toxicity markers in rats. METHODS: In this study, 30 male adult Wistar rats were used, distributed among three groups (n = 10): AIN-93 M diet, cafeteria diet (CAF) and cafeteria diet with soy flour (CAFS), for 56 days. The following parameters were measured: food intake; weight gain; serum concentrations of triglycerides, total cholesterol, HDL-c, glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), aspartate (AST) and alanine (ALT) aminotransferases and Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances (TBARS); humidity and lipid fecal content; weight and fat of the liver. The villous height, the crypt depth and the thickness of the duodenal and ileal circular and longitudinal muscle layers of the animals were also measured. RESULTS: There was a significant reduction in the food intake in the CAF group. The CAFS showed lower serum concentrations of triglycerides and serum TBARS and a lower percentage of hepatic fat, with a corresponding increase in thickness of the intestinal muscle layers. In the CAF group, an increase in the HbA1c, ALT, lipid excretion, liver TBARS and crypt depth, was observed associated with lower HDL-c and villous height. The addition of soy did not promote any change in these parameters. CONCLUSIONS: The inclusion of whole soy flour in a high-fat diet may be helpful in reducing some markers of metabolic risk; however, more studies are required to clarify its effects on unbalanced diets.

Bio-based thin films of cellulose nanofibrils and magnetite for potential application in green electronics.

The objective of this work was to prepare bio-based thin films and evaluate the additions of magnetite and glycerol on the physico-chemical (flexibility, wettability and barrier properties) and dielectric properties of cellulose/chitosan-based films. The films were prepared by solution casting and presented a suitable dispersion of the constituents observed by SEM and FTIR. The films were thermally stable up to 150 °C and had a higher flexibility, wettability and lower barrier properties upon addition of glycerol. The calculated dielectric constant (εr) for the composite films was based on measurements of capacitance, at 100 and 1000 Hz, with the additions of magnetite and glycerol more than doubling the εr increasing the charge storage capacity. The bio-based thin films have potential to be used as insulators in capacitors on the production of green electronics thus, reducing toxic and nonrenewable e-waste generation.

Renewable hybrid nanocatalyst from magnetite and cellulose for treatment of textile effluents.

A hybrid catalyst was prepared using cellulose nanofibrils and magnetite to degrade organic compounds. Cellulose nanofibrils were isolated by mechanical defibrillation producing a suspension used as a matrix for magnetite particles. The solution of nanofibrils and magnetite was dried and milled resulting in a catalyst with a 1:1 ratio of cellulose and magnetite that was chemically and physically characterized using light, scanning electron and transmission electron microscopies, specific surface area analysis, vibrating sample magnetometry, thermogravimetric analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, catalytic potential and degradation kinetics. Results showed good dispersion of the active phase, magnetite, in the mat of cellulosic nanofibrils. Leaching and re-use tests showed that catalytic activity was not lost over several cycles. The hybrid material produced was tested for degradation of methylene blue dye in Fenton-like reactions resulting in a potential catalyst for use in degradation of organic compounds.