Anti-Multiple Myeloma Potential of Secondary Metabolites from Hibiscus sabdariffa-Part 2.

Multiple Myeloma (MM) is an aggressive tumor causing millions of deaths every year and currently available therapies are often unsuccessful or correlated with severe side effects. In our previous work we demonstrated that the Hibiscus sabdariffa hydroalcoholic extract inhibits the growth of the MM cell line and we isolated two metabolites responsible for the activity: Hib-ester and Hib-carbaldehyde. Herein we report their interaction with proteasome, one of the main targets in the fight against MM. The molecular modelling study outlined a good interaction of both compounds with the target and these results prompted us to investigate their potential to inhibit proteasome. Metabolites were then isolated from the calyces and an extract with a high content of Hib-ester and Hib-carbaldehyde was prepared. An anticancer profile was drawn, evaluating apoptosis, autophagy and proteasome inhibition, with the anticancer properties being mainly attributed to the Hib-ester and Hib-carbaldehyde, while the proteasome inhibition of the extract could also be ascribed to the presence of anthocyanins, a class of secondary metabolites already known for their proteasome inhibitory activity.

Two-cell embryos are more sensitive than blastocysts to AMPK-dependent suppression of anabolism and stemness by commonly used fertility drugs, a diet supplement, and stress.

PURPOSE: This study tests whether metformin or diet supplement BR-DIM-induced AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) mediated effects on development are more pronounced in blastocysts or 2-cell mouse embryos. METHODS: Culture mouse zygotes to two-cell embryos and test effects after 0.5-1 h AMPK agonists' (e.g., Met, BR-DIM) exposure on AMPK-dependent ACCser79P phosphorylation and/or Oct4 by immunofluorescence. Culture morulae to blastocysts and test for increased ACCser79P, decreased Oct4 and for AMPK dependence by coculture with AMPK inhibitor compound C (CC). Test whether Met or BR-DIM decrease growth rates of morulae cultured to blastocyst by counting cells. RESULT(S): Aspirin, metformin, and hyperosmotic sorbitol increased pACC ser79P ~ 20-fold, and BR-DIM caused a ~ 30-fold increase over two-cell embryos cultured for 1 h in KSOMaa but only 3- to 6-fold increase in blastocysts. We previously showed that these stimuli decreased Oct4 40-85% in two-cell embryos that was ~ 60-90% reversible by coculture with AMPK inhibitor CC. However, Oct4 decreased only 30-50% in blastocysts, although reversibility of loss by CC was similar at both embryo stages. Met and BR-DIM previously caused a near-complete cell proliferation arrest in two-cell embryos and here Met caused lower CC-reversible growth decrease and AMPK-independent BR-DIM-induced blastocyst growth decrease. CONCLUSION: Inducing drug or diet supplements decreased anabolism, growth, and stemness have a greater impact on AMPK-dependent processes in two-cell embryos compared to blastocysts.

Commonly used fertility drugs, a diet supplement, and stress force AMPK-dependent block of stemness and development in cultured mammalian embryos.

PURPOSE: The purpose of the present study is to test whether metformin, aspirin, or diet supplement (DS) BioResponse-3,3'-Diindolylmethane (BR-DIM) can induce AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK)-dependent potency loss in cultured embryos and whether metformin (Met) + Aspirin (Asa) or BR-DIM causes an AMPK-dependent decrease in embryonic development. METHODS: The methods used were as follows: culture post-thaw mouse zygotes to the two-cell embryo stage and test effects after 1-h AMPK agonists' (e.g., Met, Asa, BR-DIM, control hyperosmotic stress) exposure on AMPK-dependent loss of Oct4 and/or Rex1 nuclear potency factors, confirm AMPK dependence by reversing potency loss in two-cell-stage embryos with AMPK inhibitor compound C (CC), test whether Met + Asa (i.e., co-added) or DS BR-DIM decreases development of two-cell to blastocyst stage in an AMPK-dependent (CC-sensitive) manner, and evaluate the level of Rex1 and Oct4 nuclear fluorescence in two-cell-stage embryos and rate of two-cell-stage embryo development to blastocysts. RESULT(S): Met, Asa, BR-DIM, or hyperosmotic sorbitol stress induces rapid ~50-85 % Rex1 and/or Oct4 protein loss in two-cell embryos. This loss is ~60-90 % reversible by co-culture with AMPK inhibitor CC. Embryo development from two-cell to blastocyst stage is decreased in culture with either Met + Asa or BR-DIM, and this is either >90 or ~60 % reversible with CC, respectively. CONCLUSION: These experimental designs here showed that Met-, Asa-, BR-DIM-, or sorbitol stress-induced rapid potency loss in two-cell embryos is AMPK dependent as suggested by inhibition of Rex1 and/or Oct4 protein loss with an AMPK inhibitor. The DS BR-DIM or fertility drugs (e.g., Met + Asa) that are used to enhance maternal metabolism to support fertility can also chronically slow embryo growth and block development in an AMPK-dependent manner.

Hake fish bone as a calcium source for efficient bone mineralization.

Calcium is recognized as an essential nutritional factor for bone health. An adequate intake is important to achieve or maintain optimal bone mass in particular during growth and old age. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the efficiency of hake fish bone (HBF) as a calcium source for bone mineralization: in vitro on osteosarcoma SaOS-2 cells, cultured in Ca-free osteogenic medium (OM) and in vivo on young growing rats fed a low-calcium diet. Lithotame (L), a Ca supplement derived from Lithothamnium calcareum, was used as control. In vitro experiments showed that HBF supplementation provided bone mineralization similar to standard OM, whereas L supplementation showed lower activity. In vivo low-Ca HBF-added and L-added diet similarly affected bone deposition. Physico-chemical parameters concerning bone mineralization, such as femur breaking force, tibia density and calcium/phosphorus mineral content, had beneficial effects from both Ca supplementations, in the absence of any evident adverse effect. We conclude HBF derived from by-product from the fish industry is a good calcium supplier with comparable efficacy to L.

Ultrasonography to investigate the effect of supplementing whole milk with complex carbohydrates and specific amino acids on curd retention in the abomasum of dairy calves.

AIM: To determine whether the retention time of curd in the abomasum of calves was influenced by supplementing milk with a plant-derived carbohydrate and amino acid supplement, evaluated non-invasively using ultrasonography. METHODS: Female dairy calves aged between 2-6 days of age were sourced from a commercial farm in March 2013. All calves were fed whole milk until weaning (4 L per day); 21 calves were supplemented with a probiotic until 18 days of age, and thereafter with a plant-derived complex carbohydrate and amino acid supplement until weaning, and 22 calves were just fed whole milk. Treatment groups were balanced for age, weight and breed. At 9-14, 24-29 and 52-57 days of age, the abomasum of each calf was examined using ultrasonography immediately before and after feeding, 1 and 2 hours after feeding, and then at 30 minute intervals until curd was no longer visible in the abomasum. Abomasal volume and curd size were recorded to assess retention time of curd in the abomasum. RESULTS: At 9-14 days of age, mean retention time of curd in the abomasum was similar (4.6 hours) in both groups. At 24-29 days of age, when the supplemented calves had been receiving the supplement for approximately 10 days, mean curd retention time was longer by 1.4 (SE 0.28) hours in supplemented compared with unsupplemented calves (p<0.001). At 52-57 days of age, mean retention time was longer by 0.7 (SE 0.34) hours compared to unsupplemented calves (p=0.05). CONCLUSION: Using ultrasonography, changes in abomasal content could be followed non-invasively over time and it was demonstrated that the plant-derived complex carbohydrate supplement increased the curd retention time in the abomasum. We speculate that the increased retention time enables an increased availability of nutrients following a more complete digestion of milk, thereby improving animal performance.

Evaluation of paraprobiotic applicability of Lactobacillus plantarum in improving the immune response and disease protection in giant freshwater prawn, Macrobrachium rosenbergii (de Man, 1879).

Paraprobiotics, also known as ghost probiotics, are non-viable microbial cells which, when administered in adequate amounts, confer a benefit on the host. However, the advantage of non-viable microbes over their viable counterparts is a much debated topic in aquaculture. Therefore, the present study was conducted to evaluate paraprobiotic effect of heat-killed Lactobacillus plantarum on giant freshwater prawn Macrobrachium rosenbergii. A 90-day feeding trial was conducted by feeding prawn juveniles (mean weight ± SE: 0.54 ± 0.03 g) with three experimental diets prepared by supplementing basal diet (Crude protein: 38%; Gross energy: 387 kcal 100 g(-1)) with different concentrations of heat-killed probiotics bacteria viz. HKPB1 (10(7) cfu g(-1) diet), HKPB2 (10(8) cfu g(-1) diet), HKPB3 (10(9) cfu g(-1) diet) and control diet (unsupplemented diet). In the present study, growth parameters viz. WG % and SGR and feed utilization parameters viz. FCE, FCR and PER, though improved marginally in all experimental groups, were found to be insignificant (P > 0.05) compared to the control. The immune parameters viz. total hemocyte count (THC), phenol oxidase (PO) activity, respiratory burst (RB) activity and clearance efficiency were significantly improved (P < 0.05) with concurrent decrease (P < 0.05) in cumulative mortality against Aeromonas hydrophila challenge in all the experimental groups except for HKPB1, where PO and RB activity did not improve significantly (P > 0.05) compared to the control. Among the experimental groups, though the improvement in immune parameters was higher (P < 0.05) in HKPB2 and HKPB3 compared to HKPB1 and the control, no significant difference (P > 0.05) was observed between HKPB2 and HKPB3. The results obtained from the present study indicate that the application of heat-killed L. plantarum at a concentration of 10(8) cfu g(-1) diet, though not effective in augmenting the growth and feed utilization parameters, can significantly improve immune parameters and disease resistance of M. rosenbergii in the laboratory condition.

The effect of MemoVigor 2 on recent-onset idiopathic tinnitus: a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial.

Background: Tinnitus is a common symptom associated with the conscious perception of sound in the absence of a corresponding external or internal sound source, which can severely impact quality of life. Because of the current limited understanding of the precise pathophysiological mechanism of idiopathic tinnitus, no curable treatment has been attained yet. A food supplement trading as MemoVigor 2, which contains a combination of therapeutic ingredients with mainly antioxidant activity, has been used in the treatment of tinnitus. The objective of our study was to evaluate the effectiveness of MemoVigor 2 in the treatment of recent-onset idiopathic tinnitus. Methods: In a prospective single-centre randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial we studied 204 patients with idiopathic tinnitus divided into two groups: 104 patients who received MemoVigor 2 and 100 patients treated with placebo. To evaluate changes in tinnitus we used (1) audiometry/tympanometry; (2) specific measures of tinnitus perception, including tinnitus pitch, loudness at tinnitus pitch, loudness at 1 kHz, minimum masking level, and residual inhibition; (3) questionnaires of tinnitus handicap inventory, mini tinnitus questionnaire and patients' global impression of change. All patients underwent this test battery at the beginning of the study and in a repeat post-3-month session. Results: All tinnitus measures, including pitch, loudness, minimum masking level and residual inhibition improved significantly in the intervention group. Most of these measures improved in the placebo group too, but in a lesser degree. All questionnaire scores diminished significantly in both groups, but the degree of decrease was greater in the intervention group. The participants' tinnitus outcome reported after treatment using the patients' global impression of change score differed significantly between the two groups, with greater improvement observed in the intervention group. Conclusion: We found that the use of MemoVigor 2 improved recent-onset tinnitus, as proved by a set of tests performed for its evaluation, including audiometric measures, specific measures of tinnitus perception and tinnitus questionnaires. Tinnitus in the placebo group improved too, but to a lesser degree. Clinical Trial Registration: isrctn.com, Identifier ISRCTN16025480.

Effects of a multivitamin/multimineral supplement on young males with physical overtraining: a placebo-controlled, randomized, double-blinded cross-over trial.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of vitamin-mineral supplement on young males with physical overtraining. METHODS: Two hundred and forty male Chinese field artillery personnel who undertook large scale and endurance military training and were on ordinary Chinese diet were randomized to receive a multivitamin/multimineral supplement or a placebo for 1 week. After a 1-week wash-out period, a cross-over with 1 week course of a placebo or multivitamin/multimineral supplement was conducted. Blood and urine samples were analyzed for adrenal, gonadal and thyroid hormones. In addition, cellular immune parameters (CD3+, CD3+CD4+, CD3+CD8+, CD4/CD8, CD3-CD56+, CD3-CD19+) were examined and psychological tests were performed before and after the training program and nutrition intervention. RESULTS: After a large scale and endurance military training, the participants showed significantly increased thyroid function, decreased adrenal cortex, testosterone and immunological function, and significantly increased somatization, anger and tension. Compared to placebo, multivitamin/ multimineral intervention showed significant effects on functional recovery of the pituitary - adrenal axis, pituitary-gonadal axis, pituitary- thyroid axis and immune system as well as psychological parameters. CONCLUSION: High-intensity military operations have significant impacts on the psychology, physical ability and neuroendocrine-immune system in young males. Appropriate supplementation of multivitamin/multimineral can facilitate the recovery of the psychology, physical ability and neuroendocrine-immune system in young males who take ordinary Chinese diet.

On 210Po and 210Pb in algae diet supplements - The assessed radiation hazard of aquatic superfoods.

Algae are believed to give health benefits. However, the studies showed they contain toxic elements, including radionuclides, and may affect human health. The study presents the values of activity concentrations of 210Po and 210Pb in the algae supplements available worldwide for adults. The activity concentrations (Bq/kg dw) ranged from 0.07 to 14.5 (210Po) and from 0.06 to 8.48 (210Pb). Also, the effective radiation doses and the cancer risk from 210Po and 210Pb decay ingested with analyzed algal supplements have been assessed. The highest values of annual effective doses have been estimated for 210Po in the recommended portion of Spirulina (Arthrospira platensis) from China (59.7 µSv/year) and Diatomaceous earth from the USA (50.4 µSv/year). The cancer morbidity and mortality risk ranged from 10-4 to 10-8. The study indicated the activity concentrations of 210Po and 210Pb were low, and algae supplements for human consumption could be considered safe food.

Utilization of Cottonseed Meal Protein Hydrolysate by Crustaceans: Insights on Growth Performance, Protein Turnover, and Metabolism in Chinese Mitten Crab Eriocheir sinensis.

Plant protein hydrolysates could enhance the growth performance and diet utilization of aquaculture species. The mechanisms underlying their beneficial effects, however, remain unclear. The purpose of this study was to appraise the effects of cottonseed meal protein hydrolysate (CPH) supplementation on the growth performance, amino acid profiles, and protein turnover and metabolism of Eriocheir sinensis. A total of 240 crabs (initial weight: 37.32 ± 0.38 g) were randomly assigned to six groups, and fed six iso-protein feeds supplemented with varying levels of 0% (the control group), 0.2%, 0.4%, 0.8%, 1.6% and 3.2% of CPH. These diets were continuously fed to the crabs for 12 weeks. The findings demonstrated that, compared with the control group, adding 0.4-0.8% CPH to the diet significantly increased the specific growth rate, nitrogen retention efficiency, hepatopancreas index, body crude protein content, hepatopancreas alanine aminotransferase and glutamine synthetase activities, hemolymph total protein content, the hepatopancreas transcription of S6 kinase-poly-peptide 1, and the hepatopancreas protein levels of insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), protein kinase B (Akt), and target of rapamycin (TOR) of crabs. In contrast, when the dose of dietary CPH reached 3.2%, the forkhead box O1 (FoxO1) protein expression showed a significant decrease compared with the control group. In addition, CPH supplementation also increased the amount of amino acids and free amino acids in hepatopancreas and hemolymph, respectively. Together, these findings demonstrated that dietary supplementation of 0.4-0.8% CPH could activate the IGF-1/Akt/TOR pathway of E. sinensis, thereby improving growth performance, protein synthesis, and utilization. For cost considerations, the recommended dietary dose of CPH for E. sinensis is 0.8%. Due to the above benefits, CPH has the potential to be used as a growth promoter for other aquatic animals, especially crustaceans.

Countermeasure efficacy of apigenin for silicon-ion-induced early damage in blood and bone marrow of exposed C57BL/6J mice.

We investigated the countermeasure efficacy of apigenin (AP), given as a diet supplement, for radiation-induced damage in the hematopoietic tissues collected on day 7 after a total-body exposure of male C57BL/6J mice to 0 or 0.5 Gy of 260 MeV/n silicon (28Si) ions. We gave food with AP at the concentration of 20 mg/kg body weight (bw) (AP20) or without AP (AP0) to mice before and after irradiation. There were four groups of mice (six mice in each): Group 1- Control, i.e. No Radiation (0 Gy) with AP0; Group 2 - Radiation (0.5 Gy) with AP0; Group 3 - No Radiation (0 Gy) with AP20; and Group 4 - Radiation (0.5 Gy) with AP20. The complete blood count (CBC) and differential blood count were performed for each mouse. In the same mouse, an anti-clastogenic activity of AP was evaluated using the in vivo blood-erythrocyte micronucleus (MN) assay. Further in each mouse, bone marrow (BM) cells were collected and used for measuring the levels of activated nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB), and pro-inflammatory cytokines (i.e. tumor necrotic factor-alpha (TNF-α), interleukin-1α (IL-1α), IL-1 beta (IL-1ß), and IL-6). We used the colony-forming unit assay (CFU-A) as a tool to study the countermeasure efficacy of AP against the harmful effects of 28Si ions on the proliferation of the hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells (HSPCs). Our results showed that AP is highly effective not only in the prevention of leukopenia and thrombocytopenia but also in the enhancement of erythropoiesis and the proliferation of HSPCs. We also observed the potent anti-clastogenic activity of AP given to mice as a diet supplement. Further, we found that AP is very effective in the suppression of activated NF-κB and pro-inflammatory cytokines, suggesting that AP given as a diet supplement protects mice from 28Si-ion-induced damage in the hematopoietic tissues of irradiated male C57BL/6J mice via its anti-inflammation activity.

A new diet supplement formulation containing cranberry extract for the treatment of feline idiopathic cystitis.

This study aimed to investigate whether cranberry extract could reduce lower urinary tract (LUT) and gastro-intestinal (GI) signs in feline idiopathic cystitis (FIC). Twenty-one client-owned cats were randomly allocated to two groups: a treated group (T, n = 10) receiving daily an oral nutritional supplement containing cranberry extract and a control group (C, n = 11). Owners were trained to recognise daily LUT and GI signs. Physical examination, urinalysis and bladder ultrasonography were performed at day 0 (T0), 15 (T15), 30 (T30), 60 (T60). Both groups showed an improvement for dysuria and periuria from T0 to T30 (p < 0.05), but only in cats of the T group, LUT signs disappeared at T60. A significant improvement in the T group was also observed for GI signs and bladder ultrasonography at T60 (p = 0.03). Urinalysis did not show any significant differences. This preliminary study suggests that cranberry could be effective in reducing LUT and GI signs in FIC.

Delphinidin diminishes in vitro interferon-γ and interleukin-17 producing cells in patients with psoriatic disease.

The anthocyanidin delphinidin reduces psoriasiform lesions and inflammatory mediators in human cell culture systems. Its role in psoriatic disease has not yet been investigated. We assessed delphinidin's in vitro immunomodulatory effect on ex vivo stimulated peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from 50 individuals [26 with psoriasis, 10 with psoriatic arthritis (PsA) and 14 healthy controls (HCs)]. Cells were either left untreated or stimulated with PMA plus ionomycin in the presence or absence of delphinidin. Intracellular production of interferon-γ (IFNγ), interleukin-17A (IL-17A), and interleukin-10 (IL-10) was measured flow cytometrically. Delphinidin dose-dependently reduced IFNγ+ T cells from patients and HCs. The mean IFNγ decrease in CD4+ T subpopulations was 42.5 ± 28% for psoriasis patients, 51.8 ± 21.5% for PsA patients and 49 ± 17% for HCs (p < 0.001 for all). Similarly, IFNγ reduction in CD8+ T cells was 34 ± 21.6% for psoriasis patients, 47.1 ± 22.8% for PsA and 44.8 ± 14.3% for HCs (P < 0.001 for all). An inhibitory effect of delphinidin was also noted in IFNγ producing NKs and NKTs from psoriasis individuals. Delphinidin also significantly decreased IL-17+ CD4+ T cells in all tested subjects, with marginal effect on the increase of IL-10-producing T regulatory subsets. In conclusion, delphinidin exerts a profound in vitro anti-inflammatory effect in psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis by inhibiting IFNγ+ innate and adaptive cells and T helper (Th) 17 cells. If this effect is also exerted in vivo, delphinidin may be regarded as a nutraceutical with immunosuppressive potential.

Chronic Kidney Disease and Dietary Supplementation: Effects on Inflammation and Oxidative Stress.

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) causes an irreversible loss of kidney functioning in dogs. This double-blind case-control study evaluates the efficacy of a dietary supplement, which contains calcium carbonate, calcium lactate-gluconate, chitosan, sodium bicarbonate, Lactobacillus acidophilus D2/CSL, Olea europaea L. extract, and fructooligosaccharides, in dogs in advanced CKD stage. Thirty dogs were enrolled in the study; half were administered the new dietary supplementation for 90 days, while the others were used as controls. Hematologic, biochemical, and urinalysis were performed. This novel dietary supplement mainly reported a good control of uremia, phosphate, acid-base balance, blood pressure, inflammation, and oxidative stress in dogs with advanced stages of CKD.

Identification of antioxidant peptides derived from tropical jackfruit seed and investigation of the stability profiles.

Jackfruit is a sweet tropical fruit with very pleasant aroma, and the ripe seeds are edible. In this study, jackfruit seed proteins were isolated and subjected to trypsin digestion. The resultant protein hydrolysate was then subjected to antioxidant assay-guided purification, using centrifugal filtration, C18 reverse-phase and strong cation exchange (SCX) fractionations. The purified SCX fraction was further analyzed by de novo peptide sequencing, and two peptide sequences were identified and synthesized. Peptide JFS-2 (VGPWQK) was detected with antioxidant potential, with EC50 value comparable to that of commercial GSH antioxidant peptide. Additionally, the identified peptides were tested with protein protection potential, in an albumin protein denaturation inhibitory assay. Concurrently, we also investigated the pH, temperature, and gastrointestinal-digestion stability profiles for the identified peptide. With further research efforts, the identified peptides could potentially be developed into preservative agent for protein-rich food systems or as health-promoting diet supplements.

Effects of antioxidant supplementation on oxidative stress balance in young footballers- a randomized double-blind trial.

BACKGROUND: Intensive physical exercise that competitive sports athletes participate in can negatively affect their pro-oxidative-antioxidant balance. Compounds with high antioxidant potential, such as those present in chokeberry (Aronia melanocarpa), can prevent these adverse changes. We here investigated the effect of antioxidant supplementation on oxidative stress balance in young footballers. METHODS: The study was designed as a double-blind randomized trial. Diet of a group of young football players (male; n = 20; mean age, 15.8 years-old) was supplemented with 200 ml of chokeberry juice per day, for 7 weeks. The players were randomly assigned to the experimental (supplemented, FP-S; n = 12) and control (placebo, FB-C; n = 8) groups. Before and after the supplementation period, the participants performed a beep test. Venous blood was sampled for serum analysis before, immediately after, 3 h, and 24 h after the beep test. Serum levels of thiobarbituric acid reactive products, 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine, total antioxidant capacity, iron, hepcidin, ferritin, myoglobin, and albumin, and morphological blood parameters (red blood cells, (RBC), haemoglobin (HGB), haematocrit (HCT) mean corpuscular volume (MCV) mean corpuscular haemoglobin (MCH), mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration (MCHC), and lactic acid) were determined. RESULTS: Chokeberry juice supplementation did not significantly affect the outcome of the beep test. The supplementation did not significantly affect any of the morphological, biochemical, or performance parameters analysed. CONCLUSIONS: Chokeberry juice supplementation did not affect the measured parameters in the studied population, which may indicate insufficient antioxidant capacity of the juice.

Enhancement of Apis mellifera L. Hypopharyngeal Gland using Hyphaene thebaica Ethanolic Extract as Supplement.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Hypopharyngeal gland (HPG) of Apis mellifera L. honey bee workers secrete the main proteinaceous substances, the royal jelly which acts a vital role in brood care by young workers and thus colony growth. Many factors may affect the development and function of the hypopharyngeal gland and consequently their role within the beehive. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Hyphaene thebaica fruit powder (500 g) was soaked in one litter of 70% ethanol for 3 days at room temperature, then filtered and concentrated to dryness with a rotary evaporator. Bioactive compounds and biological activity of doum ethanolic extract were characterized to measure the extent of safety. Samples of workers bee feeding with the extract concentrations (0.5 and 1%) at 6, 10 and 14 days were examined for head weight, body weight, soluble protein content, DNA fragmentation and hypopharyngeal glands histology, the data were analyzed using analysis of variance (ANOVA), Tukey's least significant difference. RESULTS: Ethanolic doum extract contains flavonoids (45.62 mg g-1) and phenolic (27.24 mg g-1) compounds, also possess antioxidant (147 µg mL-1), anti-inflammatory (119.8 µg mL-1) and antimicrobial activities. There was an elevation in soluble protein content and no DNA damage in the honey bee worker's genome after fourteen days of feeding. The histological studies exhibited no deformation in the structure of gland acini and an increase in gland size was detected. CONCLUSION: Ethanolic doum extract in the bee diet has a role in HPG enhancement. Studies on its safety profile and biological activities make it a good choice to attenuate honey bee diseases inside bee colonies.

Vitamin K as a Diet Supplement with Impact in Human Health: Current Evidence in Age-Related Diseases.

Vitamin K health benefits have been recently widely shown to extend beyond blood homeostasis and implicated in chronic low-grade inflammatory diseases such as cardiovascular disease, osteoarthritis, dementia, cognitive impairment, mobility disability, and frailty. Novel and more efficient nutritional and therapeutic options are urgently needed to lower the burden and the associated health care costs of these age-related diseases. Naturally occurring vitamin K comprise the phylloquinone (vitamin K1), and a series of menaquinones broadly designated as vitamin K2 that differ in source, absorption rates, tissue distribution, bioavailability, and target activity. Although vitamin K1 and K2 sources are mainly dietary, consumer preference for diet supplements is growing, especially when derived from marine resources. The aim of this review is to update the reader regarding the specific contribution and effect of each K1 and K2 vitamers in human health, identify potential methods for its sustainable and cost-efficient production, and novel natural sources of vitamin K and formulations to improve absorption and bioavailability. This new information will contribute to foster the use of vitamin K as a health-promoting supplement, which meets the increasing consumer demand. Simultaneously, relevant information on the clinical context and direct health consequences of vitamin K deficiency focusing in aging and age-related diseases will be discussed.

Hazelnut as Ingredient in Dairy Sheep Diet: Effect on Sensory and Volatile Profile of Cheese.

The opportunity of replacing expensive feedstuffs with agro-industrial by-products in the diet of food producing animals is raising increasing interest while addressing global concern for the scarcity of natural resources and environmental impact of livestock farming. Hazelnut peels, rich in fiber and vitamins and characterized by a high concentration of fats, is considered a suitable ingredient to be included in the diet of ruminants. The aim of this research was to assess the effect of dietary hazelnut peels on the chemical and sensory properties of sheep cheese during refrigerated storage. To this purpose, 20 Comisana lactating ewes were randomly assigned to two experimental groups, control (C) and hazelnut peels (HP), balanced for parity, milk yield and body weight. Bulk milk collected from the 2 groups was used to produce 5 Pecorino cheeses for each group. After 40 d of aging, each cheese of each experimental group was divided into 3 pieces: 1 piece was sampled for analyses (C0, HP0) and 2 were wrapped in PVC film, simulating the condition of pre-wrapped products, and analyzed after 7 (C7, HP7) and 14 days of storage (C14, HP14) at 8°C with 80% moisture. The cheeses were analyzed for chemical and fatty acid composition, sensory analysis, odor active compounds and SmartNose. As expected, HP cheeses presented a higher lipid content compared to C, a lower content in SFA and PUFA, and a greater content in MUFA. A triangle test revealed a clear distinction between the 2 groups (α = 0.01) The sensory profile showed a significant effect on holes (P < 0.05) and a marginal production of off-flavors linked to spicy and acid attributes for HP cheeses The volatile profile of C and HP cheese samples showed a good similarity, partially explained by the short ripening time and the absence of 2-nonanone in HP7, suggesting a higher antioxidant protection grade of this cheese compared to the others. These results were confirmed by Smart Nose analysis. Further studies on vitamin content should be conducted in order to investigate the interactions between the presence of antioxidant volatile compounds and the oxidative stability of ewe cheese.

Stressors Due to Handling Impair Gut Immunity in Meagre (Argyrosomus regius): The Compensatory Role of Dietary L-Tryptophan.

In the context of intensive aquaculture, meagre (Argyrosomus regius) is one of the most important new aquaculture species in Southern Europe and several studies are focused on the optimization of its culture. Nevertheless, stressors such as handling during transport or culture maintenance may affect the immune system, thereby impairing some immune responses or provoking cellular damage. One strategy that has been used to avert this type of negative stress response is the supplementation of amino acids to improve resistance to stress. In this experiment, meagre (105.0 ± 2.6 g, mean ± standard deviation) juveniles were fed two diets for a period of 7 days, the first a commercial diet supplemented with 1% tryptophan (Trp) and second, the same commercial diet without tryptophan supplementation (control group). The effects of two types of handling stressors (air exposure and confinement/netting) on fish fed both diets was evaluated in terms of gene expression of the selected gut immunity markers, such as (1) innate immune response processes: c3 complement (c3), lysozyme (lys), and cyclooxygenase (cox2); (2) humoral immune response processes: interferon type 1 (ifn1), mx protein (mxp), interleukin 1b (il-1b), tumor necrosis factor 1a (tnf1a), and interleukin 10 (il-10); (3) antimicrobial peptides: defensin (def), hepcidin (hep), piscidin (pis), and a marker for mitochondrial respiration: glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase (gapdh). Samples of the anterior intestine were collected at 1 and 6 h post-stress (hps). Results showed that in fish fed 1% Trp, the air exposure resulted in an upregulation of gene expression at 6 hps for c3, lys, cox2, ifn1, mxp, il-10 and gapdh, and il-1b and pis. The confinement/netting test for fish fed 1% Trp resulted in an upregulation of c3 and mxp and a downregulation of cox2, ifn1, il-1b, tnf1a, il-10, def, hep, and gapdh at both post-stress times (1 and 6 hps). According to the present study, dietary supplementation with 1% Trp may be considered as a proper nutritional strategy for improving tolerance and/or alleviating acute response to handling stressors.