An Accurate Estimate of the Amino Acid Content of Human Milk Collected from Chinese Women Adjusted for Differences in Amino Acid Digestibility.

BACKGROUND: The amino acid (AA) composition of human milk is used to define the AA requirements of the infant. Thus, it is important that estimates of composition be as complete and accurate as possible. When determining AA composition using standard hydrolysis methods, some AAs are progressively destroyed while others are incompletely released. For accuracy, AA composition needs to be determined using multiple hydrolysis times. The true ileal digestibility of AAs also needs to be taken into consideration. OBJECTIVE: The objective was to bring together AA compositional (determined using multiple hydrolysis intervals) and digestibility data determined using the piglet to give an estimate of the absorbed AA profile of human milk with reference in particular to Asian females. METHODS: Mature milk was collected from Chinese females. AA analysis using multiple hydrolysis intervals and a nonlinear regression model was used to accurately estimate AA composition. Human milk, as well as a protein-free diet, were fed to piglets (n = 6), and ileal digesta were collected (piglet age, 21 d) to determine the true ileal AA digestibility of AAs in human milk. RESULTS: True ileal AA digestibility coefficients ranged from (mean ± standard error of the mean) 0.61 ± 0.081 for tyrosine to 1.01 ± 0.030 for tryptophan, with a digestibility for total nitrogen of 0.90 ± 0.013. Convergence criteria were met for the modeling for each AA, and the model had a level of significance of P < 0.0001 for each AA. The amount of available AAs (total AA content as per the model prediction multiplied by the true ileal AA digestibility coefficient determined in the piglet) are reported. CONCLUSIONS: An estimate of the absorbed AA profile of mature milk collected from Chinese females is provided. For the first time, data is presented for cysteine.

The Inhibitory Effects of New Zealand Pine Bark (Enzogenol®) on α-Amylase, α-Glucosidase, and Dipeptidyl Peptidase-4 (DPP-4) Enzymes.

The New Zealand pine bark extract (Enzogenol®) has previously been shown to elicit acute hypoglycaemic effects in humans. The present study investigated the underlying mechanisms of Enzogenol® in reducing postprandial glucose in humans. The potential inhibitory action of Enzogenol® against digestive enzymes: α-amylase and α-glucosidase, and dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) enzyme was determined. Enzogenol® demonstrated the ability to inhibit all three enzymes: α-amylase enzyme activity (IC50 3.98 ± 0.11 mg/mL), α-glucosidase enzyme activity (IC50 13.02 ± 0.28 µg/mL), and DPP-4 enzyme activity (IC50 2.51 ± 0.04 mg/mL). The present findings indicate the potential for Enzogenol® to improve postprandial glycaemia by delaying carbohydrate digestion via the inhibition of digestive enzymes (α-amylase and α-glucosidase), and enhancing the incretin effect via inhibiting the dipeptidyl-peptidase-4 enzyme. The inhibitory actions of Enzogenol® on enzymes should therefore be further validated in humans for its potential use in type 2 diabetes mellitus prevention and management.

A Narrative Review of Human Clinical Trials on the Impact of Phenolic-Rich Plant Extracts on Prediabetes and Its Subgroups.

Phenolic-rich plant extracts have been demonstrated to improve glycemic control in individuals with prediabetes. However, there is increasing evidence that people with prediabetes are not a homogeneous group but exhibit different glycemic profiles leading to the existence of prediabetes subgroups. Prediabetes subgroups have been identified as: isolated impaired fasting glucose (IFG), isolated impaired glucose tolerance (IGT), and combined impaired fasting glucose and glucose intolerance (IFG/IGT). The present review investigates human clinical trials examining the hypoglycemic potential of phenolic-rich plant extracts in prediabetes and prediabetes subgroups. Artemisia princeps Pampanini, soy (Glycine max (L.) Merrill) leaf and Citrus junos Tanaka peel have been demonstrated to improve fasting glycemia and thus may be more useful for individuals with IFG with increasing hepatic insulin resistance. In contrast, white mulberry (Morus alba Linn.) leaf, persimmon (Diospyros kaki) leaf and Acacia. Mearnsii bark were shown to improve postprandial glycemia and hence may be preferably beneficial for individuals with IGT with increasing muscle insulin resistance. Elaeis guineensis leaf was observed to improve both fasting and postprandial glycemic measures depending on the dose. Current evidence remains scarce regarding the impact of the plant extracts on glycemic control in prediabetes subgroups and therefore warrants further study.