The association between the number of food kinds and risk of depression in U.S. adults.

BACKGROUND: The association between the number of food kinds and the risk of depression in adults was examined. METHODS: According to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, a total of 4593 adults were included in the study. The number of food kinds was collected via 24‒hour dietary recalls. Depression was assessed using the Patient Health Questionnaire‒9. Logistic regression and restricted cubic spline models were applied to assess the association between the number of food kinds and the risk of depression. RESULTS: This study included 4593 study participants, 451 of whom were diagnosed with depression. The revised advantage ratios (with corresponding confidence intervals) for the prevalence of depression among individuals in the fourth quartiles of the number of food kinds (Q4) in comparison to the lowest quartile (Q1) were determined to be 0.59 (0.36‒0.96), respectively. According to our subgroup analyses, the number of food kinds was negatively associated with the risk of depression in females, participants aged 18‒45 and 45‒65 years, and participants with a body mass index (BMI) of 25 to 24.9 kg/m2. According to our dose‒response analysis, the number of food kinds was linearly associated with the risk of depression (Pfor nonlinear=0.5896). CONCLUSION: The risk of depression exhibited a linear and negative correlation with the number of food kinds. The results indicated that a diversified diet was an effective nonpharmacological approach that deserved further generalization.

The Antiaging Activities of Phytochemicals in Dark-Colored Plant Foods: Involvement of the Autophagy- and Apoptosis-Associated Pathways.

In the last two decades, human life expectancy has increased by about 10 years, but this has not been accompanied by a corresponding increase in healthy lifespan. Aging is associated with a wide range of human disorders, including cancer, diabetes, and cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases. Delaying the aging of organs or tissues and improving the physiological functions of the elderly can reduce the risk of aging-related diseases. Autophagy and apoptosis are crucial mechanisms for cell survival and tissue homeostasis, and may also be primary aging-regulatory pathways. Recent epidemiological studies have shown that eating more colorful plant foods could increase life expectancy. Several representative phytochemicals in dark-colored plant foods such as quercetin, catechin, curcumin, anthocyanins, and lycopene have apparent antiaging potential. Nevertheless, the antiaging signaling pathways of the phytochemicals from dark-colored plant foods remain elusive. In the present review, we summarized autophagy- and apoptosis-associated targeting pathways of those phytochemicals and discussed the core targets involved in the antiaging effects. Further clinical evaluation and exploitation of phytochemicals as antiaging agents are needed to develop novel antiaging therapeutics for preventing age-related diseases and improving a healthy lifespan.

Facile and Selective Determination of Total Phthalic Acid Esters Level in Soft Drinks by Molecular Fluorescence Based on Petroleum Ether Microextraction and Selective Derivation by H2SO4.

Determining the level of phthalic acid esters (PAEs) in packaged carbonated beverages is a current need to ensure food safety. High-selectivity and -accuracy identification of individual PAEs can be achieved by chromatographic and mass spectrometric (MS) techniques. However, these methods are slow; involve complicated, expensive instruments in professional laboratories; and consume a large amount of organic solvents. As such, a food analysis method is needed to conveniently and rapidly evaluate multiple contaminants on site. In this study, with the assistance of ultrasound, we quickly determined the total PAEs in soft drinks using 1.5 mL of petroleum ether in one step. Then, we determined the characteristic molecular fluorescence spectrum of all PAEs in samples (excitation (Ex)/emission (Em) at 218/351 nm) using selectively concentrated sulfuric acid derivatization. The relative standard deviations of the fluorescent intensities of mixed solutions with five different PAEs were lower than 7.1% at three concentration levels. The limit of detection of the proposed method is 0.10 µmol L-1, which matches that of some of the chromatographic methods, but the proposed method uses less organic solvent and cheaper instruments. These microextraction devices and the fluorescence spectrometer are portable and provide an instant result, which shows promise for the evaluation of the total level of PAEs in beverages on site. The proposed method successfully detected the total level of PAEs in 38 kinds of soft drink samples from local supermarkets, indicating its potential for applications in the packaged beverage industry.

Antiaging Potential of Peptides from Underused Marine Bioresources.

Aging is a biological process that occurs under normal conditions and in several chronic degenerative diseases. Bioactive natural peptides have been shown to improve the effects of aging in cell and animal models and in clinical trials. However, few reports delve into the enormous diversity of peptides from marine organisms. This review provides recent information on the antiaging potential of bioactive peptides from underused marine resources, including examples that scavenge free radicals in vitro, inhibit cell apoptosis, prolong the lifespan of fruit flies and Caenorhabditis elegans, suppress aging in mice, and exert protective roles in aging humans. The underlying molecular mechanisms involved, such as upregulation of oxidase activity, inhibition of cell apoptosis and MMP-1 expression, restoring mitochondrial function, and regulating intestinal homeostasis, are also summarized. This work will help highlight the antiaging potential of peptides from underused marine organisms which could be used as antiaging foods and cosmetic ingredients in the near future.

Marine Peptides as Potential Agents for the Management of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus-A Prospect.

An increasing prevalence of diabetes is known as a main risk for human health in the last future worldwide. There is limited evidence on the potential management of type 2 diabetes mellitus using bioactive peptides from marine organisms, besides from milk and beans. We summarized here recent advances in our understanding of the regulation of glucose metabolism using bioactive peptides from natural proteins, including regulation of insulin-regulated glucose metabolism, such as protection and reparation of pancreatic ß-cells, enhancing glucose-stimulated insulin secretion and influencing the sensitivity of insulin and the signaling pathways, and inhibition of bioactive peptides to dipeptidyl peptidase IV, α-amylase and α-glucosidase activities. The present paper tried to understand the underlying mechanism involved and the structure characteristics of bioactive peptides responsible for its antidiabetic activities to prospect the utilization of rich marine organism proteins.

The Structure-Activity Relationship of the Antioxidant Peptides from Natural Proteins.

Peptides derived from dietary proteins, have been reported to display significant antioxidant activity, which may exert notably beneficial effects in promoting human health and in food processing. Recently, much research has focused on the generation, separation, purification and identification of novel peptides from various protein sources. Some researchers have tried to discover the structural characteristics of antioxidant peptides in order to lessen or avoid the tedious and aimless work involving the ongoing generated peptide preparation schemes. This review aims to summarize the current knowledge on the relationship between the structural features of peptides and their antioxidant activities. The relationship between the structure of the precursor proteins and their abilities to release antioxidant fragments will also be summarized and inferred. The preparation methods and antioxidant capacity evaluation assays of peptides and a prediction scheme of quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) will also be pointed out and discussed.

Ultrasound-assisted extraction of Mangiferin from Mango (Mangifera indica L.) leaves using response surface methodology.

Mangiferin is a xanthone widely distributed in higher plants showing antioxidative, antiviral, anticancer, antidiabetic, immunomodulatory, hepatoprotective and analgesic effects. In the present study, an ultrasonic-assisted extraction method was developed for the effective extraction of mangiferin from mango leaves. Some parameters such as ethanol concentration, liquid-to-solid ratio, extraction temperature, and extraction time were optimized by single-factor experiment and response surface methodology. The optimal extraction conditions were 44% ethanol, the liquid-to-solid ratio was 38:1, and extraction for 19.2 min at 60 °C under ultrasound irradiation of 200 W. Under optimal conditions, the yield of mangiferin was 58.46 ± 1.27 mg/g. The results obtained are helpful for the full utilization of mango leaves, and also indicated that ultrasonic-assisted extraction is a very useful method for the extraction of mangiferin from plant materials.

Yo-Yo Dieting Delays Male Drosophila melanogaster Aging Through Enhanced Mitochondrial Function, Relative to Sustained High-Calorie Diet Feeding.

Weight regain subsequent to weight reduction resulting from dietary interventions represents a prevalent phenomenon recognized as "Yo-yo dieting." However, the impact of prolonged Yo-yo dieting on health, especially in relation to the aging process, remains poorly understood. This study aimed to investigate the influence of Yo-yo dieting on the aging process in male Drosophila melanogaster that have been exposed to a high-calorie (HC) diet. Fruit flies were fed with either a consistent HC diet or an alternating regimen of HC and low-calorie diets every 3 days (referred to as "Yo-yo dieting") for a total of 24 days. Biochemical assays were utilized to quantify levels of oxidative stress and activities of the mitochondrial respiratory chain complexes. The frozen section staining method was employed to assess the presence of lipid droplets, reactive oxygen species, cellular viability, and mitochondrial abundance in tissues. Additionally, we examined the expression of key regulators involved in mitochondrial dynamics and biogenic signaling pathways. Yo-yo dieting resulted in an extension of the fruit flies' lifespan, concomitant with reduced body weight, decreased body protein content, and lower triglyceride levels compared to continuous a HC diet feeding. Furthermore, Yo-yo dieting ameliorated impairments in motility and intestinal barrier function. Importantly, it improved mitochondrial function and upregulated the expression of essential mitochondrial fusion proteins, namely mitofusin 1 and mitofusin 2, optic atrophy 1, and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ coactivator-1α. Therefore, the practice of Yo-yo dieting extends the lifespan of fruit flies by modulating mitochondrial dynamics and the associated biogenic signaling pathways.

Potential of fruit wastes as natural resources of bioactive compounds.

Fruit wastes are one of the main sources of municipal waste. In order to explore the potential of fruit wastes as natural resources of bioactive compounds, the antioxidant potency and total phenolic contents (TPC) of lipophilic and hydrophilic components in wastes (peel and seed) of 50 fruits were systematically evaluated. The results showed that different fruit residues had diverse antioxidant potency and the variation was very large. Furthermore, the main bioactive compounds were identified and quantified, and catechin, cyanidin 3-glucoside, epicatechin, galangin, gallic acid, homogentisic acid, kaempferol, and chlorogenic acid were widely found in these residues. Especially, the values of ferric-reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC) and TPC in the residues were higher than in pulps. The results showed that fruit residues could be inexpensive and readily available resources of bioactive compounds for use in the food and pharmaceutical industries.

Efficiency of ursodeoxycholic acid for the treatment of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have demonstrated that ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) possesses anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anti-fibrotic properties, and it may reduce the degree of liver damage caused by nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). However, the effectiveness of UDCA in improving liver function and histology in cases of NASH remains unclear. Therefore, we performed a meta-analysis to assess the efficacy of UDCA in the treatment of NASH. METHODS: PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, Cochrane, and other databases were searched for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published before 1 January 2022, in which UDCA was used to treat patients with NASH. RESULTS: A total of 8 studies with 655 participantsmet the criteria for inclusion in this meta-analysis. The forest plot displayed that UDCA treatment significantly reduced blood concentrations of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and γ-glutamyl transferase (GGT). However, the pooled effect size results did not suggest any significant effect of UDCA on anthropometric characteristics or hepatic histology. CONCLUSION: UDCA therapy can effectively reduce serum levels of ALT and GGT in patients with NASH but has no significant effects on physical characteristics or liver histology. Further large-scale and dose-response clinical studies are needed to evaluate the clinical potential of UDCA in treating NASH.

Microwave-assisted extraction of oleanolic acid and ursolic acid from Ligustrum lucidum Ait.

Oleanolic acid and ursolic acid are the main active components in fruit of Ligustrum lucidum Ait, and possess anticancer, antimutagenic, anti-inflammatory, antioxidative and antiprotozoal activities. In this study, microwave-assisted extraction of oleanolic acid and ursolic acid from Ligustrum lucidum was investigated with HPLC-photodiode array detection. Effects of several experimental parameters, such as type and concentration of extraction solvent, ratio of liquid to material, microwave power, extraction temperature and microwave time, on the extraction efficiencies of oleanolic acid and ursolic acid from Ligustrum lucidum were evaluated. The influence of experimental parameters on the extraction efficiency of ursolic acid was more significant than that of oleanolic acid (p < 0.05). The optimal extraction conditions were 80% ethanol aqueous solution, the ratio of material to liquid was 1:15, and extraction for 30 min at 70 °C under microwave irradiation of 500 W. Under optimal conditions, the yields of oleanolic acid and ursolic acid were 4.4 ± 0.20 mg/g and 5.8 ± 0.15 mg/g, respectively. The results obtained are helpful for the full utilization of Ligustrum lucidum, which also indicated that microwave-assisted extraction is a very useful method for extraction of oleanolic acid and ursolic acid from plant materials.

Total phenolic contents and antioxidant capacities of herbal and tea infusions.

In order to supply new information on the antioxidant function of selected beverages for nutritionists and the general public, total phenolic contents of 51 kinds of herbal and tea infusions made in China were measured by the Folin-Ciocalteu method, and their antioxidant capacities were evaluated using ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) and Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC) assays. A significant correlation between FRAP and TEAC values suggested that antioxidant components in these beverages were capable of reducing oxidants and scavenging free radicals. The high correlation between antioxidant capacities and total phenolic contents indicated that phenolic compounds could be one of the main components responsible for antioxidant activities of these beverages. Generally, these beverages had high antioxidant capacities and total phenolic contents, and could be important dietary sources of antioxidant phenolics for prevention of diseases caused by oxidative stress.

Microwave-assisted extraction of oxymatrine from Sophora flavescens.

In this paper, microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) of oxymatrine from Sophora flavescens were studied by HPLC-photodiode array detection. Effects of several experimental parameters, such as concentration of extraction solvent, ratio of liquid to material, microwave power, extraction temperature, and extraction time on the extraction efficiencies of oxymatrine were evaluated. The optimal extraction conditions were 60% ethanol, a 20:1 (v/v) ratio of liquid to material and extraction for 10 min at 50 °C under 500 W microwave irradiation. Under the optimum conditions, the yield of oxymatrine was 14.37 mg/g. The crude extract obtained could be used as either a component of some complex traditional medicines or for further isolation and purification of bioactive compounds. The results, which indicated that MAE is a very useful tool for the extraction of important phytochemicals from plant materials, should prove helpful for the full utilization of Sophora flavescens.

Biological activities of polyphenols from grapes.

The dietary consumption of grape and its products is associated with a lower incidence of degenerative diseases such as cardiovascular disease and certain types of cancers. Most recent interest has focused on the bioactive phenolic compounds in grape. Anthocyanins, flavanols, flavonols and resveratrol are the most important grape polyphenols because they possess many biological activities, such as antioxidant, cardioprotective, anticancer, anti-inflammation, antiaging and antimicrobial properties. This review summarizes current knowledge on the bioactivities of grape phenolics. The extraction, isolation and identification methods of polyphenols from grape as well as their bioavailability and potential toxicity also are included.

Screening of natural antioxidants from traditional Chinese medicinal plants associated with treatment of rheumatic disease.

In order to find new sources of natural antioxidants, the antioxidant capacities of 50 medicinal plants associated with treatment of rheumatic diseases were systemically evaluated using the ferric-reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) and Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC) assays, and their total phenolic contents were measured by the Folin-Ciocalteu method. Their antioxidant activities of some of these plants were analyzed for the first time. The FRAP and TEAC assay results suggested that the antioxidant compounds in these plants possessed free radicals scavenging activity and oxidant reducing power. A positive linear correlation between antioxidant capacities and total phenolic contents implied that phenolic compounds in these plants could be the main components contributing to the observed activities. The results showed that Geranium wilfordii, Loranthus parasiticus, Polygonum aviculare, Pyrrosia sheaeri, Sinomenium acutum and Tripterygium wilfordii possessed the highest antioxidant capacities and total phenolic content among 50 plants tested, and could be rich potential sources of natural antioxidants.

A new high-performance liquid chromatographic method for the determination and distribution of linalool in Michelia alba.

A new high-performance liquid chromatographic method with photodiode array detection was established for the determination of linalool in the plant Michelia alba. Linalool was extracted from the plant sample with the aid of ultrasound, and was analyzed on a Waters RP C(18) column (4.6 x 150 mm, 5 microm) using an acetonitrile and water (55:45, v/v) mobile phase at a flow rate of 1.0 mL/min. The column temperature was set at 25 degrees C, and the detection wavelength was 210 nm. The linear range of the method was 5-200 microg/mL with a correlation coefficient of 0.9975. The recovery was 92-112%, and the relative standard deviation was 1.85% (n = 9). The present method has been used to study the distribution of linalool in the plant Michelia alba. The plant samples include flowers, leaves and tender twigs. Furthermore, leaves included samples in their tender, grown-up and fallen phases, and flowers included samples in their juvenile, middle and whitening phases. The concentrations of linalool in different parts of the plant were 0.21-0.65%, 1.63-4.89% and 0.43% for leaves, flowers and tender twigs, respectively. The results showed that all the plant materials contained relative high concentration of linalool, and juvenile phase flowers contained the highest concentration of linalool. Notably, the fallen leaves also contained high concentrations of linalool, which could be a potential resource of this compound. The results obtained are very helpful for the potential full utilization of this plant.

Optimization and Identification of Antioxidant Peptide from Underutilized Dunaliella salina Protein: Extraction, In Vitro Gastrointestinal Digestion, and Fractionation.

DPPH• scavenging peptides (<3kDa) from underutilized Dunaliella salina protein were obtained by the following successive treatment, i.e., ultrasound extraction, simulated in vitro gastrointestinal digestion hydrolyzation, and membrane ultrafiltration classification. The optimal condition for ultrasound-assisted extraction was an ultrasound wave with 800 W of power treating a mixture of 60 mL of 1.0 mol L-1 NaOH and 2 g algae powder for 15 min. A high correlation (r=0.8146) between DPPH• scavenging activity and yield of the intact peptides showed their antioxidant capacity. Simulated in vitro digestion assay resulted in excellent DPPH• scavenging activity of the total peptide, amounting to (86.5 ± 10.1)%, comparing with the nondigestion samples at (46.8 ± 6.5)%. After fractionation, the 500-1000 Da fraction exhibited the highest DPPH• scavenging activity (81.2 ± 4.0)%, increasing 1.5 times due to digestion. Then, the 500-1000 Da fraction was analyzed by RPLC-Q Exactive HF mass spectrometer, and 4 novel peptides, i.e., Ile-Leu-Thr-Lys-Ala-Ala-Ile-Glu-Gly-Lys, Ile-Ile-Tyr-Phe-Gln-Gly-Lys, Asn-Asp-Pro-Ser-Thr-Val-Lys, and Thr-Val-Arg-Pro-Pro-Gln-Arg, were identified. From these amino acid sequences, hydrophobic residues accounted for 56%, which indicated their high antioxidant property. The results indicated that underutilized protein of Dunaliella salina could be a potential source of antioxidative peptides through simulated in vitro gastrointestinal digestion.

Effect of in vitro simulated gastrointestinal digestion on polyphenol and polysaccharide content and their biological activities among 22 fruit juices.

Polyphenols and polysaccharides, as natural bioactive compounds from common fresh fruits, are concerned in reducing risk of developing obesity and diabetes for human in recent years. The content of polyphenol and polysaccharide, their bioactivities among 22 fruit juices were investigated before and after in vitro gastrointestinal digestion in present study. After digestion, contents of polyphenol, polysaccharide and their antioxidant activity, the inhibitory activity of α-amylase and α-glucosidase significantly increased. Punica granatum Linn and Actinidia globosa C. F. Liang displayed maximal increment up to 2, 0.25 and 1.6 fold in contents of polyphenols and polysaccharides, and the inhibitory activity of α-amylase, respectively. The correlation coefficient between contents and inhibitory activity of α-amylase increased in range of 0.002 to 0.485. Lycopersicon esculentum Mill and Pyrus bretschneideri Rehd exhibited maximum increase in the inhibitory activity of α-glucosidase with lowest contents of polyphenols and polysaccharides. The results indicated that polyphenols and polysaccharides digested synergistically contributing to the inhibitory α-amylase activity, and other responsibly bioactive ingredients for inhibitory α-glucosidase activity would be worthy discussed future. The findings above highlighted some potential application of common fruit juices in controlling hyperglycemia and obesity.

Anticancer effects of morin-7-sulphate sodium, a flavonoid derivative, in mouse melanoma cells.

BACKGROUND: Increasing evidence supports the anticancer effects of morin in vitro and in vivo. However, the role of morin-7-sulphate sodium (NaMoS), a water-soluble flavonoid derivative synthesized from morin remains unclear. The present study investigated the tumor suppression by NaMoS in mouse melanoma cells. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We synthesized the flavonoid derivative morin-7-sulphate sodium according to the method described for quercetin-sulphate derivative, and further isolated, purified and identified the compound. Cell proliferation in vitro was assessed using a CCK-8 assay. The wound healing assay was performed to evaluate cell motility, and flow cytometry was used to detect cellular apoptosis. Protein levels of vimentin, matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP9), phosphorylation of Akt1/2/3 (p-Akt1/2/3), extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (p-ERK1/2) and Caspase3 in B16F10 cells were detected by immunohistochemistry and Western blot. RESULTS: The results suggest that cell proliferation was markedly decreased in NaMoS-treated groups (1, 10, 25, 50, 100, 500, 1000µM) in a dose-dependent manner compared with the Control group and the IC50 was 221.67µM at 48h. NaMoS at 200µM concentration significantly inhibited the invasion and promoted apoptosis of B16F10 cells. Moreover, protein level of Caspase3 increased significantly in B16F10 cells treated by NaMoS. Immunohistochemistry and Western blot further confirmed that NaMoS decreased the expression of vimentin, MMP9, p-Akt1/2/3 and p-ERK1/2 in B16F10 cells. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides robust evidence that NaMoS, a water-soluble flavonoid, manifests anticancer properties and may act as a signal transduction inhibitor in melanoma cells.

Comparison of plasma triacylglycerol levels in vegetarians and omnivores: a meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the effect of vegetarian diets and omnivorous diets on triacylglycerols (TGs). METHODS: We identified cross-sectional and cohort studies related to TGs (an index of blood lipids) listed on PubMed and ISI Web of Knowledge, bibliographies, and related references and studies suggested by search engines to further increase the range of data collected (all-year time span until May 2011). RESULTS: Twelve studies with 1300 subjects were included for meta-analysis. Vegetarian diets were effective in lowering plasma TG concentrations (standardized mean difference -1.28 mmol/L, 95% confidence interval -2.14 to -0.42); in eight developed countries, plasma TG levels were insignificantly lower in vegetarians than in omnivores (standardized mean difference -0.31 mmol/L, 95% confidence interval -1.13 to 0.50), but in four developing countries, the phenomenon was obvious (standardized mean difference -4.06 mmol/L, 95% confidence interval -7.43 to -0.70). CONCLUSION: Compared with omnivorous diets, vegetarian diets provide health benefits, especially in developing countries. This favorable effect occurs even if vegetarian diets last for at least 6 mo.