Effects of supplementation of tropical fruit processing by-products on lipid profile, retinol levels and intestinal function in Wistar rats.

Fruits agro-industrial by-products may have a great variety of bioactive compounds that promote health. Thus, the effects of supplementation with acerola, cashew and guava processing by-products for 28 days on retinol level, lipid profile and on some aspects related to intestinal function in rats were investigated. The animals supplemented with different fruit by-products presented similar weight gain, faecal pH values and intestinal epithelial structures; however, they showed higher moisture and Lactobacillus spp. and Bifidobacterium spp. counts in faeces compared to the control group. Supplementation with the cashew by-product decreased the blood glucose, acerola and guava by-products reduced serum lipid levels and all fruit by-products tested increased serum and hepatic retinol. The results indicated that acerola and guava by-products possess a potential hypolipidemic effect. The three fruit by-products increase the hepatic retinol deposition and the faecal populations of beneficial bacterial groups and modulated aspects of intestinal function. The findings of this study can contribute to sustainable fruticulture and support future clinical studies with the supplementation of by-products.

The role of vitamin B12 in viral infections: a comprehensive review of its relationship with the muscle-gut-brain axis and implications for SARS-CoV-2 infection.

This comprehensive review establishes the role of vitamin B12 as adjunct therapy for viral infections in the treatment and persistent symptoms of COVID-19, focusing on symptoms related to the muscle-gut-brain axis. Vitamin B12 can help balance immune responses to better fight viral infections. Furthermore, data from randomized clinical trials and meta-analysis indicate that vitamin B12 in the forms of methylcobalamin and cyanocobalamin may increase serum vitamin B12 levels, and resulted in decreased serum methylmalonic acid and homocysteine concentrations, and decreased pain intensity, memory loss, and impaired concentration. Among studies, there is much variation in vitamin B12 doses, chemical forms, supplementation time, and administration routes. Larger randomized clinical trials of vitamin B12 supplementation and analysis of markers such as total vitamin B12, holotranscobalamin, total homocysteine and methylmalonic acid, total folic acid, and, if possible, polymorphisms and methylation of genes need to be conducted with people with and without COVID-19 or who have had COVID-19 to facilitate the proper vitamin B12 form to be administered in individual treatment.