Diet Pattern Analysis in Alzheimer's Disease Implicates Gender Differences in Folate-B12-Homocysteine Axis on Cognitive Outcomes.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Low plasma B12 and folate levels or hyperhomocysteinemia are related to cognitive impairment. This study explores the relationships among diet pattern, blood folate-B12-homocysteine levels, and cognition measurement in Alzheimer's disease (AD) while exploring whether a gender effect may exist. METHODS: This cross-sectional study enrolled 592 AD patients (246 males, 346 females) and the demographic data, blood biochemical profiles, Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), and a Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ) for quantitative assessment of dietary frequency were collected. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was employed to explore the associations among dietary patterns, blood profiles, and cognition. A least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression model, stratified by gender, was constructed to analyze the weighting of possible confounders. RESULTS: Higher MMSE scores were related to higher frequencies of coffee/tea and higher educational levels, body mass index, and younger age. The SEM model revealed a direct influence of dietary frequencies (skimmed milk, thin pork, coffee/tea) and blood profiles (homocysteine, B12, and folate) on cognitive outcomes. At the same time, the influence of dietary pattern on cognition was not mediated by folate-B12-homocysteine levels. In males, a direct influence on the MMSE is attributed to B12, while in females, homocysteine is considered a more critical factor. CONCLUSIONS: Dietary patterns and blood profiles are both associated with cognitive domains in AD, and there are gender differences in the associations of dietary patterns and the levels of B12 and homocysteine. To enhance the quality of dietary care and nutritional status for individuals with dementia, our study results still require future validations with multi-center and longitudinal studies.

Cognitive Decline Related to Diet Pattern and Nutritional Adequacy in Alzheimer's Disease Using Surface-Based Morphometry.

Dietary pattern (DP) results in nutrition adequacy and may influence cognitive decline and cortical atrophy in Alzheimer's disease (AD). The study explored DP in 248 patients with AD. Two neurobehavioral assessments (intervals 13.4 months) and two cortical thickness measurements derived from magnetic resonance images (intervals 26.5 months) were collected as outcome measures. Reduced rank regression was used to assess the groups of DPs and a linear mixed-effect model to explore the cortical neurodegenerative patterns. At screening, underweight body mass index (BMI) was related to significant higher lipid profile, impaired cognitive function, smaller cortical thickness, lower protein DP factor loading scores and the non-spouse caregiver status. Higher mini-mental state examination (MMSE) scores were related to the DP of coffee/tea, compared to the lipid/sugar or protein DP group. The underweighted-BMI group had faster cortical thickness atrophy in the pregenual and lateral temporal cortex, while the correlations between cortical thickness degeneration and high HbA1C or low B12 and folate levels were localized in the medial and lateral prefrontal cortex. The predictive model suggested that factors related to MMSE score were related to the caregiver status. In conclusion, normal or overweight BMI, coffee/tea DP group and living with a spouse were considered as protective factors for better cognitive outcomes in patients with AD. The influence of glucose, B12 and folate on the cortical degeneration was spatially distinct from the pattern of AD degeneration.

Antioxidant Activities of Hot Water Extracts from Mycelial Biomass of Different Combinations of Medicinal Agaricomycetes Mushrooms.

This study aimed to determine the free radical scavenging and antioxidant potential of hot water extracts prepared from different combinations and ratios of submerged cultivated mycelial biomass of medicinal mushrooms. Total phenolic compounds, flavonoid content, and antioxidant activity were evaluated for combined crude hot water extracts from medicinal higher Basidiomycetes mushrooms belonging to ten genera. The results demonstrate that almost all tested combinations were good sources of phenolic compounds and flavonoids, ranging between 16.42 and 18.83 gallic acid equivalents/g and 1.5 and 4.34 mg rutin equivalents/g, respectively. Moreover, free radical scavenging properties were evaluated with the DPPH and ABTS assays and metal chelating effects were investigated. All tested samples and/or extracts demonstrated significant free radical scavenging properties and antioxidant potential.

Chemical Composition and Antioxidant Properties of Different Combinations of Submerged Cultured Mycelia of Medicinal Mushrooms.

This research describes the investigation of submerged cultivated mycelial biomass and hot water extracts prepared from different combinations and ratios of medicinal mushroom (MM) dry powders, comprising various biologically active compounds/secondary metabolites. In particular, it was evaluated the proximate composition (moisture, ash, crude protein, fat, total carbohydrates, and total energy), γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and ergothioneine (ERG), amino acid content of mycelia of 16 higher Basidiomycetes MM species. The results obtained demonstrate that almost all tested combinations were found to be good sources of polysaccharides, with content varying in the ranges of 4.73 ± 1.33% and 58.46 ± 4.15%. Total protein contents varied in 1.97 ± 0.40% - 5.37 ± 0.40% range. ERG was detected in all tested samples, while GABA existed only in eight samples out of 15 and varied from 0.03 ± < 0.01 to 0.61 ± 0.03 mg/g, and from 0.16 ± 0.03 to 5.69 ± 0.41 mg/g respectively. Analyses of total phenolic and flavonoid contents demonstrate considerable content in all samples (15.53 ± 0.23 - 18.88 ± 0.34 mg gallic acid equivalents/g and 1.23 ± 0.04 - 4.34 ± 0.73 mg rutin equivalents/g respectively). In present research the complexity of samples/extracts were evaluated by multiple antioxidant assays to verify their antioxidant capacity. Determination of in vitro antioxidant activity was successfully carried out by several different methods such as 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl scavenging activity, reducing power, chelating ability, hydroxyl radical scavenging activity, and 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothi-azoline-6-sulfonic acid scavenging activity. Therefore, all tested samples confirm the capable antioxidant activities of bioactive compounds extracted from MMs.

Effects of Homocysteine on white matter diffusion parameters in Alzheimer's disease.

BACKGROUND: The clinical features of Alzheimer's disease (AD) are related to brain network degeneration, and hyperhomocysteinemia is related to greater white matter hyperintensities. We investigated the changes in four diffusion tensor imaging parameters in the white matter of patients with early stage AD, examined their associations with homocysteine level, and tested the clinical significance of the diffusion tensor imaging parameters and homocysteine level in correlation analysis with cognitive test scores. METHODS: We enrolled 132 patients with AD and analyzed white matter (WM) macrostructural changes using diffusion tensor neuroimaging parameters including fractional anisotropy (FA), mean diffusion (MD), axial diffusivity (axial-D) and radial diffusivity (RD). Two neuroimaging post-processing analyses were performed to provide complementary data. First, we calculated 11 major bundle microstructural integrities using a WM parcellation algorithm, and correlated them with serum homocysteine levels to explore whether the fiber bundles were affected by homocysteine. Second, we used tract-based spatial statistics to explore the anatomical regions associated with homocysteine levels. Changes in cognitive test scores caused by homocysteine served as the major outcome factor. RESULTS: The results suggested that homocysteine levels did not have a direct impact on cross-sectional cognitive test scores, but that they were inversely correlated with renal function, B12 and folate levels. Topographies showing independent correlations with homocysteine in FA and MD were more diffusely located compared to the posterior brain regions in axial-D and RD. In the association bundle analysis, homocysteine levels were significantly correlated with the four diffusion parameters even after correcting for confounders, however no association between homocysteine and WM to predict cognitive outcomes was established. CONCLUSIONS: In our patients with AD, homocysteine levels were associated with renal dysfunction and decreased levels of vitamin B12 and folate, all of which require clinical attention as they may have been associated with impaired WM microstructural integrity and modulated cognitive performance in cross-sectional observations.

Both Phosphorus Fertilizers and Indigenous Bacteria Enhance Arsenic Release into Groundwater in Arsenic-Contaminated Aquifers.

Arsenic (As) is a human carcinogen, and arsenic contamination in groundwater is a worldwide public health concern. Arsenic-affected areas are found in many places but are reported mostly in agricultural farmlands, yet the interaction of fertilizers, microorganisms, and arsenic mobilization in arsenic-contaminated aquifers remains uncharacterized. This study investigates the effects of fertilizers and bacteria on the mobilization of arsenic in two arsenic-contaminated aquifers. We performed microcosm experiments using arsenic-contaminated sediments and amended with inorganic nitrogenous or phosphorus fertilizers for 1 and 4 months under aerobic and anaerobic conditions. The results show that microcosms amended with 100 mg/L phosphorus fertilizers (dipotassium phosphate), but not nitrogenous fertilizers (ammonium sulfate), significantly increase aqueous As(III) release in arsenic-contaminated sediments under anaerobic condition. We also show that concentrations of iron, manganese, potassium, sodium, calcium, and magnesium are increased in the aqueous phase and that the addition of dipotassium phosphate causes a further increase in aqueous iron, potassium, and sodium, suggesting that multiple metal elements may take part in the arsenic release process. Furthermore, microbial analysis indicates that the dominant microbial phylum is shifted from α-proteobacteria to ß- and γ-proteobacteria when the As(III) is increased and phosphate is added in the aquifer. Our results provide evidence that both phosphorus fertilizers and microorganisms can mediate the release of arsenic to groundwater in arsenic-contaminated sediments under anaerobic condition. Our study suggests that agricultural activity such as the use of fertilizers and monitoring phosphate concentration in groundwater should be taken into consideration for the management of arsenic in groundwater.