Body weight gain and control: beneficial effect of extra virgin olive oil versus corn oil in an experimental model of mammary cancer.

Obesity is a known risk factor for breast cancer, the most common malignancy among women worldwide. We have previously described different effects of high-fat diets on mammary experimental carcinogenesis. In this work, we analyzed the animal growth data obtained in six experimental assays, in healthy and carcinogen-induced rats undergoing different dietary interventions. The animals were fed with three experimental diets administered at different periods of development: a control low-fat diet, and two isocaloric high-fat diets (rich in corn oil or in extravirgin olive oil -EVOO-). Weekly weight throughout the development of 818 animals have been compiled and reanalyzed using adjusted mathematical models. Molecular mechanisms have been investigated: ethanolamides in small intestine, neuropeptides controlling satiety in hypothalamus, and proteins controlling lipid metabolism in adipose and mammary tissues. The results indicated that the effect of diets depended on type of lipid, timing of intervention and health status. The high corn oil diet, but not the high EVOO diet, increased body weight and mass, especially if administered from weaning, in healthy animals and in those that received a moderate dose of carcinogen. The potential protective effect of EVOO on weight maintenance may be related to anorexigenic neuropeptides such as oxytocin and lipolysis/deposition balance in adipose tissue (increasing phospho-PKA, HSL, MGL and decreasing FAS). In animals with cancer, body weight gain was related to the severity of the disease. Taken together, our results suggest that EVOO has a beneficial effect on body weight maintenance in both health and cancer.

Natural Fermentation of Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) Flour Improves the Nutritive Utilization of Indispensable Amino Acids and Phosphorus by Growing Rats.

Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) is among the most cultivated legumes, with interesting agronomic and environmental properties, and great potential as a nutritious food. The nutritional value of cowpea can be improved by technological processing. In this study, we showed that natural fermentation improved bioavailability of protein, amino acids, and dietary essential minerals from cowpea in growing rats, thus strengthening its potential value as functional food or food supplement. Forty Wistar albino rats (48 ± 1.8 g), were fed one of four experimental diets (n = 10 rats per diet): casein, raw cowpea, fermented cowpea or fermented and autoclaved cowpea. Despite lower growth indices of raw and fermented cowpea protein (PER, FTI) than casein, fermentation enhanced apparent digestibility of arginine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, tyrosine, and valine, and true digestibility of essential amino acids, except for tyrosine and valine, compared to raw cowpea. On the other hand, autoclaving of fermented cowpea flour decreased apparent, as did true digestibility of sulfur amino acids. Regarding the nutritive utilization of dietary essential minerals, Vigna unguiculata was a good source of available P, Mg, and K, while fermentation significantly improved the availability of P. Overall, cowpea was a good source of digestible essential amino acids and minerals and fermentation significantly improved its nutritional value that was not further enhanced by autoclaving.

The Combined Intervention with Germinated Vigna radiata and Aerobic Interval Training Protocol Is an Effective Strategy for the Treatment of Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) and Other Alterations Related to the Metabolic Syndrome in Zucker Rats.

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a group of related metabolic alterations that increase the risk of developing non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Several lifestyle interventions based on dietary treatment with functional ingredients and physical activity are being studied as alternative or reinforcement treatments to the pharmacological ones actually in use. In the present experiment, the combined treatment with mung bean (Vigna radiata), a widely used legume with promising nutritional and health benefits that was included in the experimental diet as raw or 4 day-germinated seed flour, and aerobic interval training protocol (65-85% VO2 max) has been tested in lean and obese Zucker rats following a 2 × 2 × 2 (2 phenotypes, 2 dietary interventions, 2 lifestyles) factorial ANOVA (Analysis of Variance) statistical analysis. Germination of V. radiata over a period of four days originated a significant protein hydrolysis leading to the appearance of low molecular weight peptides. The combination of 4 day-germinated V. radiata and aerobic interval training was more efficient compared to raw V. radiata at improving the aerobic capacity and physical performance, hepatic histology and functionality, and plasma lipid parameters as well as reverting the insulin resistance characteristic of the obese Zucker rat model. In conclusion, the joint intervention with legume sprouts and aerobic interval training protocol is an efficient treatment to improve the alterations of glucose and lipid metabolism as well as hepatic histology and functionality related to the development of NAFLD and the MetS.

[MEDICAGO SATIVA L: IMPROVEMENT AND NEW APPROACHES OF ITS NUTRITIONAL AND FUNCTIONAL VALUE BY BACTERIAL CO-INOCULATION]. / MEDICAGO SATIVA L: MEJORA Y NUEVOS ASPECTOS DE SU VALOR NUTRITIVO Y FUNCIONAL POR COINOCULACIÓN BACTERIANA.

OBJECTIVE: to study the effect of co-inoculation with Ensifer meliloti and Halomonas maura of the leguminous Medicago sativa L., on growth, nutritional and functional value, grown under salinity conditions. METHODS: plants of M. sativa were grown in a solution with a mixture of salts (CaSO4, MgCl, NaCl and NaHCO 3) and were co-inoculated with its specific rhizobium and the halophilic moderated bacterium H. maura. Different physiologic parameters were determined, as well as, nitrogen and minerals content. Furthermore, an assay of in vitro digestibility was carried out. RESULTS: salinity had a negative effect on the plants; however, co-inoculation increased yield, nitrogen content, total minerals, Ca and Mg. Moreover, physiologic parameters as water potential and leghemoglobin content in fresh nodules were higher compared to those of plants inoculated only with E. meliloti. Both, salinity and bacterial treatment with E. meliloti and H. maura increased the antioxidant capacity of the legume, in dialyzates and retentates collected after an in vitro digestibility assay. CONCLUSION: co-inoculation of plants with E. meliloti and H. maura could improve the alfalfa yield under specific salinity conditions, increasing the nutritional and functional value of the plants. M. sativa could be considered in the formulations of nutritional supplements for the human diet.

Objetivo: estudiar el efecto de la inoculación con Ensifer meliloti y Halomonas maura sobre el crecimiento y el valor nutricional y funcional de la leguminosa Medicago sativa L., cultivada bajo condiciones de salinidad. Método: las plantas de M. sativa se cultivaron con una solución de mezcla de sales CaSO4, MgCl, NaCl and Na- HCO3 y se coinocularon con su rizobio específico y la bacteria H. maura. Se determinaron los parámetros fisiológicos de las plantas, así como el contenido en nitrógeno y minerales, y se llevó a cabo un proceso de digestibilidad in vitro. Resultados: la salinidad ejerció un efecto negativo sobre las plantas; sin embargo, la coinoculación de las mismas incrementó su productividad, el contenido en nitrógeno, minerales totales, Ca y Mg. Además, los parámetros fisiológicos de potencial hídrico y concentración de leghemoglobina se incrementaron. Tanto la salinidad como la coinoculación de las plantas aumentaron la capacidad antioxidante de la leguminosa en los dializados y retenidos obtenidos tras someter a la planta a un proceso de digestibilidad in vitro. Conclusión: la coinoculación con E. meliloti y H. maura podría mejorar el cultivo de la alfalfa bajo condiciones específicas de salinidad, aumentando su composición nutricional y funcional, pudiendo considerarse en la formulación de suplementos nutricionales para el consumo humano.

Medicago sativa L: mejora y nuevos aspectos de su valor nutritivo y funcional por coinoculación bacteriana / Medicago sativa l: improvement and new approaches of its nutritional and functional value by bacterial co-inoculation

Objetivo: estudiar el efecto de la inoculación con Ensifer meliloti y Halomonas maura sobre el crecimiento y el valor nutricional y funcional de la leguminosa Medicago sativa L., cultivada bajo condiciones de salinidad. Método: las plantas de M. sativa se cultivaron con una solución de mezcla de sales CaSO4 , MgCl, NaCl and NaHCO3 y se coinocularon con su rizobio específico y la bacteria H. maura. Se determinaron los parámetros fisiológicos de las plantas, así como el contenido en nitrógeno y minerales, y se llevó a cabo un proceso de digestibilidad in vitro. Resultados: la salinidad ejerció un efecto negativo sobre las plantas; sin embargo, la coinoculación de las mismas incrementó su productividad, el contenido en nitrógeno, minerales totales, Ca y Mg. Además, los parámetros fisiológicos de potencial hídrico y concentración de leghemoglobina se incrementaron. Tanto la salinidad como la coinoculación de las plantas aumentaron la capacidad antioxidante de la leguminosa en los dializados y retenidos obtenidos tras someter a la planta a un proceso de digestibilidad in vitro. Conclusión: la coinoculación con E. meliloti y H. maura podría mejorar el cultivo de la alfalfa bajo condiciones específicas de salinidad, aumentando su composición nutricional y funcional, pudiendo considerarse en la formulación de suplementos nutricionales para el consumo humano (AU)

Objective: to study the effect of co-inoculation with Ensifer meliloti and Halomonas maura of the leguminous Medicago sativa L., on growth, nutritional and functional value, grown under salinity conditions. Methods: plants of M. sativa were grown in a solution with a mixture of salts (CaSO4 , MgCl, NaCl and NaHCO3 ) and were co-inoculated with its specific rhizobium and the halophilic moderated bacterium H. maura. Different physiologic parameters were determined, as well as, nitrogen and minerals content. Furthermore, an assay of in vitro digestibility was carried out. Results: salinity had a negative effect on the plants; however, co-inoculation increased yield, nitrogen content, total minerals, Ca and Mg. Moreover, physiologic parameters as water potential and leghemoglobin content in fresh nodules were higher compared to those of plants inoculated only with E. meliloti. Both, salinity and bacterial treatment with E. meliloti and H. maura increased the antioxidant capacity of the legume, in dialyzates and retentates collected after an in vitro digestibility assay. Conclusion: co-inoculation of plants with E. meliloti and H. maura could improve the alfalfa yield under specific salinity conditions, increasing the nutritional and functional value of the plants. M. sativa could be considered in the formulations of nutritional supplements for the human diet (AU)