Coffee Abundant in Chlorogenic Acids Reduces Abdominal Fat in Overweight Adults: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Controlled Trial.

The components of roasted or green coffee beans that promote abdominal fat reduction are not clear. We investigated the effects of daily consumption of coffee enriched in chlorogenic acids (CGA) on abdominal fat area in a randomized, double-blind, parallel controlled trial. Healthy, overweight men and women (n = 150, body mass index (BMI) ≥25 to <30 kg/m2) were randomly allocated to high-CGA (369 mg CGA/serving) or control (35 mg CGA/serving) coffee groups. Instant coffee was consumed once daily for 12 weeks, with four-week pre- and post-observation periods. Abdominal fat area and anthropometric measurements were analyzed at baseline and at four, eight, and 12 weeks, and 142 subjects completed the trial. Visceral fat area (VFA), total abdominal fat area (TFA), body weight, and waist circumference significantly decreased in the CGA group compared with the control group, with a group × time interaction (p < 0.001, p = 0.001, p = 0.025, and p = 0.001, respectively). Changes in VFA and TFA from baseline to 12 weeks were significantly greater in the CGA group than in the control group (-9.0 ± 13.9 cm2 vs. -1.0 ± 14.3 cm2, p < 0.001; -13.8 ± 22.9 cm2 vs. -2.0 ± 16.2 cm2, p < 0.001). No severe adverse events occurred. Consumption of high-CGA coffee for 12 weeks by overweight adults might lower VFA, TFA, BMI, and waist circumference.

Effects of Chlorogenic Acid-Enriched and Hydroxyhydroquinone-Reduced Coffee on Postprandial Fat Oxidation and Antioxidative Capacity in Healthy Men: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Crossover Trial.

Chlorogenic acids (CGAs) reduce blood pressure and body fat, and enhance fat metabolism. In roasted coffee, CGAs exist together with the oxidant component hydroxyhydroquinone (HHQ). HHQ counteracts the antihypertensive effects of CGA, but its effects on CGA-induced fat oxidation (FOX) are unknown. Here we assessed the effects of CGA-enriched and HHQ-reduced coffee on FOX. Fifteen healthy male volunteers (age: 38 ± 8 years (mean ± SD); BMI: 22.4 ± 1.5 kg/m²) participated in this crossover study. Subjects consumed the test beverage (coffee) containing the same amount of CGA with HHQ (CGA-HHQ(+)) or without HHQ (CGA-HHQ(−)) for four weeks. Postprandial FOX and the ratio of the biological antioxidant potential (BAP) to the derivatives of reactive oxygen metabolites (d-ROMs) as an indicator of oxidative stress were assessed. After the four-week intervention, postprandial FOX and the postprandial BAP/d-ROMs ratio were significantly higher in the CGA-HHQ(−) group compared with the CGA-HHQ(+) group (4 ± 23 mg/min, group effect: p = 0.040; 0.27 ± 0.74, group effect: p = 0.007, respectively). In conclusion, reducing the amount of HHQ facilitated the postprandial FOX effects of CGA in coffee. Our findings also suggest that the mechanism underlying the inhibition of FOX by HHQ is related to postprandial oxidative stress.

Effect of non-enzymatic proteins on enzymatic hydrolysis and simultaneous saccharification and fermentation of different lignocellulosic materials.

Non-enzymatic proteins were added during hydrolysis of cellulose and simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF) of different biomass materials. Bovine serum albumin (BSA), a model non-enzymatic protein, increased cellulose and xylose conversion efficiency and also enhanced the ethanol yield during SSF of rice straw subjected to varied pretreatments. Corn steep liquor, yeast extract, and peptone also exerted a similar effect as BSA and enhanced the enzymatic hydrolysis of rice straw. Compared to the glucose yields obtained after enzymatic hydrolysis of rice straw in the absence of additives, the glucose yields after 72h of hydrolysis increased by 12.7%, 13.5%, and 13.7% after addition of the corn steep liquor, yeast extract, and peptone, respectively. This study indicated the use of BSA as an alternative to intensive pretreatment of lignocellulosic materials for enhancing enzymatic digestibility. The utilization of non-enzymatic protein additives is promising for application in glucose and ethanol production from lignocellulosic materials.

Evaluation of the efficacy and safety of intravenous ciprofloxacin versus meropenem in the treatment of postoperative infection.

Therapeutic options for postoperative infection in gastrointestinal surgery are limited. To identify new treatment alternatives, the Japan Society for Surgical Infection conducted a multicenter prospective, randomized, controlled clinical trial comparing the efficacy of intravenous ciprofloxacin (CIP IV) and intravenous meropenem (MEM IV). Between July 2005 and May 2008, the trial recruited patients who developed postoperative infection or had suspected infectious systemic inflammatory response syndrome after elective clean-contaminated gastrointestinal surgery. All patients had received prophylactic postoperative antibiotic treatment. Patients received either intravenous CIP IV 300 mg b.i.d. or MEM IV 500 mg b.i.d. A total of 205 patients from 31 institutions were enrolled. Of these, 101 were randomized to CIP IV and 104 to MEM IV. There were 100 and 102 in the intent-to-treat (ITT)/safety population and 75 and 77 in the per-protocol (PP) population. There was no significant difference between CIP IV and MEM IV in terms of clinical efficacy, bacteriological efficacy, incidence of adverse drug reactions, duration of antimicrobial treatment, or relapse/reactivation. Overall clinical success PP population) was high in both treatment groups: 85.3% (64/75) for CIP IV and 89.6% (69/77) for MEM IV, although the non-inferiority of CIP IV was not demonstrated (difference -4.3%, 95% CI -14.8, 6.2). In patients who had undergone upper gastrointestinal surgery, success was 88.5% (23/26) for CIP IV and 85.2% (23/27) for MEM IV. Intravenous ciprofloxacin is as effective as intravenous meropenem in the empiric therapy of postoperative infection after gastrointestinal surgery.