Design, characterization and digestibility of ß-carotene-loaded emulsion system stabilized by whey protein with chitosan and potato starch addition.

The physicochemical properties and gastrointestinal fate of ß-carotene-loaded emulsions and emulsion gels were examined. The emulsion was emulsified by whey protein isolate and incorporated with chitosan, then the emulsion gels were produced by gelatinizing potato starch in the aqueous phase. The rheology properties, water distribution, and microstructure of emulsions and emulsion gels were modulated by chitosan combination. A standardized INFOGEST method was employed to track the gastrointestinal fate of emulsion systems. Significant changes in droplet size, zeta-potential, and aggregation state were detected during in vitro digestion, including simulated oral, stomach, and small intestine phases. The presence of chitosan led to a significantly reduced free fatty acids release in emulsion, whereas a slightly increasing released amount in the emulsion gel. ß-carotene bioaccessibility was significantly improved by hydrogel formation and chitosan addition. These results could be used to formulate advanced emulsion systems to improve the gastrointestinal fate of hydrophobic nutraceuticals.

Neglected vitamin K deficiency causing coagulation dysfunction in an older patient with pneumonia: a case report.

BACKGROUND: The development of coagulation disorders can be dangerous and fatal in the older people, especially those with multiple medical conditions. Vitamin K-dependent coagulation disorders are easily overlooked when anticoagulant drugs are not used and the patient shows no signs of bleeding. CASE PRESENTATION: We report a case of a 71-year-old male suffering from pulmonary infection with severe coagulation disorder without bleeding symptoms. He also had a history of Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease and cardiac insufficiency. Coagulation tests were normal at the time of admission, prothrombin time (PT) is 13.9 (normal, 9.5-13.1) seconds and the activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT) is 30.2 (normal, 25.1-36.5) seconds. But it turned severely abnormal after 20 days (PT: 136.1 s, APTT: 54.8 s). However, no anticoagulants such as warfarin was used and no bleeding symptoms were observed. Subsequent mixing studies with normal plasma showed a decrease in prothrombin times. Vitamin K deficiency was thought to be the cause of coagulation disorders considering long-term antibiotic therapy, especially cephalosporins, inadequate diet and abnormal liver function. After supplementation with 20 mg of vitamin K, coagulation dysfunction was rescued the next day and serious consequences were effectively prevented. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, timely vitamin K supplementation with antimicrobials that affect vitamin K metabolism requires clinician attention, especially in older patients who are multimorbid, frail or nutritionally compromised, and are admitted to hospital because of an infection that needs antimicrobial therapy are at risk of clotting disorders due to abnormal vitamin K metabolism secondary to altered gut flora, which can exacerbate existing nutritional deficiencies.

Targeting gut-brain axis through scalp-abdominal electroacupuncture in Parkinson's disease.

BACKGROUND: Evidence suggests that the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease (PD) is initiated in the gut rather than in the brain. Thus, targeting the gut in early stages may have the potential to halt disease progression and alleviate symptoms. Various acupuncture techniques have been used to treat patients with PD and have shown promising results. However, previous acupuncture techniques focused on the brain and motor symptoms. We aimed to determine if targeting PD patients' gut-brain axis through electroacupuncture could be an effective, safe, and low-cost therapeutic option for management of non-motor and motor symptoms. METHODS: Thirty patients with mild to moderate PD were randomised into an intervention (n = 15) and a control group (n = 15). The intervention group received electroacupuncture twice a week for 30 min based on conventional drug treatment for 8 weeks. Conventional drug treatment was continued in the control group. The primary outcomes were changes in the score of clinical scales including the Non-motor Symptom Rating Scale (NMSS), PD Sleep Scale (PDSS), Bristol Stool Function Scale (BSFS), and Patient Associated Constipation and Quality of Life Scale (PAC-QOL). The secondary outcomes were the Unified PD Rating Scale (UPDRS) and Modified Hoehn-Yahr Staging Scale scores. Stool samples from the intervention group were collected before and after the procedure and were sent for gene sequencing. Adverse effects and personal impressions of the patients were noted during the course of the trial. RESULT: An 8-week course of scalp-abdominal electroacupuncture treatment was effective in improving the NMSS, PDSS, and UPDRS scores in patients with PD. Further, there was statistical significance in the two subdomains of NMSS, namely sleep/fatigue and miscellaneous, further implying the efficacy of acupuncture on sleep disturbance. However, although the current acupuncture treatment was gut targeted, it had no effect on BSFS or PAC-QOL. Apart from improved UPDRS motor scores and activities of daily living scores, acupuncture had no significant impact on scores of mentation, behaviour, mood, and therapy complications. Acupuncture did not alter the Hoehn and Yahr stage. Significant alterations in gut bacterial composition were detected in nine taxa at the genus level. The relative abundances of the genera Bacteroides and Parasutterella were significantly increased after the intervention, whereas the abundances of the genera Dialister, Hungatella, Barnesiella, Megasphaera, Allisonella, Intestinimon, and Moryella were significantly lower. CONCLUSION: An 8-week scalp-abdominal electroacupuncture treatment may be a complementary and alternative vehicle for PD patients. We detected nine taxa at the genus level which were significantly altered after treatment, emphasising the role of the gut-brain axis in the process.

Formation and characterization of starch-based spherulite: Effect of molecular weight of potato amylose starch.

Potato starch spherulites (PSS) with different molecular weights were obtained by controlled enzymatic hydrolysis of potato amylose starch, followed by super-heated quenching treatment. The impact of enzymatic hydrolysis on mean particle diameter and molecular weight was observed, ranging from 355 to 57 nm. Structural and physicochemical characteristics of produced spherulites were determined using scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry and rheological measurements. Rheological analysis indicated that PSS sample was viscoelastic with shear-thinning behavior. PSS was found to exhibit weak B-type crystallinity, similarly to that in native starch. PSS25% had a higher thermal stability with 128.5 °C melting temperature. Microstructure confirmed there were small spherulites (1-3 µm) formed with hydrolyzed amylose starch, and starch with 15% enzymatic-hydrolysis degree was more beneficial to develop spherulite. These results may be useful in development of starch-based functional ingredients applied in plant-based foods as fat replacers, structure formers, or delivery systems.

Preparation of nanofibrillated cellulose from grapefruit peel and its application as fat substitute in ice cream.

Grapefruit peel nanofibrillated cellulose (GNFC) was used as fat substitute in ice cream. GNFC was characterized by TEM, SEM, and XRD. The effects of GNFC on textural profiles, rheological properties, melting resistance, sensory properties, microstructure, and gross energy (GE) of ice cream were investigated. The results showed that GNFC was short rod-shaped crystal. Ice cream added with GNFC exhibited elastic-dominated behavior and better textural properties. The sensory evaluation score reached the highest level with desirable three-dimensional network structure at 0.4 % GNFC addition. GE of ice cream significantly decreased with reducing fat with maximal reduction rate of 17.90 %. Furthermore, the results of in vitro simulated digestion showed that GNFC addition and fat reduction significantly inhibited fat digestibility of ice cream due to coalescence of fat droplets on GNFC. This study provides new sustainable perspectives for the application of GNFC prepared from agricultural waste as fat substitute in food products.

Effects of "nine steaming nine sun-drying" on proximate composition, oil properties and volatile compounds of black sesame seeds.

Black sesame seeds (BSS) were processed by nine cycles of steaming and sun-drying, and the chemistry of their resulting products studied. That is, the shell color and structure, proximate composition, oil properties and volatile compounds of raw BSS were determined and compared with processed BSS. Various levels of shell color change and structure damage were observed. The proximate composition also differed, whereas the relative proportion of fatty acids and oil properties were unchanged. SPME-GCMS analysis revealed that aldehydes, hydrocarbons and alcohols were the main volatile compounds. And compared with raw BSS, four volatile substances were newly detected in the processed BSS. Principal component analysis (PCA) displayed the overall difference between samples and showed that repeated steaming and sun-drying process had a significant impact on the chemical composition of BSS.

Regulatory Roles of Pectin Oligosaccharides on Immunoglobulin Production in Healthy Mice Mediated by Gut Microbiota.

SCOPE: The prebiotic regulation of the gut microbiota is a promising strategy to induce protective humoral and mucosal immune responses. The potential immune-improving effects of pectin oligosaccharides (POS) in healthy mice and the potential mechanism mediated by specific intestinal bacteria are investigated. METHODS AND RESULTS: POS is prepared using a hydrogen-peroxide-assisted degradation. Mice that consumed diets containing POS are tested for microbial community shifts, short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), and immunoglobulin (Ig) production using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction, gas chromatography, and ELISA kits. Pearson's correlation analyses are performed between Ig production and specific intestinal bacteria or SCFAs. POS treatment significantly improves the growth of healthy mice. Moreover, 4-week POS administration results in a profound change in intestinal microbial composition and a significantly higher fecal concentration of acetate, which leads to substantial increases of the levels of fecal secretory immunoglobulin A and serum IgG. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that the inclusion of POS in a diet can increase Ig production and optimize the composition of the gut microbiota. A significant correlation is observed between changes in Ig production and specific intestinal bacteria or acetate, providing insight into the mechanism of POS as a potential immune-enhancing supplement.

Preparation and prebiotic potential of pectin oligosaccharides obtained from citrus peel pectin.

Pectin oligosaccharide (POS) fractions were obtained by controlled chemical degradation of citrus peel pectin. By adjusting trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) concentration, three oligosaccharides were obtained, of molecular weight (Mw) range 3000-4000 Da, 2000-3000 Da and lower than 2000 Da. Varying hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) concentration and reaction time produced oligosaccharides of 3000-4000 Da and 2000-3000 Da. The relative proportions of acidic monosaccharide increased from 68.58% to 89.93% (TFA) and from 63.74% to 83.26% (H2O2) as the reaction conditions intensified. Prebiotic activity scores were used to quantify POS ability to promote selective growth of specific probiotics. Sample POSH1 from H2O2 degradation showed the highest prebiotic potential with prebiotic activity score 0.41 for Lactobacillus paracasei LPC-37 and 0.92 for Bifidobacterium bifidum ATCC 29521.