On the removal efficiency of copper ions in wastewater using calcined waste eggshells as natural adsorbents.

Eggshells offer many advantages as adsorbents, such as affordability without special preparations other than pulverization and calcination. However, the manufacturing industry generally has a severe problem with high concentrations of heavy metals in wastewater. The purpose of this study was to use eggshell byproducts and calcined eggshell treatment for the adsorption of copper in an aqueous solution. The reaction time, metal concentration, adsorbent dose, temperature, and pH were evaluated using primary factors followed by the response surface method (RSM) to investigate the optimum conditions for eggshell byproducts and calcined eggshell adsorption treatment. The results of the one-factor-at-a-time experiment showed that the optimal adsorption rate was obtained from treatment at 24 h, 25 mg/L, 10 mg, and 25 °C. In addition, the effect of pH on the adsorption rates of eggshells and eggshells with membrane were detected at pH values of 5 and 5.9 and found to be 95.2, 90.5, and 73.3%. The reaction surface experiment showed that the best adsorption rate reached 99.3% after calcination at 900 °C for 2 h and a 20 min reaction. The results showed that eggshells, eggshell membranes, eggshells with membrane, and calcined eggshells could be applied to remove copper ions from industrial wastewater. The adsorption capacity of the calcined eggshell is better than that of the non-calcined eggshell and has good neutrality in acidic industrial wastewater. Therefore, it is convenient and practical for practical production and application. Likewise, this study conveys promising findings in the context of improving wastewater treatment based on a circular economy approach to waste reuse in the food industry and represents a valuable direction for future research.

VH-4-A Bioactive Peptide from Soybean and Exercise Training Constrict Hypertension in Rats through Activating Cell Survival and AMPKα1, Sirt1, PGC1α, and FoX3α.

Hypertension is a chronic disease related to age, which affects tens of millions of people around the world. It is an important risk factor that causes myocardial infarction, heart failure, stroke, and kidney damage. Bioactive peptide VHVV (VH-4) from soybean has shown several biological activities. Physical exercise is a cornerstone of non-pharmacologic treatment for hypertension and has established itself as an effective and complementary strategy for managing hypertension. The present study evaluates the efficacy of VH-4 supplement and swimming exercise training in preventing hypertension in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). SHR animals were treated with VH-4 (25 mg/kg by intraperitoneal administration) and swimming exercise (1 h daily) for eight weeks, and the hemodynamic parameters, histology, and cell survival pathway protein expression were examined. In SHR rats, increased heart weight, blood pressure, and histological aberrations were observed. Cell survival protein p-PI3K and p-AKT and antiapoptosis proteins Bcl2 and Bcl-XL expression decreased in SHR animals. SIRT1 and FOXO3 were decreased in hypertensive rats. Both bioactive peptide VH-4 treatment and swimming exercise training in hypertensive rats increased the cell survival proteins p-PI3K and p-AKT and AMPKα1, Sirt1, PGC1α, and FoX3α proteins. Soy peptide VH-4, along with exercise, acts synergistically and prevents hypertension by activating cell survival and AMPKα1, Sirt1, PGC1α, and FoX3α proteins.

Potential antidepressant effects of a dietary supplement from the chlorella and lion's mane mushroom complex in aged SAMP8 mice.

Since the 1990s, the prevalence of mental illnesses, such as depression, has been increasing annually and has become a major burden on society. Due to the many side effects of antidepressant drugs, the development of a complementary therapy from natural materials is an urgent need. Therefore, this study used a complex extract of chlorella and lion's mane mushroom and evaluated its antidepressant effects. Six-month-old male senescence-accelerated mice prone-8 (SAMP8) were divided into positive control; negative control; and low, medium, and high-dose groups. All groups were treated with corticosterone (CORT) at 40 mg/Kg/day for 21- days to induce depression in the animals, and the effects of different test substances on animal behavior was observed. The positive control group was intraperitoneally injected with a tricyclic antidepressant (Fluoxetine, as tricyclic antidepressant), the control group was given ddH2O, and the test substance groups were administered test samples once daily for 21 days. The open field test (OFT) and forced swimming test (FST) were applied for behavior analyses of depression animal models. The OFT results showed that the mice in the positive control and the medium-, and high-dose groups demonstrated a significantly prolonged duration in the central area and a significantly increased travel distance. In the FST, the positive control and the medium, and high-dose groups displayed significantly reduced immobility times relative to the control group. The blood analysis results showed significant decreases in triglyceride and blood urea nitrogen levels relative to the positive control and the medium- and high-dose groups. Notably, in the positive control and the medium- and high-dose groups, brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) increase by more than in the control group. In summary, medium and high dose of extract of chlorella and lion's mane mushroom could improve depression behavior in animals and have the potential to be antidepressant health care products.

Influence of an Edible Oil-Medium-Chain Triglyceride Blend on the Physicochemical Properties of Low-Fat Mayonnaise.

Mayonnaise is a semisolid oil-in-water emulsion comprised of egg yolk, oil, and vinegar. One main problem with mayonnaise is its high fat content, so efforts have been made to develop low-fat sauces with similar characteristics to real mayonnaise. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs) blended with edible oil (soybean and olive oil) on the rheological, physicochemical, and sensory properties of low-fat mayonnaise. The results revealed that the shear viscosity decreased with the increase in medium-chain fatty acid (MCFA) contents and decreased with an increasing shear rate. Tan δ was <1, and a semisolid fluid with shear-thinning behavior was formed. The oscillation frequency test showed that the MCFA-containing mayonnaise was viscoelastic. The particle size and oil droplet analyses revealed that the emulsion droplet size and distribution were not significantly different in the MCT group compared to the control. The sensory evaluation demonstrated that the MCFA-containing mayonnaise was acceptable. This study illustrates that MCTs are a good substitute to produce the proper physicochemical properties of mayonnaise.

Bioactive Peptides and Exercise Modulate the AMPK/SIRT1/PGC-1α/FOXO3 Pathway as a Therapeutic Approach for Hypertensive Rats.

Peptides are fragments of fundamental protein sequences that may have health benefits in addition to basic dietary benefits. Recently, we have reported on the pharmacological benefits of alcalase potato protein hydrolysate (APPH) and bioactive peptides isolated from APPH. The aim was to evaluate the synergistic effect of exercise along with DIKTNKPVIF (DF) peptides in ameliorating hypertension in spontaneously hypertensive rat (SHR) rats. We examined ECG parameters, lipid profiles, cardiac markers, and histology, and quantified the proteins associated with fibrosis, hypertrophy, apoptosis, mitochondrial biogenesis, and longevity pathways. DF peptide administration, along with exercise, reduced the blood pressure and cardiac marker levels in serum. Furthermore, it also suppressed the expression of fibrosis markers COL1A1, CTGF, and uPA and downregulated cardiac-hypertrophy-associated markers such as calcineurin, NFATC3, GATA4, pGATA4 and BNP. Exercise synergistically increases the expression of IFG1, PI3K, and AKT cell-survival pathway proteins, along with DF administration. Moreover, AMPK/SIRT1/PGC-1α/FOXO3 pathway protein expression was increased with the combinatorial administration of DF and exercise. Our data suggest that exercise, along with DF peptides, act synergistically in alleviating hypertension by activating the mitochondrial biogenesis pathway.

Dipeptide IF and Exercise Training Attenuate Hypertension in SHR Rats by Inhibiting Fibrosis and Hypertrophy and Activating AMPKα1, SIRT1, and PGC1α.

Bioactive peptides are physiologically active peptides produced from proteins by gastrointestinal digestion, fermentation, or hydrolysis by proteolytic enzymes. Bioactive peptides are resorbed in their whole form and have a preventive effect against various disease conditions, including hypertension, dyslipidemia, inflammation, and oxidative stress. In recent years, there has been a growing body of evidence showing that physiologically active peptides may have a function in sports nutrition. The present study aimed to evaluate the synergistic effect of dipeptide (IF) from alcalase potato protein hydrolysates and exercise training in hypertensive (SHR) rats. Animals were divided into five groups. Bioactive peptide IF and swimming exercise training normalized the blood pressure and decreased the heart weight. Cardiac, hepatic, and renal functional markers also normalized in SHR rats. The combined administration of IF peptide and exercise offer better protection in SHR rats by downregulating proteins associated with myocardial fibrosis, hypertrophy, and inflammation. Remarkably, peptide treatment alongside exercise activates the PI3K/AKT cell survival pathway in the myocardial tissue of SHR animals. Further, the mitochondrial biogenesis pathway (AMPKα1, SIRT1, and PGC1α) was synergistically activated by the combinatorial treatment of IF and exercise. Exercise training along with IF administration could be a possible approach to alleviating hypertension.

Thermal Processing of Liquid Egg Yolks Modulates Physio-Chemical Properties of Mayonnaise.

In this study, the effect of various heating temperatures (61−70 °C) and times (1−10 min) on physical and chemical properties of liquid egg yolk (LEY) and mayonnaise were investigated. Initially, we found that the increase of LEY protein denaturation was highly correlated with the increase of temperature and time, without causing either protein degradation or aggregation. In addition, the viscosity and particle size of LEY were significantly increased with greater heating temperature and time. Furthermore, the emulsification stability of mayonnaise prepared from thermally processed LEY were significantly better than that of the unheated control group, in particular, the emulsion stability of mayonnaise was higher at a temperature ranging from 62 °C to 68 °C, whereas the emulsion stability decreased above 69 °C. A rheological analysis showed that mayonnaise prepared from thermally processed LEY has higher shear stress when compared with the control group. Indeed, a sharp increase in the shear stress was observed when LEY was heated above 67 °C. Results from storage behavior analysis suggest that mayonnaise prepared from thermally processed LEY failed to affect the chemical qualities of mayonnaise, as evidenced by the fact that acid values and TBA values were not statistically significant with the unheated control group. Microscopic observation indicates that the number of complete oil droplets were significantly reduced at higher heating (70 °C/5 and 10 min) conditions. Finally, the sensory evaluation results suggest that mayonnaise prepared from thermally processed LEY does not influence the appearance, aroma, taste, greasy feeling, and overall acceptance of mayonnaise, as indicated by there being no significant differences between the experimental group and the control group (p > 0.05). We conclude from our study that a combination of heating conditions over 67 °C/5 min can allow the mayonnaise to retain better quality in terms of stability.

Development of low-fat mayonnaise containing polysaccharide gums as functional ingredients.

BACKGROUND: The objective of this study was to develop a low-fat (LF) mayonnaise containing polysaccharide gums as functional ingredients. Xanthan gum (XG, 15 g kg(-1)), citrus fiber (CF, 100 g kg(-1)) and variable concentration of guar gum (GG) were used to formulate the optimum ratios of polysaccharide gums as fat replacers. The fat content in LF mayonnaise was reduced to 50% if compared with full-fat (FF) mayonnaise, and the products still maintained ideal rheological properties. RESULTS: The rheological parameters showed that there were no (P > 0.05) differences in yield stress, viscosity and flow behavior index between XG + 10 g kg(-1) GG, CF + 5 g kg(-1) GG and FF control. LF mayonnaises had lower caloric values and higher dietary fiber content than the FF counterpart. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) micrographs illustrated that the network of aggregated droplets in LF treatments contained a large number of interspaced voids of varying dimensions. Furthermore, in a comparison of sensory evaluation of LF treatments with commercial and our FF mayonnaises, there were no (P > 0.05) differences in any sensory scores among XG + 10 g kg(-1) GG control. CONCLUSION: This study shows that XG + 10 g kg(-1) GG and CF + 5 g kg(-1) GG could be used in LF mayonnaise formulations based on its multiple functions on processing properties.