Recycling and Reuse of Spent LIBs: Technological Advances and Future Directions.

Recovering valuable metals from spent lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), a kind of solid waste with high pollution and high-value potential, is very important. In recent years, the extraction of valuable metals from the cathodes of spent LIBs and cathode regeneration technology are still rapidly developing (such as flash Joule heating technology to regenerate cathodes). This review summarized the studies published in the recent ten years to catch the rapid pace of development in this field. The development, structure, and working principle of LIBs were firstly introduced. Subsequently, the recent developments in mechanisms and processes of pyrometallurgy and hydrometallurgy for extracting valuable metals and cathode regeneration were summarized. The commonly used processes, products, and efficiencies for the recycling of nickel-cobalt-manganese cathodes (NCM/LCO/LMO/NCA) and lithium iron phosphate (LFP) cathodes were analyzed and compared. Compared with pyrometallurgy and hydrometallurgy, the regeneration method was a method with a higher resource utilization rate, which has more industrial application prospects. Finally, this paper pointed out the shortcomings of the current research and put forward some suggestions for the recovery and reuse of spent lithium-ion battery cathodes in the future.

Research on the Mechanism and Propagation Characteristics of Combustion and Explosion of Natural Gas/Ammonia/Hydrogen Mixed Gas Fuel.

The addition of ammonia and hydrogen into natural gas fuel is an effective method to reduce carbon emissions. This study aims to investigate the effect of adding ammonia and hydrogen on the mechanism of natural gas combustion and emission characteristics. Based on a self-developed mixed gas deflagrate experimental platform, the deflagrate characteristics, emission characteristics, and chemical reaction kinetics mechanism of mixed gas fuels under different composition ratios (natural gas 0-100%, hydrogen 10-85%, and ammonia 0-100%) were studied. The results indicate that the propagation of the deflagration shock wave can be categorized into an initial stage (L < 3 m) and a development stage (L > 3 m) based on the observed trend of shock wave intensity variation with distance. The intensity of the deflagration shock wave for the mixed gases increases monotonically as the hydrogen content ratio rises. In contrast, the impact of the ammonia content ratio on the shock wave intensity exhibits a distinct pattern that varies with changes in the equivalence ratio and hydrogen content ratio. In terms of carbon emissions per unit of heat value produced by the fuel, adding hydrogen to natural gas proves to be more effective at reducing carbon emissions than adding ammonia. When the ammonia content ratio is 50% and the hydrogen content ratio is 40%, the combustion performance of the mixed gas fuel is similar to that of natural gas, but its carbon emissions are lower than 30% of natural gas, making it a new type of mixed fuel with potential application value; the interaction between reflected pressure waves and flames is the main reason for the fluctuation of deflagrate shock wave pressure; ammonia lowers the temperature of the reaction system by reducing the concentration of OH radicals.

Effects of Hydrogen Blending Ratio and Equivalence Ratio on the Dynamic Characteristics of Deflagration Shock Waves of CH4/H2 Mixtures.

To evaluate the explosion hazard of CH4/H2 mixtures, experiments were conducted in a long and closed pipeline with a length-to-diameter ratio of 51 and built-in obstacles, and the characteristic parameters of deflagration shock waves were analyzed under different hydrogen blending ratios (0 ≤ λ ≤ 100%) and equivalence ratios (0.5 ≤ Φ ≤ 3). The results indicate that within the range of Φ = 0.8-1.2, the explosion overpressure (P P) exhibits a "two-zone" structure distribution. When 0 ≤ λ ≤ 80%, P P shows an initial increase and then a decrease in both regions, while deflagration to detonation transition (DDT) occurs in the second evolution region when λ = 100%, which is caused by the different strengths of the positive feedback mechanism coupled with flames and shock waves. The P max, (dP/dt)max, and V a show a trend of first increasing and then decreasing and monotonically increasing with the increase of the equivalence ratio and hydrogen blending ratio, respectively, and reach their maximum values at Φ = 1.0 and λ = 100%. For CH4/H2 mixtures with low hydrogen blending ratios (λ = 0 and 20%), the P max and (dP/dt)max in the fuel-lean conditions (Φ = 0.9 and 0.8) are higher than those in the fuel-rich conditions (Φ = 1.1 and 1.2), while the CH4/H2 mixtures under high hydrogen blending ratios (λ = 80 and 100%) are the opposite. Overall, the increase in H2 at a high hydrogen blending ratio and the increase in the equivalence ratio at a fuel-lean condition significantly enhance the average V a. In addition, chemical kinetics analysis found that R38 and R52 elementary reactions are the dominant elementary reactions that promote and inhibit temperature increase, respectively. Their temperature sensitivity coefficients are negatively correlated with the hydrogen blending ratio and positively correlated with the equivalence ratio. The research results provide vital information for evaluating the explosion hazards of CH4/H2 mixtures and developing safety protection measures.

Adjudicative efficacy of Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis BLa80 in treating acute diarrhea in children: a randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled study.

The goal of this study is to assess the efficacy and safety of Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis BLa80, as an adjunct treatment for diarrhea in children with a randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled study design. Eligible diarrheal children, aged 0-3 years without the need for antibiotic treatment based on clinical diagnosis when recruited, were randomized into the intervention group (IG, n = 58, with probiotic) or the control group (CG, n = 53, placebo). The primary assessment was the duration of diarrhea. Fecal samples were collected for biochemical index measurement, analysis of gut microbiome composition, and prediction of gene family abundances. The total duration of diarrhea in the IG (122.6 ± 13.1 h) was significantly shorter than in the CG (148.4 ± 17.6 h, p < 0.001). More children in the IG showed improvements in diarrhea compared to the CG, both in intention-to-treat analysis (81.7% vs. 40.0%, p < 0.001) and per protocol analysis (84.4% vs 45.3%, p < 0.001). Cathelicidin level in the IG was significantly higher than that in the CG after the intervention (4415.00 ± 1036.93 pg/g vs. 3679.49 ± 871.18 pg/g, p = 0.0175). The intervention led to an increased abundance of Bifidobacterium breve and Collinsella aerofaciens species, higher alpha-diversity (p < 0.05), and enrichment of functional genes in the gut microbiota related to immunity regulation. Administration of BLa80 at a dose of 5 × 109 CFU/day resulted in a shorter duration of diarrhea and alterations in gut microbiome composition and gene functions.

Adjunctive efficacy of Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis XLTG11 for functional constipation in children.

Functional constipation (FC) can seriously affect the physical and mental health of children. The goal of this study is to assess the efficacy and safety of Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis XLTG11 in treating FC in children through a randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled approach. Eligible children were randomized into either the intervention group (IG, n = 65, receiving conventional treatment with probiotics) or the control group (CG, n = 66, receiving conventional treatment without probiotics). The primary outcome measure was fecal frequency. Fecal gut microbiota analysis and PICRUSt (Phylogenetic Investigation of Communities by Reconstruction of Unobserved States) were used to predict gene family abundances based on 16S information. Over the course of treatment, the weekly frequency of feces within each group increased significantly (F = 41.97, p < 0.001). The frequency of feces (times/week (t/w)) in the IG was significantly higher than that in the CG (3.69 ± 2.62 t/w vs.3.18 ± 1.43 t/w, 4.03 ± 2.54 t/w vs. 2.89 ± 1.39 t/w and 3.74 ± 2.36 t/w vs. 2.94 ± 1.18 t/w and 3.45 ± 1.98 vs. 3.17 ± 1.41 t/w for the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th week after intervention, respectively) (F = 7.60, p = 0.0067). After the intervention, dominate species shifted to Bifidobacterium longum, Bifidobacterium breve, and Escherichia coli in the IG. Additionally, genes related to short-chain fatty acid (SCF) metabolism were upregulated, while methane metabolism was downregulated. Administration of XLTG11 at a dose of 1 × 1010 CFU/day to children increased fecal frequency, induced beneficial changes in gut microbiota, and regulated SCFs and methane metabolism-related genes.

Chlorogenic acid alleviates crayfish allergy by altering the structure of crayfish tropomyosin and upregulating TLR8.

Studies have shown that high hydrostatic pressure (HHP) processing and chlorogenic acid (CA) treatment can effectively reduce food allergenicity. We hypothesize that these novel processing techniques can help tackle crayfish allergy and examined the impact and mechanism of HHP (300 MPa, 15 min) and CA (CA:tropomyosin = 1:4000, 15 min) on the allergenicity of crayfish tropomyosin. Our results revealed that CA, rather than HHP, effectively reduced tropomyosin's allergenicity, as evident in the alleviation of allergic symptoms in a food allergy mouse model. Spectroscopy and molecular docking analyses demonstrated that CA could reduce the allergenicity of tropomyosin by covalent or non-covalent binding, altering its secondary structure (2.1 % decrease in α-helix; 1.9 % increase in ß-fold) and masking tropomyosin's linear epitopes. Moreover, CA-treated tropomyosin potentially induced milder allergic reactions by up-regulating TLR8. While our results supported the efficacy of CA in alleviating crayfish allergy, further exploration is needed to determine clinical effectiveness.

L-Theanine Improves the Gelation of Ginkgo Seed Proteins at Different pH Levels.

L-theanine (L-Th), a non-protein amino acid naturally found in teas and certain plant leaves, has garnered considerable attention due to its health benefits and potential to modify proteins such as ginkgo seed proteins, which have poor gelling properties, thereby expanding their applications in the food industry. The objective of this study was to investigate the impact of varying concentrations of L-Th (0.0%, 0.5%, 1.0%, and 2.0%) on the gelling properties of ginkgo seed protein isolate (GSPI) at various pH levels (5.0, 6.0, and 7.0). The GSPI gels exhibited the highest strength at a pH of 5.0 (132.1 ± 5.6 g), followed by a pH of 6.0 (95.9 ± 3.9 g), while a weak gel was formed at a pH of 7.0 (29.5 ± 0.2 g). The incorporation of L-Th increased the hardness (58.5-231.6%) and springiness (3.0-9.5%) of the GSPI gels at a pH of 7.0 in a concentration-dependent manner. However, L-Th did not enhance the gel strength or water holding capacity at a pH of 5.0. The rheological characteristics of the GSPI sols were found to be closely related to the textural properties of L-Th-incorporated gels. To understand the underlying mechanism of L-Th's effects, the physicochemical properties of the sols were analyzed. Specifically, L-Th promoted GSPI solubilization (up to 7.3%), reduced their hydrophobicity (up to 16.2%), reduced the particle size (up to 40.9%), and increased the ζ potential (up to 21%) of the sols. Overall, our findings suggest that L-Th holds promise as a functional ingredient for improving gel products.

Effect of temperature on structural configuration and immunoreactivity of pH-stressed soybean (Glycine max) agglutinin.

Soybean agglutinin (SBA) was purified using ammonium sulfate precipitation and liquid chromatography. Purified SBA was used to produce monoclonal antibodies through hybridoma technology. SBA secondary structure was studied using circular dichroism. pH-stressed (pHs 3.0, 7.2, 8.5, and 9.6) SBA physical properties (particle size, ζ-potential, and aggregation temperature) were investigated. Gel electrophoresis (non-native and native) was used to study heat-induced structural configuration changes in SBA. The effect of pH and temperature on the immunoreactivity of SBA was analyzed using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and immunoblots probed with two anti-SBA monoclonal antibodies with either linear or conformational epitopes. The hemagglutinating activity of heated SBA was measured by hemagglutination assay. Our results indicated that SBA had the least thermostability at pH 3.0 and the highest at pH 8.5. Temperature-induced structural configuration change on pH-stressed SBA led to immunoreactivity change. Heat-induced (70 and 80 °C) soluble SBA aggregation was proportionally related to hemagglutinating activity reduction.

pLM4Alg: Protein Language Model-Based Predictors for Allergenic Proteins and Peptides.

The rising prevalence of allergy demands efficient and accurate bioinformatic tools to expedite allergen identification and risk assessment while also reducing wet experiment expenses and time. Recently, pretrained protein language models (pLMs) have successfully predicted protein structure and function. However, to our best knowledge, they have not been used for predicting allergenic proteins/peptides. Therefore, this study aims to develop robust models for allergenic protein/peptide prediction using five pLMs of varying sizes and systematically assess their performance through fine-tuning with a convolutional neural network. The developed pLM4Alg models have achieved state-of-the-art performance with accuracy, Matthews correlation coefficient, and area under the curve scoring 93.4-95.1%, 0.869-0.902, and 0.981-0.990, respectively. Moreover, pLM4Alg is the first model capable of handling prediction tasks involving residue-missed sequences and sequences containing nonstandard amino acid residues. To facilitate easy access, a user-friendly web server (https://f6wxpfd3sh.us-east-1.awsapprunner.com) has been established. pLM4Alg is expected to become the leading machine learning-based prediction model for allergenic peptides and proteins. Its collaboration with other predictors holds great promise for accelerating allergy research.

Experimental study on adsorption of PbCl2 and CdCl2 on kaolin modified by leachates from municipal solid waste incineration power plant.

Six kinds of waste liquids produced in the treatment process of leachate in a waste incineration plant were used to improve the adsorption effect of raw kaolin on heavy metal chloride. The capture performances of these modified kaolin on PbCl2 and CdCl2 vapor were investigated in a two-stage fixed bed combustor. The results indicated that the adsorption effects of raw kaolin on PbCl2 and CdCl2 were improved in some experimental groups, main effective component was Na+ in the leachate, but the influences did not change regularly with the increase in the concentration of Na + introduced into kaolin. The adsorbents formed by modifying 10 g kaolin with 21.25 ml leachate 2 were the best adsorbents for PbCl2 and CdCl2. The capture efficiencies of PbCl2 and CdCl2 can reach 95% and 63.88%, with the increase of 36% and 53%, respectively. Using leachate as modifying agent had the same effect as directly using Na+. Adsorptions of PbCl2 and CdCl2 were still mainly chemical adsorptions. After adsorption of PbCl2, the modified kaolin not only generated PbA12Si2O8, but also produced other chemical compounds. The adsorption of CdCl2 by modified kaolin did not generate CdAl2Si2O8, but other chemical reactions occurred to generate CdAl2O4 and Pb8Cd (Si2O7)3.

Pistachios as a recovery food following downhill running exercise in recreational team-sport individuals.

We aimed to investigate the impact of pistachio nut consumption on muscle soreness and function following exercise-induced muscle damage. Using a randomised cross-over design, male team-sport players (n = 18) performed a 40-minute downhill treadmill run to induce muscle damage, which was conducted after 2-wks of consuming either control (CON, water), a standard dose of daily pistachios (STD, 42.5 g/d) or a higher dose of daily pistachios (HIGH, 85 g/d). Lower limb muscle soreness (visual analogue scale), muscle function (maximal voluntary isokinetic torque and vertical jump), and blood markers of muscle damage/inflammation (creatine kinase, C-reactive protein, myoglobin, superoxide dismutase) were measured pre (baseline) and post (24, 48, and 72 h) exercise. No trial order effects were observed for any outcome measurement across trials. Mean quadriceps soreness (non-dominant leg) during exercise recovery was reduced (p < 0.05) in HIGH vs. CON (mean difference (95%CI): 13(1-25) mm). Change in soreness in the dominant quadriceps was not different between HIGH vs. CON (p = 0.06; mean difference (95%CI): 13(-1 to 26 mm)). No main effects of time or trial were observed for mean soreness of hamstrings, or on isokinetic torque of knee extensors or knee flexors, during recovery. Serum creatine kinase concentration peaked at 24 h post-damage (mean(SEM): 763(158)µg/L) from baseline (300(87)µg/L), but had returned to baseline by 72 h post (398(80)µg/L) exercise in all trials, with no trial or trial × time interaction evident. These data suggest that high dose pistachio nut ingestion may provide some alleviation of muscle soreness, but no effect on muscle function, following modest muscle damage.

Pistachio nuts are considered a rich source of leucine and other essential amino acids, as well as being a good source of antioxidants. These properties suggest that pistachio ingestion could potentially influence recovery from exercise induced muscle damage.Ingestion of 85 g/d of pistachios, for 2-wks prior to and during recovery from exercise-induced muscle damage, significantly reduced muscle soreness in the non-dominant limb knee extensors, in comparison to 0 g/d control.No effects of pistachio ingestion were observed on muscle function or blood markers of damage suggesting that a mechanism of action on soreness is likely related to blunting of the inflammation response. However, further work is required to explore these effects in a larger sample when greater damage is induced.

Adjunctive efficacy of Lactis XLTG11 for Acute diarrhea in children: A randomized, blinded, placebo-controlled study.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy and safety of Bifidobacterium animalis sp. Lactis XLTG11, as an adjunctive treatment for acute watery diarrhea in children, using a randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled study design. METHOD: Eligible children with diarrhea were randomly assigned into one of two groups: an intervention group (IG, n = 35), which received conventional treatment plus the probiotic, and a control group (CG, n = 35), which received only conventional treatment. Fecal samples were collected from all children before and after the intervention to measure biochemical indices and analyze gut microbiome (GM) composition. RESULT: The duration of diarrhea (121.3 ± 11.5 h) and hospital length of stay (3.4 ± 1.1 d) in the IG were significantly shorter than those in the CG (133.4 ± 14.1 h and 4 ± 1.3 d, respectively; P < 0.001 and P = 0.041, respectively). A higher percentage of children in the IG showed improvements compared with the CG (57.1% versus 25.7%, P < 0.001). The calprotectin level in the IG was significantly lower than that in the CG after the intervention (928.91 ± 158.90 ng/g versus 1029.86 ± 133.25 ng/g, P = 0.028). XLTG11 administration led to a higher abundance of species B. longum and < breve, increased α-diversity of the GM (P < 0.05), and upregulated the functional genes of the GM related to immunity and nutrient absorption. CONCLUSIONS: Administration of XLTG11 at a dose of 1 × 1010 CFU/d was effective in reducing the duration of diarrhea, inducing beneficial changes in GM composition and gene functions.

The effects of fresh mango consumption on gut health and microbiome - Randomized controlled trial.

Some individual fruits have been widely researched for their effects on overall health and correlations with chronic diseases. The beneficial effects of mango supplementation on metabolic diseases have been detected. However, research into mango consumption on gut health, including the microbiome, is limited to processed mango preparations or peels. Our goal was to examine the effects of fresh mango consumption on the gut microbiome, gut permeability proteins, and bowel movement habits in overweight/obese individuals. In a 12-week crossover design study, 27 participants consumed 100 kcal/day of either mangos or low-fat cookies with a washout period of 4 weeks. The mango intervention showed higher Shannon-Wiener and Simpson alpha diversity indices of the microbiome than the low-fat cookie intervention in week 4. Significant differences in beta diversity of the microbiome were found between diet interventions at week 12. Mango consumption increased the abundance of Prevotella maculosa, Corynebacterium pyruviciproducens, and Mogibacterium timidum while it decreased Prevotella copri. Low-fat cookie intake increased Cyanobacterium aponinum and Desulfovibrio butyratiphilus and reduced Alloscardovia omnicolens. There were no significant differences in circulating gut permeability protein (ZO-1, claudin-2, and occludin) levels. There was a slight increase in the amount of bowel movement with mango consumption, but no significant findings for frequency, consistency, strain, pain, and constipation in bowel movement between trials. Given these results, it can be concluded that consumption of mango may have positive effects on the gut health, which may yield possible health benefits for chronic disease that deserve further study.

Alkali-Induced Phenolic Acid Oxidation Enhanced Gelation of Ginkgo Seed Protein.

The effect of alkali-induced oxidation of three phenolic acids, namely gallic acid, epigallocatechin gallate, and tannic acid, on the structure and gelation of ginkgo seed protein isolate (GSPI) was investigated. A mixture of 12% (w/v) GSPI and different concentrations of alkali-treated phenolic acids (0, 0.06, 0.24, and 0.48% w/w) were heated at 90 °C, pH 6.0, for 30 min to form composite gels. The phenolic treatment decreased the hydrophobicity of the GSPI sol while enhancing their rheological properties. Despite a reduced protein solubility, water holding capacity, stiffness, and viscoelasticity of the gels were improved by the treatments. Among them, the modification effect of 0.24% (w/v) EGCG was the most prominent. Through the analysis of microstructure and composition, it was found to be due to the covalent addition, disulfide bond formation, etc., between the quinone derivatives of phenolic acids and the side chains of nucleophilic amino acids. Phenolic acid modification of GSPI may be a potential ingredient strategy in its processing.

Blenderized watermelon consumption decreases body mass index, body mass index percentile, body fat and HbA1c in children with overweight or obesity.

OBJECTIVES: Childhood obesity increases risk factors related to metabolic diseases. Watermelon's bioactive components can help reduce these risk factors. However, no study has investigated the effects of whole watermelon including both the flesh and rind or have assessed the impacts of any form of watermelon on children with overweight or obesity. The goal of this study was to examine the effects of whole-blenderized watermelon (BWM) consumption on cardiometabolic risk factors. METHODS: A randomized, cross-over clinical design was implemented. Boys and girls ages 10-17 years with overweight or obesity (BMI ≥ 85th percentile) consumed one cup of BWM or an isocaloric sugar-sweetened beverage (control) every day for 8 weeks with a 4-week washout between trials. Anthropometrics, dietary, biochemical and clinical measures were obtained before and at the end of each trial. RESULTS: A total of 17 participants completed the study. Eight weeks of BWM intake significantly decreased BMI (p = 0.032), BMI percentile (BMIP) (p = 0.038), body fat percentage (p = 0.036), and haemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) (p = 0.012) compared to the sugar-sweetened beverage. Sugar-sweetened beverage consumption increased BMIP (p = 0.014) compared to baseline. No significant differences were observed for inflammation, blood glucose, insulin, lipids, liver function enzymes, and satiety hormones. CONCLUSIONS: The results support that BWM consumption improved some cardiometabolic risk factors including BMI, BMIP, body fat, and HbA1c. Watermelon is a potential alternative to unhealthful snacks for improving anthropometry and some risk factors related to obesity in children.

Effects of Mixed Nut Consumption on Blood Glucose, Insulin, Satiety, and the Microbiome in a Healthy Population: A Pilot Study.

Nuts contain many health-promoting nutrients, fiber, and phytochemicals. Nut consumption has been reported to improve several chronic disease risk factors. Most studies to date have investigated single variety nut consumption. A nut mixture may offer a more diverse array of nutrients over single variety nuts. The primary outcome of this study was to examine the effects of mixed nut consumption on postprandial glucose, insulin, and satiety in healthy young adults. Exploratory outcomes include the effects of daily nut consumption on stool microbiome and bowel movement patterns. Twenty participants were randomized to consume either 42 g of mixed nuts or 46 g of potato chips daily for 3 weeks. Mixed nut consumption did not alter postprandial blood glucose and insulin, while potato chip consumption increased glucose and insulin (P < .05). There were no significant differences in fasting blood glucose or insulin for either snack after 3 weeks of daily consumption. Both snacks increased satiety while there were no significant differences in body weight, body fat, blood pressure, waist-to-hip ratio, or anxiety. After 3 weeks of snack consumption, both groups significantly reduced straining during bowel movements while the mixed nut group slightly increased stool amount. There were no significant changes in microbiome composition for either group; however, there was a nonsignificant trend toward increased Firmicutes to Bacteroidetes ratio in the potato chip group and an opposite trend in the mixed nut group. The results of this study suggest that mixed nuts are a healthy alternative for blood sugar control. The study was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov, Number: NCT03375866.

Iron status and obesity-related traits: A two-sample bidirectional Mendelian randomization study.

Background: The association between iron status and obesity-related traits is well established by observational studies, but the causality is uncertain. In this study, we performed a two-sample bidirectional Mendelian randomization analysis to investigate the causal link between iron status and obesity-related traits. Methods: The genetic instruments strongly associated with body mass index (BMI), waist-hip ratio (WHR), serum ferritin, serum iron, transferrin saturation (TSAT), and total iron-binding capacity (TIBC) were obtained through a series of screening processes from summary data of genome-wide association studies (GWAS) of European individuals. We used numerous MR analytical methods, such as inverse-variance weighting (IVW), MR-Egger, weighted median, and maximum likelihood to make the conclusions more robust and credible, and alternate methods, including the MR-Egger intercept test, Cochran's Q test, and leave-one-out analysis to evaluate the horizontal pleiotropy and heterogeneities. In addition, the MR-PRESSO and RadialMR methods were utilized to identify and remove outliers, eventually achieving reduced heterogeneity and horizontal pleiotropy. Results: The results of IVW analysis indicated that genetically predicted BMI was associated with increased levels of serum ferritin (ß: 0.077, 95% CI: 0.038, 0.116, P=1.18E-04) and decreased levels of serum iron (ß: -0.066, 95% CI: -0.106, -0.026, P=0.001) and TSAT (ß: -0.080, 95% CI: -0.124, -0.037, P=3.08E-04), but not associated with the levels of TIBC. However, the genetically predicted WHR was not associated with iron status. Genetically predicted iron status were not associated with BMI and WHR. Conclusions: In European individuals, BMI may be the causative factor of serum ferritin, serum iron, and TSAT, but the iron status does not cause changes in BMI or WHR.

Dietary intake of pistachios or mixed nuts results in higher systemic antioxidant capacity with minimal effects on bone in adolescent male rats.

Nutrition is a key determinant of bone health and attainment of peak bone mass. Excess oxidative stress induces bone loss while increasing antioxidant capacity promotes protective effects on bone. Nuts are rich in antioxidants; therefore, we tested the hypothesis that compared to a control diet high in fat (40 % energy) and cholesterol, diets containing isocaloric amounts of pistachios (8·1 % g/g) or mixed nuts (7·5 % g/g) for 8 weeks would result in greater bone health in male adolescent (3 weeks; a state of continued skeletal growth) Sprague-Dawley rats. We found no difference in bone mechanical properties among groups. Tibial apparent density was ~5 % higher in the pistachio and mixed nuts groups v. control (P < 0·05) with no clear difference detected for the femur. Expressions of genes known to impact bone turnover and serum bone turnover biomarkers were unaffected by either diet relative to control. Serum antioxidant capacity was ~2-fold higher in the pistachio and mixed nuts groups compared with control (P < 0·05) but were similar between groups. Therefore, pistachios and mixed nuts may increase tibial density, in part, due to increasing antioxidant capacity. Longer dietary interventions may be necessary to elicit detectable changes in other bones (e.g. femur) and to detect potential mechanisms for the possible bone protective effects of nuts.

Enhanced gelling properties and hydration capacity of ginkgo seed proteins by genipin cross-linking.

The present study investigated the effects of genipin cross-linking on the gelling properties of ginkgo seed protein isolate (GSPI). Cross-linking of GSPI was achieved with different concentrations (0, 0.05, 0.1, 0.2, 0.4, 0.6% w/v) of genipin at pH 6.0. Compared to pure GSPI, genipin treatment led to lower solubility, surface hydrophobicity, and fluorescence intensity, while promoted protein aggregation. Cross-linked GSPI gels exhibited markedly improved gelling properties and water holding capacity (WHC), with up to 2.1-fold increases in gel hardness and 1.3-fold increases in WHC over non-treated GSPI gel. Electrophoresis and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy confirmed the cross-linking. Moreover, microstructural examination showed that cross-linking with genipin resulted in protein aggregation and more porous gel matrix. Overall, genipin cross-linking demonstrated great potential for the enhancement of gelling properties of ginkgo seed protein. The current research may expand the utilization of ginkgo seeds in food applications.

Chronic almond nut snacking alleviates perceived muscle soreness following downhill running but does not improve indices of cardiometabolic health in mildly overweight, middle-aged, adults.

Introduction: As a popular food snack rich in protein, fiber, unsaturated fatty acids, antioxidants and phytonutrients, almond nut consumption is widely associated with improvements in cardiometabolic health. However, limited data exists regarding the role of almond consumption in improving exercise recovery. Accordingly, we aimed to investigate the impact of chronic almond snacking on muscle damage and cardiometabolic health outcomes during acute eccentric exercise recovery in mildly overweight, middle-aged, adults. Methods: Using a randomized cross-over design, 25 mildly overweight (BMI: 25.8 ± 3.6 kg/m2), middle-aged (35.1 ± 4.7 y) males (n = 11) and females (n = 14) performed a 30-min downhill treadmill run after 8-weeks of consuming either 57 g/day of whole almonds (ALMOND) or an isocaloric amount (86 g/day) of unsalted pretzels (CONTROL). Muscle soreness (visual analogue scale), muscle function (vertical jump and maximal isokinetic torque) and blood markers of muscle damage (creatine kinase (CK) concentration) and inflammation (c-reactive protein concentration) were measured pre and post (24, 48, and 72 h) exercise. Blood biomarkers of cardiometabolic health (total cholesterol, triglycerides, HDL cholesterol, and LDL cholesterol), body composition and psycho-social assessments of mood (POMS-2 inventory), appetite and well-being were measured pre and post intervention. Results: Downhill running successfully elicited muscle damage, as evidenced by a significant increase in plasma CK concentration, increased perception of muscle soreness, and impaired vertical jump performance (all p < 0.05) during acute recovery. No effect of trial order was observed for any outcome measurement. However, expressed as AUC over the cumulative 72 h recovery period, muscle soreness measured during a physical task (vertical jump) was reduced by ~24% in ALMOND vs. CONTROL (p < 0.05) and translated to an improved maintenance of vertical jump performance (p < 0.05). However, ALMOND did not ameliorate the CK response to exercise or isokinetic torque during leg extension and leg flexion (p > 0.05). No pre-post intervention changes in assessments of cardiometabolic health, body composition, mood state or appetite were observed in ALMOND or CONTROL (all p > 0.05). Conclusion: Chronic almond supplementation alleviates task-specific perceived feelings of muscle soreness during acute recovery from muscle damaging exercise, resulting in the better maintenance of muscle functional capacity. These data suggest that almonds represent a functional food snack to improve exercise tolerance in mildly overweight, middle-aged adults.