Harnessing enzyme cofactors and plant metabolism: an essential partnership.

Cofactors are fundamental to the catalytic activity of enzymes. Additionally, because plants are a critical source of several cofactors (i.e., including their vitamin precursors) within the context of human nutrition, there have been several studies aiming to understand the metabolism of coenzymes and vitamins in plants in detail. For example, compelling evidence has been brought forth regarding the role of cofactors in plants; specifically, it is becoming increasingly clear that an adequate supply of cofactors in plants directly affects their development, metabolism, and stress responses. Here, we review the state-of-the-art knowledge on the significance of coenzymes and their precursors with regard to general plant physiology and discuss the emerging functions attributed to them. Furthermore, we discuss how our understanding of the complex relationship between cofactors and plant metabolism can be used for crop improvement.

Neuronutrients and Central Nervous System: A Systematic Review.

INTRODUCTION: The brain is the most complex organ in the human body, with a high and constant demand for inputs. Adequate nutrition is essential for the complete functioning of the brain, not only due to the energy supply, mainly from carbohydrates, but also due to the adequate supply of other macronutrients and micronutrients for the synthesis of neurotransmitters and protein components. Vitamins, minerals, and other components of the diet also constitute the so-called "neuro-nutrients". OBJECTIVE: It was to develop a systematic review to highlight key neuro-nutrients and clinical studies that direct strategies for adequate nutritional status. METHODS: The rules of the Systematic Review-PRISMA Platform were followed. The research was carried out from October 2021 to February 2022 and developed based on Scopus, PubMed, Science Direct, Scielo, and Google Scholar. The quality of the studies was based on the GRADE instrument and the risk of bias was analyzed according to the Cochrane instrument. RESULTS: A total of 234 articles were found and 167 articles were evaluated in full, and 118 were included and evaluated in the present study. According to the GRADE instrument, most studies (>50%) followed a controlled clinical study model and had a good methodological design. The overall assessment resulted in 54 studies with a high risk of bias to the small sample size. The most important macronutrients in neuro-nutrition are phosphatidylserine and tryptophan. Micronutrients are methyl folate, vitamins B6 and B12, magnesium, arginine, choline, and niacin. CONCLUSION: The areas of neurology and psychiatry have shown great advances regarding the deepening of knowledge in prophylaxis and pathophysiology, as well as in the treatment of established diseases. The recognition of the role of nutrition as an adjunct to these processes is currently growing. The search in scientific bases for neuro nutrients reveals a great growth of publications related to this theme. In the present text, some of these nutrients were explored to verify the current state of knowledge.

Relaxing the "second brain": nutrients and bioactive compounds as a therapeutic and preventive strategy to alleviate oxidative stress in the enteric nervous system.

The enteric nervous system (ENS) regulates several functional and immunological processes in the gastrointestinal tract. However, some diseases can disrupt the ENS functionality, impacting the behavior of enteric neurons and enteric glial cells by increasing the accumulation of reactive oxygen species. Oxidative stress is considered to be a trigger for alterations in these cells' morphology, density, and neurochemical patterns. In light of this, nutritional strategies are a growing field of investigation regarding their potential to modulate enteric neurons and enteric glial cells through reduced reactive oxygen species production. Moreover, several lines of evidence show that nutrients are related to counteracting oxidative stress. Some studies have evaluated the potential of nutrients with antioxidant roles (such as amino acids, polyphenols, prebiotics, vitamins, and specific extracts obtained from foods) to modulate the ENS. Thus, this review discusses how bioactive compounds and nutrients can impact the ENS by alleviating oxidative stress.

Microalgae as source of functional ingredients in new-generation foods: challenges, technological effects, biological activity, and regulatory issues.

Microalgae feasibility as food ingredients or source of nutrients and/or bioactive compounds and their health effects have been widely studied. This review aims to provide an overview of the use of microalgae biomass in food products, the technological effects of its incorporation, and their use as a source of health-promoting bioactive compounds. In addition, it presents the regulatory aspects of commercialization and consumption, and the main trends and market challenges Microalgae have stood out as sources of nutritional compounds (polysaccharides, proteins, lipids, vitamins, minerals, and dietary fiber) and biologically active compounds (asthaxanthin, ß-carotene, omega-3 fatty acids). The consumption of microalgae biomass proved to have several health effects, such as hypoglycemic activity, gastroprotective and anti-steatotic properties, improvements in neurobehavioral and cognitive dysfunction, and hypolipidemic properties. Its addition to food products can improve the nutritional value, aroma profile, and technological properties, with important alterations on the syneresis of yogurts, meltability in cheeses, overrun values and melting point in ice creams, physical properties and mechanical characteristics in crisps, and texture, cooking and color characteristics in pastas. However, more studies are needed to prove the health effects in humans, expand the market size, reduce the cost of production, and tighter constraints related to regulations.

Vitamin A Status Improvement in Obesity: Findings and Perspectives Using Encapsulation Techniques.

The association between obesity and vitamin A has been studied. Some studies point to the anti-obesity activity related to this vitamin, carotenoids with provitamin A activity, and carotenoid conversion products. This performance has been evaluated in respect of adipogenesis, metabolic activity, oxidation processes, secretory function, and oxidative stress modulation, showing a new property attributed to vitamin A in preventing and treating obesity. However, vitamin A and its precursors are highly sensitive and easily degraded when subjected to heat, the presence of light, and oxygen, in addition to losses related to the processes of digestion and absorption. In this context, encapsulation presents itself as an alternative capable of increasing vitamin A's stability in the face of unfavorable conditions in the environment, which can reduce its functionality. Considering that vitamin A's status shows a strong correlation with obesity and is an innovative theme, this article addresses the associations between vitamin A's consumption and its precursors, encapsulated or not, and its physiological effects on obesity. The present narrative review points out those recent studies that demonstrate that vitamin A and its encapsulated precursors have the most preserved functionality, which guarantees better effects on obesity therapy.

Altered expression of the vitamin D metabolizing enzymes CYP27B1 and CYP24A1 under the context of prostate aging and pathologies.

Low circulating levels of vitamin D are common at older ages and have been linked to an increased risk of prostate disease, including cancer. However, it has not yet been determined whether aging affects the ability of prostate cells to locally metabolize vitamin D into its active metabolite calcitriol and thus mediate the vitamin D signaling in autocrine and paracrine ways. By using a suitable rat model to interrogate spontaneous prostatic modifications over the course of aging, here we showed that both CYP27B1 and CYP24A1 enzymes, which are key players respectively involved with calcitriol synthesis and deactivation, were highly expressed in the prostate epithelium. Furthermore, as the animals aged, a drastic reduction of CYP27B1 levels was detected in total protein extracts and especially in epithelial areas of lesions, including tumors. On the other hand, CYP24A1 expression significantly increased with aging and remained elevated even in altered epithelia. Such intricate unbalance in regard to vitamin D metabolizing enzymes was strongly associated with reduced bioavailability of calcitriol in the senile prostate, which in addition to decreased expression of the vitamin D receptor, further limits the protective actions mediated by vitamin D signaling. This evidence was corroborated by the increased proliferative activity exactly at sites of lesions where the factors implicated with calcitriol synthesis and responsiveness had its expression inhibited. Taken together, our results emphasize a set of modifications over the course of aging with a high potential to hamper vitamin D signaling on the prostate. These findings highlight a crosstalk between vitamin D, aging, and prostate carcinogenesis, offering new potential targets in the prevention of malignancies and other aging-related disorders arising in the gland.

Reactive oxygen species in cancer: a paradox between pro- and anti-tumour activities.

Cancer constitutes a group of heterogeneous diseases that share common features. They involve the existence of altered cellular pathways which result in uncontrolled cell proliferation. Deregulation of production and/or elimination of reactive oxygen species (ROS) appear to be a relevant issue in most of them. ROS have a dual role in cell metabolism: they are compromised in normal cellular homeostasis, but their overproduction has been reported to promote oxidative stress (OS), a process that may induce the damage of cell structures. ROS accumulation is implicated in the activation of signaling pathways that promote cell proliferation and metabolic adaptations to tumour growth. One characteristic of cancer cells is the sensitivity to OS, which often results from the combination of high anabolic needs and hypoxic growth conditions. However, there is still no clear evidence about the levels of oxidant species that promote cellular transformation or, otherwise, if OS induction could be adequate as an antitumour therapeutic tool. There is a need for novel therapeutic strategies based on the new knowledge of cancer biology. Targeting oncogenic molecular mechanisms with non-classical agents and/or natural compounds would be beneficial as chemoprevention or new adjuvant therapies. In addition, epigenetics and environment, and particularly dietary factors may influence the development and prevention of cancer. This article will present a revision of the current research about molecular aspects proposed to be involved in the anticancer features of oxidant and antioxidant-based therapies targeting cancer cells, and their participation in the balance of oxidative species and cancer cell death.

Vitamin D status, oxidative stress, and inflammation in children and adolescents: A systematic review.

Vitamin D deficiency is considered a global public health problem with high prevalence in children and adolescents. The majority of the studies in the literature have identified a relationship between vitamin D insufficiency/deficiency and obesity, as well as other traditional cardiometabolic risk factors in children and adolescents. Scarce studies address vitamin D status with oxidative stress and inflammation in the young population. The aim of this systematic review was to evaluate the evidence of the association of vitamin D status with oxidative stress and inflammation in children and adolescents. This is a systematic review based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyzes (PRISMA) guideline on reporting systematic reviews. Eight studies were selected for this review. All included studies evaluated inflammatory biomarkers and two out of eight evaluated biomarkers of oxidative stress. The majority of the studies (five out of eight) found association of vitamin D status with biomarkers of oxidative stress and inflammation such as C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin-6 (IL-6), cathepsin S, vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1), malondialdehyde (MDA), myeloperoxidase, 3-nitrotyrosine, and superoxide dismutase (SOD). Vitamin D status is associated with oxidative stress and inflammation in the majority of the studies with children and adolescents. Thus, the assessment of vitamin D status is important because it is associated with nontraditional cardiometabolic markers in the pediatric population (review registration: PROSPERO CRD42018109307).

Increased vitamin supplement to sows, piglets and finishers and the effect in productivity.

With still limited information on vitamin requirements and considering that many commercial practices adopt dietary vitamin levels above the values suggested by nutritional tables, this study aimed to assess the effect of administering vitamin supplementation to sows in gestation and lactation and to their litters on the reproductive performance and body condition of the sows and on the performance and immune profile of the litters until slaughter. The trial was split into two phases. The first phase used 104 sows, assigned to be randomized to blocks according to parity, submitted until 21 days of lactation to two treatments: control-standard (standard levels of vitamins) and test-elevated (elevated levels of vitamins). Each sow and its respective farrow were considered an experimental unit. The sows underwent evaluations of body condition score, back fat thickness and reproductive performance. In the second phase, 60 barrows and 60 gilts at 21 days of age and mean initial weight of 5.33 ± 1.5 kg until slaughter at 164 days of age. The piglets were assigned to randomized blocks according to the weight and sex of the animals in a 2 × 2 factorial model, with 10 replicates per treatment, where a pen with three animals represented the experimental unit. Following the same treatments of the first phase, the piglets were evaluated for daily weight gain, daily feed intake, feed conversion, mortality rate and humoral immune response. Vitamin supplementation had no positive effects on the reproductive parameters or body composition of sows. However, it positively impacted the performance of the litters in the early nursery stage, but did not lead to superior effects on the immune responses to vaccination against circovirus or mycoplasma.

Beneficial effect of a mixture of vitamin-producing and immune-modulating lactic acid bacteria as adjuvant for therapy in a recurrent mouse colitis model.

Inflammatory bowel diseases are chronic and relapsing-remitting disorders that affect the gastrointestinal tract. Previously, the administration of folate and riboflavin-producing lactic acid bacteria (LAB) or an immune-modulating strain showed beneficial effects as they were able to reduce the acute inflammation in mouse models. The aim of this work was to evaluate a mixture of vitamin-producing and immune-modulating LAB administering together with an anti-inflammatory drug during the remission period of a mouse model of recurrent colitis. BALB/c mice were intrarectally instilled with trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid (TNBS) and those who recovered from this acute challenge were given the LAB mixture, mesalazine, or the combination of both (mesalazine + LAB) during 21 days, followed by a second challenge with TNBS. Control mice instilled with ethanol (vehicle of TNBS) and receiving the different treatments were also evaluated in order to study the effect of chronic anti-inflammatory therapy. The combination of mesalazine and LAB mixture was the most effective to decrease the intestinal damage at macroscopic and histological levels and to reduce pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-6 and TNF-α) in intestinal fluids. In animals instilled with ethanol, mesalazine produced a loss of body weight and intestinal damages with increased IL-6. These side effects were prevented by the co-administration of mesalazine and the LAB mixture. The LAB blend did not affect the primary anti-inflammatory treatment, was able to improve it, and also prevented the side effects of this therapy.

Adiposity, inflammation and fat-soluble vitamins in adolescents / Adiposidade, inflamação e vitaminas lipossolúveis em adolescentes

Abstract Objective: Evaluate the association between inflammatory process, adiposity, and vitamins A, D, and E in adolescents, according to gender. Methods: Cross-sectional study with adolescents aged 12-19 years old of both genders attending public schools in Recife. A questionnaire was used to collect data on socioeconomic level, lifestyle, and food intake of adolescents. Then, an anthropometric evaluation and a blood sampling were performed to analyze serum concentrations of α-1-acid glycoprotein, retinol, β-carotene, α-tocopherol, and 25-hydroxy-vitamin D. Results: The levels of α-1-acid glycoprotein were higher for abdominal obesity in both genders. Male adolescents with insufficient serum α-tocopherol levels had low levels of α-1-acid glycoprotein (p = 0.03) and an increased risk of 25-hydroxy-vitamin D and β-carotene deficiency in relation to total and abdominal fat; female adolescents had an increased risk of insufficient β-carotene with abdominal obesity (PR: 1.33; 95% CI: 1.2-1.5). Conclusion: Abdominal adiposity implies a higher risk of inflammation and causes different changes to the levels of fat-soluble vitamins according to gender.

Resumo: Objetivo: Avaliar a associação entre processo inflamatório, adiposidade e as vitaminas A, D e E em adolescentes, segundo o sexo. Métodos: Estudo transversal com adolescentes de 12 a 19 anos de ambos os sexos de escolas públicas de Recife. Foi utilizado um questionário para coleta de dados socioeconômicos, de estilo de vida e de consumo alimentar dos adolescentes. Em seguida, realizou-se a avalição antropométrica e coleta de sangue para análise das concentrações séricas de α-1-glicoproteína ácida, retinol, β-caroteno, α-tocoferol e 25-hidroxivitamina D. Resultados: Os níveis de α-1-glicoproteína ácida foram maiores na obesidade abdominal de ambos os sexos. Os meninos com níveis séricos insuficientes de α-tocoferol expressaram níveis reduzidos de α-1-glicoproteína ácida (p = 0,03) e apresentaram um maior risco de deficiência de 25-hidroxivitamina D e β-caroteno na adiposidade total e abdominal, enquanto as meninas mostraram maior risco de insuficiência de β-caroteno com a obesidade abdominal (RP 1,33; IC 95% 1,2-1,5). Conclusão: A adiposidade abdominal reflete maior risco de inflamação e causa alterações distintas nas concentrações das vitaminas lipossolúveis, de acordo com o sexo.

Effects on meat quality and black bone incidence of elevated dietary vitamin levels in broiler diets challenged with aflatoxin.

Vitamins play an essential role in broiler nutrition. They are fundamental for normal metabolic and physiological process, and their requirements for poultry are not fixed and can be affected by multiple factors. In contrast, mycotoxins are a challenging issue because they hinder performance and the immune system. Vitamin supplementation above minimum requirements would permit improvement in productive potential, health, bone and meat quality in a situation of mycotoxin challenge. The objective of this study was to determine the influence of optimum vitamin nutrition in diets contaminated with aflatoxin in broilers from 1 to 44 days of age. A total of 1800 Cobb 500 male chicks were randomized to 15 sets of eight treatment groups, each containing 15 birds using a 2 × 2 × 2 factorial design (commercial vitamin levels and high vitamin levels, two levels of aflatoxin - 0 and 0.5 ppm with binder levels of 0 and 10 000 mg/kg). The mash diets were corn and soybean meal based, formulated according to commercial practices. Feed intake, weight gain and feed conversion were analyzed for birds from 1 to 44 days of age. To determine carcass characteristics (carcass yield, breast yield and leg yield) and black bone syndrome, two birds were slaughtered from each group at 45 days. Other analyses included breast tenderness, water loss by dripping and malonaldehyde concentrations. The results demonstrated that broilers that were fed high levels of vitamins showed better weight gain, feed conversion, carcass yield and breast yield than broilers that were fed diets with commercial vitamin levels (P < 0.05); also, broilers that were fed diets containing 0.5 ppm aflatoxin had lower weight gain, carcass yield and breast yield (P < 0.05). The use of 10 000 mg/kg of binder improved (P < 0.05) feed conversion throughout the rearing period. We conclude that aflatoxin negatively affects performance and carcass yield; however, feeding optimum vitamin nutrition improved these performance traits.

Growth of Candida norvegensis (strain Levazoot 15) with different energy, nitrogen, vitamin, and micromineral sources.

To examine the growth of Candida norvegensis (strain Levazoot 15), four experiments were conducted with different sources of energy, nitrogen, vitamins, and microminerals. Optical density was used as an indirect measure of strain growth in a fully randomized factorial design, in which principal factor A was the source of energy, nitrogen, vitamins, or microminerals and principal factor B was the measurement time point (0, 20, or 40 h). The results showed that the yeast strain used glucose (primarily sucrose and lactose) as the energy source and tryptone as the nitrogen source. The addition of B-complex vitamins or microminerals was not necessary for strain growth. It is concluded that the strain Levazoot 15 preferentially utilizes glucose as a source of energy, tryptone as a source of nitrogen and manganese as a mineral source, and that no vitamin source was necessary for growth.

Levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D3, biochemical parameters and symptoms of depression and anxiety in healthy individuals.

Growing evidence support the role of vitamin D in brain function and behavior. This study investigated the relationship between 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 [25(OH)D3] levels, biochemical profile and symptoms of depression and anxiety in healthy individuals. Symptoms of depression were assessed by the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and anxiety was evaluated with the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI). Our sample included 36 individuals, mostly women 27(75%), 36.39 ± 9.72 years old, non-smokers 31(86.1%), body mass index of 26.57 ± 3.92 kg/m2, 27.95 ± 7.50% body fat. Participants were divided into those with 25(OH)D3 levels lower than 40 ng/mL (mean 28.16 ± 7.07) and equal or higher than 40 ng/mL (mean 53.19 ± 6.32). Those with lower 25(OH)D3 had higher levels of triacylglycerol, triacylglycerol/high density lipoprotein (HDL) ratio, high glucose and homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) index. No changes were observed in sociodemographic variables, body composition, inflammatory parameters and cortisol. Additionally, in the groups with low and high 25(OH)D3 levels, STAI state, STAI trait and BDI scores were not statistically different. Levels of 25(OH)D3 were inversely and independently associated with glucose and HOMA-IR, but not associated with triacylglycerol, depression and anxiety scores. Lower levels of 25(OH)D3 were associated with dysfunction in glucose metabolism but not with depression and anxiety in healthy individuals.

Adiposity, inflammation and fat-soluble vitamins in adolescents.

OBJECTIVE: Evaluate the association between inflammatory process, adiposity, and vitamins A, D, and E in adolescents, according to gender. METHODS: Cross-sectional study with adolescents aged 12-19 years old of both genders attending public schools in Recife. A questionnaire was used to collect data on socioeconomic level, lifestyle, and food intake of adolescents. Then, an anthropometric evaluation and a blood sampling were performed to analyze serum concentrations of α-1-acid glycoprotein, retinol, ß-carotene, α-tocopherol, and 25-hydroxy-vitamin D. RESULTS: The levels of α-1-acid glycoprotein were higher for abdominal obesity in both genders. Male adolescents with insufficient serum α-tocopherol levels had low levels of α-1-acid glycoprotein (p=0.03) and an increased risk of 25-hydroxy-vitamin D and ß-carotene deficiency in relation to total and abdominal fat; female adolescents had an increased risk of insufficient ß-carotene with abdominal obesity (PR: 1.33; 95% CI: 1.2-1.5). CONCLUSION: Abdominal adiposity implies a higher risk of inflammation and causes different changes to the levels of fat-soluble vitamins according to gender.

Antioxidants in the Fight Against Atherosclerosis: Is This a Dead End?

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: The purpose of this review is to focus on the outcome of recent antioxidant interventions using synthetic and naturally occurring molecules established as adjuvant strategies to lipid-lowering or anti-inflammatory therapies designed to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. RECENT FINDINGS: To date, accumulated evidence regarding oxidation as a pro-atherogenic factor indicates that redox biochemical events involved in atherogenesis are indeed a very attractive target for the management of cardiovascular disease in the clinic. Nevertheless, although evidence indicates that redox reactions are important in the initiation and progression of atherosclerosis, oxidation with a pro-atherogenic context does not eliminate the fact that oxidation participates in many cases as an essential messenger of important cellular signaling pathways. Therefore, disease management and therapeutic goals require not only high-precision and high-sensitivity methods to detect in plasma very low amounts of reducing and oxidizing molecules but also a much better understanding of the normal processes and metabolic pathways influenced and/or controlled by oxidative stress. As several methodologies have been specifically described for the quantification of the total antioxidant capacity and the oxidation state of diverse biological systems, a successful way to carefully study how redox reactions influence atherosclerosis can be achieved. Since there is still a lack of standardization with many of these methods, clinical trials studying antioxidant capacity have been difficult to compare and therefore difficult to use in order to reach a conclusion. We believe a comprehensive analysis of new knowledge and its relationship with the presence of plasma antioxidants and their reducing capacity will undoubtedly open new ways to understand and develop new therapeutic pathways in the fight not only against atherosclerosis but also against other degenerative diseases.

Vitamin Producing Lactic Acid Bacteria as Complementary Treatments for Intestinal Inflammation.

BACKGROUND: Current therapies for against inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are sometimes limited by high costs, high toxicities and/or undesirable side effects, reasons for which new treatments are constantly being developed and studied. In this regards, an increasing mass of data has demonstrated that fecal transplantations and probiotic supplementations have shown promising effects and could be considered as adjunct IBD treatments to decrease some of the unwanted side effects caused by primary treatments. Furthermore, there is also mounting evidence that suggests that certain vitamins could provide antiinflammatory effects and it has been shown that certain strains of lactic acid bacteria (LAB), the most commonly used probiotic microorganisms, can produce biologically active forms of certain vitamins. OBJECTIVE: To discuss the potential role of the vitamin-producing LAB on intestinal inflammatory diseases. METHOD: A thorough search of bibliographic databases for peer-reviewed research on the effect of vitamins produced by LAB on inflammatory processes was performed. RESULTS: There is mounting research that vitamin producing LAB could provide antiinflammatory effects. CONCLUSION: The potential role of vitamin producing LAB was discussed not only because they could be used to decrease inflammation but also because they could provide the host with essential nutrients that are normally deficient in IBD patients due to altered intestinal morphologies.

Anthropometric Profile, Serum Leptin, Antioxidant Vitamins, LEPR Q223R Polymorphism and Cardiovascular Risk Factors in Adolescents.

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors, such as bad eating habits, are typical in adolescence and lead to the consumption of meals that are not always sufficient in vitamins A, E, ß-carotene, excess calories and elevated serum leptin levels. The purpose of this research is to study the relationship between vitamin A deficiency (VAD), ß-carotene deficiency (ßcD), vitamin E deficiency (VED) and to explore the association of leptin receptor Q223R polymorphisms with obesity and other risk factors for CVD. Method: This observational study included 237 adolescents recruited from Adolescents Reference Center, Brazil. It was collected: socioeconomic and clinical data, laboratory and molecular samples. Results: The average age was 14.93 ± 2.18 years, 66.2 % were girls, 38.0 % had high levels of total cholesterol (TC) between 10-14 years Triceps (TSF) and subscapular skinfolds (SSF) measurements were inversely correlated with VAD. There was also an association between VAD, ßcD and high triglyceride (TG) levels. Adolescents with the RR genotype presented a trend toward higher levels of body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), systolic blood pressure (SBP), TC, TG, low density lipoprotein (LDLC), leptin and low levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL-c). Conclusion: The girls had higher levels of leptin than boys. Abdominal fat, ßcD and VED were observed in adolescents with VAD. Individuals with RR genotype have drawn attention to cardiovascular risk factors such as high rate of LDLC and reduced rate of HDLc. Thus, it is possible that individuals with this genotype may be more susceptible to the presence of cardiovascular risk factors.

[Relationship between dietary consumption of vitamins and minerals, body mass index, and waist circumference: a population-based study of adults in southern Brazil]. / Relação entre consumo alimentar de vitaminas e minerais, índice de massa corporal e circunferência da cintura: um estudo de base populacional com adultos no Sul do Brasil.

The study's objective was to investigate the association between inadequate dietary consumption of micronutrients and indicators of general and abdominal obesity. Cross-sectional analysis of the second wave of the EpiFloripa Adults longitudinal study, including 1,222 individuals, aged 22-63 years and residing in Florianópolis, Santa Catarina State, Southern Brazil. Food consumption data was obtained from two 24-hour food recalls, and habitual consumption and prevalence rates of inadequate consumption of calcium, iron, zinc, and vitamins A, C, D, and E were estimated according to the Institute of Medicine and National Research Council guidelines. General obesity was defined based on the body mass index (BMI) values and abdominal obesity was based on waist circumference (WC) values. For most of the micronutrients investigated (calcium and vitamins A, C, D, and E), consumption levels were below the recommendations, with high prevalence of inadequate consumption in the sample as a whole. Only inadequate vitamin C intake was higher among obese individuals (general or abdominal). In addition, there was an inverse association between lower consumption of calcium and iron and higher BMI and WC, and between lower consumption of vitamins A and D and higher WC levels (ß = -0.92cm; 95%CI: -1.76; -0.08 and ß = -0.69 cm; 95%CI: -1.32; -0.06, respectively), especially in young adults. The study showed an inverse association between inadequate dietary consumption of micronutrients and general and abdominal obesity in a sample of adults in Southern Brazil.

O objetivo do estudo foi investigar a associação entre o consumo alimentar inadequado de micronutrientes e indicadores de obesidade geral e abdominal. Análise transversal, da segunda onda do estudo longitudinal EpiFloripa Adultos, incluindo 1.222 indivíduos de 22-63 anos, residentes em Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, Sul do Brasil. Os dados de consumo alimentar foram obtidos mediante aplicação de dois recordatórios de 24 horas, sendo o consumo habitual e as prevalências de inadequação no consumo de cálcio, ferro, zinco, e das vitaminas A, C, D e E estimadas conforme as recomendações do Instituto de Medicina e do Conselho Nacional de Pesquisa dos Estados Unidos. O estado nutricional de obesidade geral foi determinado considerando-se valores do índice de massa corporal (IMC), e a obesidade abdominal, considerando-se valores da circunferência da cintura (CC). Para a maioria dos micronutrientes investigados (cálcio, vitaminas A, C, D e E), as médias de consumo mostraram-se aquém dos valores recomendados, com prevalências elevadas de inadequação para toda a amostra. Somente a inadequação no consumo de vitamina C foi maior entre indivíduos obesos (geral ou abdominal). Além disso, associação inversa foi observada entre o menor consumo de cálcio e ferro com valores maiores do IMC e da CC, e entre o menor consumo das vitaminas A e D com valores maiores da CC (ß = -0,92cm; IC95%: -1,76; -0,08 e ß = -0,69cm; IC95%: -1,32; -0,06, respectivamente), principalmente entre adultos jovens. Foi possível identificar a existência de associação inversa entre o consumo alimentar inadequado de micronutrientes e o estado nutricional de obesidade geral e abdominal também em uma amostra de adultos residentes no Sul do Brasil.

El objetivo del estudio fue investigar la asociación entre el consumo alimentario inadecuado de micronutrientes e indicadores de obesidad general y abdominal. Métodos: análisis transversal, de la segunda fase del estudio longitudinal EpiFloripa Adultos, incluyendo 1.222 individuos de 22-63 años, residentes en Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, Sur de Brasil. Los datos de consumo alimentario fueron obtenidos mediante aplicación de dos recordatorios de 24 horas, siendo estimados, conforme las recomendaciones del Instituto de Medicina y del Consejo Nacional de Investigación, de los EEUU. El estado nutricional de obesidad general fue determinado considerándose valores del índice de masa corporal (IMC), y la obesidad abdominal, considerándose valores de la circunferencia de la cintura (CC). Para la mayoría de los micronutrientes investigados (calcio, vitaminas A, C, D y E), las medias de consumo fueron menores que las recomendaciones, con prevalencias elevadas de inadecuación para toda la muestra. Solamente la inadecuación en el consumo de vitamina C fue mayor entre individuos obesos (general o abdominal). Además, asociación inversa fue observada entre el menor consumo de calcio e hierro con valores mayores de IMC y de la CC, y entre el menor consumo de vitaminas A y D con valores mayores de la CC (ß = -0,92cm; IC95%: -1,76; -0,08 y ß = -0,69cm; IC95%: -1,32; -0,06), principalmente entre adultos jóvenes. Fue posible identificar la existencia de asociación inversa entre el consumo alimentario inadecuado de micronutrientes y el estado nutricional de obesidad general y abdominal en una muestra de adultos residentes en el Sur de Brasil.

Beneficial effects on host energy metabolism of short-chain fatty acids and vitamins produced by commensal and probiotic bacteria.

The aim of this review is to summarize the effect in host energy metabolism of the production of B group vitamins and short chain fatty acids (SCFA) by commensal, food-grade and probiotic bacteria, which are also actors of the mammalian nutrition. The mechanisms of how these microbial end products, produced by these bacterial strains, act on energy metabolism will be discussed. We will show that these vitamins and SCFA producing bacteria could be used as tools to recover energy intakes by either optimizing ATP production from foods or by the fermentation of certain fibers in the gastrointestinal tract (GIT). Original data are also presented in this work where SCFA (acetate, butyrate and propionate) and B group vitamins (riboflavin, folate and thiamine) production was determined for selected probiotic bacteria.