The impact of low-salt bread as a simple diet on hypertensive patients with cardiovascular comorbidities.

OBJECTIVES: During recent years, hypertension and related cardiovascular complications have become the leading health challenges of this century. Non-pharmacologic strategies, emphasizing mainly salt restriction and physical activity, are recommended for all patients with hypertension. Our objective was to assess the impact of low salt white bread intake, widely consumed in Western Algeria, on blood pressure values in hypertensive patients with and without comorbidities. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 134 hypertensive patients (male = 78, female = 56) were included. The study population was divided into two groups according to their choice of following a low salt white bread diet or not. Their dietary salt intake and physical activity were surveyed along with their blood pressure measurements and associated comorbidities. Other clinical and anthropometric data were collected. RESULTS: Patients following low salt bread diet showed decreased systolic and diastolic blood pressure values (119.07/74.63 mmHg) compared to the second group (131.92/79.81) (p < 0.01). These results were observed specifically in patients with adjacent cardiovascular diseases who seem to be less compliant to the diet (41.1% of the whole population, p < 0.05) and show significant increased blood pressure (135.75/81.53 mmHg) compared to compliant patients (116.66/75.33 mmHg) (p < 0.01). CONCLUSION: The study highlights the impact of low salt bread diet on the treatment of hypertension with and without comorbidities.

Zizyphus lotus L. fruit attenuates obesity-associated alterations: in vivo mechanisms.

CONTEXT: Zizyphus lotus L., ZL is a Mediterranean plant and widely consumed for its beneficial medicinal properties. Objective: We assessed the effects of ZL fruit on diet-induced obesity. Materials and methods: Male C57BL/6j mice were divided into three groups. Each group received either a standard diet or a high-fat diet, HFD (30% of palm oil, w/v) or a HFD-supplemented with ZL fruit powder (10%, w/w) for six weeks, followed by a six weeks period, in which animals were maintained on the HFD and ZL aqueous extract (1%, w/v). We measured plasma parameters and assessed the expression of key genes involved in energy metabolism and inflammation. Results: ZL fruit improved glycaemia, lipids concentrations and inflammation in obese mice. Discussion and conclusion: Our investigations showed that ZL fruit improved glucose tolerance, dyslipidaemia and fatty liver disease, but not the severity of HFD-induced obesity in mice.

Zizyphin modulates calcium signalling in human taste bud cells and fat taste perception in the mouse.

Zizyphin, isolated from Zizyphus sps. leaf extracts, has been shown to modulate sugar taste perception, and the palatability of a sweet solution is increased by the addition of fatty acids. We, therefore, studied whether zizyphin also modulates fat taste perception. Zizyphin was purified from edible fruit of Zizyphus lotus L. Zizyphin-induced increases in [Ca2+ ]i in human taste bud cells (hTBC). Zizyphin shared the endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ pool and also recruited, in part, Ca2+ from extracellular environment via the opening of store-operated Ca2+ channels. Zizyphin exerted additive actions on linoleic acid (LA)-induced increases in [Ca2+ ]i in these cells, indicating that zizyphin does not exert its action via fatty acid receptors. However, zizyphin seemed to exert, at least in part, its action via bile acid receptor Takeda-G-protein-receptor-5 in hTBC. In behavioural tests, mice exhibited preference for both LA and zizyphin. Interestingly, zizyphin increased the preference for a solution containing-LA. This study is the first evidence of the modulation of fat taste perception by zizyphin at the cellular level in hTBC. Our study might be helpful for considering the synthesis of zizyphin analogues as 'taste modifiers' with a potential in the management of obesity and lipid-mediated disorders.