Angiotensin-I converting enzyme inhibitory and antioxidant activities of peptide fractions extracted by ultrafiltration of cowpea Vigna unguiculata hydrolysates.

BACKGROUND: Enzymatic proteolysis of food proteins is used to produce peptide fractions with the potential to act as physiological modulators. Fractionation of these proteins by ultrafiltration results in fractions rich in small peptides with the potential to act as functional food ingredients. The present study investigated the angiotensin-I converting enzyme (ACE-I) inhibitory and antioxidant activities for hydrolysates produced by hydrolyzing Vigna unguiculata protein extract as well as ultrafiltered peptide fractions from these hydrolysates. RESULTS: Alcalase(®), Flavourzyme(®) and pepsin-pancreatin were used to produce extensively hydrolyzed V. unguiculata protein extract. Degree of hydrolysis (DH) differed between the enzymatic systems and ranged from 35.7% to 58.8%. Fractionation increased in vitro biological activities in the peptide fractions, with IC(50) (hydrolysate concentration in µg protein mL(-1) required to produce 50% ACE inhibition) value ranges of 24.3-123 (Alcalase hydrolysate, AH), 0.04-170.6 (Flavourzyme hydrolysate; FH) and 44.7-112 (pepsin-pancreatin hydrolysate, PPH) µg mL(-1), and TEAC (Trolox equivalent antioxidant coefficient) value ranges of 303.2-1457 (AH), 357.4-10 211 (FH) and 267.1-2830.4 (PPH) mmol L(-1) mg(-1) protein. CONCLUSION: The results indicate the possibility of obtaining bioactive peptides from V. unguiculata proteins by means of a controlled protein hydrolysis using Alcalase(®), Flavourzyme(®) and pepsin-pancreatin. The V. unguiculata protein hydrolysates and their corresponding ultrafiltered peptide fractions might be utilized for physiologically functional foods with antihypertensive and antioxidant activities.

[NUTRITIONAL STATUS OF UNIVERSITY STUDENTS FROM MÉXICO IN RELATION WITH THEIR LIFESTYLE]. / ESTADO NUTRICIONAL EN RELACIÓN CON EL ESTILO DE VIDA DE ESTUDIANTES UNIVERSITARIOS MEXICANOS.

INTRODUCTION: the change in lifestyle and nutrition has led to growing obesity; in Mexico there has been significant increase in its prevalence. The problem was thought limited to adult population, but it also affects children, adolescents and young adults. Obesity at an early stage of life, subsequently leads to obesity in adult life. Apparently few attempts with College students have being reported. OBJECTIVES: relate the effect of anthropometry and physical condition with dietary habits, physical activity and smoking addiction in students of a public university of Mexico, in order to establish a diagnosis of their nutritional status. METHODS: one hundred and seventy eight students, were measured obtaining: body weight, height, waist and hip circumference, body composition and blood pressure. A questionnaire to determine their physical activity was applied, a dietary assessment was also collected and socioeconomic status was established. Data were analyzed statistically by the method of least squares. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: individuals classified as over-weighted, with obesity class 1 and class 2, accounted for 48.87% of the total population; more overweight and obesity was found in men compared with women, affecting negatively the value of blood pressure. This deteriorating health was attributable to poor eating habits: skipping breakfast and consumption of fast food. Smoking was revealed as a major risk factor since it adversely affected nutritional status.

Introducción: el cambio en el estilo de vida y la nutrición ha dado lugar a una creciente obesidad; en México se ha registrado un notable incremento en su prevalencia. El problema se creía limitado a la población adulta, pero también está presente en niños, adolescentes y en adultosjóvenes. La obesidad en una etapa inicial de la vida adulta, conlleva a su desarrollo posteriormente. Se han llevado a cabo pocos estudios con estudiantes universitarios. Objetivos: relacionar el efecto de la antropometría y de la condición física con los hábitos alimentarios, la actividad física y el tabaquismo de estudiantes de una universidad pública de México con la finalidad de establecer un diagnóstico del estado nutricional. Métodos: ciento setenta y ocho estudiantes participaron, obteniéndose su peso, altura, circunferencia de la cintura y cadera, composición corporal y presión arterial. Se aplicó un cuestionario para conocer su actividad física, se realizó una evaluación dietética y se estableció su nivel socioeconómico. Los datos se analizaron estadísticamente mediante el método de mínimos cuadrados. Resultados y Discusión: los individuos que se clasificaron en sobrepeso, obesidad clase 1 y obesidad clase 2, representaron el 48.87% del total, observándose más sobrepeso y obesidad en los hombres en comparación con las mujeres, reflejándose en un elevado valor de la presión arterial. Este deterioro en la salud se pudo atribuir a malos hábitos alimentarios como el hecho de no realizar el desayuno, así como dedicarle poco tiempo al consumo de alimentos, adquiriendo comida rápida. El tabaquismo se reveló como un factor de riesgo importante, ya que afectó negativamente al estado nutricional.

Defatted Jatropha curcas flour and protein isolate as materials for protein hydrolysates with biological activity.

Jatropha curcas L. protein hydrolysates were produced by treatment of a non-toxic genotype with Alcalase as well as the digestive enzymes pepsin and pancreatin. The J. curcas protein hydrolysate produced with the pepsin-pancreatin system from protein isolate had the highest TEAC value and was shown to undergo single-electron transfer reactions in the ABTS(+) reduction assay, demonstrating its antioxidant capacity. Testing of antimicrobial activity in the J. curcas protein hydrolysates against seven bacterial pathogens showed no growth inhibitory effect in Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria. More ACE-I inhibitory active peptides were produced in the Alcalase hydrolysates obtained from J. curcas protein isolate. The protein hydrolysate obtained with Alcalase from defatted J. curcas flour as well as from the protein isolate showed the highest inhibitory effect of ADP-induced aggregation of human platelets in platelet-rich plasma. It is expected that the information collated will facilitate new applications of proteins present in Jatropha plant.

Effect of Jatropha curcas peptide fractions on the angiotensin I-converting enzyme inhibitory activity.

Hypertension is one of the most common worldwide diseases in humans. Angiotensin I-converting enzyme (ACE) plays an important role in regulating blood pressure and hypertension. An evaluation was done on the effect of Alcalase hydrolysis of defatted Jatropha curcas kernel meal on ACE inhibitory activity in the resulting hydrolysate and its purified fractions. Alcalase exhibited broad specificity and produced a protein hydrolysate with a 21.35% degree of hydrolysis and 34.87% ACE inhibition. Ultrafiltration of the hydrolysate produced peptide fractions with increased biological activity (24.46-61.41%). Hydrophobic residues contributed substantially to the peptides' inhibitory potency. The 5-10 and <1 kDa fractions were selected for further fractionation by gel filtration chromatography. ACE inhibitory activity (%) ranged from 22.66 to 45.96% with the 5-10 kDa ultrafiltered fraction and from 36.91 to 55.83% with the <1 kDa ultrafiltered fraction. The highest ACE inhibitory activity was observed in F2 (IC50 = 6.7 µg/mL) from the 5-10 kDa fraction and F1 (IC50 = 4.78 µg/mL) from the <1 kDa fraction. ACE inhibitory fractions from Jatropha kernel have potential applications in alternative hypertension therapies, adding a new application for the Jatropha plant protein fraction and improving the financial viability and sustainability of a Jatropha-based biodiesel industry.

Heavy metal quantification in renal tissue of patients in the state of yucatan and its association with urolithiasis.

A possible cause associated with urinary lithiasis (UL) is the bioaccumulation of heavy metals in the kidney. The aim of this study was to evaluate the content of Cu, Pb, and Cd in kidney tissues removed from patients with nephrological problems and associate it with UL. Samples of 50 kidney sections from patients were analyzed. Results were statistically analyzed using a fixed effects model including the overall mean, the effect of the health status of patients (with or without UL), gender (male and female), the interaction between both factors and the random error (NID (0, σ (2))). Cu level was 8.8 ± 4.4 mg/kg (mean ± DS) and 25.5% of samples had levels above normal. Lead content in 97.9% of the samples (3.6 ± 1.5 mg/kg) was above normal. All results of Cd (13.2 ± 16.6 mg/kg) were below the maximum permissible limits. There was no difference in the amount of heavy metals on patients with or without UL (P > 0.05) nor depending on the gender (P > 0.05). It was concluded that there is no apparent relationship between a very elevated level of Cu or Pb in the kidney on the development of UL.