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Abstract: Major depressive disorder (MDD) is associated with long-chain omega-3 (LCn-3) fatty acid deficits and indices of chronic sustained inflammation including elevated C-reactive protein (CRP) levels. The present study combined a case-control analysis and a prospective 10-week open-label fish oil (FO) supplementation trial to investigate the relationships among plasma phospholipid LCn-3 fatty acid levels, plasma CRP concentrations, and depressive symptoms in adolescent MDD patients. Compared with healthy controls (n=20), MDD patients (n=20) exhibited significantly lower EPA+DHA levels (-62%, p£0.0001) and a higher ratio of arachidonic acid (AA) to EPA+DHA (+78%, p=0.0002). CRP concentrations did not differ between controls and MDD patients (0.16 vs. 0.17 mg/dL, p=0.96), and were positively correlated with depression symptom severity scores in MDD patients (r = +0.55, p=0.01). CRP concentrations were positively correlated with BMI in MDD patients (r = +0.63, p=0.005) and controls (r = +0.69, p=0.002). Low-dose (2.4 g/d) and high-dose (15 g/d) FO supplementation significantly increased EPA+DHA levels in MDD patients, but did not significantly alter CRP concentrations. Baseline and baseline-endpoint change in CRP levels were not correlated with baseline-endpoint reductions in depression severity. Together, these data demonstrate that the lower plasma phospholipid LCn-3 fatty acid composition exhibited by adolescent MDD patients is not associated with higher CRP levels, and that increasing LCn-3 fatty acid status reduces depression symptom severity independent of changes in CRP concentrations. Collectively, these data suggest that CRP concentrations are dissociable from LCn-3 fatty acid status and antidepressant response in adolescent MDD patients. Keywords: Major depressive disorder, C-Reactive Protein (CRP), Omega-3 Fatty Acids, Fish oil, Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA).Download Full Article |
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Abstract: A content analysis of 311 food commercials broadcast on television networks in Hong Kong was conducted. There were nearly equal proportions of ads for healthy and unhealthy foods. The three most frequently used advertising appeals were taste/flavor/smell/texture, health/wellbeing and physical performance/speed/strength. Altogether 54 percent of the food ads contained health-related claims. Intriguingly, 23 percent of the ads for unhealthy food contained health-related claims. The prevalent use of general health claims in unhealthy food ads calls for policy makers to devise better ways to regulate health claims in food advertisements. This is the first content analysis of health and nutrition information in food advertisingarising from a society with a rich herbalist tradition. Keywords: Children, Television, Nutrition, Diet, Healthy Eating.Download Full Article |
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Abstract: A modified poultry egg (Indian Patent Application No. 2264/Del-2005) and chick muscle enriched with optimum minerals, vitamin E and omega-3 fatty acid were developed and its efficacy was studied on oxidative stress of Type-2 diabetes mellitus induced male wistar rats. In this study, two groups of rats were fed on semi-synthetic diet containing 20 mg Zn/kg (control, group-I) and 80 mg Zn/kg (group-II) diet respectively for a period of 6 months. The study revealed that the gain in body weight increased in rats in Zn concentration dependent manner. The urine examined on weekly basis showed glucosuria in group-II on week 8 and thereafter. The blood lipid profile displayed a significant rise in serum glucose, total lipids, cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL-cholesterol, VLDL-cholesterol whereas HDL-cholesterol showed a reduction in their levels in group-II rats than their control counter parts. They displayed higher lipid peroxidation products and activities of superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione–s -transferase, glutathione reductase, glutathione (reduced) and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase were significantly lowered and revealed a higher Zn concentration and lower Cu, Mg and Mn both in liver and kidney. On day 90, the male rats in group-II after the establishment of type-2 diabetes mellitus, were divided in to two groups- group-IIA and group-IIB. Feeding on these eggs and chick muscles mixed diet in these groups of rats, all the abnormalities were restored and a considerable reduction in lipid peroxidation products and a significant increased in the activities of enzymes per se with reversal of Zn, Cu, Mg and Mn levels closer to the control group were recorded. The present data suggest that these modified egg and chick muscle are effective in ameliorating the oxidative stress in type-2 diabetes mellitus induced male rats. Keywords: Zinc, modified eggs, chick muscles, oxidative stress, type-II diabetes mellitus.Download Full Article |
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Abstract: The aims of the study were to prepare macro peptides low in phenylalanine (Phe) from non-conventional raw materials, and to demonstrate the feasibility of using the fluorometric technique to measure the diminution of their Phe content. Aqueous solution of flours of legumes, and amaranth panicles were used to elaborate the concentrates by using isoelectric precipitation. These protein concentrates, and a whey solution were incubated with proteolytic enzymes to hydrolyze the peptide link at the aromatic amino acids, and then these macro peptides were filtrated through activated charcoal, in order to reduce its phenylalanine concentration. The Phe concentration, of the each prepared macro peptides, was analyzed by using fluorometric technique, and it was later validated by using HPLC. The crude protein contents in the concentrates have varied from 90% in the protein isolate from lentils, 76% in those from the frijol white, and 44% in those from amaranth panicles. Protein concentrates, and whey were hydrolyzed by using the following enzymes: pepsin from the pig gastric mucosa, protease from Aspergillus oryzae, and protease type XIV from Streptomyces griseus. It was determined that the enzymes with the better hydrolysis capacity, were the proteases from S. griseus and A. oryzae. The macro peptides with non-linked phe were filtered through activated charcoal. Reductions of Phe of up to 99% in the second and third filtrate were observed and this reduction was corroborated by using HPLC technique. It was also established the higher sensitivity of the fluorometric method to detect Phe, than the HPLC technique. Keywords: :Flours, L-phenylalanine, PKU food, dietary supplementation.Download Full Article |
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Abstract: Selected Lactobacillus spp. with high protease and acid producing capacity was explored for effective gliadin degradation in wheat sourdough environment. The total titratable acidity (TTA), pH and lactic acid bacteria (LAB) counts were evaluated. At the end of fermentation, the acidity and pH of the sourdough samples reached to 13.49-17.34 and 3.84-3.52 range, respectively. LAB population was enumerated as 107-109 colony forming unit (CFU)/g dough. Gliadin profiles were examined qualitatively using sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE), two-dimensional electrophoresis (2-DE) and reverse phase-high performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) techniques. Especially RP-HPLC could be considered as a sensitive technique and is useful to determine the biochemical changes in gliadin fragmentation throughout sourdough fermentation process. LAB inoculated sourdoughs and chemically acidified sourdoughs generally represent similar gliadin degradation patterns. Although the total removal of gliadin toxicity could not be achieved in all dough formulations, it may be beneficial to use LAB to improve the dough and bread quality through the exploration of its bioconversion by-products. Keywords: :Gliadin, sourdough, lactic acid bacteria, probiotic, celiac.Download Full Article |