scholarly journals Food Sources of Selenium and Its Relationship with Chronic Diseases

Nutrients ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (5) ◽  
pp. 1739
Author(s):  
Wenli Hu ◽  
Chong Zhao ◽  
Hongbo Hu ◽  
Shutao Yin
Keyword(s):  
Chronic Diseases ◽  
Biological Activities ◽  
Food Sources ◽  
High Status ◽  
Health Issues ◽  
Preclinical Trials ◽  
Se Deficiency ◽  
Effective Public Health ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Se Status

Selenium (Se) is an essential micronutrient for mammals, and its deficiency seriously threatens human health. A series of biofortification strategies have been developed to produce Se-enriched foods for combating Se deficiency. Although there have been some inconsistent results, extensive evidence has suggested that Se supplementation is beneficial for preventing and treating several chronic diseases. Understanding the association between Se and chronic diseases is essential for guiding clinical practice, developing effective public health policies, and ultimately counteracting health issues associated with Se deficiency. The current review will discuss the food sources of Se, biofortification strategies, metabolism and biological activities, clinical disorders and dietary reference intakes, as well as the relationship between Se and health outcomes, especially cardiovascular disease, diabetes, chronic inflammation, cancer, and fertility. Additionally, some concepts were proposed, there is a non-linear U-shaped dose-responsive relationship between Se status and health effects: subjects with a low baseline Se status can benefit from Se supplementation, while Se supplementation in populations with an adequate or high status may potentially increase the risk of some diseases. In addition, at supra-nutritional levels, methylated Se compounds exerted more promising cancer chemo-preventive efficacy in preclinical trials.

scholarly journals The Impact of Alkaloid-Producing Epichloë Endophyte on Forage Ryegrass Breeding: A New Zealand Perspective

Toxins ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 158
Author(s):  
Colin Eady
Keyword(s):  
Seed Production ◽  
Health Issues ◽  
Abiotic Stressors ◽  
Livestock Health ◽  
The Right ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
And Storage ◽  
Selection Of ◽  
Epichloë Endophyte

For 30 years, forage ryegrass breeding has known that the germplasm may contain a maternally inherited symbiotic Epichloë endophyte. These endophytes produce a suite of secondary alkaloid compounds, dependent upon strain. Many produce ergot and other alkaloids, which are associated with both insect deterrence and livestock health issues. The levels of alkaloids and other endophyte characteristics are influenced by strain, host germplasm, and environmental conditions. Some strains in the right host germplasm can confer an advantage over biotic and abiotic stressors, thus acting as a maternally inherited desirable ‘trait’. Through seed production, these mutualistic endophytes do not transmit into 100% of the crop seed and are less vigorous than the grass seed itself. This causes stability and longevity issues for seed production and storage should the ‘trait’ be desired in the germplasm. This makes understanding the precise nature of the relationship vitally important to the plant breeder. These Epichloë endophytes cannot be ‘bred’ in the conventional sense, as they are asexual. Instead, the breeder may modulate endophyte characteristics through selection of host germplasm, a sort of breeding by proxy. This article explores, from a forage seed company perspective, the issues that endophyte characteristics and breeding them by proxy have on ryegrass breeding, and outlines the methods used to assess the ‘trait’, and the application of these through the breeding, production, and deployment processes. Finally, this article investigates opportunities for enhancing the utilisation of alkaloid-producing endophytes within pastures, with a focus on balancing alkaloid levels to further enhance pest deterrence and improving livestock outcomes.

scholarly journals Chromatographic Characterization and In Vitro Bioactivity Evaluation of Lactobacillus helveticus Hydrolysates upon Fermentation of Different Substrates

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 811
Author(s):  
Federica Ianni ◽  
Alessandra Anna Altomare ◽  
Beniamino T. Cenci-Goga ◽  
Francesca Blasi ◽  
Luca Grispoldi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Liquid Chromatography ◽  
Proteolytic Activity ◽  
Bioactive Peptides ◽  
Biological Activities ◽  
Skim Milk ◽  
Brain Heart Infusion ◽  
Starter Cultures ◽  
Lactobacillus Helveticus ◽  
Food Sources

Among various food sources, milk proteins remain the major vector for functional peptides endowed with several biological activities. Particularly, the proteolytic activity of lactic acid bacteria during milk fermentation has been one of the most followed strategies to produce bioactive peptides. In the present study, the exploration of the activity of several starter cultures, at different fermentation times, was firstly investigated by reversed phase-high performance liquid chromatography. Among the tested strains, Lactobacillus helveticus showed a higher proteolytic activity and it was submitted to further investigations by changing the fermentation substrate (skim milk, brain heart infusion, peptone water) as well as the extraction strategy (trichloroacetic acid vs. glass beads). The chromatographic analyses and the in vitro antioxidant and antihypertensive assays highlighted considerable differences for L. helveticus hydrolysates from different substrates, while a negligible impact by the two extraction protocols emerged. Furthermore, nano-high pressure liquid chromatography coupled with a high resolution mass spectrometry analyzer allowed the preliminary discrimination of fractions from fermented skim milk, likely responsible for the found activity. The obtained results suggest the possibility of varying the fermentation parameters in order to maximize the functional effects of the bioactive peptides.

scholarly journals An exploration of the relationship between recruitment communication and foraging in stingless bees

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robbie I’Anson Price ◽  
Francisca Segers ◽  
Amelia Berger ◽  
Fabio S Nascimento ◽  
Christoph Grüter
Keyword(s):  
Stingless Bees ◽  
Sugar Content ◽  
Social Information ◽  
Food Resources ◽  
Food Sources ◽  
Foraging Strategies ◽  
High Quality ◽  
Recruitment Communication ◽  
Eusocial Bees ◽  
The Relationship

Abstract Social information is widely used in the animal kingdom and can be highly adaptive. In social insects, foragers can use social information to find food, avoid danger or choose a new nest site. Copying others allows individuals to obtain information without having to sample the environment. When foragers communicate information they will often only advertise high quality food sources, thereby filtering out less adaptive information. Stingless bees, a large pantropical group of highly eusocial bees, face intense inter- and intra-specific competition for limited resources, yet display disparate foraging strategies. Within the same environment there are species that communicate the location of food resources to nest-mates and species that do not. Our current understanding of why some species communicate foraging sites while others do not is limited. Studying freely foraging colonies of several co-existing stingless bee species in Brazil, we investigated if recruitment to specific food locations is linked to (1) the sugar content of forage, (2) the duration of foraging trips and (3) the variation in activity of a colony from one day to another and the variation in activity in a species over a day. We found that, contrary to our expectations, species with recruitment communication did not return with higher quality forage than species that do not recruit nestmates. Furthermore, foragers from recruiting species did not have shorter foraging trip durations than those from weakly-recruiting species. Given the intense inter- and intraspecific competition for resources in these environments, it may be that recruiting species favour food resources that can be monopolised by the colony rather than food sources that offer high-quality rewards.

scholarly journals Attitude toward Aging Mediates the Relationship between Personality and Mental Health in Older Adults

Healthcare ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (5) ◽  
pp. 594
Author(s):  
Teshome Sirak Bedaso ◽  
Buxin Han
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Life Satisfaction ◽  
Demographic Data ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Personality Factors ◽  
Health Issues ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Potential Mediator ◽  
The Relationship

This study aimed to examine attitude toward aging as a potential mediator of the relationship between personality factors and mental health in terms of depression and life satisfaction among older adults. A cross-sectional study was conducted with 438 Ethiopian elderly individuals aged 60 to 69. The results of the regression-based path analysis showed that after adjusting for demographic data, the relationship between agreeableness and depression in older adults was partially mediated by attitude toward aging. Likewise, attitude toward physical change due to aging and psychological growth subscales jointly mediated the correlation between neuroticism and depression. However, a significant direct path between neuroticism and depression persisted. On the contrary, openness had no significant direct association with depression apart from an indirect through psychosocial loss. The link between life satisfaction and agreeableness as well as openness to experience were partially mediated by psychosocial loss. Therefore, a person’s attitude toward aging and personality characteristics should be taken into consideration while designing interventions for managing mental health issues among older adults.

scholarly journals Does Respect Foster Tolerance? (Re)analyzing and Synthesizing Data From a Large Research Project Using Meta-Analytic Techniques

2021 ◽  
pp. 014616722110244
Author(s):  
Steffen Zitzmann ◽  
Lukas Loreth ◽  
Klaus Michael Reininger ◽  
Bernd Simon
Keyword(s):  
Regression Coefficient ◽  
Theory Development ◽  
High Status ◽  
Social Psychological ◽  
Way Of Life ◽  
Research Project ◽  
The Social ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Large Research ◽  
Existing Data

Our own prior research has demonstrated that respect for disapproved others predicts and might foster tolerance toward them. This means that without giving up their disapproval of others’ way of life, people can tolerate others when they respect them as equals (outgroup respect–tolerance hypothesis). Still, there was considerable variation in the study features. Moreover, the studies are part of a larger research project that affords many additional tests of our hypothesis. To achieve integration along with a more robust understanding of the relation between respect and tolerance, we (re)analyzed all existing data from this project, and we synthesized the results with the help of meta-analytic techniques. The average standardized regression coefficient, which describes the relationship between respect and tolerance, was 0.25 (95% confidence interval [CI] = [0.16, 0.34]). In addition to this overall confirmation of our hypothesis, the size of this coefficient varied with a number of variables. It was larger for numerical majorities than for minorities, smaller for high-status than for low-status groups, and larger for religious than for life-style groups. These findings should inspire further theory development and spur growth in the social-psychological literature on tolerance.

scholarly journals Dietary Selenium Regulates microRNAs in Metabolic Disease: Recent Progress

Nutrients ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (5) ◽  
pp. 1527
Author(s):  
Xin Huang ◽  
Yu-Lan Dong ◽  
Tong Li ◽  
Wei Xiong ◽  
Xu Zhang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physiological State ◽  
Essential Element ◽  
Dietary Factors ◽  
Regulatory Mechanisms ◽  
Metabolic Risk ◽  
Messenger Rnas ◽  
Immune Disorders ◽  
Se Deficiency ◽  
Safety Range ◽  
Se Status

Selenium (Se) is an essential element for the maintenance of a healthy physiological state. However, due to environmental and dietary factors and the narrow safety range of Se, diseases caused by Se deficiency or excess have gained considerable traction in recent years. In particular, links have been identified between low Se status, cognitive decline, immune disorders, and increased mortality, whereas excess Se increases metabolic risk. Considerable evidence has suggested microRNAs (miRNAs) regulate interactions between the environment (including the diet) and genes, and play important roles in several diseases, including cancer. MiRNAs target messenger RNAs to induce changes in proteins including selenoprotein expression, ultimately generating disease. While a plethora of data exists on the epigenetic regulation of other dietary factors, nutrient Se epigenetics and especially miRNA regulated mechanisms remain unclear. Thus, this review mainly focuses on Se metabolism, pathogenic mechanisms, and miRNAs as key regulatory factors in Se-related diseases. Finally, we attempt to clarify the regulatory mechanisms underpinning Se, miRNAs, selenoproteins, and Se-related diseases.

scholarly journals Does Online Community Participation Contribute to Medication Adherence? An Empirical Study of Patients with Chronic Diseases

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (10) ◽  
pp. 5100
Author(s):  
Jyh-Jeng Wu ◽  
Yueh-Mei Chen ◽  
Paul C. Talley ◽  
Kuang-Ming Kuo
Keyword(s):  
Medication Adherence ◽  
Chronic Diseases ◽  
Online Communities ◽  
Emotional Support ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Online Community ◽  
Healthcare Professionals ◽  
Informational Support ◽  
Chronic Patients ◽  
The Relationship

Effectively improving the medication adherence of patients is crucial. Past studies focused on treatment-related factors, but little attention has been paid to factors concerning human beliefs such as trust or self-efficacy. The purpose of this study is to explore the following aspects of patients with chronic diseases: (1) The relationship between emotional support, informational support, self-efficacy, and trust; (2) the relationship between self-efficacy, trust, and medication adherence; and, (3) whether chronic patients’ participation in different types of online communities brings about significant statistical differences in the relationships between the abovementioned variables. A questionnaire survey was conducted in this study, with 452 valid questionnaires collected from chronic patients previously participating in online community activities. Partial Least Squares-Structural Equation Modeling analysis showed that emotional support and informational support positively predict self-efficacy and trust, respectively, and consequently, self-efficacy and trust positively predict medication adherence. In addition, three relationships including the influence of emotional support on trust, the influence of trust on medication adherence, and the influence of self-efficacy on medication adherence, the types of online communities result in significant statistical differences. Based on the findings, this research suggests healthcare professionals can enhance patients’ self-efficacy in self-care by providing necessary health information via face-to-face or online communities, and assuring patients of demonstrable support. As such, patients’ levels of trust in healthcare professionals can be established, which in turn improves their medication adherence.

scholarly journals Complementary and Alternative Medicine Use among Norwegian Cancer Survivors: Gender-Specific Prevalence and Associations for Use

2013 ◽  
Vol 2013 ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Agnete E. Kristoffersen ◽  
Arne J. Norheim ◽  
Vinjar M. Fønnebø
Keyword(s):  
Cancer Survivors ◽  
Cancer Diagnosis ◽  
Health Issues ◽  
Men And Women ◽  
Male And Female ◽  
Factors Associated ◽  
Female Survivors ◽  
Cam Use ◽  
University Degree ◽  
The Relationship

The associations for CAM use are only occasionally differentiated by gender in populations where both male and female cancer survivors occur. The aim of this study is to describe the prevalence of CAM use in individuals with a previous cancer diagnosis and to investigate gender differences regard to factors associated with use. A total of 12982 men and women filled in a questionnaire with questions about life style and health issues. Eight hundred of those had a previous cancer diagnosis of whom 630 answered three questions concerning CAM use in the last 12 months. A total of 33.8% of all cancer survivors reported CAM use, 39.4% of the women and 27.9% of the men (). The relationship between the demographic variables and being a CAM user differed significantly between men and women with regard to age (), education (), and income (). Female CAM users were more likely to have a university degree than the nonusers, while male CAM users were more likely to have a lower income than the nonusers. According to this study, prevalence and factors associated with CAM use differ significantly between male and female survivors of cancer.

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