Systemic Response of Antioxidants, Heat Shock Proteins, and Inflammatory Biomarkers to Short-Lasting Exercise Training in Healthy Male Subjects

Regular physical activity can enhance immune function and effectively prevents the spread of the cytokine response, thus reducing systemic low-grade inflammation and improving various immune markers. Moreover, regular exercise maintains redox homeostasis in skeletal muscle and other tissues, including immune cells, but the interconnection between the anti-inflammatory effects of exercise with the redox status of immune cells is still poorly understood. With the aim to verify the overall beneficial effect of regular training on the immune system, we have examined the acute and short-term effect of a 5-day exercise program on the modulation of protein and lipid oxidation, antioxidants (i.e., superoxide dismutase-1 (SOD1) and superoxide dismutase-2 (SOD2), glutathione peroxide 1 (GPx1), thioredoxin reductase-1 (TrxR1), and catalase (CAT)), and heat shock protein expression (i.e., heat shock protein-70 (HSP70) and heat shock protein-27 (HSP27)), at both mRNA and protein levels, as well as the activation of the nuclear factor kappa light chain enhancer of activated B cells (NFκB) in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). Moreover, plasmatic markers of oxidative stress, inflammation, and stress response (i.e., protein carbonyl content, interleukin-6 (IL6), interleukin-8 (IL8), interleukin-10 (IL10), interleukin-17E (IL17E), interleukin-17F (IL17F), interleukin-21 (IL21), interleukin-22 (IL22), and interleukin-23 (IL23)) were analyzed in active untrained young adult subjects. Even in the absence of an increased amount of protein or lipid oxidation, we confirmed a PBMC upregulation of SOD1 ( 1.26 ± 0.07 fold change, p < 0.05 ), HSP70 ( 1.59 ± 0.28 fold change, p < 0.05 ), and HSP27 gene expression ( 1.49 ± 0.09 fold change, p < 0.05 ) after 3 hours from the first bout of exercise, followed by an increase in proteins’ amount at 24 hours (SOD1, 1.80 ± 0.34 fold change; HSP70, 3.40 ± 0.58 fold change; and HSP27, 1.81 ± 0.20 fold change, p < 0.05 ) and return to basal levels after the 5 days of aerobic training. Indeed, the posttraining basal levels of oxidized molecules in plasma and PBMCs were statistically lower than the pretraining levels (carbonyl content, 0.50 ± 0.05 fold change, p < 0.01 ), paralleled by a lower expression of SOD2, Gpx1, and TrxR1, at mRNA (SOD2, 0.63 ± 0.06 ; GPx1, 0.69 ± 0.07 ; and TrxR1, 0.69 ± 0.12 fold change, p < 0.05 ) and protein (TrxR1, 0.49 ± 0.11 fold change, p < 0.05 ) levels. These results verified the existence of an early phase of redox adaptation to physical exercise already achievable after 5 days of moderate, regular aerobic training. More interestingly, this phenomenon was paralleled by the degree of NFκB activation in PBMCs and the decrease of plasmatic proinflammatory cytokines IL8, IL21, and IL22 in the posttraining period, suggesting an interconnected, short-term efficacy of aerobic exercise towards systemic oxidative stress and inflammation.

Co-Carcinogenicity of Arsenic: Probable Mechanisms

Presence of carcinogens, like Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAH), in the form of cigarette smoke, vehicular emission and industrial emissions in our immediate surroundings is a potent health hazard. Arsenic, a carcinogenic metalloid, omnipresent in the environment, can act as co-carcinogen, where it enhances the carcinogenicity of other carcinogens. In the present study, the co-carcinogenic effect of Arsenic has been investigated, upon the 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]-anthracene (DMBA), a PAH, induced skin cancer model, in Swiss albino mice. Histological analysis revealed earlier development of invasive carcinoma in the DMBA and arsenic treated group in comparison to the DMBA treated mice alone. To understand this phenomena, ROS generation, DNA damage, lipid peroxidation, protein carbonyl content, total antioxidant capacity and activity of pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL6, IL17a, IL22) and their downstream modulators (NF-κB) was assessed. The results suggested that arsenic in the presence of DMBA induced higher ROS generation, greater DNA damage, elevated lipid peroxidation, increased protein carbonyl content, upregulated activity of pro-inflammatory cytokines and their downstream regulators as well as down regulated the total antioxidant capacity in comparison to DMBA alone. These findings hint at the co-carcinogenic potential of arsenic, as it significantly enhances the carcinogenicity of DMBA and hastens carcinogenesis.

Effects of Extracts of Allium mongolicum on Safety and Quality of Pork Dry-Cured Sausage During Ripening

Allium mongolicum is a kind of plant with edible, medicinal and feeding value. The effects of ethanol and water extracts of Allium mongolicum on thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), nitrite residue, carbonyl group, volatile base nitrogen (TVB-N) and microstructure were investigated in pork dry-cured sausages during ripening. Without added extracts groups were adopted as negative controls (CK), and adding ascorbic acid groups (VC) were used as positive controls. Results showed that compared with CK, TBARS of ethanol, water extracts and VC groups were significantly reduced. Ethanol extracts, water extracts and VC significantly decreased residual nitrite of sausages (P <0>05) comparing with CK. Ethanol extracts have better ability than water extracts in reducing carbonyl content and TVB-N. The microstructure of the CK was the worst, and the microstructure of ethanol extracts group was the best. It was concluded that ethanol extracts of Allium mongolicum could be used to produce dry-cured sausage to improve safety and quality.

Circadian Rhythms of Oxidant-Antioxidant Agents, HPA Axis and Protein Carbonyl Content in Serum, Brain and Adrenal Gland Tissues

The aim of this experiment is to study the circadian rhythm of oxidant-antioxidant components in the body. A total of 20 adult male rabbits were divided into 2 groups (G1and G2)and kept in 2 different rooms. Serum was isolated after blood collection at 12 A.M or 12 P.M respectively from G1 and G2.The results reveal a significant elevation in serum GSH, MDA and SOD during night hours. The B-endorphin showed a value of 84.36±1.36 in rabbits serum during night compared with 53.23±1.12 during day hours. Serum ACTH and cortisone concentration during night hours expressed a value of 71.03±0.16 and 24.46±0.38 compared to 52.80±0.37 and 11.80±0.57 during day hours respectively. Protein carbonyl contents shows a regular variation between serum and tissues during day and night hours. It was concluded that the oxidant-antioxidant imbalance lead to such variation between day and night hours due to activities and metabolism. Extensive research is needed to minimize and overlap such stress.

THE EFFECT OF “GREEN” ANTIOXIDANTS ON LIPID OXIDATION IN DRIED SALMON (Salmo salar) DURING STORAGE CONDITIONS

Nowadays food industries were concentrating on substituting the use of synthetic natural “green” antioxidants. Therefore, the present study focused on lipid oxidations in dried salmon (Salmo salar) with and without natural antioxidants (garlic powder, cinnamon) during different storage conditions, and a comparison was made with a synthetic antioxidant Butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT). Minced salmon fillet mass was divided into four equal parts and each part was treated with natural antioxidant under study except the control. Each of these four parts was dried in two different ways, half portion oven-dried and the other half portion freeze-dried. After 24 weeks, these samples were tested for peroxide value (PV), Thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), total carbonyl content/water-soluble protein. According to the peroxide value (PV) results, it was noticed that the BHT was found to be the most effective antioxidant, followed by garlic and cinnamon for oven-dried salmon. Cinnamon was found to be more efficient than garlic in minimizing PV formation in freeze-dried salmon. In general, the initial study showed that freeze-drying was more efficient than oven drying. On the other hand, total carbonyl content for oven-dried salmon treated with cinnamon, garlic, and BHT, was found to be similar to the untreated salmon. Freeze-dried antioxidant treated salmon was generally found to possess more carbonyl content over time compared to the oven dried treated salmon.

Effect of Oxidation on Quality of Chiba Tofu Produced by Soy Isolate Protein When Subjected to Storage

Chiba tofu is a new type of vegetarian food prepared with soy protein isolate (SPI). According to factory feedback, the SPI stored in the factory storeroom in summer undergoes reactive oxidation, which changes the structure of SPI and further affects the quality of Chiba tofu. Consequently, the main objective of this study was to prepare Chiba tofu with SPI with different storage periods and evaluate the effect of different degrees of oxidation on structural characteristics of SPI and rheology, texture, microstructure and sensory properties of Chiba tofu. The carbonyl content and turbidity of SPI significantly increased, and the contents of free sulfhydryl (SH) and disulfide bond (S-S) simultaneously decreased with storage time. The oxidation changes the SPI conformation, leading to a transition of α-helix and β-turn to β-sheet and random coil during the storage periods. In the SDS–PAGE analysis, oxidation promoted the SPI molecules crosslinked and aggregated, which affected the quality of Chiba tofu. In short storage periods (0–12 days), SPI was relatively moderately oxidized when the carbonyl content was between 4.14 and 6.87 mmol/g. The storage and loss modulus of Chiba tofu both increased, the network was compact, and the hardness and springiness of Chiba tofu showed an increasing trend. Moreover, in longer storage periods (12–30 days), the SPI was relatively severely oxidized when the carbonyl content was between 7.24 and 9.14 mmol/g, which had an adverse effect on Chiba tofu rheological and texture properties, microstructure, and sensory properties. In sensory evaluation, Chiba tofu stored 12 days had the highest overall quality score than that stored on other days. This study is expected to provide an argument for the better industrial production of Chiba tofu.

Oxidative degradation of non-recycled and recycled paper

The degradation of paper-based materials involves several and complex mechanisms, such as hydrolysis and oxidation. The behaviour of different types of pulps can be very variable. In this study, the difference upon oxidation of contemporary non-recycled and recycled papers, which now constitute a considerable fibre source, is investigated. A 0.015 M potassium periodate solution is used to oxidise five types of paper, two non-recycled and three recycled, for 0.5, 1, 2 and 4 h. The effects of such oxidation treatments are evaluated in terms of carbonyl content and degree of polymerisation (DP). A modified procedure of the Szabolcs’s method and viscometry are used to measure the carbonyl content and DP, respectively. The carbonyl groups are found to increase more rapidly in the recycled papers than in the non-recycled ones. On the contrary, oxidation causes a larger decrease of the DP values in the non-recycled papers, the paper made of pure cellulose being the most sensitive in terms of depolymerisation. The DP values measured for pure cellulose paper are in line with previously reported data. Moreover, in accordance with the Ekenstam equation, the plots of the reciprocal of DP as a function of oxidation time show good linear correlations for all types of paper investigated. Pseudo rate constants are thus calculated from the slopes of these plots, those of the non-recycled papers being found to be higher than those of the recycled papers. Graphic abstract