Metabolite Changes After Metabolic Surgery – Associations to Parameters Reflecting Glucose Homeostasis and Lipid Levels

AimsTo test the hypothesis that adipose tissue gene expression patterns would be affected by metabolic surgery and we aimed to identify genes and metabolic pathways as well as metabolites correlating with metabolic changes following metabolic surgery.Materials and MethodsThis observational study was conducted at the Obesity Unit at the Catholic University Hospital of the Sacred Heart in Rome, Italy. Fifteen patients, of which six patients underwent Roux-en-Y gastric bypass and nine patients underwent biliopancreatic diversion, were included. The participants underwent an oral glucose tolerance test and a hyperinsulinemic euglycemic clamp. Small polar metabolites were analyzed with a two-dimensional gas chromatography coupled to time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GC×GC-TOFMS). Gene expression analysis of genes related to metabolism of amino acids and fatty acids were analyzed in subcutaneous adipose tissue. All procedures were performed at study start and at follow-up (after 185.3 ± 72.9 days).ResultsTwelve metabolites were significantly changed after metabolic surgery. Six metabolites were identified as 3-indoleacetic acid, 2-hydroxybutyric acid, valine, glutamic acid, 4-hydroxybenzeneacetic acid and alpha-tocopherol. The branched chain amino acids displayed a significant decrease together with a decrease in BCAT1 adipose tissue mRNA levels. Changes in the identified metabolites were associated to changes in lipid, insulin and glucose levels.ConclusionsOur study has identified metabolites and metabolic pathways that are altered by metabolic surgery and may be used as biomarkers for metabolic improvement.

Formulation of Nanoemulgel from Extracts of Musa acuminata: In-Vitro Kinetics and Antimicrobial Studies

The study was intended to formulate nanoemulgel from the leaf extract of Musa acuminata. Ethanol and Chloroform were used as solvents in the ratio of 1:8 (%w/v). DL- alpha-Tocopherol, characterized by GCMS, was identified to be the major component with potential biological activities. Based on a pseudo ternary plot, the 1:1 Smix (Surfactant: Co- Surfactant) ratio was optimized as it posed maximum regions of emulsion. The prepared nanoemulgel was evaluated for physical appearance, pH, spreadability, and swelling index. The appearance was pale yellowish-white, translucent within a pH range of 5-5.8. Antimicrobial studies were performed against dandruff-causing microbes (Staphylococcus epidermidis and Malassezia furfur). Invitro studies were carried out for optimized formulations of EG2, EG4, CG2, and CG3. The drug release of 94.28% after 12 h with Higuchi plot of R2 value as 0.99 was observed for EG2. The kinetically optimized formulation, EG2 was found to have good spreadability of 12.2 (g cm) s−1 and a swelling index of 64%.

Response of enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidant systems in Excoecaria agallocha to salt stress

The effect of NaCl stress on antioxidant enzymes activities was investigated in the leaves of Excoecaria agallocha. Plants were subjected to different levels of NaCl. 100 to 1000 mM. Above 500 mM these mangrove seedlings did not survive. The leaves of 60 day old plants were used for the analysis of enzyme activities. Parameters of enzymatic and non enzymatic antioxidants such as catalase (CAT), peroxidase (POD), ascorbate peroxidase (APX), polyphenol oxidase (PPO), superoxide dismutase (SOD), ascorbic acid (ASA) and alpha tocopherol were determined. The highest CAT, POD, APX, PPO and SOD activities in the leaf and root enhanced gradually up to 300 mM of NaCl, the highest ASA and tocopherol activities in the leaf and root were observed at 500 mM of NaCl. These data suggest that the capacity to limit oxidative damage is important for the salt tolerance of E. agallocha.

Optimization of PCL Polymeric Films as Potential Matrices for the Loading of Alpha-Tocopherol by a Combination of Innovative Green Processes

Active food packaging represents an innovative way to conceive food packages. The innovation lies in using natural-based and biodegradable materials to produce a system intended to interact with the food product to preserve its quality and shelf-life. Compared to traditional plastics, active packaging is designed and regulated to release substances in a controlled manner, mainly antimicrobial and antioxidant compounds. Conventional technologies are not suitable for treating these natural substances; therefore, the research for innovative and green techniques represents a challenge in this field. The aim of this work is to compare two different polymeric structures: nanofibrous films obtained by electrospinning and continuous films obtained by solvent casting, to identify the best solution and process conditions for subjecting the samples to the supercritical fluids impregnation process (SFI). The supports optimized were functionalized by impregnating alpha-tocopherol using the SFI process. In particular, the different morphologies of the samples both before and after the supercritical impregnation process were initially studied, identifying the limits and possible solutions to obtain an optimization of the constructs to be impregnated with this innovative green technology in the packaging field.

Effects of Alpha-Tocopherol on Biochemical Parameters in Adult Mice

Background: Numerous reviews report the beneficial effects of alpha tocopherol in preventive supplementation and also as an adjuvant in the treatment of some pathologies (cardiovascular, cancers). In this work, we analyzed the effects of vitamin E at high doses on some biochemical parameters. Methods: Thirty-two adult male and female mice (CD1 albino mice) were randomly selected for a 4-week experiment. The mice were supplemented with alpha tocopherol at doses of 150, 400 and 750mg/day. With a high dietary intake of vitamin E Results: According to our analyses, we can note Excess weight predominated in groups 4 to 7. All the blood lipid parameters showed an abnormal concentration, as of the 400 mg dose of α-T-acetate. Hyperglycemia and hyperlipidemia were observed. These variations were more pronounced for total cholesterol and triglycerides than for HDL and LDL fractions. Conclusion: The study showed significant effects of high-dose α-T supplementation on biochemical parameters, mainly hyperglycemia and dyslipidemia. Key words: Vitamin E, Alpha-tocopherol, blood biochemical parameters.

Tocotrienol-rich Fraction Modulated Genes Responsible for Inflammation in Lipopolysaccharide-stimulated RAW 264.7 Macrophages

Background: Inflammation plays a vital role in the pathogenesis of chronic non-communicable diseases (NCDs), the leading health issue worldwide. An earlier study reported that tocotrienol-rich fraction (TRF) showed better anti-inflammation effects in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW264.7 macrophages. Aim: This study aimed to investigate the anti-inflammatory effects of tocotrienol-rich fraction at the molecular level by looking at the genes that were differentially regulated and pathways affected in LPS-stimulated macrophages exposed to TRF using the microarray approach. Methods: A microarray study was carried out in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophages. Total ribonucleic acid (RNA) was extracted from the RAW 264.7 cells treated with TRF (10µg/mL), alpha-tocopherol (10 µg/mL) or LPS (10 ng/mL). Untreated cells served as control. Enrichment analyses, such as Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway (KEGG), were conducted for genes listed in the differentially expressed genes (DEGs). Results: The microarray analysis showed that the expression of five genes [Hamp, Interleukin-1a (IL-1a), IL-b, C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 2 (CXCL2) and colony-stimulating factor 3 (CSF3)] and one gene (SLC1A4), an amino acid transporter, was modulated (fold change 2, P< 0.05) in the TRF-treated cells. With a more stringent analysis (fold change 3, P < 0.05), only one gene (CSF3) was downregulated in the TRF-treated in RAW 264.7 cells. Analysis using the GO and KEGG pathways revealed interactions between pro-inflammatory agents such as tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNFα) and nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B-cells (NF-B), as well as signaling pathways of interleukin (IL)-1 and IL-17. Conclusion: TRF modulated the expression of genes responsible for acute and chronic inflammation that were part of the lipoxygenase (LOX) and cyclooxygenase (COX) inflammatory pathways. Further investigation on the effects of TRF in different cell lines and in vivo studies should be conducted in the future.