Gastrointestinal Tract Digestion and Carrageenan: How Misconceptions have influenced the Understanding of Carrageenan Safety

Carrageenan (CGN) is a naturally occurring fiber isolated from various species of red seaweeds (class Rhodophyceae). It has been safely consumed for hundreds of years and today is approved for use in the food industry as a food additive by regulatory agencies around the world. Unfortunately, some researchers have used misleading and incorrect interpretations of early studies to suggest that food-grade CGN (Mw = 200,000 to 800,000 Da.) is not safe for human consumption. These researchers reference studies conducted with the acid-hydrolysis products of CGN, which include degraded carrageenan (d-CGN; Mw = 20,000 to 40,000 Da.) and poligeenan (PGN; Mw = 10,000 to 20,000 Da.), as evidence of the potential adverse health effects of high Mw CGN. While PGN and d-CGN have been shown to have adverse effects in vivo, the same is not true for CGN. Both PGN and d-CGN are made in the laboratory under harsh conditions of low pH (< 2.0) and high temperature (80°C), and have distinctly different physical, chemical and toxicological profiles than CGN. Studies have shown that d-CGN and PGN are not formed in vivo after ingesting CGN, nor are d-CGN and PGN used as food additives. Yet these differences between d-CGN/PGN and CGN are either not understood or are ignored by many authors in the published literature and the adverse effects observed with d-CGN and PGN are being used to question the safety of CGN. This has caused significant confusion in the literature and with regulators. Here we review the physical, chemical and toxicological properties of CGN, d-CGN and PGN. We then review the ingestion of CGN, how the formation of d-CGN and PGN does not occur in vivo. Finally, we discuss recent review providing a prime example of how some publications use misinformation to suggest CGN is unsafe for ingestion.

Synergistic Anti-Borreliae Efficacy of a Composition of Naturally-occurring Compounds: an In vitro Study

Background: Borrelia sp, which is a pathogenic agent of Lyme diseases in mammals, has become an increasing problem worldwide due to the emergence of persistence. In this study we investigated whether a defined composition of naturally occurring substances could display a broad and synergistic action in vitro against both active and persistent forms of Borrelia spp.Methods: A formulation of six plant-derived compounds combined at their 1/32-1/2 MIC values was tested in vitro against two species of Borrelia recognized as causative agents of Lyme disease in North America and Europe.Results: The results showed that a composition of baicalein, luteolin, rosmarinic acid, monolaurin, cis-2 decenoic acid, and iodine at their 1/8 MIC values has significant synergistic effect against the active and persisting latent forms. This composition revealed anti-oxidative properties affecting Borrelia’s membrane but not DNA. Finally, we observed its inhibitory effect on the release of IL-1α, IL-1β, and IL-6 by human CD14+ monocytes stimulated with live Borrelia sp.Conclusion: These results suggest that such a formulation of compounds might be considered and further explored for its significant pleotropic anti-Borreliae efficacy. Additional in vivo and human studies are warranted to validate this possibility.

Nonspecific Energy Expenditure of the Body and Body Mass Regulation

The principal possibility of nonspecific energy expenditure at all stages of the transformation of nutrients in the body is demonstrated. These stages include the processing of food in the mouth, digestion, absorption, interaction with the intestinal micro biome, and interstitial metabolic processes. Particular attention is paid to the role of nonspecific energy expenditure of the body in the regulation of body mass. The data on the pivotal role of reducing nonspecific energy expenditure in the development of obesity and associated pathological conditions are presented. The prospects for using uncouples of oxidative phosphorylation, fatty acids, carnitine, bile acids, sarcolipin and a number of other substances as regulators of the nonspecific energy expenditure and potential means of preventing and treating obesity are analyzed.

Multi-Site Protein Subcellular Localization Based on Deep Convolutional Neural Network

Each part of internal structure of cells which is commonly mentioned as subcellular is highly ordered and interconnected has unique functions. The experiments show that deviated protein delivery to the corresponding subcellular causes of human disease. Studies of protein localization can clarify pathogenesis and find treatments. As protein subcellular localization has a very important position in the field of biology, the research in this area is extremely active. Most of the existing protein sub cellular localization methods are more suitable for single-site sub cellular localization. This paper proposed an algorithm based deep convolution neural network which is suit for multi-site protein subcellular localization and the algorithm is implemented on the human protein database to verify and analyze the performance. In order to further improve the classification result of the algorithm, it was combined ensemble learning and features fusion. It can be inferred from experiments that the proposed algorithm is effective in multi-site protein subcellular localization and the overall correct rate of classification is 59.13% which is higher than SAE, SVM and RF. The algorithm proposed in this paper is more uniform and less affected by the number of samples. When the data samples are different, the classification results will have a certain impact, but the overall classification is good. Besides ensemble learning and features fusion are effective for improving classification result.

Fenugreek (Trigonellafoenum-Graecum L) Seed Phytochemicals Protect DNA from Free Radical Induced Oxidative Damage and Inhibit Dipeptidyl Peptidase-IV an Enzyme Associated with Hyperglycemia

Fenugreek (Trigonellafoenum-graecum L.; methi) seeds and leaves are used in Asia, Africa, and Mediterranean countries for their nutritional and therapeutic value. It is an ingredient in many traditional Unani and Ayurvedic medicinal systems in India and proven to be very effective in managing blood glucose homeostasis. However, there is a dearth of information on the biochemical rationale for its use in the management of diabetes. In this study, protective effects of fenugreek seed phytochemicals on oxidative stress and inhibition of dipeptidyl peptidase-IV (DPP-IV), a key enzyme associated with diabetes were evaluated. Compositional analysis of phenolics by HPLC revealed that gallic and ferulic acids were the major phenolic acids, and myricetin and rutin were predominant flavonoids in phenolic extracts of fenugreek seeds. Trigonelline content in alkaloid extract was quantitatively determined by reverse phase HPLC and found to be 8.6 mg/g. Alkaloid extract showed superior radical scavenging and metal chelating activities. Besides, these phytochemical extracts also prevented OH• radical-induced DNA damage. Michaelis-Menton and Line weaver-Burk derivations were applied to establish modes of inhibition of DPP-IV activity. Phenolic and alkaloid extracts inhibited DPP-IV activity by mixed non-competitive and non-competitive inhibition mechanisms, respectively. Inhibitory constants of enzyme inhibitor complexes indicate strong affinity of phenolic (Ki, 34.93 ± 0.14 μg) and alkaloid extracts (Ki, 32.3 ± 4.8 μg) for DPP-IV. These results suggest that isolated phytochemicals have the potential as lead compounds for the development of DPP-IV inhibitors to control hyperglycemia and manage diabetes.

Negative Affect and Situational Antecedents of Eating in Disordered Eating and Normal Population an Ecological Momentary Assessment Study

The research examined the role of an affective state and immediate surrounds as possible antecedents of eating, utilising Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA), repeated assessments of current psychological and situational states in participants’ natural environments. 136 adults [55 with disordered eating (DE) and 81 controls] were recruited from the community and they completed event-contingent and random assessments over a seven-day period. Psychological and situational variables relative to eating were investigated to test if there was a significant difference in negative affect, hunger levels, time and location. To account for the nesting of multiple categorical observations within subjects, data were analysed using generalised estimating equations and autoregressive correlation, a repeated measure MANOVA and paired-sample t-tests.Levels of guilt and disgust were higher at eating episodes in DE participants and feelings of guilt and dissatisfaction with self were higher after eating. Being at home and being alone were both found to act as antecedents for eating in DE, whereas controls were more likely to eat whilst out in social situations. The affective state of an individual and their surrounding context, appear to be integral to the eating patterns of individuals with DE.

Oral Nutritional Supplementation for the Dietary Management of Malnutrition in Chronic Pulmonary Diseases: Study Protocol of a Randomized, Open-label, Multicentre Clinical Trial

Disease-related malnutrition is frequent in patients with chronic pulmonary diseases. Though there is no doubt about the usefulness of Oral Nutritional Supplements (ONS) in managing malnutrition in such patients, only a handful of publications are available in the literature on clinical trials with ONS in this patient population. Since the digestion of macronutrients results in a strain on the respiratory functions in severe pulmonary diseases, the source of energy may also play a crucial role in the efficacy of nutrition with ONS in such patients. Here we present the study protocol of a randomized, open-label, multicentre clinical trial aimed to determine whether a new, condition-specific ONS (with a composition tailored to the needs of patients with decreased pulmonary functions) is more effective compared to a general ONS in improving the nutritional status in patients with compromised respiratory functions.

Ration Balancing for Sustainable Animal Production: Resources and Methodology

Ration balancing is prime consideration to uplift the animal husbandry sector. Balanced ration is the key factor to influence the productivity of animals as well as declines the cost of animal production. A large quantity of feed resources are available, those are fully capable to nourish the livestock sector. Various scientific methods viz. Thumb rule method, Pierson’s square method, Algebric method, computerized model etc. are available to formulate balanced ration, by implementing them on available feed resources. Thus, fully utilization of available feed resources and implementation of scientific feeding methodologies are key forecast for development in animal husbandry sector.

Sacran, a High-molecular Weight Polysaccharide Inhibits Renal Injury and Oxidative Stress in Chronic Renal Failure Model Rats

The administration of a high-molecular polysaccharide Sacran results in a significant decrease in renal injury and oxidative stress, compared with that for the oral carbonaceous adsorbent, AST-120 (Kremezin®) or a non-treatment group in 5/6 nephrectomized rats. An oral administration of Sacran (20 mg/day) over a 4 week period resulted in a significant decrease in serum indoxyl sulfate, creatinine and urea nitrogen levels, compared with a similar treatment with AST-120 or the non-treatment group. Sacran treatment also resulted in antioxidant potential being maintained, compared with that for AST-120 or the non-treatment group. Immuno-histochemical analyses also demonstrated that CRF rats, when treated with Sacran, showed a decrease in the level of accumulated renal fibrosis and 8-OHdG compared with AST-120 or the non-treatment group. These results suggest that the ingestion of Sacran results in a significant reduction in the levels of prooxidants, such as uremic toxins, in the gastrointestinal tract, thereby inhibiting the subsequent development of oxidative stress in the systemic circulation.

Changes in Serum Fatty Acids Levels during Pregnancy and After Delivery in a Longitudinal Study

Introduction: During pregnancy, several maternal metabolic adaptations occur. One of these adaptations is the significant changes in lipid metabolism which contribute to the nutrient balance of the fetal-placental unit, essential for fetal development and lactation.Methods: In this study, serum concentration of different fatty acids in healthy pregnant women and three months postpartum were determined by capillary gas chromatography and compared to healthy non-pregnant women and men. Differences between groups were assessed with one-way analyses of variance and the post hoc Tukey-HSD test for multiple comparisons. The Mann-Whitney U test was used when a variable was not normally distributed. All statistical analyses were conducted using R statistical Software (version 3.3.1).Results: The results showed that serum levels of these maternal fatty acids increased significantly from the middle until the end of pregnancy compared to non-pregnant women and decreased at postpartum. Saturated fatty acids were observed to contribute to the highest percentage of total serum fatty acids during gestation, followed by polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fatty acids. Additionally, serum levels of total, saturated, monounsaturated, polyunsaturated and TRAN’s fatty acids were significantly elevated in healthy non-pregnant women when compared with men.Conclusion: There are significant differences in the lipid profiles among pregnant and non-pregnant women and men, with a decrease in the serum profile of all fatty acids in the postpartum period.