TY - CONF TI - [YIA] Evidence of ferroptosis involvement in Rett syndrome pathogenesis AU - Guiotto, Anna AU - Cordone, Valeria AU - Vallese, Andrea AU - Benedusi, Mascia AU - Cervellati, Franco AU - Hayek, Joussef AU - Cervellati, Carlo AU - Valacchi, Giuseppe AU - Pecorelli, Alessandra C2 - 2022/8// C3 - Free Radical Biology and Medicine DA - 2022/8// DO - 10.1016/j.freeradbiomed.2022.06.076 VL - 189 SP - 15 PB - Elsevier BV UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.freeradbiomed.2022.06.076 ER - TY - JOUR TI - Isolation, characterization, bacteriocin production and biological potential of Bifidobacteria of ruminants AU - Zafar, Mahpara AU - Alam, Sadia AU - Sabir, Maimoona AU - Saba, Nusrat AU - Din, Ahmad Ud AU - Ahmad, Rafiq AU - Khan, Muhammad Rafiullah AU - Muhammad, Ali AU - Dayisoylu, Kenan Sinan T2 - Analytical Biochemistry AB - Bacteriocins exhibited a wide spectrum of antibacterial activity against different pathogens. The aim of current study was to characterize the bacteriocins produced by Bifidobacterium spp. isolated from ruminants. The Bifidobacterium isolates were identified as B. longum, B. pseudolongum, B. bifidum, B. thermophilum, B. boum, B. merycicum and B. ruminantium. Bacteriocins were found to be pH stable, heat resistant, highly diffusible, NaCl tolerant and resistant to UV radiations. SDS, EDTA and urea induced 14%, 21% and 24% bacteriocins activity loss. Modified MRS broth (1% tryptone, 1% yeast extract and 2% glucose) was found to be the best nutrient medium for optimal production of bacteriocins. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values varied from 300 μl/ml to 500 μl/ml and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) values ranged from 500 μl/ml to >500 μl/ml for E. coli and S. aureus respectively. The highest protein concentration (29.0248 mg/ml) was recorded for Bifidobacteria bacteriocin produced by B. longum. Tricine-Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate-Poly Acrylamide Gel Electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) revealed that molecular weight of isolated bifidobacterial bacteriocins was in the range of 3.6 kDa-30 kDa. Current study indicated that bifidobacterial bacteriocins have considerable potential to be used as biopreservative. DA - 2022/12// PY - 2022/12// DO - 10.1016/j.ab.2022.114926 VL - 658 SP - 114926 UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ab.2022.114926 ER - TY - JOUR TI - Seroprevalence of Anti-tTg-IgA among Symptomized Celiac Disease Patients and Their Correlation with Rotavirus Infection AU - Sadiq, Asma AU - Khan, Jadoon AU - Ullah, Irfan AU - Basharat, Nosheen AU - Ali, Sajid AU - Din, Ahmad Ud AU - Ali, Ijaz AU - Farid, Arshad AU - Shah, Muddaser AU - Abdel-Daim, Mohamed M. AU - Albadrani, Ghadeer M. AU - Khan, Imtiaz Ali T2 - BioMed Research International AB - Celiac disease (CD) is a chronic inflammatory disorder in the intestinal tract as a response to the use of gluten in genetically predisposed individuals. It is a worldwide problem, with a high prevalence rate in North America. This is a descriptive cross-sectional study involving 1090 samples collected from different hospitals of Rawalpindi and Islamabad, Pakistan, from January 2019 to December 2019. In this study, 1090 blood samples screened for seroprevalence of anti-tTG antibodies in CD symptomatic patients via ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay). 1090 fecal samples from the same CD patients were collected and tested for the presence of rotavirus (RV) via ELISA and RT-PCR. Of the 1090 patients tested for seroprevalence of anti-tTG antibodies, 112/1090 (10.3%) were found to be positive. Of the 112 anti-tTG-positive patients, 78/112 (70%) were positive for RV via ELISA and 74/112 (66.1%) were RV positive via RT-PCR. A statistically significant association was reported between rotavirus infection and celiac disease ( p ˂ 0.05 ). Anti-tTG antibodies were higher in age group 6 (12-18 years) patients (18.4%) and at minimum in age group 3 (1-3 years) patients (4.8%). However, there was a statistically insignificant relationship between group age and CD prevalence ( p > 0.05 ). The highest CD prevalence was noted during winter season (19.6%) and the lowest (3.0%) during fall/autumn. Our study findings demonstrate that Pakistan has a high prevalence of CD compared to other studies. Further studies in the fields of environmental risk factors and treatment with more advanced serological and histopathological studies are needed in the future. DA - 2022/9/22/ PY - 2022/9/22/ DO - 10.1155/2022/6972624 UR - https://doi.org/10.1155/2022/6972624 ER - TY - JOUR TI - Metagenomic Analysis of Liquor Starter Culture Revealed Beneficial Microbes’ Presence AU - Din, Ahmad Ud AU - Ahmad, Waqar AU - Khan, Taj Malook AU - Wang, Jun AU - Wu, Jianbo T2 - Foods AB - Wines are complex matrices famous for their pleasant aroma and exceptional flavor. Baijiu (white wine) is a traditional Chinese liquor with a soft mouthfeel, fragrant taste, and long-lasting aftertaste. Baijiu is distilled from sorghum and wheat via solid fermentation. As in wines, the microbial ecosystem of Baijiu is a key decisive factor influencing aroma and consumer preferences. Microbial diversity in Baijiu has been intensively investigated. It is important to note that probiotics are a mixture of bacteria and yeast primarily intended to improve health. Our study aimed to characterize the microbial ecosystem of Zaopei Baijiu Daqu (ZBD) starter cultures for specific microbes with probiotic properties. The DNA samples of ZBD starters were analyzed using a metagenomic 16S rRNA approach to characterize the bacterial and ITS for fungal diversity. Weissella cibaria was the most dominant species in the bacterial community, while Saccharomycopsis fibuligera was the most abundant fungal species. Furthermore, functional prediction analysis identified unique pathways associated with microbial diversity relevant to functional innovation. These associated pathways include fermentation, amino acid metabolism, carbohydrate metabolism, energy metabolism, and membrane transport. This study identified beneficial microbes in the starter culture, opening a path for further in-depth analysis of those microbes by isolating and evaluating them for a valuable role in in vitro and in vivo studies. DA - 2022/12// PY - 2022/12// DO - 10.3390/foods12010025 UR - https://www.mdpi.com/2304-8158/12/1/25 ER - TY - JOUR TI - Evaluation of Cardiac Biomarkers and Expression Analysis of IL-1, IL-6, IL-10, IL-17, and IL-25 among COVID-19 Patients from Pakistan AU - Ullah, Razi AU - Khan, Jadoon AU - Basharat, Nosheen AU - Huo, Danqun AU - Din, Ahmad Ud AU - Wang, Guixue T2 - Viruses AB - Coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) is caused by viral infection of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Where upregulation of several important biomarkers and multiple organ dysfunction occurs, this study aimed to evaluate the association of cardiac biomarkers and CS induced acute lung damage with disease severity and mortality in survival of COVID-19 patients. A total of 500 COVID-19 patients with elevated cardiac biomarkers were studied for the analysis of myocardial abnormality through cardiac enzymes, inflammatory biomarkers, and the expression analysis of various cytokines, including IL-1, IL-6, IL-10, IL-17, and IL-25 genes. The elevation of various cardiac enzymes including LDH (87%), CK (78.4%), TNI (80.4%), CK-MB (83%), and D-dimer (80.8%) were found correlated (p < 0.001) with COVID-19 infection. Cardiac enzyme elevation was highly associated with an increased level of inflammatory biomarkers such as CRP (14.2%), SAA (11.4%) and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) (7.8%) (p = 0.001 for all). The quantitative expression analysis of IL-10, 1L-17, and 1L-25 were found to be high, while those of IL-1 and IL-6 were moderately elevated. The death-to-live ratio of COVID-19 patients was 457:43 indicating that the patients having elevated levels of both CKMB, D-dimer, CK and IL-1, IL-6, IL-10 and D-dimer, Troponin, CK and IL-1, IL-10 had high fatality rate (73% and 12% respectively). The current finding concludes that the evaluation of cardiac biomarkers with cytokine storm plays a significant role in COVID-19-associated anatomical organ damage, myocardial injury, and mortality. Physicians should pay special attention to cardiac biomarkers in patients with old age, inflammation, and comorbidities among COVID-19 infections. DA - 2022/9/29/ PY - 2022/9/29/ DO - 10.3390/v14102149 UR - https://doi.org/10.3390/v14102149 ER - TY - JOUR TI - Emerging Piezo1 signaling in inflammation and atherosclerosis; a potential therapeutic target T2 - International Journal of Biological Sciences AB - Purpose of Review: Atherosclerosis is the principal cause of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) which are the major cause of death worldwide. Mechanical force plays an essential role in cardiovascular health and disease. To bring the awareness of mechanosensitive Piezo1 role in atherosclerosis and its therapeutic potentials we review recent literature to highlight its involvement in various mechanisms of the disease. Recent Findings: Recent studies reported Piezo1 channel as a sensor, and transducer of various mechanical forces into biochemical signals, which affect various cellular activities such as proliferation, migration, apoptosis and vascular remodeling including immune/inflammatory mechanisms fundamental phenomenon in atherogenesis. Summary: Numerous evidences suggest Piezo1 as a player in different mechanisms of cell biology, including immune/inflammatory and other cellular mechanisms correlated with atherosclerosis. This review discusses mechanistic insight about this matter and highlights the drugability and therapeutic potentials consistent with emerging functions Piezo1 in various mechanisms of atherosclerosis. Based on the recent works, we suggest Piezo1 as potential therapeutic target and a valid candidate for future research. Therefore, a deeper exploration of Piezo1 biology and translation towards the clinic will be a novel strategy for treating atherosclerosis and other CVDs. DA - 2022/// PY - 2022/// DO - 10.7150/IJBS.63819 UR - https://publons.com/publon/51218649/ ER - TY - JOUR TI - Loss of Scavenger Receptor B1 (SR-B1) in Brain of a Rett Syndrome Mouse Model AU - Pecorelli, Alessandra AU - Ferrara, Francesca AU - Guiotto, Anna AU - Vallese, Andrea AU - Cordone, Valeria AU - Belmonte, Giuseppe AU - Hayek, Joussef AU - Cervellati, Carlo AU - Valacchi, Giuseppe T2 - FREE RADICAL BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE DA - 2022/11/1/ PY - 2022/11/1/ DO - 10.1016/j.freeradbiomed.2022.10.159 VL - 192 SP - SN - 1873-4596 UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.freeradbiomed.2022.10.159 ER - TY - JOUR TI - Mutations Specific Redox Regulation Pathway In Rett Syndrome By The Use Of Transcriptomics And Proteomics Approaches AU - Pasqui, Arianna AU - Cicaloni, Vittoria AU - Tinti, Laura AU - Mori, Alessia AU - Bruttini, Marco AU - Pecorelli, Alessandra AU - Tinti, Cristina AU - Dotta, Francesco AU - Laura, Salvini AU - Valacchi, Giuseppe T2 - FREE RADICAL BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE DA - 2022/11/1/ PY - 2022/11/1/ DO - 10.1016/j.freeradbiomed.2022.10.062 VL - 192 SP - SN - 1873-4596 ER - TY - JOUR TI - Involvement Of Ferroptosis In Rett Syndrome AU - Guiotto, Anna AU - Cordone, Valeria AU - Benedusi, Mascia AU - Cervellati, Franco AU - Cervellati, Carlo AU - Hayek, Joussef AU - Valacchi, Giuseppe AU - Pecorelli, Alessandra T2 - FREE RADICAL BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE DA - 2022/11/1/ PY - 2022/11/1/ DO - 10.1016/j.freeradbiomed.2022.10.054 VL - 192 SP - SN - 1873-4596 ER - TY - JOUR TI - Ubiquitination as a key regulatory mechanism for O3-induced cutaneous redox Inflammasome activation AU - Ferrara, Francesca AU - Cordone, Valeria AU - Pecorelli, Alessandra AU - Benedusi, Mascia AU - Pambianchi, Erika AU - Guiotto, Anna AU - Vallese, Andrea AU - Cervellati, Franco AU - Valacchi, Giuseppe T2 - FREE RADICAL BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE AB - Redox signaling is an important emerging mechanism of cellular function. Dysfunctional redox signaling is increasingly implicated in numerous pathologies, including atherosclerosis, diabetes, and cancer. The molecular messengers in this type of signaling are reactive species which can mediate the post-translational modification of specific groups of proteins, thereby effecting functional changes in the modified proteins. Electrophilic compounds comprise one class of reactive species which can participate in redox signaling. Electrophiles modulate cell function via formation of covalent adducts with proteins, particularly cysteine residues.This review will discuss the commonly used methods of detection for electrophile-sensitive proteins, and will highlight the importance of identifying these proteins for studying redox signaling and developing novel therapeutics.There are several methods which can be used to detect electrophile-sensitive proteins. These include the use of tagged model electrophiles, as well as derivatization of endogenous electrophile–protein adducts.In order to understand the mechanisms by which electrophiles mediate redox signaling, it is necessary to identify electrophile-sensitive proteins and quantitatively assess adduct formation. Strengths and limitations of these methods will be discussed. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled Current methods to study reactive oxygen species - pros and cons and biophysics of membrane proteins. Guest Editor: Christine Winterbourn. DA - 2022/11/1/ PY - 2022/11/1/ DO - 10.1016/j.freeradbiomed.2022.10.033 VL - 192 SP - SN - 1873-4596 UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.freeradbiomed.2022.10.033 ER - TY - JOUR TI - Continuous flow microwave-assisted aqueous extraction of pomace phytoactives for production of protein-polyphenol particles and a protein-enriched ready-to-drink beverage(vol 5, artn 100137, year 2021) AU - Hoskin, Roberta Targino AU - Plundrich, Nathalie AU - Vargochik, Amanda AU - Lila, Mary Ann T2 - FUTURE FOODS DA - 2022/12// PY - 2022/12// DO - 10.1016/j.fufo.2022.100159 VL - 6 SP - SN - 2666-8335 ER - TY - JOUR TI - Loss of linker histone H1 in the maternal genome influences DEMETER-mediated demethylation and affects the endosperm DNA methylation landscape AU - Han, Qiang AU - Hung, Yu-Hung AU - Zhang, Changqing AU - Bartels, Arthur AU - Rea, Matthew AU - Yang, Hanwen AU - Park, Christine AU - Zhang, Xiang-Qian AU - Fischer, Robert L. L. AU - Xiao, Wenyan AU - Hsieh, Tzung-Fu T2 - FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE AB - The Arabidopsis DEMETER (DME) DNA glycosylase demethylates the central cell genome prior to fertilization. This epigenetic reconfiguration of the female gamete companion cell establishes gene imprinting in the endosperm and is essential for seed viability. DME demethylates small and genic-flanking transposons as well as intergenic and heterochromatin sequences, but how DME is recruited to these loci remains unknown. H1.2 was identified as a DME-interacting protein in a yeast two-hybrid screen, and maternal genome H1 loss affects DNA methylation and expression of selected imprinted genes in the endosperm. Yet, the extent to which H1 influences DME demethylation and gene imprinting in the Arabidopsis endosperm has not been investigated. Here, we showed that without the maternal linker histones, DME-mediated demethylation is facilitated, particularly in the heterochromatin regions, indicating that H1-bound heterochromatins are barriers for DME demethylation. Loss of H1 in the maternal genome has a very limited effect on gene transcription or gene imprinting regulation in the endosperm; however, it variably influences euchromatin TE methylation and causes a slight hypermethylation and a reduced expression in selected imprinted genes. We conclude that loss of maternal H1 indirectly influences DME-mediated demethylation and endosperm DNA methylation landscape but does not appear to affect endosperm gene transcription and overall imprinting regulation. DA - 2022/12/22/ PY - 2022/12/22/ DO - 10.3389/fpls.2022.1070397 VL - 13 SP - SN - 1664-462X KW - epigenetics KW - DNA demethylation KW - gene imprinting KW - DNA glycosylase KW - linker histone H1 ER - TY - JOUR TI - Hyperspectral imaging with chemometrics for non-destructive determination of cannabinoids in floral and leaf materials of industrial hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) AU - Lu, Yuzhen AU - Li, Xu AU - Young, Sierra AU - Li, Xin AU - Linder, Eric AU - Suchoff, David T2 - COMPUTERS AND ELECTRONICS IN AGRICULTURE AB - With the passage of the 2018 Farm Bill, industrial hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) has become a legal and economically promising crop commodity for U.S. farmers. There has been a surge of interest in growing industrial hemp for producing cannabinoids, such as cannabidiol (CBD), because of their medical potential. Quantitative determination of cannabinoids in harvested materials (primarily floral tissues) is critical for cannabinoid production and compliance testing. The concentrations of cannabinoids in hemp materials are conventionally determined using wet-chemistry chromatographic methods, which require destructive sampling, and are time-consuming, costly, and thus not suitable for on-site rapid testing. This study presents a novel effort to utilize hyperspectral imaging technology for non-destructive quantification of major cannabinoids, including CBD, THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), CBG (cannabigerol) and their acid forms in fresh floral and leaf materials of industrial hemp on a dry weight basis. Hyperspectral images in the wavelength range of 400–1000 nm were acquired from floral and leaf tissues immediately after harvest from a total of 100 industrial hemp plants of five cultivars at varied growth stages. Linear discriminant analysis showed hyperspectral imaging could identify CBD-rich/poor and THC-legal/illegal flower samples with accuracies of 99% and 97%, respectively. Quantitative models based on full-spectrum PLS (partial least squares) achieved prediction accuracies of RPD (ratio of prediction to deviation) = 2.5 (corresponding R2 = 0.84) for CBD and THC in floral tissues. Similar accuracies were obtained for their acid forms in flower samples. The predictions for CBG and its acid form in floral tissues and all six cannabinoids in leaf tissues were unsatisfactory with noticeably lower RPD values. Consistently improved accuracies were obtained by parsimonious PLS models based on a wavelength selection procedure for minimized variable collinearity. The best RPD values of approximately 2.6 (corresponding R2 = 0.85) were obtained for CBD and THC in floral materials. This study demonstrates the utility of hyperspectral imaging as a potential valuable tool for rapid quantification of cannabinoids in industrial hemp. DA - 2022/11// PY - 2022/11// DO - 10.1016/j.compag.2022.107387 VL - 202 SP - SN - 1872-7107 KW - Imaging spectroscopy KW - Cannabis KW - Cannabinoids KW - Quantification KW - Wavelength selection ER - TY - JOUR TI - Essential Minerals and Metabolic Adaptation of Immune Cells AU - Alghamdi, Malak AU - Gutierrez, Janelle AU - Komarnytsky, Slavko T2 - Nutrients AB - Modern lifestyles deviated considerably from the ancestral routines towards major shifts in diets and increased sedentarism. The trace elements status of the human body is no longer adequately supported by micronutrient-inferior farmed meats and crop commodities produced by the existing agricultural food systems. This is particular evident in the increased obesogenic adipogenesis and low-grade inflammation that fails to resolve with time. The metabolically restrictive environment of the inflamed tissues drives activation and proliferation of transient and resident populations of immune cells in favor of pro-inflammatory phenotypes, as well as a part of the enhanced autoimmune response. As different stages of the immune activation and resolution depend on the availability of specific minerals to maintain the structural integrity of skin and mucus membranes, activation and migration of immune cells, activation of the complement system, and the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines, this review discusses recent advances in our understanding of the contribution of select minerals in optimizing the responses of innate and adaptive immune outcomes. An abbreviated view on the absorption, transport, and delivery of minerals to the body tissues as related to metabolic adaptation is considered. DA - 2022/12/27/ PY - 2022/12/27/ DO - 10.3390/nu15010123 UR - https://doi.org/10.3390/nu15010123 KW - micronutrient KW - malnutrition KW - macrophage polarization KW - intestinal immunity KW - mucosal integrity KW - dietary intervention ER - TY - JOUR TI - Protein-binding approaches for improving bioaccessibility and bioavailability of anthocyanins AU - Wu, Haizhou AU - Oliveira, Gabriel AU - Lila, Mary Ann T2 - COMPREHENSIVE REVIEWS IN FOOD SCIENCE AND FOOD SAFETY AB - Color is an important characteristic of food. Over the last 15 years, more attention has been paid to natural colorants because of the rising demand for clean-label food products. Anthocyanins, which are a group of phytochemicals responsible for the purple, blue or red hues of many plants, offer a market advantage. In addition, anthocyanin-rich foods are associated with protection against cardiovascular disease, thrombosis, diabetes, cancer, microbial-based disorders, neurological disorders, and vision ailments. However, the real health value of anthocyanins, whether as a natural colorant or a functional ingredient, is dependent on the ultimate bioaccessibility and bioavailability in the human body. Many animal and human clinical studies revealed that, after intake of anthocyanin-rich foods or anthocyanin extracts, only trace amounts (< 1% of ingested content) of anthocyanins or their predicted metabolites were detected in plasma after a standard blood draw, which was indicative of low bioavailability of anthocyanins. Protein binding to anthocyanins is a strategy that has recently been reported to enhance the ultimate bioactivity, bioaccessibility, and bioavailability of anthocyanins as compared to anthocyanins delivered without a protein carrier. Therefore, in this review, we address anthocyanin properties in food processing and digestion, anthocyanin-protein complexes used in food matrices, and changes in the bioaccessibility and bioavailability of anthocyanins when bound into anthocyanin-protein complexes in foods. Finally, we summarize the challenges and prospects of this delivery system for anthocyanin pigments. DA - 2022/11/18/ PY - 2022/11/18/ DO - 10.1111/1541-4337.13070 VL - 11 SP - SN - 1541-4337 KW - anthocyanin-protein complexes KW - bioavailability KW - digestibility KW - gastrointestinal KW - pigments ER - TY - JOUR TI - Brassinosteroids control the inflammation, oxidative stress and cell migration through the control of mitochondrial function on skin regeneration AU - Xiong, Jia AU - Bonney, Sierra AU - Goncalves, Reggiani Vilela AU - Esposito, Debora T2 - LIFE SCIENCES AB - Brassinosteroids (BRs) are the class of phytohormones with great importance in agriculture and potential diverse effects on human welfare, including skin disease treatment. In this sense, BRs are a promising tool for promoting skin regeneration.Therefore, the objective of the present work was to analyze the effect of BRs in wound repair, mainly the inflammatory and proliferative phases, and their influence on migratory abilities in human dermal fibroblasts (HDFa), and consequently understand the mitochondrial metabolism.We measured nine natural and synthetic BRs for the inflammatory response in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophages. We further evaluated the migration activity in HDFa modeling promotion of wound closure after BRs exposure. In addition, we evaluated the 84 gene profiles linked to wound healing response using RT2 Profiler PCR Array and examined cellular bioenergetics using an extracellular flux analyzer.Results showed that LPS-induced cells had around 10 % lower reactive oxygen species and nitric oxide accumulation when treated with some BRs compounds. HDFa treated with homobrassinolide-based and homocastasterone-based compounds resulted in the greatest migratory activity and presents the best results for mitochondrial responses.Together, these results provided strong evidence for BRs' ability to promote skin health, particularly through contributions to both reducing excessive oxidative stress and controlling the inflammation process resulting in the best HDFa cell migration through the control of mitochondrial function. DA - 2022/10/15/ PY - 2022/10/15/ DO - 10.1016/j.lfs.2022.120887 VL - 307 SP - SN - 1879-0631 KW - Anti-inflammation KW - Wound healing KW - Human dermal fibroblasts KW - Migration KW - Gene expression KW - Mitochondrial function ER - TY - JOUR TI - Biological activity of new bioactive steroids deriving from biotransformation of cortisone AU - Costa, Stefania AU - Tedeschi, Paola AU - Ferraro, Luca AU - Beggiato, Sarah AU - Grandini, Alessandro AU - Manfredini, Stefano AU - Buzzi, Raissa AU - Sacchetti, Gianni AU - Valacchi, Giuseppe T2 - MICROBIAL CELL FACTORIES AB - Abstract Cortisone is a metabolite belonging to the corticosteroid class that is used pharmaceutically directly as a drug or prodrug. In addition to its large consumption, its use is linked to several side effects, so pharmaceutical research aims to develop effective drugs with low or no side effects, alternative compounds to cortisone are part of an active investment in ongoing research on drug discovery. Since biotransformation can be considered a source of new molecules with potential therapeutic use, the present work focuses on a preliminary in vitro study aimed at evaluating the mutagenic, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and neuroprotective activity of SCA and SCB molecules obtained from the biotransformation of cortisone using Rh. Rhodnii strain DSM 43960. The results obtained are very encouraging due to the safety of biotransformed compounds with reference to genotoxicity checked by Ames test, to the very high antioxidant capacity and to the anti-inflammatory activity. In fact, thecompounds inhibited both the TNFα-stimulated expression and secretion of NFkB target cytokines, and COX activity, and can activate the glucocorticoid receptor. Finally SCA and SCB exhibited neuroprotective properties. DA - 2022/11/24/ PY - 2022/11/24/ DO - 10.1186/s12934-022-01967-2 VL - 21 IS - 1 SP - SN - 1475-2859 KW - Biotransformations KW - Cortisone KW - Steroids KW - Neuroprotective KW - Anti-inflammatory KW - Antioxidant ER - TY - JOUR TI - Prune supplementation for 12 months alters the gut microbiome in postmenopausal women AU - Simpson, Abigayle M. R. AU - De Souza, Mary Jane AU - Damani, Janhavi AU - Rogers, Connie AU - Williams, Nancy I. AU - Weaver, Connie AU - Ferruzzi, Mario G. AU - Chadwick-Corbin, Sydney AU - Nakatsu, Cindy H. T2 - FOOD & FUNCTION AB - Prunes have health benefits, particularly in postmenopausal women. It is likely that the gut microbiome mediates some of these effects, but its exact role remains to be elucidated. This study aims to characterize the effect of prune supplementation on the gut microbiome of postmenopausal women. The fecal microbiome of 143 postmenopausal women ages 55-75 who met the compliance criteria in a randomized controlled trial of a 12-month dietary intervention in one of three treatment groups - no prunes (n = 52), 50 g prunes per day (n = 54), or 100 g prunes per day (n = 37) - was characterized at baseline and at the 12-month endpoint using 16S rRNA gene sequencing and QIIME2. Additional outcomes included assessment of select urinary phenolic metabolites and inflammatory markers. After 12 months, microbiomes of women consuming 50 g prunes had decreased evenness in bacteria taxa (Pielou's Evenness, Kruskal-Wallis p = 0.026). Beta diversity comparisons indicated significant differences in microbiomes among prune treatments (Bray-Curtis PERMANOVA, p = 0.005), and the effect was different at each prune dose (p = 0.057). Prunes enriched some bacterial taxa such as the family Lachnospiraceae (LEfSe LDA = 4.5). Some taxa correlated with urinary phenolic metabolites and inflammatory markers. Blautia negatively correlated with total urinary phenolics (r = -0.25, p = 0.035) and Lachnospiraceae UCG-001 negatively correlated with plasma concentrations of IL-1β (r = -0.29, p = 0.002). Differing gut microbiomes and correlation of some taxa with select phenolic metabolites and inflammatory markers, particularly Lachnospiraceae, after prune consumption suggest a potential mechanism mediating health effects. The microbiome differences at each dose may have implications for the use of prunes as a non-pharmacological whole food intervention for gut health. DA - 2022/11/7/ PY - 2022/11/7/ DO - 10.1039/d2fo02273g VL - 11 SP - SN - 2042-650X ER - TY - CHAP TI - Next-Gen Approaches to Understand Plant-Microbe Interactions Providing Abiotic Stress Tolerance in Plants AU - Seth, Romit AU - Bhandawat, Abhishek AU - Maritim, Tony Kipkoech AU - Sharma, Ram Kumar T2 - Microbial Based Land Restoration Handbook, Volume 1 PY - 2022/10/14/ DO - 10.1201/9781003147091-4 SP - 59-72 PB - CRC Press UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1201/9781003147091-4 ER - TY - JOUR TI - Carotenoids in orange carrots mitigate non-alcoholic fatty liver disease progression AU - Balbuena, Emilio AU - Cheng, Junrui AU - Eroglu, Abdulkerim T2 - FRONTIERS IN NUTRITION AB - Carotenoids are abundant in colored fruits and vegetables. Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a global burden and risk factor for end-stage hepatic diseases. This study aims to compare the anti-NAFLD efficacy between carotenoid-rich and carotenoid-deficient vegetables.Male C57BL/6J mice were randomized to one of four experimental diets for 15 weeks (n = 12 animals/group): Low-fat diet (LFD, 10% calories from fat), high-fat diet (HFD, 60% calories from fat), HFD with 20% white carrot powders (HFD + WC), or with 20% orange carrot powders (HFD + OC).We observed that carotenoids in the orange carrots reduced HFD-induced weight gain, better than white carrots. Histological and triglyceride (TG) analyses revealed significantly decreased HFD-induced hepatic lipid deposition and TG content in the HFD + WC group, which was further reduced in the HFD + OC group. Western blot analysis demonstrated inconsistent changes of fatty acid synthesis-related proteins but significantly improved ACOX-1 and CPT-II, indicating that orange carrot carotenoids had the potential to inhibit NAFLD by improving β-oxidation. Further investigation showed significantly higher mRNA and protein levels of PPARα and its transcription factor activity.Carotenoid-rich foods may display more potent efficacy in mitigating NAFLD than those with low carotenoid levels. DA - 2022/9/26/ PY - 2022/9/26/ DO - 10.3389/fnut.2022.987103 VL - 9 SP - SN - 2296-861X KW - phytochemicals KW - nutrition KW - beta-oxidation KW - nuclear receptors KW - lipid metabolism ER - TY - JOUR TI - Loss of Linker Histone H1 in the Maternal Genome Influences DEMETER-Mediated Demethylation and Affects the Endosperm DNA Methylation Landscape AU - Hsieh, Tzung-Fu AU - Han, Qiang AU - Hung, Yu-Hung AU - Zhang, Changqing AU - Bartels, Arthur AU - Rea, Matthew AU - Yang, Hanwen AU - Park, Christine AU - Zhang, Xiang-Qian AU - Fsicher, Robert L. AU - Xiao, Wenyan AB - Abstract The Arabidopsis DEMETER (DME) DNA glycosylase demethylates the central cell genome prior to fertilization. This epigenetic reconfiguration of the female gamete companion cell establishes gene imprinting in the endosperm and is essential for seed viability. DME demethylates small and genic-flanking transposons as well as intergenic and heterochromatin sequences, but how DME is recruited to these target loci remains unknown. H1.2 was identified as a DME-interacting protein in a yeast two-hybrid screen, and maternal genome H1 loss affects DNA methylation and expression of selected imprinted genes in the endosperm. Yet, the extent to which how H1 influences DME demethylation and gene imprinting in the Arabidopsis endosperm has not been investigated. Here, we showed that unlike in the vegetative cell, both canonical histone H1 variants are present in the central cell. Our endosperm methylome analysis revealed that without the maternal linker histones, DME-mediated demethylation is facilitated, particularly in the heterochromatin regions, indicating that H1-containing nucleosomes are barriers for DME demethylation. Loss of H1 in the maternal genome has a very limited effect on gene transcription or gene imprinting regulation in the endosperm; however, it variably influences euchromatin TE methylation and causes a slight hypermethylation and a reduced expression in selected imprinted genes. We conclude that loss of maternal H1 indirectly influences DME-mediated demethylation and endosperm DNA methylation landscape but does not appear to affect endosperm gene transcription and overall imprinting regulation. DA - 2022/10/20/ PY - 2022/10/20/ DO - 10.1101/2022.10.17.512625 UR - https://doi.org/10.1101/2022.10.17.512625 ER - TY - JOUR TI - Cocoa extract exerts sex-specific anti-diabetic effects in an aggressive type-2 diabetes model: A pilot study AU - Racine, Kathryn C. AU - Iglesias-Carres, Lisard AU - Herring, Jacob A. AU - Ferruzzi, Mario G. AU - Kay, Colin D. AU - Tessem, Jeffery S. AU - Neilson, Andrew P. T2 - BIOCHEMICAL AND BIOPHYSICAL RESEARCH COMMUNICATIONS AB - Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is characterized by hyperglycemia and insulin resistance. Cocoa may slow T2D development and progression. This study employed male and female BTBR.Cg-Lepob/ob/WiscJ (ob/ob) and wild type (WT) controls to assess the potential for cocoa to ameliorate progressive T2D and compare responses between sexes. Mice received diet without (WT, ob/ob) or with cocoa extract (ob/ob + c) for 10 weeks. Acute cocoa reduced fasting hyperglycemia in females, but not males, after 2 weeks. Chronic cocoa supplementation (6-10 weeks) ameliorated hyperinsulinemia in males and worsened hyperlipidemia and hyperinsulinemia in females, yet also preserved and enhanced beta cell survival in females. The underlying mechanisms of these differences warrant further study. If sex differences are apparent in subsequent preclinical studies, clinical studies will be warranted to establish whether these differences are relevant in humans. Sex differences may need to be considered when designing human dietary interventions for T2D. DA - 2022/10/20/ PY - 2022/10/20/ DO - 10.1016/j.bbrc.2022.08.018 VL - 626 SP - 205-210 SN - 1090-2104 KW - BTBR KW - Ob/ob KW - Type-2 diabetes KW - Flavanol KW - Insulin KW - Beta cell ER - TY - JOUR TI - Effect of processing on the anti-inflammatory efficacy of cocoa in a high fat diet-induced mouse model of obesity AU - Weikart, Daphne K. AU - Indukuri, Vijaya V. AU - Racine, Kathryn C. AU - Coleman, Kiana M. AU - Kovac, Jasna AU - Cockburn, Darrell W. AU - Hopfer, Helene AU - Neilson, Andrew P. AU - Lambert, Joshua D. T2 - JOURNAL OF NUTRITIONAL BIOCHEMISTRY AB - Obesity causes inflammation which may lead to development of co-morbidities like cardiovascular diseases. Cocoa is a popular food ingredient that has been shown to mitigate obesity and inflammation in preclinical models. Cocoa typically undergoes fermentation and roasting prior to consumption, which can affect the polyphenol content in cocoa. The aim of this study was to compare the effect of fermentation and roasting protocols on the ability of cocoa to mitigate obesity, gut barrier dysfunction, and chronic inflammation in high fat (HF)-fed, obese C57BL/6J mice. We found that treatment of mice with 80 mg/g dietary cocoa powder for 8 weeks reduced rate of body weight gain in both male and female mice (46-57%), regardless of fermentation and roasting protocol. Colonic length was increased (11-24%) and gut permeability was reduced (48-79%) by cocoa supplementation. Analysis of the cecal microbiome showed that cocoa, regardless of fermentation and roasting protocol, reduced the ratio of Firmicutes to Bacteroidetes. Multivariate statistical analysis of markers of inflammation and body weight data showed sex differences in the effect of both the HF diet as well as cocoa supplementation. Based on this data there was strong protective efficacy from cocoa supplementation especially for the more processed cocoa samples. Overall, this study shows that anti-obesity and anti-inflammatory efficacy of cocoa is resilient to changes in polyphenol content and composition induced by fermentation or roasting. Further, this study shows that although cocoa has beneficial effects in both males and females, there are significant sex differences. DA - 2022/11// PY - 2022/11// DO - 10.1016/j.jnutbio.2022.109117 VL - 109 SP - SN - 1873-4847 KW - Cocoa KW - sex differences KW - roasting KW - fermentation KW - obesity KW - inflammation ER - TY - JOUR TI - Spatial Genomic Resource Reveals Molecular Insights into Key Bioactive-Metabolite Biosynthesis in Endangered Angelica glauca Edgew AU - DEVI, AMNA AU - Seth, Romit AU - Masand, Mamta AU - Singh, Gopal AU - Holkar, Ashlesha AU - Sharma, Shikha AU - Singh, Ashok AU - Sharma, Ram Kumar T2 - International Journal of Molecular Sciences AB - Angelica glauca Edgew, which is an endangered medicinal and aromatic herb, is a rich source of numerous industrially important bioactive metabolites, including terpenoids, phenolics, and phthalides. Nevertheless, genomic interventions for the sustainable utilization and restoration of its genetic resources are greatly offset due to the scarcity of the genomic resources and key regulators of the underlying specialized metabolism. To unravel the global atlas of the specialized metabolism, the first spatial transcriptome sequencing of the leaf, stem, and root generated 109 million high-quality paired-end reads, assembled de novo into 81,162 unigenes, which exhibit a 61.53% significant homology with the six public protein databases. The organ-specific clustering grouped 1136 differentially expressed unigenes into four subclusters differentially enriched in the leaf, stem, and root tissues. The prediction of the transcriptional-interactome network by integrating enriched gene ontology (GO) and the KEGG metabolic pathways identified the key regulatory unigenes that correspond to terpenoid, flavonoid, and carotenoid biosynthesis in the leaf tissue, followed by the stem and root tissues. Furthermore, the stem and root-specific significant enrichments of phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL), cinnamate-4-hydroxylase (C4H), and caffeic acid 3-O-methyltransferase (COMT) indicate that phenylalanine mediated the ferulic acid biosynthesis in the stem and root. However, the root-specific expressions of NADPH-dependent alkenal/one oxidoreductase (NADPH-AOR), S-adenosyl-L-methionine-dependent methyltransferases (SDMs), polyketide cyclase (PKC), and CYP72A15 suggest the “root” as the primary site of phthalide biosynthesis. Additionally, the GC-MS and UPLC analyses corresponded to the organ-specific gene expressions, with higher contents of limonene and phthalide compounds in the roots, while there was a higher accumulation of ferulic acid in the stem, followed by in the root and leaf tissues. The first comprehensive genomic resource with an array of candidate genes of the key metabolic pathways can be potentially utilized for the targeted upscaling of aromatic and pharmaceutically important bioactive metabolites. This will also expedite genomic-assisted conservation and breeding strategies for the revival of the endangered A. glauca. DA - 2022/9/21/ PY - 2022/9/21/ DO - 10.3390/ijms231911064 VL - 23 IS - 19 SP - 11064 UR - https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/23/19/11064 KW - Angelica glauca KW - transcriptome KW - specialized metabolites KW - phthalide KW - ferulic acid ER - TY - JOUR TI - Genome-wide identification and characterization of functionally relevant microsatellite markers from transcription factor genes of Tea (Camellia sinensis (L.) O. Kuntze) AU - Parmar, Rajni AU - Seth, Romit AU - Sharma, Ram Kumar T2 - Scientific Reports AB - Tea, being one of the most popular beverages requires large set of molecular markers for genetic improvement of quality, yield and stress tolerance. Identification of functionally relevant microsatellite or simple sequence repeat (SSR) marker resources from regulatory "Transcription factor (TF) genes" can be potential targets to expedite molecular breeding efforts. In current study, 2776 transcripts encoding TFs harbouring 3687 SSR loci yielding 1843 flanking markers were identified from traits specific transcriptome resource of 20 popular tea cultivars. Of these, 689 functionally relevant SSR markers were successfully validated and assigned to 15 chromosomes (Chr) of CSS genome. Interestingly, 589 polymorphic markers including 403 core-set of TF-SSR markers amplified 2864 alleles in key TF families (bHLH, WRKY, MYB-related, C2H2, ERF, C3H, NAC, FAR1, MYB and G2-like). Their significant network interactions with key genes corresponding to aroma, quality and stress tolerance suggests their potential implications in traits dissection. Furthermore, single amino acid repeat reiteration in CDS revealed presence of favoured and hydrophobic amino acids. Successful deployment of markers for genetic diversity characterization of 135 popular tea cultivars and segregation in bi-parental population suggests their wider utility in high-throughput genotyping studies in tea. DA - 2022/1// PY - 2022/1// DO - 10.1038/s41598-021-03848-x VL - 12 IS - 1 UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-03848-x ER - TY - JOUR TI - An Integrative Transcriptional Network Revealed Spatial Molecular Interplay Underlying Alantolactone and Inulin Biosynthesis in Inula racemosa Hook f. AU - Seth, Romit AU - DEVI, AMNA AU - Sharma, Balraj AU - Masand, Mamta AU - Singh, Gopal AU - Pal, Poonam AU - Holkar, Ashlesha AU - Sharma, Shikha AU - Sharma, Vishal AU - Negi, Shivanti AU - Sharma, Ram Kumar T2 - International Journal of Molecular Sciences AB - Inula racemosa Hook. f. (Pushkarmula), a perennial Himalayan herb known for its aromatic and phytopharmaceutical attributes, is not yet explored at genomic/transcriptomic scale. In this study, efforts were made to unveil the global transcriptional atlas underlying organ-specific specialized metabolite biosynthesis by integrating RNA-Seq analysis of 433 million sequenced reads with the phytochemical analysis of leaf, stem, and root tissues. Overall, 7242 of 83,772 assembled nonredundant unigenes were identified exhibiting spatial expression in leaf (3761), root (2748), and stem (733). Subsequently, integration of the predicted transcriptional interactome network of 2541 unigenes (71,841 edges) with gene ontology and KEGG pathway enrichment analysis revealed isoprenoid, terpenoid, diterpenoid, and gibberellin biosynthesis with antimicrobial activities in root tissue. Interestingly, the root-specific expression of germacrene-mediated alantolactone biosynthesis (GAS, GAO, G8H, IPP, DMAP, and KAO) and antimicrobial activities (BZR1, DEFL, LTP) well-supported with both quantitative expression profiling and phytochemical accumulation of alantolactones (726.08 μg/10 mg) and isoalantolactones (988.59 μg/10 mg), which suggests "roots" as the site of alantolactone biosynthesis. A significant interaction of leaf-specific carbohydrate metabolism with root-specific inulin biosynthesis indicates source (leaf) to sink (root) regulation of inulin. Our findings comprehensively demonstrate the source-sink transcriptional regulation of alantolactone and inulin biosynthesis, which can be further extended for upscaling the targeted specialized metabolites. Nevertheless, the genomic resource created in this study can also be utilized for development of genome-wide functionally relevant molecular markers to expedite the breeding strategies for genetic improvement of I. racemosa. DA - 2022/9// PY - 2022/9// DO - 10.3390/ijms231911213 VL - 23 IS - 19 SP - 11213 UR - https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/23/19/11213 KW - alantolactones KW - Germacrene A KW - Inula racemosa KW - inulin KW - interactome KW - transcriptome KW - sesquiterpene lactones ER - TY - JOUR TI - Sonoprocessing is an effective strategy to encapsulate fisetin into Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells AU - Andrade, Eduardo Wagner Vasconcelos AU - Dupont, Sebastien AU - Beney, Laurent AU - Souza, Marlinda Lobo AU - Hoskin, Roberta Targino AU - Silva Pedrini, Márcia Regina T2 - Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology DA - 2022/11// PY - 2022/11// DO - 10.1007/s00253-022-12214-4 UR - https://doi.org/10.1007/s00253-022-12214-4 KW - Food biotechnology KW - Yeast-based carriers KW - Lipophilic compounds KW - Ultrasound technology ER - TY - JOUR TI - Personalized nutrition: A review of genotype-based nutritional supplementation AU - Wang, Feijie AU - Zheng, Jianheng AU - Cheng, Junrui AU - Zou, Hong AU - Li, Mingfeng AU - Deng, Bin AU - Luo, Rong AU - Wang, Feng AU - Huang, Dingqiang AU - Li, Gang AU - Zhang, Rao AU - Ding, Xin AU - Li, Yuan AU - Du, Jun AU - Yang, Yuexin AU - Kan, Juntao T2 - FRONTIERS IN NUTRITION AB - Nutritional disorders have become a major public health issue, requiring increased targeted approaches. Personalized nutrition adapted to individual needs has garnered dramatic attention as an effective way to improve nutritional balance and maintain health. With the rapidly evolving fields of genomics and nutrigenetics, accumulation of genetic variants has been indicated to alter the effects of nutritional supplementation, suggesting its indispensable role in the genotype-based personalized nutrition. Additionally, the metabolism of nutrients, such as lipids, especially omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, glucose, vitamin A, folic acid, vitamin D, iron, and calcium could be effectively improved with related genetic variants. This review focuses on existing literatures linking critical genetic variants to the nutrient and the ways in which these variants influence the outcomes of certain nutritional supplementations. Although further studies are required in this direction, such evidence provides valuable insights for the guidance of appropriate interventions using genetic information, thus paving the way for the smooth transition of conventional generic approach to genotype-based personalized nutrition. DA - 2022/9/9/ PY - 2022/9/9/ DO - 10.3389/fnut.2022.992986 VL - 9 SP - SN - 2296-861X KW - personalized nutrition KW - nutritional supplementation KW - nutrient KW - genotype KW - single nucleotide polymorphisms KW - nutrigenetics ER - TY - JOUR TI - Dissecting the genetic basis of bioactive metabolites and fruit quality traits in blueberries (Vaccinium corymbosum L.) AU - Mengist, Molla Fentie AU - Grace, Mary H. AU - Mackey, Ted AU - Munoz, Bryan AU - Pucker, Boas AU - Bassil, Nahla AU - Luby, Claire AU - Ferruzzi, Mario AU - Lila, Mary Ann AU - Iorizzo, Massimo T2 - FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE AB - Blueberry is well-recognized as a healthy fruit with functionality derived largely from anthocyanin and chlorogenic acid. Despite their importance, no study to date has evaluated the genetic basis of these bioactives in blueberries and their relationship with fruit quality traits. Hence, to fill this gap, a mapping population including 196 F 1 individuals was phenotyped for anthocyanin and chlorogenic acid concentration and fruit quality traits (titratable acidity, pH, and total soluble solids) over 3 years and data were used for QTL mapping and correlation analysis. Total soluble solids and chlorogenic acid were positively correlated with glycosylated anthocyanin and total anthocyanin, respectively, indicating that parallel selection for these traits is possible. Across all the traits, a total of 188 QTLs were identified on chromosomes 1, 2, 4, 8, 9, 11 and 12. Notably, four major regions with overlapping major-effect QTLs were identified on chromosomes 1, 2, 4 and 8, and were responsible for acylation and glycosylation of anthocyanins in a substrate and sugar donor specific manner. Through comparative transcriptome analysis, multiple candidate genes were identified for these QTLs, including glucosyltransferases and acyltransferases. Overall, the study provides the first insights into the genetic basis controlling anthocyanins accumulation and composition, chlorogenic acid and fruit quality traits, and establishes a framework to advance genetic studies and molecular breeding for anthocyanins in blueberry. DA - 2022/9/2/ PY - 2022/9/2/ DO - 10.3389/fpls.2022.964656 VL - 13 SP - SN - 1664-462X KW - blueberry KW - anthocyanin KW - acylation KW - glycosylation KW - QTL mapping KW - candidate genes KW - fruit quality KW - chlorogenic acid ER - TY - JOUR TI - Six-month intervention with wild blueberries improved speed of processing in mild cognitive decline: a double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized clinical trial AU - Cheatham, Carol L. AU - Canipelll, L. Grant AU - Millsap, Grace AU - Stegall, Julie M. AU - Chai, Sheau Ching AU - Sheppard, Kelly W. AU - Lila, Mary Ann T2 - NUTRITIONAL NEUROSCIENCE AB - Background As the sector of the population over 65y increases, cognitive decline and dementia become a public health issue. Interventions to improve brain health and thus, quality of life for older adults are needed.Objective It was hypothesized that those consuming a flavonoid-rich, lyophilized wild blueberry powder would evidence improvements in cognitive performance as measured behaviorally and electrophysiologically compared to those consuming a placebo powder across a 6-month intervention period.Design In a double-blind, randomized placebo-controlled trial, participants experiencing cognitive issues as determined by scores on the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) were randomized to consume either wild blueberry (n = 44) or placebo (n = 42) powder daily for 6 months. Participants who were not experiencing any cognitive issues were included as a reference group (n = 45). Participants were tested at baseline and outcome on the Cambridge Neurological Test Automated Battery (CANTAB) and in an electrophysiological paradigm known as event-related potentials (ERP).Results Tests of specific cognitive abilities using the CANTAB showed speed of processing not only improved in the blueberry intervention group relative to the placebo group across the 6-month intervention, but blueberries also restored speed of processing to the level of the reference group. The ERP results also showed that, relative to those consuming placebo, speed of processing improved for those in the blueberry group; this improvement was most prominent in those 75-80y.Conclusions Consumption of wild blueberries for six months improves cognitive aging sequelae by improving the speed of information processing in older adults.Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01515098. DA - 2022/9/8/ PY - 2022/9/8/ DO - 10.1080/1028415X.2022.2117475 VL - 9 SP - SN - 1476-8305 KW - aging KW - CANTAB KW - event-related potentials KW - flavonoids KW - mild cognitive decline KW - speed of processing KW - polyphenols KW - wild blueberries ER - TY - JOUR TI - Autopolyploid inheritance and a heterozygous reciprocal translocation shape chromosome genetic behavior in tetraploid blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum) AU - Mengist, Molla F. AU - Bostan, Hamed AU - De Paola, Domenico AU - Teresi, Scott J. AU - Platts, Adrian E. AU - Cremona, Gaetana AU - Qi, Xinpeng AU - Mackey, Ted AU - Bassil, Nahla V AU - Ashrafi, Hamid AU - Giongo, Lara AU - Jibran, Rubina AU - Chagne, David AU - Bianco, Luca AU - Lila, Mary A. AU - Rowland, Lisa J. AU - Iovene, Marina AU - Edger, Patrick P. AU - Iorizzo, Massimo T2 - NEW PHYTOLOGIST AB - Summary Understanding chromosome recombination behavior in polyploidy species is key to advancing genetic discoveries. In blueberry, a tetraploid species, the line of evidences about its genetic behavior still remain poorly understood, owing to the inter‐specific, and inter‐ploidy admixture of its genome and lack of in depth genome‐wide inheritance and comparative structural studies. Here we describe a new high‐quality, phased, chromosome‐scale genome of a diploid blueberry, clone W85. The genome was integrated with cytogenetics and high‐density, genetic maps representing six tetraploid blueberry cultivars, harboring different levels of wild genome admixture, to uncover recombination behavior and structural genome divergence across tetraploid and wild diploid species. Analysis of chromosome inheritance and pairing demonstrated that tetraploid blueberry behaves as an autotetraploid with tetrasomic inheritance. Comparative analysis demonstrated the presence of a reciprocal, heterozygous, translocation spanning one homolog of chr‐6 and one of chr‐10 in the cultivar Draper. The translocation affects pairing and recombination of chromosomes 6 and 10. Besides the translocation detected in Draper, no other structural genomic divergences were detected across tetraploid cultivars and highly inter‐crossable wild diploid species. These findings and resources will facilitate new genetic and comparative genomic studies in Vaccinium and the development of genomic assisted selection strategy for this crop. DA - 2022/9/3/ PY - 2022/9/3/ DO - 10.1111/nph.18428 VL - 9 SP - SN - 1469-8137 KW - autopolyploid KW - blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum L KW - ) KW - centromeric repeat KW - chromosomal translocation KW - chromosome structure KW - phased genome KW - polyploid genetic behavior ER - TY - JOUR TI - Ultrasound-assisted encapsulation of curcumin and fisetin into Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells: a multistage batch process protocol AU - Andrade, E.W.V. AU - Hoskin, R.T. AU - Silva Pedrini, M.R. T2 - Letters in Applied Microbiology AB - Abstract Some of the challenges of yeast encapsulation protocols are low phytochemical internalization rates and limited intracellular compartments of yeasts. This study uses an ultrasound-assisted batch encapsulation (UABE) protocol to optimize the encapsulation of curcumin and fisetin by recovering nonencapsulated biomaterial and further incorporating it into nonloaded yeasts in three encapsulation stages (1ES, 2ES and 3ES). The effect of selected acoustic energies (166·7 and 333·3 W l−1) on the encapsulation efficiency (EE), yield (EY) and antioxidant activity retention were evaluated, and then, compared with a control process (without ultrasound treatment). Compared to the control, enhanced EEs were achieved for both curcumin (10·9% control to 58·5% UABE) and fisetin (18·6% control to 76·6% UABE) after 3ES and the use of 333·3 W l−1. Similarly, the yeast maximum loading capacity was improved from 6·6 to 13·4 mg g−1 for curcumin and from 11·1 to 26·4 mg g−1 for fisetin after UABE protocol. The antioxidant activity of produced biocapsules was positively correlated with the bioactive-loaded content of yeasts when ultrasound treatment was applied. Overall, results from this study provide valuable information regarding UABE processes, and moreover, bring new and creative perspectives for ultrasound technology in the food industry. DA - 2022/12/1/ PY - 2022/12/1/ DO - 10.1111/lam.13820 UR - https://doi.org/10.1111/lam.13820 KW - antioxidant activity KW - bioprocess KW - food biotechnology KW - lipophilic compounds KW - yeast-based carriers ER - TY - JOUR TI - Phytonutrients: Sources, bioavailability, interaction with gut microbiota, and their impacts on human health AU - Kan, Juntao AU - Wu, Feng AU - Wang, Feijie AU - Zheng, Jianheng AU - Cheng, Junrui AU - Li, Yuan AU - Yang, Yuexin AU - Du, Jun T2 - FRONTIERS IN NUTRITION AB - Phytonutrients are natural bioactive components present in the daily diet that can exert a positive impact on human health. Studies have shown that phytonutrients may act as antioxidants and improve metabolism after being ingested, which help to regulate physiological processes and prevent metabolic disorders and diseases. However, their efficacy is limited by their low bioavailability. The gut microbiota is symbiotic with humans and its abundance and profile are related to most diseases. Interestingly, studies have shown that the gut microbiota is associated with the metabolism of phytonutrients by converting them into small molecules that can be absorbed by the body, thereby enhancing their bioavailability. Furthermore, phytonutrients can modulate the composition of the gut microbiota, and therefore improve the host's health. Here, we focus on uncovering the mechanisms by which phytonutrients and gut microbiota play roles in health, and the interrelationships between phytonutrients and gut microbiota were summarized. We also reviewed the studies that reported the efficacy of phytonutrients in human health and the future directions. DA - 2022/8/16/ PY - 2022/8/16/ DO - 10.3389/fnut.2022.960309 VL - 9 SP - SN - 2296-861X KW - phytonutrients KW - gut microbiota KW - metabolism KW - health outcomes KW - bioavailability ER - TY - JOUR TI - Ubiquitination as a key regulatory mechanism for O-3-induced cutaneous redox inflammasome activation AU - Ferrara, Francesca AU - Cordone, Valeria AU - Pecorelli, Alessandra AU - Benedusi, Mascia AU - Pambianchi, Erika AU - Guiotto, Anna AU - Vallese, Andrea AU - Cervellati, Franco AU - Valacchi, Giuseppe T2 - REDOX BIOLOGY AB - NLRP1 is one of the major inflammasomes modulating the cutaneous inflammatory responses and therefore linked to a variety of cutaneous conditions. Although NLRP1 has been the first inflammasome to be discovered, only in the past years a significant progress was achieved in understanding the molecular mechanism and the stimuli behind its activation. In the past decades a crescent number of studies have highlighted the role of air pollutants as Particulate Matter (PM), Cigarette Smoke (CS) and Ozone (O3) as trigger stimuli for inflammasomes activation, especially via Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) mediators. However, whether NLRP1 can be modulated by air pollutants via oxidative stress and the mechanism behind its activation is still poorly understood. Here we report for the first time that O3, one of the most toxic pollutants, activates the NLRP1 inflammasome in human keratinocytes via oxidative stress mediators as hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and 4-hydroxy-nonenal (4HNE). Our data suggest that NLRP1 represents a target protein for 4HNE adduction that possibly leads to its proteasomal degradation and activation via the possible involvement of E3 ubiquitin ligase UBR2. Of note, Catalase (Cat) treatment prevented inflammasome assemble and inflammatory cytokines release as well as NLRP1 ubiquitination in human keratinocytes upon O3 exposure. The present work is a mechanistic study that follows our previous work where we have showed the ability of O3 to induce cutaneous inflammasome activation in humans exposed to this pollutant. In conclusion, our results suggest that O3 triggers the cutaneous NLRP1 inflammasome activation by ubiquitination and redox mechanism. DA - 2022/10// PY - 2022/10// DO - 10.1016/j.redox.2022.102440 VL - 56 SP - SN - 2213-2317 UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.redox.2022.102440 KW - Inflammasomes KW - OxInflammation KW - Proteasome KW - UBR2 KW - N-end rule pathway ER - TY - JOUR TI - Ultraviolet Light Protection: Is It Really Enough? AU - Farris, Patricia K. AU - Valacchi, Giuseppe T2 - ANTIOXIDANTS AB - Our current understanding of the pathogenesis of skin aging includes the role of ultraviolet light, visible light, infrared, pollution, cigarette smoke and other environmental exposures. The mechanism of action common to these exposures is the disruption of the cellular redox balance by the directly or indirectly increased formation of reactive oxygen species that overwhelm the intrinsic antioxidant defense system, resulting in an oxidative stress condition. Altered redox homeostasis triggers downstream pathways that contribute to tissue oxinflammation (cross-talk between inflammation and altered redox status) and accelerate skin aging. In addition, both ultraviolet light and pollution increase intracellular free iron that catalyzes reactive oxygen species generation via the Fenton reaction. This disruption of iron homeostasis within the cell further promotes oxidative stress and contributes to extrinsic skin aging. More recent studies have demonstrated that iron chelators can be used topically and can enhance the benefits of topically applied antioxidants. Thus, an updated, more comprehensive approach to environmental or atmospheric aging protection should include sun protective measures, broad spectrum sunscreens, antioxidants, chelating agents, and DNA repair enzymes. DA - 2022/8// PY - 2022/8// DO - 10.3390/antiox11081484 VL - 11 IS - 8 SP - SN - 2076-3921 KW - skin aging KW - ultraviolet light KW - solar radiation KW - pollution KW - reactive oxygen species KW - oxidative stress KW - antioxidants KW - chelators ER - TY - JOUR TI - Dimethyl Fumarate-Loaded Transethosomes: A Formulative Study and Preliminary Ex Vivo and In Vivo Evaluation AU - Ferrara, Francesca AU - Benedusi, Mascia AU - Cervellati, Franco AU - Sguizzato, Maddalena AU - Montesi, Leda AU - Bondi, Agnese AU - Drechsler, Markus AU - Pula, Walter AU - Valacchi, Giuseppe AU - Esposito, Elisabetta T2 - INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES AB - In this study, transethosomes were investigated as potential delivery systems for dimethyl fumarate. A formulative study was performed investigating the effect of the composition of transethosomes on the morphology and size of vesicles, as well as drug entrapment capacity, using cryogenic transmission electron microscopy, photon correlation spectroscopy, and HPLC. The stability of vesicles was evaluated, both for size increase and capability to control the drug degradation. Drug release kinetics and permeability profiles were evaluated in vitro using Franz cells, associated with different synthetic membranes. The in vitro viability, as well as the capacity to improve wound healing, were evaluated in human keratinocytes. Transmission electron microscopy enabled the evaluation of transethosome uptake and intracellular fate. Based on the obtained results, a transethosome gel was further formulated for the cutaneous application of dimethyl fumarate, the safety of which was evaluated in vivo with a patch test. It was found that the phosphatidylcholine concentration affected vesicle size and lamellarity, influencing the capacity to control dimethyl fumarate's chemical stability and release kinetics. Indeed, phosphatidylcholine 2.7% w/w led to multivesicular vesicles with 344 nm mean size, controlling the drug's chemical stability for at least 90 days. Conversely, phosphatidylcholine 0.9% w/w resulted in 130 nm sized unilamellar vesicles, which maintained 55% of the drug over 3 months. These latest kinds of transethosomes were able to improve wound healing in vitro and were easily internalised by keratinocytes. The selected transethosome gel, loading 25 mg/mL dimethyl fumarate, was not irritant after cutaneous application under occlusion, suggesting its possible suitability in the treatment of wounds caused by diabetes mellitus or peripheral vascular diseases. DA - 2022/8// PY - 2022/8// DO - 10.3390/ijms23158756 VL - 23 IS - 15 SP - SN - 1422-0067 KW - dimethyl fumarate KW - cryogenic transmission electron microscopy KW - wound healing KW - transethosomes KW - transdermal delivery ER - TY - JOUR TI - There and back again; historical perspective and future directions for Vaccinium breeding and research studies AU - Edger, Patrick P. AU - Iorizzo, Massimo AU - Bassil, Nahla V AU - Benevenuto, Juliana AU - Ferrao, Luis Felipe V AU - Giongo, Lara AU - Hummer, Kim AU - Lawas, Lovely Mae F. AU - Leisner, Courtney P. AU - Li, Changying AU - Munoz, Patricio R. AU - Ashrafi, Hamid AU - Atucha, Amaya AU - Babiker, Ebrahiem M. AU - Canales, Elizabeth AU - Chagne, David AU - DeVetter, Lisa AU - Ehlenfeldt, Mark AU - Espley, Richard V AU - Gallardo, Karina AU - Gunther, Catrin S. AU - Hardigan, Michael AU - Hulse-Kemp, Amanda M. AU - Jacobs, MacKenzie AU - Lila, Mary Ann AU - Luby, Claire AU - Main, Dorrie AU - Mengist, Molla F. AU - Owens, Gregory L. AU - Perkins-Veazie, Penelope AU - Polashock, James AU - Pottorff, Marti AU - Rowland, Lisa J. AU - Sims, Charles A. AU - Song, Guo-qing AU - Spencer, Jessica AU - Vorsa, Nicholi AU - Yocca, Alan E. AU - Zalapa, Juan T2 - HORTICULTURE RESEARCH AB - Abstract The genus Vaccinium L. (Ericaceae) contains a wide diversity of culturally and economically important berry crop species. Consumer demand and scientific research in blueberry (Vaccinium spp.) and cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon) have increased worldwide over the crops’ relatively short domestication history (~100 years). Other species, including bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus), lingonberry (Vaccinium vitis-idaea), and ohelo berry (Vaccinium reticulatum) are largely still harvested from the wild but with crop improvement efforts underway. Here, we present a review article on these Vaccinium berry crops on topics that span taxonomy to genetics and genomics to breeding. We highlight the accomplishments made thus far for each of these crops, along their journey from the wild, and propose research areas and questions that will require investments by the community over the coming decades to guide future crop improvement efforts. New tools and resources are needed to underpin the development of superior cultivars that are not only more resilient to various environmental stresses and higher yielding, but also produce fruit that continue to meet a variety of consumer preferences, including fruit quality and health related traits. DA - 2022/1/5/ PY - 2022/1/5/ DO - 10.1093/hr/uhac083 VL - 9 SP - SN - 2052-7276 ER - TY - JOUR TI - Coordinated transcriptional regulation of the carotenoid biosynthesis contributes to fruit lycopene content in high-lycopene tomato genotypes AU - Duduit, James R. AU - Kosentka, Pawel Z. AU - Miller, Morgan A. AU - Blanco-Ulate, Barbara AU - Lenucci, Marcello S. AU - Panthee, Dilip R. AU - Perkins-Veazie, Penelope AU - Liu, Wusheng T2 - HORTICULTURE RESEARCH AB - Lycopene content in tomato fruit is largely under genetic control and varies greatly among genotypes. Continued improvement of lycopene content in elite varieties with conventional breeding has become challenging, in part because little is known about the underlying molecular mechanisms in high-lycopene tomatoes (HLYs). We collected 42 HLYs with different genetic backgrounds worldwide. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis revealed lycopene contents differed among the positive control wild tomato Solanum pimpinellifolium, HLYs, the normal lycopene cultivar "Moneymaker", and the non-lycopene cultivar NC 1Y at the pink and red ripe stages. Real-time RT-PCR analysis of expression of the 25 carotenoid biosynthesis pathway genes of each genotype showed a significantly higher expression in nine upstream genes (GGPPS1, GGPPS2, GGPPS3, TPT1, SSU II, PSY2, ZDS, CrtISO and CrtISO-L1 but not the well-studied PSY1, PDS and Z-ISO) at the breaker and/or red ripe stages in HLYs compared to Moneymaker, indicating a higher metabolic flux flow into carotenoid biosynthesis pathway in HLYs. Further conversion of lycopene to carotenes may be prevented via the two downstream genes (β-LCY2 and ε-LCY), which had low-abundance transcripts at either or both stages. Additionally, the significantly higher expression of four downstream genes (BCH1, ZEP, VDE, and CYP97C11) at either or both ripeness stages leads to significantly lower fruit lycopene content in HLYs than in the wild tomato. This is the first systematic investigation of the role of the complete pathway genes in regulating fruit lycopene biosynthesis across many HLYs, and enables tomato breeding and gene editing for increased fruit lycopene content. DA - 2022/1/5/ PY - 2022/1/5/ DO - 10.1093/hr/uhac084 VL - 9 SP - SN - 2052-7276 ER - TY - JOUR TI - Oxidative-Stress-Sensitive microRNAs in UV-Promoted Development of Melanoma AU - Pecorelli, Alessandra AU - Valacchi, Giuseppe T2 - CANCERS AB - Melanoma is the most aggressive and life-threatening form of skin cancer. Key molecular events underlying the melanocytic transformation into malignant melanoma mainly involve gene mutations in which exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation plays a prominent role. However, several aspects of UV-induced melanomagenesis remain to be explored. Interestingly, redox-mediated signaling and perturbed microRNA (miRNA) profiles appear to be interconnected contributing factors able to act synergistically in melanoma initiation and progression. Since UV radiation can promote both redox imbalance and miRNA dysregulation, a harmful crosstalk between these two key cellular networks, with UV as central hub among them, is likely to occur in skin tissue. Therefore, decoding the complex circuits that orchestrate the interaction of UV exposure, oxidative stress, and dysregulated miRNA profiling can provide a deep understanding of the molecular basis of the melanomagenesis process. Furthermore, these mechanistic insights into the reciprocal regulation between these systems could have relevant implications for future therapeutic approaches aimed at counteracting UV-induced redox and miRNome imbalances for the prevention and treatment of malignant melanoma. In this review, we illustrate current information on the intricate connection between UV-induced dysregulation of redox-sensitive miRNAs and well-known signaling pathways involved in the malignant transformation of normal melanocytes to malignant melanoma. DA - 2022/7// PY - 2022/7// DO - 10.3390/cancers14133224 VL - 14 IS - 13 SP - SN - 2072-6694 KW - skin cancer KW - sunlight KW - redox imbalance KW - miRNome KW - mutations KW - epigenome ER - TY - JOUR TI - Phenolic-rich beverages reduce bacterial TMA formation in an ex vivo-in vitro colonic fermentation model AU - Iglesias-Carres, Lisard AU - Racine, Kathryn C. AU - Neilson, Andrew P. T2 - FOOD & FUNCTION AB - The production of pro-atherogenic trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO) is dependent on the gut microbiota metabolism of quaternary amines (i.e., choline) into trimethylamine (TMA). Nutritional strategies that target microbial conversion of choline into TMA could reduce cardiovascular disease and atherosclerosis burden by reducing subsequent formation of TMAO. This study aimed to evaluate (1) whether beverages rich in known inhibitors of TMA production (chlorogenic acid, catechin and epicatechin) can reduce TMA formation and (2) the effect of upper gastrointestinal digestion on efficacy. To do this, either raw or digested coffee, tea and cocoa beverages were evaluated for their TMA-d9 production inhibition in our ex vivo-in vitro fermentation model with human fecal slurries and choline-d9 substrate. Results showed that digestion was required to unlock the TMA-d9 production inhibition potential of coffee and cocoa beverages, and that teas did not possess a strong inhibition potential either digested or undigested. By fractionating digested bioactive beverages, we determined that those fractions rich in chlorogenic acid were the most bioactive. Overall, this study suggests that regular cocoa and coffee consumption could be a nutritional strategy able to reduce TMAO levels. In vivo studies should be carried out to confirm the potential of these beverages as strategies to inhibit TMA production. DA - 2022/7/11/ PY - 2022/7/11/ DO - 10.1039/d2fo01159j SP - SN - 2042-650X ER - TY - JOUR TI - Anti-Inflammatory, Antioxidant, and Skin Regenerative Potential of Secondary Metabolites from Plants of the Brassicaceae Family: A Systematic Review of In Vitro and In Vivo Preclinical Evidence (Biological Activities Brassicaceae Skin Diseases) AU - Mattosinhos, Patricia da Silva AU - Sarandy, Mariaurea Matias AU - Novaes, Romulo Dias AU - Esposito, Debora AU - Goncalves, Reggiani Vilela T2 - ANTIOXIDANTS AB - The Brassicaceae family constitutes some of the most well-studied natural products in the world, due to their anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidative, and pro-regenerative properties as well as their ubiquitous distribution across the world. To evaluate the potential efficacy of the Brassicaceae family in the treatment of inflammatory skin disorders and wounds, based on preclinical evidence from in vivo and in vitro studies. This systematic review was performed according to the PRISMA guidelines, using a structured search on the PubMed-Medline, Scopus, and Web of Science platforms. The studies included were those that used murine models and in vitro studies to investigate the effect of Brassicaceae on skin disorders. Bias analysis and methodological quality assessments were examined through SYRCLE's RoB tool. Brassicaceae have shown positive impacts on inflammatory regulation of the skin, accelerating the wound healing process, and inhibiting the development of edema. The studies showed that the Brassicaceae family has antioxidant activity and effects on the modulation of cyclooxygenase 2 and the nuclear factor kappa β (NFκβ) pathway. The secondary metabolites present in Brassicas are polyphenols (68.75%; n = 11), terpenes/carotenoids (31.25%; n = 5), and glycosylates (25%; n = 4), which are responsible for their anti-inflammatory, healing, and antioxidant effects. In addition, the current evidence is reliable because the bias analysis showed a low risk of bias. Our review indicates that compounds derived from Brassicaceae present exceptional potential to treat inflammatory skin diseases and accelerate cutaneous wound healing. We hope that our critical analysis can help to expedite clinical research and to reduce methodological bias, thereby improving the quality of evidence in future research. The registration number on the Prospero platform is CRD42021262953. DA - 2022/7// PY - 2022/7// DO - 10.3390/antiox11071346 VL - 11 IS - 7 SP - SN - 2076-3921 UR - https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox11071346 KW - Brassicaceae KW - inflammation KW - murine KW - epithelial cells KW - cytokines KW - inflammatory mediators ER - TY - JOUR TI - A randomized placebo-controlled cross-over study on the effects of anthocyanins on inflammatory and metabolic responses to a high-fat meal in healthy subjects AU - Cremonini, Eleonora AU - Daveri, Elena AU - Iglesias, Dario E. AU - Kang, Jiye AU - Wang, Ziwei AU - Gray, Russell AU - Mastaloudis, Angela AU - Kay, Colin D. AU - Hester, Shelly N. AU - Wood, Steven M. AU - Fraga, Cesar G. AU - Oteiza, Patricia I T2 - REDOX BIOLOGY AB - This study investigated the effects of supplementation with a cyanidin- and delphinidin-rich extract (CDRE) on the postprandial dysmetabolism, inflammation, and redox and insulin signaling, triggered by the consumption of a high fat meal (HFM) in healthy individuals. Participants (n = 25) consumed a 1026-kcal HFM simultaneously with either the CDRE providing 320.4 mg of anthocyanins (90% cyanidin and delphinidin) or placebo. Diets were randomly assigned in a double blind, placebo-controlled crossover design. Blood was collected prior to (fasted, time 0), and for 5 h after meal consumption; plasma, serum, and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) were isolated. AC metabolites were detected in serum as early as 30 min after CDRE consumption. The CDRE mitigated HFM-induced endotoxemia, reducing increases in plasma LPS and LPS-binding protein. The CDRE also reduced other events associated with HFM-triggered postprandial dysmetabolism including: i) plasma glucose and triglyceride increases; ii) TNFα and NOX4 upregulation in PBMC; and iii) JNK1/2 activation in PBMC. The CDRE did not significantly affect HFM-mediated increases in plasma insulin, GLP-1, GLP-2, GIP, and LDL- and HDL-cholesterol, and IKK phosphorylation in PBMC. In summary, dietary AC, i.e. cyanidin and delphinidin, exerted beneficial actions against unhealthy diets by modulating the associated postprandial dysmetabolism, endotoxemia, alterations of glycemia and lipidemia, and redox and insulin signaling. DA - 2022/5// PY - 2022/5// DO - 10.1016/j.redox.2022.102273 VL - 51 SP - SN - 2213-2317 KW - Flavonoids KW - Obesity KW - Inflammation KW - Endotoxemia KW - Oxidative stress KW - Antioxidants ER - TY - JOUR TI - Editorial: Angiogenesis and Nutraceuticals AU - Trabalzini, Lorenza AU - Tundis, Rosa AU - Valacchi, Giuseppe AU - Evelson, Pablo Andres AU - Finetti, Federica T2 - FRONTIERS IN PHARMACOLOGY AB - EDITORIAL article Front. Pharmacol., 30 May 2022Sec. Cardiovascular and Smooth Muscle Pharmacology https://doi.org/10.3389/fphar.2022.943158 DA - 2022/5/30/ PY - 2022/5/30/ DO - 10.3389/fphar.2022.943158 VL - 13 SP - SN - 1663-9812 KW - angiogenesis KW - nutraceuticals KW - endothelial cells KW - foods KW - food-derived products ER - TY - JOUR TI - Cellular and Molecular Mechanisms of Oxidative Stress in Wound Healing AU - Goncalves, Reggiani Vilela AU - Freitas, Mariella Bontempo AU - Esposito, Debora T2 - OXIDATIVE MEDICINE AND CELLULAR LONGEVITY DA - 2022/6/17/ PY - 2022/6/17/ DO - 10.1155/2022/9785094 VL - 2022 SP - SN - 1942-0994 UR - https://doi.org/10.1155/2022/9785094 ER - TY - JOUR TI - Ethosomes and Transethosomes as Cutaneous Delivery Systems for Quercetin: A Preliminary Study on Melanoma Cells AU - Ferrara, Francesca AU - Benedusi, Mascia AU - Sguizzato, Maddalena AU - Cortesi, Rita AU - Baldisserotto, Anna AU - Buzzi, Raissa AU - Valacchi, Giuseppe AU - Esposito, Elisabetta T2 - PHARMACEUTICS AB - The present study is aimed to design ethosomes and transethosomes for topical administration of quercetin. To overcome quercetin low bioavailability, scarce solubility and poor permeability that hamper its pharmaceutical use, the drug was loaded in ethosomes and transethosomes based on different concentrations of phosphatidylcholine. Vesicle morphology was studied by cryogenic transmission electron microscopy, while size distribution and quercetin entrapment capacity were evaluated up to 3 months, respectively, by photon correlation spectroscopy and high-performance liquid chromatography. The antioxidant property was studied by photochemiluminescence test. Quercetin release and permeation was investigated in vitro, using Franz cells associated to different membranes. In vitro assays were conducted on human keratinocytes and melanoma cells to study the behavior of quercetin-loaded nano-vesicular forms with respect to cell migration and proliferation. The results evidenced that both phosphatidylcholine concentration and quercetin affected the vesicle size. Quercetin entrapment capacity, antioxidant activity and size stability were controlled using transethosomes produced by the highest amount of phosphatidylcholine. In vitro permeation studies revealed an enhancement of quercetin permeation in the case of transethosomes with respect to ethosomes. Notably, scratch wound and migration assays suggested the potential of quercetin loaded-transethosomes as adjuvant strategy for skin conditions. DA - 2022/5// PY - 2022/5// DO - 10.3390/pharmaceutics14051038 VL - 14 IS - 5 SP - SN - 1999-4923 KW - quercetin KW - ethosome KW - transethosome KW - in vitro release test KW - in vitro permeation test KW - Franz cell KW - wound healing KW - migration assay ER - TY - JOUR TI - Spray-dried and freeze-dried protein-spinach particles; effect of drying technique and protein type on the bioaccessibility of carotenoids, chlorophylls, and phenolics AU - Grace, Mary H. AU - Hoskin, Roberta T. AU - Hayes, Micaela AU - Iorizzo, Massimo AU - Kay, Colin AU - Ferruzzi, Mario G. AU - Lila, Mary Ann T2 - FOOD CHEMISTRY AB - The effects of protein carrier and drying technique on the concentration and bioaccessibility of lipophilic compounds (lutein, β-carotene, chlorophylls a and b) and hydrophilic flavonoids in freeze-dried (FD) or spray-dried (SD) spinach juice and protein-spinach particles were investigated. Carotenoid and chlorophyll contents were highest in FD spinach juice without protein (147 and 1355 mg/100 g, respectively). For both SD and FD protein-spinach particles, SPI best protected carotenoids and chlorophylls (123 and 1160 mg/g, respectively), although the bioaccessibility of lipophilic compounds in WPI particles was higher than SPI particles (p < 0.05). For flavonoids, the drying technique was more important than the type of carrier, since FD particles had higher total flavonoids than SD. However, SD particles had higher bioaccessibility for most flavonoids (40-90 %) compared to FD (<20 %). The drying method and protein carrier can be designed to produce protein-spinach ingredients with desired concentration of compounds and bioaccessibility. DA - 2022/9/15/ PY - 2022/9/15/ DO - 10.1016/j.foodchem.2022.133017 VL - 388 SP - SN - 1873-7072 KW - Spinach phytochemicals KW - Whey protein KW - Soy protein KW - Drying KW - In vitro digestion KW - Dried ingredients ER - TY - JOUR TI - Mushrooms as Functional and Nutritious Food Ingredients for Multiple Applications AU - You, Seung Woon AU - Hoskin, Roberta Targino AU - Komarnytsky, Slavko AU - Moncada, Marvin T2 - ACS FOOD SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY AB - The interest in mushrooms as functional ingredients has increased in the past decade. Mushrooms have low fat content and high fiber and protein contents and are natural sources of valuable food molecules such as ergosterol, polyphenols, terpene and terpenoids, and mannitol and trehalose. Mushrooms have been used as ingredients in meat- and starch-based food formulations with varying degrees of success, but their technological and functional performances in food formulations are yet to be investigated and fully explored for applications directed to the emerging alternative, meat-free, clean-label marketplace. Therefore, in this review, the current scientific data regarding the attributes of mushrooms that elicit their unique functional and nutritional properties, their relevance to the food industry, and potential opportunities for developing innovative, good-tasting, protein-rich foods from mushrooms are presented and discussed. DA - 2022/6/8/ PY - 2022/6/8/ DO - 10.1021/acsfoodscitech.2c00107 VL - 6 SP - SN - 2692-1944 UR - https://doi.org/10.1021/acsfoodscitech.2c00107 KW - food formulation KW - novel ingredients KW - nutrition KW - functionality ER - TY - JOUR TI - Gains and Losses of Agricultural Food Production: Implications for the Twenty-First Century AU - Komarnytsky, Slavko AU - Retchin, Sophia AU - Vong, Chi In AU - Lila, Mary Ann T2 - ANNUAL REVIEW OF FOOD SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY AB - The world food supply depends on a diminishing list of plant crops and animal livestock to not only feed the ever-growing human population but also improve its nutritional state and lower the disease burden. Over the past century or so, technological advances in agricultural and food processing have helped reduce hunger and poverty but have not adequately addressed sustainability targets. This has led to an erosion of agricultural biodiversity and balanced diets and contributed to climate change and rising rates of chronic metabolic diseases. Modern food supply chains have progressively lost dietary fiber, complex carbohydrates, micronutrients, and several classes of phytochemicals with high bioactivity and nutritional relevance. This review introduces the concept of agricultural food systems losses and focuses on improved sources of agricultural diversity, proteins with enhanced resilience, and novel monitoring, processing, and distribution technologies that are poised to improve food security, reduce food loss and waste, and improve health profiles in the near future. DA - 2022/// PY - 2022/// DO - 10.1146/annurev-food-082421-114831 VL - 13 SP - 239-261 SN - 1941-1421 KW - agricultural food systems KW - genetic improvement KW - biofortification KW - phytochemicals KW - alternative proteins KW - sustainable agriculture ER - TY - JOUR TI - The First Optimization Process from Cultivation to Flavonoid-Rich Extract from Moringa oleifera Lam. Leaves in Brazil AU - Pereira Silva, Larissa Marina AU - Cavalcanti Inacio, Maria Raquel AU - Silva, Gualter Guenter AU - Silva, Jucier Magson AU - Luz, Jefferson Romaryo AU - Almeida, Maria das Gracas AU - Moraes, Edgar Perin AU - Esposito, Debora AU - Ferreira, Leandro De Santis AU - Zucolotto, Silvana Maria T2 - FOODS AB - Flavonoids are significant antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agents and have multiple potential health applications. Moringa oleifera is globally recognized for its nutritional and pharmacological properties, correlated to the high flavonoid content in its leaves. However, the bioactive compounds found in plants may vary according to the cultivation, origin, season, and extraction process used, making it difficult to extract reliable raw material. Hence, this study aimed to standardize the best cultivation and harvest season in Brazil and the best extraction process conditions to obtain a flavonoid-rich extract from M. oleifera as a final product. Firstly, ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) was optimized to reach the highest flavonoid content by three-level factorial planning and response surface methodology (RSM). The optimal cultivation condition was mineral soil fertilizer in the drought season, and the optimized extraction was with 80% ethanol and 13.4 min of extraction time. The flavonoid-rich extract was safe and significantly decreased reactive oxygen species (ROS) and nitric oxide (NO) in LPS-treated RAW 264.7 cells. Lastly, the major flavonoids characterized by HPLC-ESI-QTRAP-MS/MS were compounds derived from apigenin, quercetin, and kaempferol glycosides. The results confirmed that it was possible to standardize the flavonoid-rich extract leading to a standardized and reliable raw material extracted from M. oleifera leaves. DA - 2022/5// PY - 2022/5// DO - 10.3390/foods11101452 VL - 11 IS - 10 SP - SN - 2304-8158 UR - https://www.mdpi.com/2304-8158/11/10/1452 KW - avonoids KW - Moringa oleifera KW - response surface methodology KW - ultrasound KW - cultivation KW - HPLC-ESI-QTRAP-MS/MS ER - TY - JOUR TI - Admixture of divergent genomes facilitates hybridization across species in the family Brassicaceae AU - Shin, Hosub AU - Park, Jeong Eun AU - Park, Hye Rang AU - Choi, Woo Lee AU - Yu, Seung Hwa AU - Koh, Wonjun AU - Kim, Seungill AU - Soh, Hye Yeon AU - Waminal, Nomar Espinosa AU - Belandres, Hadassah Roa AU - Lim, Joo Young AU - Yi, Gibum AU - Ahn, Jong Hwa AU - Kim, June-Sik AU - Kim, Yong-Min AU - Koo, Namjin AU - Kim, Kyunghee AU - Perumal, Sampath AU - Kang, Taegu AU - Kim, Junghyo AU - Jang, Hosung AU - Kang, Dong Hyun AU - Kim, Ye Seul AU - Jeong, Hyeon-Min AU - Yang, Junwoo AU - Song, Somin AU - Park, Suhyoung AU - Kim, Jin A. AU - Lim, Yong Pyo AU - Park, Beom-Seok AU - Hsieh, Tzung-Fu AU - Yang, Tae-Jin AU - Choi, Doil AU - Kim, Hyun Hee AU - Lee, Soo-Seong AU - Huh, Jin Hoe T2 - NEW PHYTOLOGIST AB - Hybridization and polyploidization are pivotal to plant evolution. Genetic crosses between distantly related species are rare in nature due to reproductive barriers but how such hurdles can be overcome is largely unknown. Here we report the hybrid genome structure of xBrassicoraphanus, a synthetic allotetraploid of Brassica rapa and Raphanus sativus. We performed cytogenetic analysis and de novo genome assembly to examine chromosome behaviors and genome integrity in the hybrid. Transcriptome analysis was conducted to investigate expression of duplicated genes in conjunction with epigenome analysis to address whether genome admixture entails epigenetic reconfiguration. Allotetraploid xBrassicoraphanus retains both parental chromosomes without genome rearrangement. Meiotic synapsis formation and chromosome exchange are avoided between nonhomologous progenitor chromosomes. Reconfiguration of transcription network occurs, and less divergent cis-elements of duplicated genes are associated with convergent expression. Genome-wide DNA methylation asymmetry between progenitors is largely maintained but, notably, B. rapa-originated transposable elements are transcriptionally silenced in xBrassicoraphanus through gain of DNA methylation. Our results demonstrate that hybrid genome stabilization and transcription compatibility necessitate epigenome landscape adjustment and rewiring of cis-trans interactions. Overall, this study suggests that a certain extent of genome divergence facilitates hybridization across species, which may explain the great diversification and expansion of angiosperms during evolution. DA - 2022/4/28/ PY - 2022/4/28/ DO - 10.1111/nph.18155 VL - 4 SP - SN - 1469-8137 KW - allopolyploidy KW - Brassicaceae KW - DNA methylation KW - epigenome KW - genome divergence KW - hybrid KW - xBrassicoraphanus ER - TY - JOUR TI - Inflammasome involvement in CS-induced damage in HaCaT keratinocytes AU - Prieux, Roxane AU - Ferrara, Francesca AU - Cervellati, Franco AU - Guiotto, Anna AU - Benedusi, Mascia AU - Valacchi, Giuseppe T2 - IN VITRO CELLULAR & DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY-ANIMAL AB - Cigarette smoke (CS) alters cutaneous biological processes such as redox homeostasis and inflammation response that might be involved in promoting skin inflammatory conditions. Exposure to CS has also been linked to a destabilization of the NLRP3 inflammasome in pollution target tissues such as the lung epithelium, resulting in a more vulnerable immunological response to several exogenous and endogenous stimuli related to oxidative stress. Thus, CS has an adverse effect on host defense, increasing the susceptibility to develop lung infections and pathologies. In the skin, another direct target of pollution, inflammasome disorders have been linked to an increasing number of diseases such as melanoma, psoriasis, vitiligo, atopic dermatitis, and acne, all conditions that have been connected directly or indirectly to pollution exposure. The inflammasome machinery is an important innate immune sensor in human keratinocytes. However, the role of CS in the NLRP1 and NLRP3 inflammasome in the cutaneous barrier has still not been investigated. In the present study, we were able to determine in keratinocytes exposed to CS an increased oxidative damage evaluated by 4-HNE protein adduct and carbonyl formation. Of note is that, while CS inhibited NLRP3 activation, it was able to activate NLRP1, leading to an increased secretion of the proinflammatory cytokines IL-1β and IL-18. This study highlights the importance of the inflammasome machinery in CS that more in general, in pollution, affects cutaneous tissues and the important cross-talk between different members of the NLRP inflammasome family. DA - 2022/4/15/ PY - 2022/4/15/ DO - 10.1007/s11626-022-00658-x VL - 4 SP - SN - 1543-706X ER - TY - JOUR TI - Aberrant Mitochondrial Bioenergetics Fuels Inflammasome Machinery in Autism Spectrum Disorder AU - Pecorelli, Alessandra AU - Francesca, Ferrara AU - Cordone, Valeria AU - Guiotto, Anna AU - Cervellati, Carlo AU - Hayek, Joussef AU - Valacchi, Giuseppe T2 - FREE RADICAL BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE DA - 2022/2/20/ PY - 2022/2/20/ DO - 10.1016/j.freeradbiomed.2021.12.227 VL - 180 SP - 97-98 SN - 1873-4596 ER - TY - JOUR TI - Chemoresistive Sensors for Cellular Type Discrimination Based on Their Exhalations AU - Astolfi, Michele AU - Rispoli, Giorgio AU - Benedusi, Mascia AU - Zonta, Giulia AU - Landini, Nicolo AU - Valacchi, Giuseppe AU - Malagu, Cesare T2 - NANOMATERIALS AB - The detection of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) exhaled by human body fluids is a recent and promising method to reveal tumor formations. In this feasibility study, a patented device, based on nanostructured chemoresistive gas sensors, was employed to explore the gaseous exhalations of tumoral, immortalized, and healthy cell lines, with the aim of distinguishing their VOC patterns. The analysis of the device output to the cell VOCs, emanated at different incubation times and initial plating concentrations, was performed to evaluate the device suitability to identify the cell types and to monitor their growth. The sensors ST25 (based on tin and titanium oxides), STN (based on tin, titanium, and niobium oxides), and TiTaV (based on titanium, tantalum and vanadium oxides) used here, gave progressively increasing responses upon the cell density increase and incubation time; the sensor W11 (based on tungsten oxide) gave instead unreliable responses to all cell lines. All sensors (except for W11) gave large and consistent responses to RKO and HEK293 cells, while they were less responsive to CHO, A549, and CACO-2 ones. The encouraging results presented here, although preliminary, foresee the development of sensor arrays capable of identifying tumor presence and its type. DA - 2022/4// PY - 2022/4// DO - 10.3390/nano12071111 VL - 12 IS - 7 SP - SN - 2079-4991 KW - chemoresistivity KW - nanostructures KW - sensors KW - cells KW - tumor KW - VOCs ER - TY - JOUR TI - Techno-functionality of fisetin-enriched yoghurt fermented with Lactobacillus acidophilus bio-capsules produced via osmoporation AU - Andrade, Eduardo Wagner Vasconcelos AU - Dupont, Sebastien AU - Beney, Laurent AU - Silva, Edilene Souza AU - Hoskin, Roberta Targino AU - Silva Pedrini, Márcia Regina T2 - Systems Microbiology and Biomanufacturing AB - Osmoporation is a novel encapsulation approach for bioactive compounds based on the osmoresistance mechanisms of microbial cells. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study investigating the production of fisetin-enriched yoghurt using Lactobacillus acidophilus-based bio-capsules via osmoporation as the starter culture. Results showed that the milk acidification with fisetin-loaded L. acidophilus progressed at a slower pace due to complex mechanisms induced by osmoporation and internalized fisetin. Milk fermentation using fisetin bio-capsules reached a maximum acidification rate of 0.18 pH units/h after 23 h and pH 4.6 was achieved after 32 h. Besides, the antioxidant activity of yoghurts produced with fisetin bio-capsules did not change during cold storage, while the antioxidant activity of yoghurt produced with non-encapsulated fisetin was reduced by 2.5-fold after 28 days. Overall, this study shows that fisetin osmoporation using L. acidophilus is a versatile encapsulation bioprocess that enables the delivery of preserved phytoactives into fermented foods like yoghurt. This strategy has the potential to be extended to other applications in the dairy industry using lactic acid bacteria as both the encapsulation matrix and fermentation agent. DA - 2022/10// PY - 2022/10// DO - 10.1007/s43393-022-00100-z UR - https://doi.org/10.1007/s43393-022-00100-z ER - TY - JOUR TI - Analysis of a Multi-Environment Trial for Black Raspberry (Rubus occidentalis L.) Quality Traits AU - Willman, Matthew R. AU - Bushakra, Jill M. AU - Bassil, Nahla AU - Finn, Chad E. AU - Dossett, Michael AU - Perkins-Veazie, Penelope AU - Bradish, Christine M. AU - Fernandez, Gina E. AU - Weber, Courtney A. AU - Scheerens, Joseph C. AU - Dunlap, Lisa AU - Fresnedo-Ramirez, Jonathan T2 - GENES AB - U.S. black raspberry (BR) production is currently limited by narrowly adapted, elite germplasm. An improved understanding of genetic control and the stability of pomological traits will inform the development of improved BR germplasm and cultivars. To this end, the analysis of a multiple-environment trial of a BR mapping population derived from a cross that combines wild ancestors introgressed with commercial cultivars on both sides of its pedigree has provided insights into genetic variation, genotype-by-environment interactions, quantitative trait loci (QTL), and QTL-by-environment interactions (QEI) of fruit quality traits among diverse field environments. The genetic components and stability of four fruit size traits and six fruit biochemistry traits were characterized in this mapping population following their evaluation over three years at four distinct locations representative of current U.S. BR production. This revealed relatively stable genetic control of the four fruit size traits across the tested production environments and less stable genetic control of the fruit biochemistry traits. Of the fifteen total QTL, eleven exhibited significant QEI. Closely overlapping QTL revealed the linkage of several fruit size traits: fruit mass, drupelet count, and seed fraction. These and related findings are expected to guide further genetic characterization of BR fruit quality, management of breeding germplasm, and development of improved BR cultivars for U.S. production. DA - 2022/3// PY - 2022/3// DO - 10.3390/genes13030418 VL - 13 IS - 3 SP - SN - 2073-4425 KW - high-throughput genotyping KW - pomological traits KW - mixed model analysis KW - genotype-by-environment interaction KW - QTL-by-environment interaction ER - TY - JOUR TI - Extra Virgin Olive Oil Extracts of Indigenous Southern Tuscany Cultivar Act as Anti-Inflammatory and Vasorelaxant Nutraceuticals AU - Pozzetti, Luca AU - Ferrara, Francesca AU - Marotta, Ludovica AU - Gemma, Sandra AU - Butini, Stefania AU - Benedusi, Mascia AU - Fusi, Fabio AU - Ahmed, Amer AU - Pomponi, Serena AU - Ferrari, Stefano AU - Perini, Matteo AU - Ramunno, Anna AU - Pepe, Giacomo AU - Campiglia, Pietro AU - Valacchi, Giuseppe AU - Carullo, Gabriele AU - Campiani, Giuseppe T2 - ANTIOXIDANTS AB - Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) is the typical source of fats in the Mediterranean diet. While fatty acids are essential for the EVOO nutraceutical properties, multiple biological activities are also due to the presence of polyphenols. In this work, autochthonous Tuscany EVOOs were chemically characterized and selected EVOO samples were extracted to obtain hydroalcoholic phytocomplexes, which were assayed to establish their anti-inflammatory and vasorelaxant properties. The polar extracts were characterized via 1H-NMR and UHPLC-HRMS to investigate the chemical composition and assayed in CaCo-2 cells exposed to glucose oxidase or rat aorta rings contracted by phenylephrine. Apigenin and luteolin were found as representative flavones; other components were pinoresinol, ligstroside, and oleuropein. The extracts showed anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties via modulation of NF-κB and Nrf2 pathways, respectively, and good vasorelaxant activity, both in the presence and absence of an intact endothelium. In conclusion, this study evaluated the nutraceutical properties of autochthonous Tuscany EVOO cv., which showed promising anti-inflammatory and vasorelaxant effects. DA - 2022/3// PY - 2022/3// DO - 10.3390/antiox11030437 VL - 11 IS - 3 SP - SN - 2076-3921 KW - olive oil KW - traceability quality KW - food origin KW - luteolin KW - oleuropein KW - CaCo-2 cells KW - Nrf2 KW - NF-kappa B ER - TY - JOUR TI - Potential of Phenolic Compounds and Their Gut Microbiota-Derived Metabolites to Reduce TMA Formation: Application of an In Vitro Fermentation High-Throughput Screening Model AU - Iglesias-Carres, Lisard AU - Krueger, Emily S. AU - Herring, Jacob A. AU - Tessem, Jeffery S. AU - Neilson, Andrew P. T2 - JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY AB - Trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO) is a pro-atherosclerotic product of dietary choline metabolism generated by a microbiome-host axis. The first step in this pathway is the enzymatic metabolism of choline to trimethylamine (TMA) by the gut microbiota. This reaction could be targeted to reduce atherosclerosis risk. We aimed to evaluate potential inhibitory effects of select dietary phenolics and their relevant gut microbial metabolites on TMA production via a human ex vivo-in vitro fermentation model. Various phenolics inhibited choline use and TMA production. The most bioactive compounds tested (caffeic acid, catechin, and epicatechin) reduced TMA-d9 formation (compared to control) by 57.5 ± 1.3 to 72.5 ± 0.4% at 8 h and preserved remaining choline-d9 concentrations by 194.1 ± 6.4 to 256.1 ± 6.3% at 8 h. These inhibitory effects were achieved without altering cell respiration or cell growth. However, inhibitory effects decreased at late fermentation times, which suggested that these compounds delay choline metabolism rather than completely inhibiting TMA formation. Overall, caffeic acid, catechin, and epicatechin were the most effective noncytotoxic inhibitors of choline use and TMA production. Thus, these compounds are proposed as lead bioactives to test in vivo. DA - 2022/3/16/ PY - 2022/3/16/ DO - 10.1021/acs.jafc.2c00247 VL - 70 IS - 10 SP - 3207-3218 SN - 1520-5118 KW - atherosclerosis KW - food bioactives KW - gut microbiota metabolites KW - phenolic compounds KW - TMA ER - TY - JOUR TI - Boosting the Bioaccessibility of Dietary Bioactives by Delivery as Protein-Polyphenol Aggregate Particles AU - Lila, Mary Ann AU - Hoskin, Roberta Targino AU - Grace, Mary H. AU - Xiong, Jia AU - Strauch, Renee AU - Ferruzzi, Mario AU - Iorizzo, Massimo AU - Kay, Colin T2 - JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY AB - Protein-polyphenol aggregate particles concurrently fortify a functional food product with healthy dietary proteins and concentrated polyphenols. However, what impact does ingestion of aggregate particles have on ultimate health relevance of either the polyphenolic molecules in the matrix or the protein molecules? Because human health benefits are contingent on bioavailability after ingestion, the fate of these molecules during transit in the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) will dictate their utility as functional food ingredients. This brief review explores diverse applications of protein-polyphenol particles in the food industry and the bioaccessibility of both bioactive polyphenolic compounds and edible proteins. Evidence to date suggests that complexation of phytoactive polyphenolics effectively enhances their health-relevant impacts, specifically because the phytoactives are protected in the protein matrix during transit in the GIT, allowing intact, non-degraded molecules to reach the colon for catabolism at the gut microbiome level, a prerequisite to realize the health benefits of these active compounds. DA - 2022/4/8/ PY - 2022/4/8/ DO - 10.1021/acs.jafc.2c00398 VL - 4 SP - SN - 1520-5118 UR - https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jafc.2c00398 KW - bioavailability KW - digestion KW - absorption KW - circulation KW - uptake KW - matrix ER - TY - JOUR TI - Bioaccessibility, gut microbial metabolism and intestinal transport of phenolics from 100% Concord grape juice and whole grapes are similar in a simulated digestion and fecal fermentation model AU - Mohamedshah, Zulfiqar AU - Hayes, Micaela AU - Chadwick-Corbin, Sydney AU - Neilson, Andrew P. AU - Ferruzzi, Mario G. T2 - FOOD & FUNCTION AB - Phenolic rich 100% grape juice has been associated with many health benefits, but its place in dietary guidance is controversial relative to whole fruit. Direct comparisons of phenolic profiles and bioavailability between these food forms are needed. Phenolic bioaccessibility and metabolism from Concord (CG) and Niagara (NG) grapes and corresponding 100% juices were investigated using an in vitro digestion coupled with anaerobic gut fermentation model. Intestinal transport of resulting bioaccessible phenolics and microbial metabolites was estimated using a Caco-2 cell model. Total bioaccessible phenolics from both upper and lower digestion were similar (P > 0.05) between NG (400.9 ± 26.3 μmol per 100 g) and NGJ (349.5 ± 8.3 μmol per 100 g) and significantly different (P < 0.05) between CG (417.2 ± 24.4 μmol per 100 g) and CGJ (294.3 ± 45.4 μmol per 100 g) total cellular transport of phenolics was similar (P > 0.05) between whole grapes (89.4 ± 5.3 μmol per 100 g for CG, and 71.8 ± 2.4 μmol per 100 g for NG) and 100% juices (88.0 ± 5.6 μmol per 100 g for CGJ, and 85.3 ± 9.4 μmol per 100 g for NGJ). Differences were observed between the location of phenolic metabolism, bioaccessibility and subsequent cellular transport of individual phenolics between grapes and juice matrices. Specifically, greater amounts of phenolics were transported from grape juices than whole grapes from the upper tract. However, cumulative bioaccessibility and transport from upper and lower GI digestion/fermentation together indicates that the absorbable phenolics from 100% grape juice is similar to that of whole grapes, suggesting that phenolic-mediated health benefits from consumption of whole fruit and juice may be similar. DA - 2022/3/9/ PY - 2022/3/9/ DO - 10.1039/d1fo04226b VL - 3 SP - SN - 2042-650X ER - TY - JOUR TI - MicroRNA Alterations Induced in Human Skin by Diesel Fumes, Ozone, and UV Radiation AU - Valacchi, Giuseppe AU - Pambianchi, Erika AU - Coco, Simona AU - Pulliero, Alessandra AU - Izzotti, Alberto T2 - JOURNAL OF PERSONALIZED MEDICINE AB - Epigenetic alterations are a driving force of the carcinogenesis process. MicroRNAs play a role in silencing mutated oncogenes, thus defending the cell against the adverse consequences of genotoxic damages induced by environmental pollutants. These processes have been well investigated in lungs; however, although skin is directly exposed to a great variety of environmental pollutants, more research is needed to better understand the effect on cutaneous tissue. Therefore, we investigated microRNA alteration in human skin biopsies exposed to diesel fumes, ozone, and UV light for over 24 h of exposure. UV and ozone-induced microRNA alteration right after exposure, while the peak of their deregulations induced by diesel fumes was reached only at the end of the 24 h. Diesel fumes mainly altered microRNAs involved in the carcinogenesis process, ozone in apoptosis, and UV in DNA repair. Accordingly, each tested pollutant induced a specific pattern of microRNA alteration in skin related to the intrinsic mechanisms activated by the specific pollutant. These alterations, over a short time basis, reflect adaptive events aimed at defending the tissue against damages. Conversely, whenever environmental exposure lasts for a long time, the irreversible alteration of the microRNA machinery results in epigenetic damage contributing to the pathogenesis of inflammation, dysplasia, and cancer induced by environmental pollutants. DA - 2022/2// PY - 2022/2// DO - 10.3390/jpm12020176 VL - 12 IS - 2 SP - SN - 2075-4426 KW - microRNAs KW - environmental risk factors KW - cutaneous tissues KW - ozone exposure ER - TY - JOUR TI - Bioaccessibility and intestinal cell uptake of carotenoids and chlorophylls differ in powdered spinach by the ingredient form as measured using in vitro gastrointestinal digestion and anaerobic fecal fermentation models AU - Hayes, Micaela AU - Mohamedshah, Zulfiqar AU - Chadwick-Corbin, Sydney AU - Hoskin, Roberta AU - Iorizzo, Massimo AU - Lila, Mary Ann AU - Neilson, Andrew P. AU - Ferruzzi, Mario G. T2 - FOOD & FUNCTION AB - Insights into food matrix factors impacting bioavailability of bioactive carotenoids and chlorophylls from fruits and vegetable ingredients are essential to understanding their ability to promote health. The stability and bioaccessibility of carotenoids and chlorophylls were assessed from dehydrated, spray-dried, freeze-dried and fresh spinach ingredient forms using in vitro models simulating upper gastrointestinal (GI) digestion and lower GI anaerobic fecal fermentation. Intestinal transport of bioaccessible bioactives from both upper and lower GI compartments was assessed using the Caco-2 human intestinal cell model. Differences in carotenoid and chlorophyll contents were observed between ingredient forms and these influenced bioaccessibility. Lower carotenoid and chlorophyll contents in spray dried spinach resulted in the lowest total bioaccessible content among all spinach treatments (5.8 ± 0.2 μmoles per g DW carotenoid and chlorophyll). The total bioaccessible content was statistically similar between freeze-dried (12.5 ± 0.6 μmoles per g DW), dehydrated (12.5 ± 3.2 μmoles per g DW), and fresh spinach (14.2 ± 1.2 μmoles per g DW). Post anaerobic fermentation, cellular accumulation of carotenoids was higher (17.57-19.52 vs. 5.11-8.56%), while that of chlorophylls was lower (3.05-5.27 vs. 5.25-6.44%), compared to those observed following upper GI digestion. Collectively, these data suggest that spinach forms created by various drying technologies deliver similar levels of bioaccessible spinach bioactives and that the lower GI tract may serve as a site for significant absorption fostered by interactions with gut microbial communities that liberate additional bioactives from the spinach matrix. DA - 2022/3/8/ PY - 2022/3/8/ DO - 10.1039/D2FO00051B VL - 13 IS - 7 SP - SN - 2042-650X UR - https://doi.org/10.1039/D2FO00051B ER - TY - JOUR TI - Mechanisms, Biomarkers, and Therapeutics Involved in Inflammatory Disorders and Tissue Repair 2021 AU - Goncalves, Reggiani Vilela AU - Sarandy, Mariaurea Matias AU - Esposito, Debora AU - Gouveia Peluzio, Maria do Carmo T2 - OXIDATIVE MEDICINE AND CELLULAR LONGEVITY DA - 2022/3/20/ PY - 2022/3/20/ DO - 10.1155/2022/9806128 VL - 2022 SP - SN - 1942-0994 UR - https://doi.org/10.1155/2022/9806128 ER - TY - JOUR TI - Effect of Wild Blueberry Metabolites on Biomarkers of Gastrointestinal and Immune Health In Vitro AU - Rathinasabapathy, Thirumurugan AU - Lomax, Jade AU - Srikanth, Kavin AU - Esposito, Debora AU - Kay, Colin D. AU - Komarnytsky, Slavko T2 - Immuno AB - Wild blueberries (Vaccinium angustifolium Aiton.) are a rich source of dietary fiber and (poly)phenols with gastrointestinal and immune health-promoting properties, however, their mechanisms of action on the intestinal epithelial cells and transient tissue macrophages remain to be elucidated. In this study, we evaluated the individual effects of anthocyanins, short-chain fatty acids (metabolites derived from fiber), and a series of hydroxycinnamic and hydroxybenzoic acid metabolites common to anthocyanins and other polyphenols on epithelial gut homeostasis in human colon epithelial CCD-18 cells and murine RAW 264.7 macrophages. Gastrointestinal cell migration was enhanced in response to anthocyanin glucosides with the maximum effect observed for malvidin-3-glucoside, and a structural subset of hydroxybenzoic acids, especially 2-hydroxybenzoic acid. Enhanced staining for ZO-1 protein in the junctional complexes was observed in CCD-18 cells treated with malvidin and butyrate, as well as several phenolic metabolites, including hydroxybenzoic and hydroxycinnamic acids. Nitric oxide production and pro-inflammatory gene expression profiles in the LPS-stimulated macrophages were mostly affected by treatments with 3-caffeoylquinic (chlorogenic) and 3,4-dihydroxycinnamic (caffeic) acids, as well as 2-hydroxybenzoic acid. This study lays the foundation for future investigations evaluating the effects of dietary interventions on managing gastrointestinal and inflammatory pathophysiological outcomes. DA - 2022/3/25/ PY - 2022/3/25/ DO - 10.3390/immuno2020019 VL - 2 IS - 2 SP - 293-306 UR - https://doi.org/10.3390/immuno2020019 ER - TY - JOUR TI - Enhancing the Cognitive Effects of Flavonoids With Physical Activity: Is There a Case for the Gut Microbiome? AU - Cheatham, Carol L. AU - Nieman, David C. AU - Neilson, Andrew P. AU - Lila, Mary Ann T2 - FRONTIERS IN NEUROSCIENCE AB - Age-related cognitive changes can be the first indication of the progression to dementias, such as Alzheimer's disease. These changes may be driven by a complex interaction of factors including diet, activity levels, genetics, and environment. Here we review the evidence supporting relationships between flavonoids, physical activity, and brain function. Recent in vivo experiments and human clinical trials have shown that flavonoid-rich foods can inhibit neuroinflammation and enhance cognitive performance. Improved cognition has also been correlated with a physically active lifestyle, and with the functionality and diversity of the gut microbiome. The great majority (+ 90%) of dietary flavonoids are biotransformed into phytoactive phenolic metabolites at the gut microbiome level prior to absorption, and these prebiotic flavonoids modulate microbiota profiles and diversity. Health-relevant outcomes from flavonoid ingestion may only be realized in the presence of a robust microbiome. Moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) accelerates the catabolism and uptake of these gut-derived anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory metabolites into circulation. The gut microbiome exerts a profound influence on cognitive function; moderate exercise and flavonoid intake influence cognitive benefits; and exercise and flavonoid intake influence the microbiome. We conclude that there is a potential for combined impacts of flavonoid intake and physical exertion on cognitive function, as modulated by the gut microbiome, and that the combination of a flavonoid-rich diet and routine aerobic exercise may potentiate cognitive benefits and reduce cognitive decline in an aging population, via mechanisms mediated by the gut microbiome. Mechanistic animal studies and human clinical interventions are needed to further explore this hypothesis. DA - 2022/2/22/ PY - 2022/2/22/ DO - 10.3389/fnins.2022.833202 VL - 16 SP - SN - 1662-453X KW - age-related KW - cognition KW - neuroprotective KW - phenolic metabolites KW - prebiotic flavonoids KW - exercise KW - microbiome ER - TY - JOUR TI - Foaming characteristics and impact of ethanol pretreatment in drying behavior and physical characteristics for avocado pulp powder obtained by foam mat drying T2 - Journal of Food Science AB - The objective of this study was to optimize the production of powdered avocado using foam mat drying. In order to achieve this, the effect of Emustab® (4, 6, and 8% w/w), goat's milk (10, 15, and 20% w/w), and whipping time (15, 20, and 25 min) on the foam physical properties of avocado pulp were evaluated. In addition, the influence of ethanol pretreatment on the drying kinetics, thermodynamic properties, and physicochemical characteristics of the powders was also assessed. An experimental design 23 with three central points was used in this study and optimized foam conditions were dried at 50, 60, and 70°C, with a fixed air speed of 1.5 m/s. Empirical and diffusive models (boundary conditions of the third type) were adjusted to the experimental data to describe the drying kinetics and to determine the process activation energy and thermodynamic properties. The final products were characterized regarding their physical properties. Optimized foam mat drying conditions were achieved when avocado pulp was whipped for 15 min and 8% of Emustab® and 20% of powdered goat milk were used as foaming agents. The use of an ethanol pretreatment and higher drying temperature (70°C) resulted in higher drying rate (1.6 × 102 /min) and shorter processing time (270 min). The ethanol pretreatment reduced the activation energy and Biot number and led to more uniform moisture distribution. The physical properties, such as water content, water activity, bulk, and tapped densities decreased with an increase in drying temperature and pretreatment with ethanol, whereas water absorption capacity increased. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: In this work, new information about the drying kinetics and mass transfer of the foam mat avocado pulp using ethanol as pretreatment is obtained. The results will contribute to the optimization production avocado foaming and powder. Ethanol pretreatment can represent an alternative to minimize the negative impacts on drying process and can be surely suggested as an industrial application. DA - 2022/3/22/ PY - 2022/3/22/ DO - 10.1111/1750-3841.16123 KW - foam properties KW - food preservation KW - food processing KW - mathematical modeling KW - organic solvent ER - TY - JOUR TI - The constitutive activation of TLR4-IRAK1-NF kappa B axis is involved in the early NLRP3 inflammasome response in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of Rett syndrome patients AU - Cordone, Valeria AU - Ferrara, Francesca AU - Pecorelli, Alessandra AU - Guiotto, Anna AU - Vitale, Antonio AU - Amicarelli, Fernanda AU - Cervellati, Carlo AU - Hayek, Joussef AU - Valacchi, Giuseppe T2 - FREE RADICAL BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE AB - Rett syndrome (RTT), a devastating neurodevelopmental disorder, is caused in 95% of the cases by mutations in the X-chromosome-localized MECP2 gene. To date, RTT is considered a broad-spectrum disease, due to multisystem disturbances affecting patients, associated with mitochondrial dysfunctions, subclinical inflammation and an overall OxInflammatory status. Inflammasomes are multi-protein complexes crucially involved in innate immune responses against pathogens and oxidative stress mediators. The assembly of NLRP3:ASC inflammasome lead to pro-caspase 1 activation, maturation of interleukins (IL)-1β and 18 and proteolytic cleavage of Gasdermin D leading eventually to pyroptosis and systemic inflammation. The possible de-regulation of this system, in parallel with upstream nuclear factor (NF)-κB p65 pathway, were analyzed in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and plasma isolated from RTT patients and matching controls. RTT PBMCs showed a constitutive activation of the axis TLR4 (Toll-like receptor 4)-IRAK1 (interleukin-1 receptor associated kinase 1)-NF-κB p65, together with augmented ROS generation and enhanced IL-18 mRNA levels and NLRP3:ASC co-localization. The deregulation of inflammasome components was even found in THP-1 cells silenced for MECP2 and importantly, in plasma compartment of RTT subjects, from the earliest stages of the pathology or in correlation with the severity of MeCP2 mutations. Taken together, these data provide new insights into the mechanisms involved in RTT sub-clinical inflammatory status present in RTT patients, thus helping to reveal new targets for future therapeutic approaches. DA - 2022/3// PY - 2022/3// DO - 10.1016/j.freeradbiomed.2022.01.017 VL - 181 SP - 1-13 SN - 1873-4596 KW - MeCP2 KW - p65 KW - Oxinflammation KW - Interleukin-18 KW - Interleukin-1 beta ER - TY - JOUR TI - Continuous flow microwave-assisted aqueous extraction of pomace phytoactives for production of protein-polyphenol particles and a protein-enriched ready-to-drink beverage AU - Hoskin, Roberta Targino AU - Plundrich, Nathalie AU - Vargochik, Amanda AU - Lila, Mary Ann T2 - Future Foods AB - Muscadine grape (MG) and blueberry (BB) pomaces processed via water-based continuous flow microwave-assisted extraction (CFMAE) yielded flavonoid-rich extracts, which were complexed with chickpea [CH] or pea:rice [PR] protein and spray dried (SD) into protein-polyphenol aggregate particle treatments: BB-CH, BB-PR, MG-CH and MG-PR. Particles were characterized for physicochemical characteristics, phytochemical composition and functional attributes. The volume-weighed mean diameter for protein-polyphenol particles (20.75-24.67 µm; p > 0.05) were significantly smaller (p < 0.05) than original protein sources CH and PR (57.77-71.10 µm). Highly polymerized proanthocyanidins (PAC) were captured in BB treatments (up to 79 % of total PAC), while monomers predominated in muscadine-derived particles (∼56 % of total PAC). BB-CH particles had highest protein solubility (51-62 %). BB-CH and BB-PR had good emulsifying capacity (∼8.73 m2/g), and particle treatments had higher emulsifying stability than unmodified proteins CH and PR alone. BB-CH particles were prioritized to produce a RTD smoothie beverage rated to have pleasant sensory properties. CFMAE proved to be a sustainable strategy to recover residual phytochemicals from fruit by-products (using only water as the solvent) for use in versatile value-added protein-polyphenol particle ingredients. DA - 2022/6// PY - 2022/6// DO - 10.1016/j.fufo.2022.100137 VL - 5 SP - 100137 UR - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fufo.2022.100137 ER - TY - JOUR TI - Exploring the Contribution of (Poly)phenols to the Dietary Exposome Using High Resolution Mass Spectrometry Untargeted Metabolomics AU - Li, Yuan-Yuan AU - Rushing, Blake AU - Schroder, Madison AU - Sumner, Susan AU - Kay, Colin D. T2 - MOLECULAR NUTRITION & FOOD RESEARCH AB - This study presents a workflow to construct a Dietary Exposome Library (DEL) comprised of phytochemicals and their metabolites derived from host and gut microbiome metabolism for use in peak identification/annotation of untargeted metabolomics datasets.An evidence mapping initiative established target analytes related to the consumption of phytochemical-rich foods. Analytes were confirmed by ultra-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS(n)) analysis of human biospecimens from dietary intervention studies of (poly)phenol-rich diets. One hundred and sixty six verified compounds were subsequently analyzed on an untargeted metabolomics platform to acquire chromatographic and high-resolution mass spectral data for construction of a DEL. The DEL facilitated identification/annotation of 123 metabolites associate with exposure to (poly)phenol enriched diets, which included aromatic ketones, benzoic acids, ellagic acids, caffeoylquinic acids, catecholamines, coumarins, hippuric acid, hydroxytoluenes, phenylamines, stilbenes, urolithins, valerolactones, and xanthonoids, in untargeted metabolomics datasets acquire from human plasma and urine reference materials.The DEL focusing on (poly)phenols and their metabolites of dietary exposure facilitated identification/annotation of ingested food components and their associated pathways in untargeted metabolomics datasets acquired from human biospecimens. The DEL continues to expand with the aim to provide evidence-based data for dietary metabolites in exposome research and inform the development of dietary intervention strategies. DA - 2022/2/25/ PY - 2022/2/25/ DO - 10.1002/mnfr.202100922 VL - 2 SP - SN - 1613-4133 UR - https://doi.org/10.1002/mnfr.202100922 KW - dietary exposome KW - dietary exposome library (DEL) KW - metabolites KW - polyphenols KW - untargeted metabolomics ER - TY - JOUR TI - Estimation of nutritional postharvest losses along food value chains: A case study of three key food security commodities in sub-Saharan Africa AU - Bechoff, Aurelie AU - Shee, Apurba AU - Mvumi, Brighton M. AU - Ngwenyama, Patrick AU - Debelo, Hawi AU - Ferruzzi, Mario G. AU - Nyanga, Loveness K. AU - Mayanja, Sarah AU - Tomlins, Keith I. T2 - FOOD SECURITY AB - Abstract Postharvest losses (PHLs) amplify food insecurity and reduce the amount of nutrients available to vulnerable populations, especially in the world's Low and Middle Income Countries (LMICs). However, little is known about nutrient loss at the various postharvest stages. The objective of our study was to develop a methodology and a tool to estimate nutritional postharvest losses (NPHLs) along food value chains for three distinct food commodities in sub-Saharan Africa. The study used a combination of literature, laboratory and field data to investigate NPHLs caused by both changes in quantity and quality of food material (quantitative and qualitative NPHLs, respectively). The method can be expanded to various other food value chains. A user-friendly predictive tool was developed for case studies involving maize and cowpea in Zimbabwe, and for sweet potato in Uganda. Quantitative and qualitative NPHLs were combined and converted into predicted nutrient loss and nutritional requirement lost due to postharvest losses. The number of people who may not meet their daily nutritional needs, as a result of the food and nutrient losses at country level, was estimated. The estimates consider nutritionally vulnerable groups such as children under five years and pregnant women. The nutrient density of the harvested food material, the level of food production, the postharvest stages along the food value chain, the levels of pest damage along the value chain, and the susceptibility of the nutrients to degradation e.g. during storage, are all important factors that affect NPHLs. Our modelling work suggests that reducing PHLs along food value chains could significantly improve access to nutritious food for populations in LMICs. DA - 2022/2/4/ PY - 2022/2/4/ DO - 10.1007/s12571-021-01238-9 SP - SN - 1876-4525 KW - Postharvest nutrient loss KW - Postharvest loss KW - Food system KW - Human nutritional requirements KW - Nutrient loss prediction ER - TY - JOUR TI - Improved High-Quality Genome Assembly and Annotation of Pineapple (Ananas comosus) Cultivar MD2 Revealed Extensive Haplotype Diversity and Diversified FRS/FRF Gene Family AU - Yow, Ashley G. AU - Bostan, Hamed AU - Castanera, Raul AU - Ruggieri, Valentino AU - Mengist, Molla F. AU - Curaba, Julien AU - Young, Roberto AU - Gillitt, Nicholas AU - Iorizzo, Massimo T2 - GENES AB - Pineapple (Ananas comosus (L.) Merr.) is the second most important tropical fruit crop globally, and 'MD2' is the most important cultivated variety. A high-quality genome is important for molecular-based breeding, but available pineapple genomes still have some quality limitations. Here, PacBio and Hi-C data were used to develop a new high-quality MD2 assembly and gene prediction. Compared to the previous MD2 assembly, major improvements included a 26.6-fold increase in contig N50 length, phased chromosomes, and >6000 new genes. The new MD2 assembly also included 161.6 Mb additional sequences and >3000 extra genes compared to the F153 genome. Over 48% of the predicted genes harbored potential deleterious mutations, indicating that the high level of heterozygosity in this species contributes to maintaining functional alleles. The genome was used to characterize the FAR1-RELATED SEQUENCE (FRS) genes that were expanded in pineapple and rice. Transposed and dispersed duplications contributed to expanding the numbers of these genes in the pineapple lineage. Several AcFRS genes were differentially expressed among tissue-types and stages of flower development, suggesting that their expansion contributed to evolving specialized functions in reproductive tissues. The new MD2 assembly will serve as a new reference for genetic and genomic studies in pineapple. DA - 2022/1// PY - 2022/1// DO - 10.3390/genes13010052 VL - 13 IS - 1 SP - SN - 2073-4425 KW - pineapple MD2 KW - Ananas comosus KW - improved assembly KW - haplotype diversity KW - FHY3 KW - FAR1 genes KW - FRS KW - FRF genes ER - TY - JOUR TI - All Polyphenols Are Not Created Equal: Exploring the Diversity of Phenolic Metabolites AU - Vong, Chi In AU - Rathinasabapathy, Thirumurugan AU - Moncada, Marvin AU - Komarnytsky, Slavko T2 - JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY AB - Dietary intake of plant polyphenols is significant, and many of them enter a human body as a highly diverse pool of ring-fission phenolic metabolites arising from digestion and microbial catabolism of the parental structures. Difficulty in designing the uniform intervention studies and limited tools calibrated to detect and quantify the inherent complexity of phenolic metabolites hindered efforts to establish and validate protective health effects of these molecules. Here, we highlight the recent findings that describe novel complex downstream metabolite profiles with a particular focus on dihydrophenolic (phenylpropanoic) acids of microbial origin, ingested and phase II-transformed methylated phenolic metabolites (methylated sinks), and small phenolic metabolites derived from the breakdown of different classes of flavonoids, stilbenoids, and tannins. There is a critical need for precise identification of the individual phenolic metabolite signatures originating from different polyphenol groups to enable future translation of these findings into break-through nutritional interventions and dietary guidelines. DA - 2022/2/23/ PY - 2022/2/23/ DO - 10.1021/acs.jafc.1c07179 VL - 70 IS - 7 SP - 2077-2091 SN - 1520-5118 UR - https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jafc.1c07179 KW - (poly)phenols KW - phenolic acids KW - microbiome KW - microbial catabolism KW - methylation ER - TY - JOUR TI - Plant-Based Support of Respiratory Health during Viral Outbreaks AU - Rathinasabapathy, Thirumurugan AU - Sakthivel, Lakshmana Prabu AU - Komarnytsky, Slavko T2 - JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY AB - Respiratory viruses are linked to major epidemic events that have plagued humans through recorded history and possibly much earlier, ranging from common colds, influenza, and coronavirus infections to measles. However, difficulty in developing effective pharmaceutical solutions to treat infected individuals has hindered efforts to manage and minimize respiratory viral outbreaks and the associated mortality. Here we highlight a series of botanical interventions with different and often overlapping putative mechanisms of action to support the respiratory system, for which the bioactive pharmacophore was suggested and the initial structure-activity relationships have been explored (Bupleurum spp., Glycyrrhiza spp., Andrographis spp.), have been proposed with uncertainty (Echinacea spp., Zingiber spp., Verbascum spp., Marrubium spp.), or remained to be elucidated (Sambucus spp., Urtica spp.). Investigating these metabolites and their botanical sources holds potential to uncover new mediators of the respiratory health outcomes as well as molecular targets for future break-through therapeutic interventions targeting respiratory viral outbreaks. DA - 2022/2/23/ PY - 2022/2/23/ DO - 10.1021/acs.jafc.1c06227 VL - 70 IS - 7 SP - 2064-2076 SN - 1520-5118 UR - https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jafc.1c06227 KW - licorice KW - coneflower KW - ginger KW - mullein KW - horehound KW - elderberry KW - nettle KW - antiviral KW - anti-inflammatory KW - expectorant KW - COVID-19 ER - TY - JOUR TI - Cocoa Extract Exerts Sex-Specific Effects in an Aggressive Hyper-Glycemia Model: A Pilot Study AU - Racine, Kathryn C. AU - Iglesias-Carres, Lisard AU - Herring, Jacob A. AU - Ferruzzi, Mario G. AU - Kay, Colin D. AU - Tessem, Jeffery S. AU - Neilson, Andrew P. AB - Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is characterized by hyperglycemia and insulin resistance. Cocoa may slow T2D development and progression. This study employed male and female BTBR.Cg-Lepob/ob/WiscJ and wild type (WT) controls to assess the potential for cocoa to ameliorate progressive T2D and compare responses between sexes. Mice received diet without (WT, ob/ob) or with cocoa extract (ob/ob + c) for 10 weeks. Glucose and insulin tolerance tests (GTT/ITT) were conducted at weeks 1, 5 and 2, 6, respectively. Cocoa provided mild non-significant protection against weight gain vs. ob/ob control in males but not females. Male ob/ob + c had increasing fasting glucose at weeks 1 and 5 GTTs, with significantly higher levels of fasting glucose than ob/ob control at week 5. This was not seen in females. Cocoa protected against elevated 4-hour fasting glucose in week 2, but not week 6, ITTs. Cocoa partly suppressed hyperinsulinemia in males but significantly amplified it in females and protected against loss of beta cell area in females only. The mechanisms of these sex-specific effects remain to be elucidated. This study informs additional experiments with larger sample sizes and demonstrates that sex differences must be considered when designing dietary interventions for T2D. DA - 2022/1/31/ PY - 2022/1/31/ DO - 10.20944/preprints202112.0110.v2 VL - 1 UR - https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202112.0110.v2 ER - TY - JOUR TI - A note on the early transcriptional response in leaves and root of potato plants to cadmium exposure AU - Mengist, M. F. AU - Byrne, S. L. AU - Griffin, D. AU - Milbourne, D. T2 - IRISH JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD RESEARCH AB - Potato plants can accumulate a high amount of cadmium (Cd) in the tuber when grown in soils rich in Cd. The molecular mechanisms governing Cd accumulation in the potato plant are poorly understood. Here we performed an RNA-sequencing experiment to identify genes differentially expressed in the leaf and root of potato during early stages of Cd exposure. Results did not identify any significant transcriptional response in leaves under 1 or 5 mg kg −1 Cd after 72 h. However, in the roots we did identify 2,846 genes that were significantly differentially expressed after 72 h between plants grown in 5 mg kg −1 Cd and controls. These included genes involved in photosynthesis and autophagy being up-regulated, and genes involved in intracellular transport being down-regulated. This study is the first report on the transcriptome-wide response of potato to Cd stress, providing insight into the molecular mechanisms involved in the response. DA - 2022/// PY - 2022/// DO - 10.15212/ijafr-2020-0124 VL - 60 IS - 1 SP - 27-32 SN - 0791-6833 KW - Cadmium KW - gene expression KW - potato KW - RNA-seq KW - transcriptome ER - TY - JOUR TI - Osmoporation is a versatile technique to encapsulate fisetin using the probiotic bacteria Lactobacillus acidophilus AU - Andrade, Eduardo Wagner Vasconcelos AU - Dupont, Sebastien AU - Beney, Laurent AU - Hoskin, Roberta Targino AU - Silva Pedrini, Márcia Regina T2 - Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology DA - 2022/2// PY - 2022/2// DO - 10.1007/s00253-021-11735-8 UR - https://doi.org/10.1007/s00253-021-11735-8 KW - Cell-based carriers KW - Bioactive compounds KW - Bioaccessibility KW - Food biotechnology ER - TY - JOUR TI - The berry health tool chest - an evidence map and interactive resource AU - Kay, Kristine L. AU - Strauch, Renee C. AU - Granillo, Cheryl D. AU - Bame, Megan W. AU - Xiong, Jia AU - Mast, Aubrey C. AU - Burton-Freeman, Britt AU - Kay, Colin D. AU - Lila, Mary Ann T2 - NUTRITION REVIEWS AB - Berry consumption is linked to diverse health benefits, but numerous questions remain regarding mechanism of action, dose efficacy, and optimal duration and frequency of intake. Addressing these outstanding questions requires an organized assessment of current research, to inform future study designs and fill critical knowledge gaps. Tools that organize such information will also facilitate consumer messaging, targeted nutritional health initiatives, and dietary intake guidelines. This review aimed to describe the development and utility of the "Berry Health Tool Chest," an evidence map summarizing trial design features of studies characterizing the impact of berry consumption upon human health biomarkers. A systematic search strategy identified relevant high-quality human feeding studies, whose study design parameters were collected and compiled into an evidence map that is freely available as an interactive online interface enabling tabulated data to be interrogated, filtered, and exported. Of the 231 included studies, approximately 70% were of less than 3 months' duration and/or fewer than 50 participants, illustrating research gaps that could potentially inform the design of future studies. DA - 2022/1// PY - 2022/1// DO - 10.1093/nutrit/nuab011 VL - 80 IS - 1 SP - 68-77 SN - 1753-4887 KW - berry KW - clinical trial design KW - dietary intervention KW - evidence mapping KW - health criteria ER - TY - JOUR TI - Blueberry anthocyanin intake attenuates the postprandial cardiometabolic effect of an energy-dense food challenge: Results from a double blind, randomized controlled trial in metabolic syndrome participants AU - Curtis, Peter J. AU - Berends, Lindsey AU - Velpen, Vera AU - Jennings, Amy AU - Haag, Laura AU - Chandra, Preeti AU - Kay, Colin D. AU - Rimm, Eric B. AU - Cassidy, Aedin T2 - CLINICAL NUTRITION AB - Whilst the cardioprotective effects of blueberry intake have been shown in prospective studies and short-term randomized controlled trials (RCTs), it is unknown whether anthocyanin-rich blueberries can attenuate the postprandial, cardiometabolic dysfunction which follows energy-dense food intakes; especially in at-risk populations. We therefore examined whether adding blueberries to a high-fat/high-sugar meal affected the postprandial cardiometabolic response over 24 h.A parallel, double-blind RCT (n = 45; age 63.4 ± 7.4 years; 64% male; BMI 31.4 ± 3.1 kg/m2) was conducted in participants with metabolic syndrome. After baseline assessments, an energy-dense drink (969 Kcals, 64.5 g fat, 84.5 g carbohydrate, 17.9 g protein) was consumed with either 26 g (freeze-dried) blueberries (equivalent to 1 cup/150 g fresh blueberries) or 26 g isocaloric matched placebo. Repeat blood samples (30, 60, 90, 120, 180, 360 min and 24 h), a 24 h urine collection and vascular measures (at 3, 6, and 24 h) were performed. Insulin and glucose, lipoprotein levels, endothelial function (flow mediated dilatation (FMD)), aortic and systemic arterial stiffness (pulse wave velocity (PWV), Augmentation Index (AIx) respectively), blood pressure (BP), and anthocyanin metabolism (serum and 24 h urine) were assessed.Blueberries favorably affected postprandial (0-24 h) concentrations of glucose (p < 0.001), insulin (p < 0.01), total cholesterol (p = 0.04), HDL-C, large HDL particles (L-HDL-P) (both p < 0.01), extra-large HDL particles (XL-HDL-P; p = 0.04) and Apo-A1 (p = 0.01), but not LDL-C, TG, or Apo-B. After a transient higher peak glucose concentration at 1 h after blueberry intake ([8.2 mmol/L, 95%CI: 7.7, 8.8] vs placebo [6.9 mmol/L, 95%CI: 6.4, 7.4]; p = 0.001), blueberries significantly attenuated 3 h glucose ([4.3 mmol/L, 95%CI: 3.8, 4.8] vs placebo [5.1 mmol/L, 95%CI: 4.6, 5.6]; p = 0.03) and insulin concentrations (blueberry: [23.4 pmol/L, 95%CI: 15.4, 31.3] vs placebo [52.9 pmol/L, 95%CI: 41.0, 64.8]; p = 0.0001). Blueberries also improved HDL-C ([1.12 mmol/L, 95%CI: 1.06, 1.19] vs placebo [1.08 mmol/L, 95%CI: 1.02, 1.14]; p = 0.04) at 90 min and XL-HDLP levels ([0.38 × 10-6, 95%CI: 0.35, 0.42] vs placebo [0.35 × 10-6, 95%CI: 0.32, 0.39]; p = 0.02) at 3 h. Likewise, significant improvements were observed 6 h after blueberries for HDL-C ([1.17 mmol/L, 95%CI: 1.11, 1.24] vs placebo [1.10 mmol/L, 95%CI: 1.03, 1.16]; p < 0.001), Apo-A1 ([1.37 mmol/L, 95%CI: 1.32, 1.41] vs placebo [1.31 mmol/L, 95%CI: 1.27, 1.35]; p = 0.003), L-HDLP ([0.70 × 10-6, 95%CI: 0.60, 0.81] vs placebo [0.59 × 10-6, 95%CI: 0.50, 0.68]; p = 0.003) and XL-HDLP ([0.44 × 10-6, 95%CI: 0.40, 0.48] vs placebo [0.40 × 10-6, 95%CI: 0.36, 0.44]; p < 0.001). Similarly, total cholesterol levels were significantly lower 24 h after blueberries ([4.9 mmol/L, 95%CI: 4.6, 5.1] vs placebo [5.0 mmol/L, 95%CI: 4.8, 5.3]; p = 0.04). Conversely, no effects were observed for FMD, PWV, AIx and BP. As anticipated, total anthocyanin-derived phenolic acid metabolite concentrations significantly increased in the 24 h after blueberry intake; especially hippuric acid (6-7-fold serum increase, 10-fold urinary increase). In exploratory analysis, a range of serum/urine metabolites were associated with favorable changes in total cholesterol, HDL-C, XL-HDLP and Apo-A1 (R = 0.43 to 0.50).For the first time, in an at-risk population, we show that single-exposure to the equivalent of 1 cup blueberries (provided as freeze-dried powder) attenuates the deleterious postprandial effects of consuming an energy-dense high-fat/high-sugar meal over 24 h; reducing insulinaemia and glucose levels, lowering cholesterol, and improving HDL-C, fractions of HDL-P and Apo-A1. Consequently, intake of anthocyanin-rich blueberries may reduce the acute cardiometabolic burden of energy-dense meals.NCT02035592 at www.clinicaltrials.gov. DA - 2022/1// PY - 2022/1// DO - 10.1016/j.clnu.2021.11.030 VL - 41 IS - 1 SP - 165-176 SN - 1532-1983 UR - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clnu.2021.11.030 KW - Metabolic syndrome KW - Postprandial assessment KW - Energy-dense meal challenge KW - Blueberry anthocyanins KW - Flavonoids KW - Cardiovascular disease risk ER - TY - JOUR TI - Comparative multi-parameters approach to dissect texture subcomponents of highbush blueberry cultivars at harvest and postharvest AU - Giongo, Lara AU - Ajelli, Matteo AU - Pottorff, Marti AU - Perkins-Veazie, Penelope AU - Iorizzo, Massimo T2 - POSTHARVEST BIOLOGY AND TECHNOLOGY AB - Fruit texture and firmness are important cues of blueberry quality for the fresh market. These attributes contribute to consumer acceptance, resistance to bruising during harvesting and transportation, and shelf-life. Thus, fruit firmness and texture are major priorities for blueberry breeders, producers and distributors. In this study, the discriminative power of texture analysis was examined using penetration tests with different probes and double compression for texture profile analysis (TPA). Mechanical parameters taken from the force deformation curves used to dissect texture subcomponents in blueberries that are associated with specific tissue layers. Principal component analysis (PCA) allows to filter and identify mechanical parameters that significantly discern the most variation amongst 24 blueberry genotypes and showed that texture in this crop is multi-trait and cultivar-dependent. Texture analysis was used also on blueberries stored over six weeks to identify mechanical parameters that could be used as predictors for long shelf life. Additionally, the mechanical parameters were correlated with dynamometer data to determine the utility and accuracy of a simple handheld device to measure fruit firmness in blueberries. This study provides a framework for the identification and characterization of the subcomponents of texture in highbush blueberry. DA - 2022/1// PY - 2022/1// DO - 10.1016/j.postharvbio.2021.111696 VL - 183 SP - SN - 1873-2356 KW - Blueberry KW - Fruit quality KW - Post-harvest KW - Shelf life storage KW - Texture KW - Texture analysis KW - Texture profile analysis KW - Vaccinium ER - TY - JOUR TI - Structural requirements of flavonoids for the selective inhibition of alpha-amylase versus alpha-glucosidase AU - Lim, Jongbin AU - Ferruzzi, Mario G. AU - Hamaker, Bruce R. T2 - FOOD CHEMISTRY AB - In the present study, 14 structurally unique flavonoids were screened to systematically investigate structural requirements for selectively inhibiting human α-amylase versus α-glucosidase to obtain a slow but complete starch digestion for health benefit. The selective inhibition property of three flavonoids chosen against the two classes of starch digestive enzymes was confirmed through various analytical techniques - in vitro inhibition assay, fluorescence quenching, kinetic study, and molecular modeling. Considering the chemical structure of flavonoids, the double bond between C2 and C3 and OH groups at A5 and B3 are critical for the inhibition of α-amylase allowing flavonoids to lie parallel on the α-amylase catalytic active site, whereas the OH groups at B3 and C3 are important for α-glucosidase inhibition causing B-ring specific entry into the catalytic active site of α-glucosidase. Our findings provide insights into how to apply flavonoids to effectively control digestion rate for improving physiological responses. DA - 2022/2/15/ PY - 2022/2/15/ DO - 10.1016/j.foodchem.2021.130981 VL - 370 SP - SN - 1873-7072 KW - Flavonoids structure KW - Protein structure KW - Endo-type alpha-amylase KW - Exo-type alpha-glucosidase KW - Selective inhibition ER - TY - JOUR TI - Foaming and sensory characteristics of protein-polyphenol particles in a food matrix AU - Diaz, Joscelin T. AU - Foegeding, E. Allen AU - Stapleton, Lee AU - Kay, Colin AU - Iorizzo, Massimo AU - Ferruzzi, Mario G. AU - Lila, Mary Ann T2 - Food Hydrocolloids AB - As food ingredients, protein-polyphenol aggregate particles provide a combination of structural and health-relevant functional benefits. Particles made by complexing whey (WPI) or rice (RPI) protein isolates and blueberry (BB) extracts were evaluated for foaming properties (foam volume, stability, and yield stress) using a high energy-input foaming operation (with an Ultra Power Mixer), and then also compared at low energy-input (foamed using a hand-held mixer). In the high energy-input foaming operation, whey protein rapidly formed foams (within 2 min). Whey protein-blueberry (WPI-BB) particles significantly improved yield stress and foam stability (2-fold) as compared to foams made with unmodified WPI. Rice protein required longer (>8 min) to produce foams, but foams were significantly more stable (longer drainage half-life) both when the protein was unmodified (RPI) or formulated as particles (RPI-BB). Protein-polyphenol particle foams (WPI-BB or RPI-BB) had a much greater proportion of smaller sized bubbles than polyphenol-free foams. WPI foams formed for descriptive analysis using the low energy-input method rapidly produced structures with fine, stable bubbles resistant to breakdown in the mouth, while those made with RPI had fewer, larger and looser bubbles which broke more easily after mixing and in the mouth. Inclusion of WPI-BB or RPI-BB particles enhanced palatability of protein isolates in a model (protein bars) food system as compared to non-complexed proteins. The complexed aggregate particles also provided sweetness, dark berry and dried fruit flavors and minimized bitterness and astringency. This work provides a context for understanding the utilization of protein-polyphenol particles as multifunctional ingredients that simultaneously deliver concentrated polyphenols associated with health benefits. DA - 2022/2// PY - 2022/2// DO - 10.1016/j.foodhyd.2021.107148 UR - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodhyd.2021.107148 KW - Particles KW - Polyphenols KW - Proteins KW - Foaming KW - Sensory KW - Structure ER - TY - JOUR TI - Potential of moringa leaf and baobab fruit food-to-food fortification of wholegrain maize porridge to improve iron and zinc bioaccessibility AU - Adetola, Oluyimika Y. AU - Kruger, Johanita AU - Ferruzzi, Mario G. AU - Hamaker, Bruce R. AU - Taylor, John R. N. T2 - INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF FOOD SCIENCES AND NUTRITION AB - Food-to-food fortification (FtFF) with moringa leaf (iron source) and/or baobab fruit (citric acid and ascorbic acid source) (each 13-15 g/100 g porridge dry basis (db)) was studied to improve iron and zinc nutritive quality in African-type wholegrain maize-based porridges using in vitro dialysability assay. Moringa FtFF decreased percentage and total bioaccessible iron and zinc, by up to 84% and 45%, respectively. Moringa was very high in calcium, approximately 3% db and calcium-iron-phytate complexes inhibit iron bioavailability. Baobab FtFF increased percentage and total bioaccessible iron and zinc, especially in porridges containing carrot + mango (β-carotene source) and conventionally fortified with FeSO4, by up to 111% and 60%, respectively. The effects were similar to those when ascorbic and citric acids were added as mineral absorption enhancers. While moringa FtFF could be inhibitory to iron and zinc bioavailability in cereal-based porridges, baobab fruit FtFF could improve their bioavailability, especially in combination with conventional iron fortification. DA - 2022/1/2/ PY - 2022/1/2/ DO - 10.1080/09637486.2021.1911962 VL - 73 IS - 1 SP - 15-27 SN - 1465-3478 KW - Adansonia digitata KW - iron bioavailability KW - mineral fortification KW - Moringa oleifera KW - wholegrain ER - TY - JOUR TI - Microbial Metabolites of Flavanols in Urine are Associated with Enhanced Anti-Proliferative Activity in Bladder Cancer Cells In Vitro AU - Griffin, Laura E. AU - Kohrt, Sarah E. AU - Rathore, Atul AU - Kay, Colin D. AU - Grabowska, Magdalena M. AU - Neilson, Andrew P. T2 - NUTRITION AND CANCER-AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL AB - Flavanols are metabolized by the gut microbiota to bioavailable metabolites, and the absorbed fraction is excreted primarily via urine. Uroepithelial cells are thus a potential site of activity due to exposure to high concentrations of these compounds. Chemoprevention by flavanols may be partly due to these metabolites. In Vitro work in this area relies on a limited pool of commercially available microbial metabolites, and little has been done in bladder cancer. The impact of physiologically relevant mixtures of flavanols and their metabolites remains unknown. Rats were fed various flavanols and urine samples, approximating the bioavailable metabolome, were collected. Urines were profiled by UPLC-MS/MS, and their anti-proliferative activities were assayed In Vitro in four bladder cancer models. Significant interindividual variability was observed for composition and proliferation. Microbial metabolite concentrations (valerolactones, phenylalkyl acids and hippuric acids) were positively associated with reduced bladder cancer proliferation In Vitro, while native flavanols were poorly correlated with activity. These results suggest that microbial metabolites may be responsible for chemoprevention in uroepithelial cells following flavanol consumption. This highlights the potential to use individual genetics and microbial metabotyping to design personalized dietary interventions for cancer prevention and/or adjuvant therapy to reduce bladder cancer incidence and improve outcomes. DA - 2022/1/2/ PY - 2022/1/2/ DO - 10.1080/01635581.2020.1869277 VL - 74 IS - 1 SP - 194-210 SN - 1532-7914 ER -