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Editor’s Choice : The Cause for Heart Disease and Strokes
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Abstract: There has been no solution to heart disease to date. I obtained discarded veins from bypass (CABG) surgeries and subjected them to phospholipid analysis. We also obtained arterial cells from human umbilical cords and cultured them with a decreasing concentration of either cholesterol or oxidized cholesterol. Patients undergoing CABG surgery and aging swine had significantly higher levels of sphingomyelin in their arterial cells than arterial cells from human umbilical cords. Oxidized low-density lipoprotein (OxLDL) and oxysterols further contribute to atherosclerosis by increasing the synthesis of thromboxane in platelets, a clotting factor. When we incubated arterial cells with cholesterol that had not been oxidized, even at twelve times the concentration of the oxidized cholesterols we used, there was no effect on sphingomyelin content, this shows that cholesterol itself is not the reason for heart disease, and has to be oxidized in order to cause harm. My study indicated that atherosclerosis is due to a diet that contains a high level of oxysterols. Normal levels of oxysterols in the plasma will not increase sphingomyelin levels. Removing oxidized fat from the diet should be considered as a therapeutic measure for atherosclerosis. Ancel Keys, who some consider the father of the cholesterol-heart disease hypothesis said in 1997: "There's no connection whatsoever between the cholesterol in food and cholesterol in the blood." Keywords: Oxysterols, phospholipids, cholesterol, calcium, oxidation.Download Full Article |
Editor’s Choice : Dissociation of C-Reactive Protein Levels from Long-Chain Omega-3 Fatty Acid Status and Antidepressant Response in Adolescents with Major Depressive Disorder: An Open-Label Dose-Ranging Trial
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Abstract: Major depressive disorder (MDD) is associated with long-chain omega-3 (LCn-3) fatty acid deficits and indices of chronic sustained inflammation including elevated C-reactive protein (CRP) levels. The present study combined a case-control analysis and a prospective 10-week open-label fish oil (FO) supplementation trial to investigate the relationships among plasma phospholipid LCn-3 fatty acid levels, plasma CRP concentrations, and depressive symptoms in adolescent MDD patients. Compared with healthy controls (n=20), MDD patients (n=20) exhibited significantly lower EPA+DHA levels (-62%, p£0.0001) and a higher ratio of arachidonic acid (AA) to EPA+DHA (+78%, p=0.0002). CRP concentrations did not differ between controls and MDD patients (0.16 vs. 0.17 mg/dL, p=0.96), and were positively correlated with depression symptom severity scores in MDD patients (r = +0.55, p=0.01). CRP concentrations were positively correlated with BMI in MDD patients (r = +0.63, p=0.005) and controls (r = +0.69, p=0.002). Low-dose (2.4 g/d) and high-dose (15 g/d) FO supplementation significantly increased EPA+DHA levels in MDD patients, but did not significantly alter CRP concentrations. Baseline and baseline-endpoint change in CRP levels were not correlated with baseline-endpoint reductions in depression severity. Together, these data demonstrate that the lower plasma phospholipid LCn-3 fatty acid composition exhibited by adolescent MDD patients is not associated with higher CRP levels, and that increasing LCn-3 fatty acid status reduces depression symptom severity independent of changes in CRP concentrations. Collectively, these data suggest that CRP concentrations are dissociable from LCn-3 fatty acid status and antidepressant response in adolescent MDD patients. Keywords: Major depressive disorder, C-Reactive Protein (CRP), Omega-3 Fatty Acids, Fish oil, Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA).Download Full Article |
Editor’s Choice : Gliadin Degradation Ability of Artisanal Lactic Acid Bacteria, The Potential Probiotics from Dairy Products
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Abstract: Selected Lactobacillus spp. with high protease and acid producing capacity was explored for effective gliadin degradation in wheat sourdough environment. The total titratable acidity (TTA), pH and lactic acid bacteria (LAB) counts were evaluated. At the end of fermentation, the acidity and pH of the sourdough samples reached to 13.49-17.34 and 3.84-3.52 range, respectively. LAB population was enumerated as 107-109 colony forming unit (CFU)/g dough. Gliadin profiles were examined qualitatively using sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE), two-dimensional electrophoresis (2-DE) and reverse phase-high performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) techniques. Especially RP-HPLC could be considered as a sensitive technique and is useful to determine the biochemical changes in gliadin fragmentation throughout sourdough fermentation process. LAB inoculated sourdoughs and chemically acidified sourdoughs generally represent similar gliadin degradation patterns. Although the total removal of gliadin toxicity could not be achieved in all dough formulations, it may be beneficial to use LAB to improve the dough and bread quality through the exploration of its bioconversion by-products. Keywords: :Gliadin, sourdough, lactic acid bacteria, probiotic, celiac.Download Full Article |
Editor’s Choice : Efficacy of Modified Eggs and Chick Muscles on Oxidative Stress of Type-2 Diabetes Mellitus Induced Male Wistar Rats
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Abstract: A modified poultry egg (Indian Patent Application No. 2264/Del-2005) and chick muscle enriched with optimum minerals, vitamin E and omega-3 fatty acid were developed and its efficacy was studied on oxidative stress of Type-2 diabetes mellitus induced male wistar rats. In this study, two groups of rats were fed on semi-synthetic diet containing 20 mg Zn/kg (control, group-I) and 80 mg Zn/kg (group-II) diet respectively for a period of 6 months. The study revealed that the gain in body weight increased in rats in Zn concentration dependent manner. The urine examined on weekly basis showed glucosuria in group-II on week 8 and thereafter. The blood lipid profile displayed a significant rise in serum glucose, total lipids, cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL-cholesterol, VLDL-cholesterol whereas HDL-cholesterol showed a reduction in their levels in group-II rats than their control counter parts. They displayed higher lipid peroxidation products and activities of superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione–s -transferase, glutathione reductase, glutathione (reduced) and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase were significantly lowered and revealed a higher Zn concentration and lower Cu, Mg and Mn both in liver and kidney. On day 90, the male rats in group-II after the establishment of type-2 diabetes mellitus, were divided in to two groups- group-IIA and group-IIB. Feeding on these eggs and chick muscles mixed diet in these groups of rats, all the abnormalities were restored and a considerable reduction in lipid peroxidation products and a significant increased in the activities of enzymes per se with reversal of Zn, Cu, Mg and Mn levels closer to the control group were recorded. The present data suggest that these modified egg and chick muscle are effective in ameliorating the oxidative stress in type-2 diabetes mellitus induced male rats. Keywords: Zinc, modified eggs, chick muscles, oxidative stress, type-II diabetes mellitus.Download Full Article |
Editor’s Choice : Torbangun (Coleus amboinicus Lour) Extracts Affect Microbial and Fungus Activities
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Abstract: Coleus also known asTorbangun or Ati Ati plants leaves i.e. Coleusamboinicus Lourfrom Indonesia (CAL-I) and Coleus aromaticus (CAT-M), Pogostemon cablin (PC-M), Coleus blumei–red leaves (CBR-M), Coleus amboinicus– (CAL-M) Coleus blumei –purple leaves (CBP-M) from Malaysia were collected, freeze dried and extracted with aqueous methanol. The effect of the extract was assessed on microbial and fungal activities in relation to their phytochemicals and antioxidants concentrations. The total phenolic content was determined according to the Folin-Ciocalteu method whilst antioxidant activity was assessed using 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) method. The anti-microbial and anti-fungal activities were assessed by minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) and disc diffusion methods. The result indicates that the extracts are rich sources of phytochemicals and antioxidants from the listed plants. When the effect of the extracts was assessed on microbial and fungal activities it was observed that the effect was more pronounced on the gram-positive bacteria compared to gram-negative bacteria. Furthermore, there was strong association between phytochemicalsand antioxidants concentration and with the microbial and fungal activities. However, it was not consistent for all types of strains. This studyshows thatTorbangun plants extracts are rich in phenolic contents therefore; it can be used as free radical scavengers and antimicrobial agent apart from other traditional uses. Keywords: Torbangun, coleus, phytochemical, antimicrobial, antifungal.Download Full Article |