1,720,971 research outputs found
Antioxidant Profile and in Vitro Cardiac Radical-Scavenging versus Pro-oxidant Effects of Commercial Red Grape Juices ( Vitis vinifera L. cv. Aglianico N.).
No full textSeveral works have reported on the pharmaceutical usefulness of grape phytochemicals. Nevertheless, the scientific literature needs further studies to consider grape extracts as useful dietary supplements. The aim of the present work was to hypothesize for the first time the use of whole commercial red grape juices as food supplements potentially useful against both physiological and induced cardiac oxidative stress. First of all, the results indicated a good antioxidant stability of the juice sample to lyophilization that may be reasonably regarded as a suitable process for the formulation of food supplements. Then, the processed sample (lioRGJ) was tested on cardiac-derived H9C2 myocytes to ascertain its effects on reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and caspase-3 activity incubating cardiomyocytes with lioRGJ at increasing doses (0.01-1 μg). Experiments showed an appreciable direct radical-scavenging activity at a maximum sample dose of 0.01 μg that made the caspase-3 activity decrease by about 47% (P < 0.001). Cardiac cells were exposed to 1 μM doxorubicin and its combination with different doses of lioRGJ. A maximum sample aliquot of 0.01 μg seemed to effectively contrast the induced oxidant injury, decreasing the ROS levels by about 31% and depressing the caspase-3 activity by about 60% (P < 0.001). In both assays, pro-oxidant effects at higher sample concentrations were detected as indicated by the increase in both ROS generation and apoptotic activity. The data suggested the possible employment of the juice sample as a food supplement with prospective cardioprotective benefits, although further studies are needed to optimize its dosages to avoid harmful pro-oxidant effects
Polyphenolic pattern and in vitro cardioprotective properties of typical red wines from vineyards cultivated in Scafati (Salerno, Italy).
Full text linkChemical composition of unifloral honeys produced by the Sicilian black honeybees (Apis mellifera spp. sicula)
No full textTrimethylamine N-oxide, Mediterranean diet, and nutrition in healthy, normal-weight adults: also a matter of sex?
No full textOBJECTIVES:
Sex exerts an important influence on food preferences. The Mediterranean diet (MD) is based on the common dietary characteristics and lifestyle behaviors of the Mediterranean countries. Trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO), a marker of gut dysbiosis linked to the development of atherosclerosis and cardiovascular risk, is mainly dependent on dietary pattern and gut microbiota metabolism. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between levels of TMAO and the adherence to the MD in the function of sex.
METHODS:
We enrolled 144 healthy adults, of which 67 were men. Participants were 31.55 ± 6.19 y of age and had an average body mass index of 22.84 ± 1.51 kg/m2. TMAO levels were detected using high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis. PREDIMED (PREvención con DIeta MEDiterránea [Prevention with Mediterranean Diet]) questionnaire was used to assess the adherence to the MD. Dietary data were collected by a 7-d food records. Receiver operator characteristic curve analysis was performed to determine the predictive values for PREDIMED score in detecting high TMAO values.
RESULTS:
Compared with women, the men presented higher levels of TMAO (P < 0.001), lower adherence to the MD (P = 0.017) and higher energy intake. The men consumed a greater quantity of animal proteins, carbohydrates, and ω-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, and less plant proteins and ω-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids than the women. At the receiver operator characteristic analyses, the lowest levels of TMAO were well predicted by a score of adherence of ≤10 in men and ≤9 in women (P < 0.001).
CONCLUSIONS:
A clear sex difference was observed in the novel association between levels of TMAO and MD in healthy adults. Although dietary intervention trials on large series population are mandatory, sex-specific cutpoints of adherence to MD might help identify individuals at high risk for high levels of TMAO who would benefit from personalized dietary interventions
Anthocyanin composition and extractability in berry skin and wine of Vitis vinifera L. cv. Aglianico
No full textBACKGROUND: The present article reports the anthocyanin content in the berry skin and wine of the Italian red grape cultivar Aglianico (clone VCR11 grafted onto 1103 Paulsen), one of the most ancient vines and famous for its deep-red colour. Anthocyanins were extracted from frozen berry skin in an acidified methanol solution. The extraction mixtures, monitored for 120 h, were analysed by high-performance liquid chromatography. RESULTS: The extraction from berry skin of delphinidin, petunidin and malvidin appeared to be a time-independent process, whereas the concentration of peonidin increased linearly with time. Peonidin-O-acetyl-glucoside was transferred from skin more slowly than petunidin-O-acetyl-glucoside and malvidin-O-acetyl-glucoside. The anthocyanin composition of the resulting wine showed that the total anthocyanin content was about one-tenth of the corresponding berry skin content. The ratio acetyl/coumaroyl anthocyanins in the wine was sharply higher than the value in berry skin (0.85 and 0.10, respectively), indicating an enrichment of acetyl derivatives in the wine. CONCLUSION: Levels of single anthocyanins in wine were not always correlated with those detected in grapes, as they were affected by winemaking. The high values of some anthocyanins in Aglianico wine could ameliorate its quality, increasing the chromatic properties, aging stability and product acceptance. (C) 2011 Society of Chemical Industr
MG-132 interferes with iron cellular homeostasis and alters virulence of bovine herpesvirus 1
No full textBovine herpesvirus 1 (BoHV-1) requires an iron-replete cell host to replicate efficiently. BoHV-1 infection pro
vokes an increase in ferritin levels and a decrease of transferrin receptor 1 (TfR-1) expression, ultimately
lowering iron pool extent. Thus, cells try to limit iron availability for virus spread. It has been demonstrated that
MG-132, a proteasome inhibitor, reduces BoHV-1 release. Since ferritin, the major iron storage protein in
mammalian cells, undergoes proteasome-mediated degradation, herein, the influence of MG-132 on iron
metabolism during BoHV-1 infection was examined.
Following infection in bovine cells (MDBK), MG-132 reduced cell death and viral yield. Western blot analysis
showed a significant ferritin accumulation, likely due to the inhibition of its proteasome-mediated degradation
pathway. In addition, the concomitant down-regulation of TfR-1 expression, observed during infection, was
counteracted by proteasome inhibitor. This trend may be explained by enhanced acidic vesicular organelles,
detected by acridine orange staining, determining a reduction of intracellular pH, that promotes new synthesis of
TfR-1 degraded in a recycling pathway. In addition, MG-132 influences cellular iron distribution during BoHV-1
infection, as revealed by Perls’ Prussian blue staining. However, cellular iron content, evaluated by Atomic
Absorption Spectrophotometry, resulted essentially unaltered.
These findings reveal that MG-132 may contribute to limit cellular iron availability for virus replication
thereby enhancing cell survival
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