Apple pomace improves gut health in Fisher rats independent of seed content.

The mechanism behind the cholesterol lowering effects of apple pomace, a polyphenol- and fibre rich by-product in apple juice production, was investigated. Groups of male F344 rats were fed a control feed or the same feed with 2.1% or 6.

Short-term effects of dietary advanced glycation end products in rats.

Dietary advanced glycation end products (AGE) formed during heating of food have gained interest as potential nutritional toxins with adverse effects on inflammation and glucose metabolism. In the present study, we investigated the short-term effects of high and low molecular weight (HMW and LMW) dietary AGE on insulin sensitivity, expression of the receptor for AGE (RAGE), the AGE receptor 1 (AGER1) and TNF-α, F2-isoprostaglandins, body composition and food intake. For 2 weeks, thirty-six Sprague-Dawley rats were fed a diet containing 20% milk powder with different proportions of this being given as heated milk powder (0, 40 or 100%), either native (HMW) or hydrolysed (LMW).

An onion byproduct affects plasma lipids in healthy rats.

Onion may contribute to the health effects associated with high fruit and vegetable consumption. A considerable amount of onion production ends up as waste that might find use in foods. Onion byproduct has not yet been explored for potential health benefits.

Effects of apples and specific apple components on the cecal environment of conventional rats: role of apple pectin.

Background: Our study was part of the large European project ISAFRUIT aiming to reveal the biological explanations for the epidemiologically well-established health effects of fruits. The objective was to identify effects of apple and apple product consumption on the composition of the cecal microbial community in rats, as well as on a number of cecal parameters, which may be influenced by a changed microbiota.

Results: Principal Component Analysis (PCA) of cecal microbiota profiles obtained by PCR-DGGE targeting bacterial 16S rRNA genes showed an effect of whole apples in a long-term feeding study (14 weeks), while no effects of apple juice, purée or pomace on microbial composition in cecum were observed.

Effects of an onion by-product on bioactivity and safety markers in healthy rats.

Onions are excellent sources of bioactive compounds including fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS) and polyphenols. An onion by-product was characterised in order to be developed as a potentially bioactive food ingredient. Our main aim was to investigate whether the potential health and safety effects of this onion by-product were shared by either of two derived fractions, an extract containing the onion FOS and polyphenols and a residue fraction containing mainly cell wall materials.

GPX1 Pro(198)Leu polymorphism, erythrocyte GPX activity, interaction with alcohol consumption and smoking, and risk of colorectal cancer.

GPX1 encoding the enzyme glutathione peroxidase 1 (GPX1) and hOGG1 encoding the 8-oxoguanine glycosylase 1 (OGG1) may counteract oxidative stress and resulting DNA damage associated with lifestyle-related exposures. We examined whether the polymorphisms GPX1 Pro(198)Leu and OGG1 Ser(326)Cys or low erythrocyte GPX enzyme activity in pre-diagnostic blood samples are associated with colorectal cancer risk, and assessed possible interactions between the polymorphisms or enzyme activity and various lifestyle factors in relation to colorectal cancer risk. Additionally, we studied whether the GPX1 Pro(198)Leu polymorphism and several lifestyle factors predict GPX activity in erythrocytes.

Effect of long-term selenium yeast intervention on activity and gene expression of antioxidant and xenobiotic metabolising enzymes in healthy elderly volunteers from the Danish Prevention of Cancer by Intervention by Selenium (PRECISE) pilot study.

Numerous mechanisms have been proposed to explain the anti-carcinogenic effects of Se, among them altered carcinogen metabolism. We investigated the effect of Se supplementation on activities of glutathione peroxidase (GPX), glutathione reductase (GR) and glutathione S-transferase (GST) in different blood compartments, and expression of selected phase 1 and phase 2 genes in leucocytes (GPX1, gamma-glutamylcysteine ligase catalytic subunit (GCLC), AP-1 transcription factor Fos-related antigen 1 (Fra1), NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase (NQO1), and aryl hydrocarbon receptor repressor (AhRR)). Healthy elderly Danes (n 105; age 71.

A short-term intervention trial with selenate, selenium-enriched yeast and selenium-enriched milk: effects on oxidative defence regulation.

Increased Se intakes have been associated with decreased risk of cancer and CVD. Several mechanisms have been proposed, including antioxidant effects through selenoproteins, induction of carcinogen metabolism and effects on the blood lipid profile. In a 4 x 1 week randomised, double-blind cross-over study, healthy young men supplemented their usual diet with selenate, Se-enriched yeast, Se-enriched milk or placebo (Se dose was 300 microg/d for selenate and Se-enriched yeast, and about 480 microg/d for Se-enriched milk) followed by 8-week washout periods.

Multiple determinants in the coding region of Pea seed-borne mosaic virus P3 are involved in virulence against sbm-2 resistance.

Viral determinants for overcoming Pisum sativum recessive resistance, sbm-2, against the potyvirus Pea seed-borne mosaic virus (PSbMV) were identified in the region encoding the N-terminal part of the P3 protein. Codons conserved between sbm-2 virulent isolates in this region: Q21, K30 and H122 were found to specifically impair sbm-2 virulence when mutated in selected genetic backgrounds. The corresponding amino acids, Gln21 and Lys30, are neighbored by P3 residues strongly conserved among potyviruses and His122 is conserved particularly in potyviral species infecting legumes.

Virus-induced gene silencing as a tool for functional genomics in a legume species.

Virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) is an attractive reverse-genetics tool for studies of gene function. However, efficient VIGS has only been accomplished in a few plant species. In order to extend the application of VIGS, we examined whether a VIGS vector based on Pea early browning virus (PEBV) would produce recognizable phenotypes in Pisum sativum.