Quinolones Modulate Ghrelin Receptor Signaling: Potential for a Novel Small Molecule Scaffold in the Treatment of Cachexia.

Cachexia is a metabolic wasting disorder characterized by progressive weight loss, muscle atrophy, fatigue, weakness, and appetite loss. Cachexia is associated with almost all major chronic illnesses including cancer, heart failure, obstructive pulmonary disease, and kidney disease and significantly impedes treatment outcome and therapy tolerance, reducing physical function and increasing mortality. Current cachexia treatments are limited and new pharmacological strategies are needed.

A Novel Non-Peptidic Agonist of the Ghrelin Receptor with Orexigenic Activity In vivo.

Loss of appetite in the medically ill and ageing populations is a major health problem and a significant symptom in cachexia syndromes, which is the loss of muscle and fat mass. Ghrelin is a gut-derived hormone which can stimulate appetite. Herein we describe a novel, simple, non-peptidic, 2-pyridone which acts as a selective agonist for the ghrelin receptor (GHS-R1a).

Protein and amino acid composition of select wild legume species of tribe Fabeae.

The nutritional characteristics of seed proteins of 50 Spanish wild taxa of Lathyrus, Lens, Pisum and Vicia have been compared. The highest average protein richness and the in vitro protein digestibility have been observed in the genus Vicia and Lens, respectively, whereas the genus Pisum showed the lowest protein-digestibility corrected amino acid score. Using the K-means algorithm three clearly distinguished groups of taxa have been established in relation to their essential amino acid contents, protein richness, digestibility and nutritional parameters.

Extrusion Conditions and Amylose Content Affect Physicochemical Properties of Extrudates Obtained from Brown Rice Grains.

The utilization of whole grains in food formulations is nowadays recommended. Extrusion cooking allows obtaining precooked cereal products and a wide range of ready-to-eat foods. Two rice varieties having different amylose content (Fortuna 16% and Paso 144, 27%) were extruded using a Brabender single screw extruder.

Nutritional characteristics of seed proteins in 28 Vicia species (Fabaceae) from Southern Spain.

The study of local plants could provide useful data for the possible development of future crops with good nutritional and functional properties. The nutritional characteristics of the seed proteins of 28 Vicia species (31 taxa) (Fabaceae) from Spain were studied. Protein contents in studied Vicia ranged from 20.