Drying of Saffron Petals as a Critical Step for the Stabilization of This Floral Residue Prior to Extraction of Bioactive Compounds.

Saffron petals represent floral biomass generally wasted due to rapid deterioration. Previous characterization studies have revealed the presence of bioactive compounds in petals, such as flavonols and anthocyanins. Petal stabilization is a challenge for the efficient isolation of these compounds.

Trimethylamine Oxidation into the Proatherogenic Trimethylamine N-Oxide Is Higher in Coronary Heart Disease Men: From the CORDIOPREV Study.

Purpose: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is more prevalent in men than women, but the mechanisms responsible for this are not fully understood. We aimed to evaluate differences in trimethylamine (TMA), a microbial metabolite and its oxidized form, trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO), which is thought to promote atherosclerosis, between men and women with coronary heart disease (CHD), using as a reference a non-CVD population.

Materials And Methods: This study was carried out within the framework of the CORDIOPREV study (NCT00924937; June 19, 2009), a clinical trial which included 827 men and 175 women with CHD, with a non-CVD population of 375 individuals (270 men and 105 women) as a reference group.

Distribution of Main Bioactive Compounds from Saffron Species as a Function of Infusion Temperature and Time in an Oil/Water System.

Most research on saffron has focused on its composition and beneficial effects, while the culinary perspective to enhance its gastronomic potential remains unexplored. This study aims to define the transfer of the main compounds responsible for color, flavor, and aromatic properties, evaluating three critical variables: temperature (60 °C, 80 °C and 100 °C), infusion time (ranging from 10 to 30 min), and the composition of the medium (water, oil, and water/oil). Samples were analyzed using the LC-QTOF MS/MS and ISO 3632-1:2011 methods.

Changes in human sweat metabolome conditioned by severity of obstructive sleep apnea and intermittent hypoxemia.

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a sleep disorder that has been associated with the incidence of other pathologies. Diagnosis is mainly based on the apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) obviating other repercussions such as intermittent hypoxemia, which has been found to be associated to cardiovascular complications. Blood-based samples and urine have been the most utilised biofluids in metabolomics studies related to OSA, while sweat could be an alternative due to its non-invasive and accessible sampling, its reduced complexity, and comparability with other biofluids.

Bariatric surgery and calcifediol treatment, Gordian knot of severe-obesity-related comorbidities treatment.

Background: Obesity (OB) is a chronic metabolic disease with important associated comorbidities and mortality. Vitamin D supplementation is frequently administered after bariatric surgery (BS), so as to reduce OB-related complications, maybe including chronic inflammation.

Aim: This study aimed to explore relations between vitamin D metabolites and components of the inflammasome machinery in OB before and after BS and their relations with the improvement of metabolic comorbidities.

Comparison of Drying Techniques for Extraction of Bioactive Compounds from Olive-Tree Materials.

Olive tree vegetal materials are considered a powerful source for the isolation of bioactive compounds-mainly phenols and triterpenic acids. However, the high humidity content of them reduces their preservation and extractability to a liquid solvent. Accordingly, a drying step is crucial to homogenize the material and to obtain an efficient extraction.

Impact of supplementation with dihydroxylated vitamin D on performance parameters and gut health in weaned Iberian piglets under indoor/outdoor conditions.

Background: Vitamin D may improve innate antimicrobial response and the integrity of the intestinal mucosal barrier representing an alternative to antibiotics for improving pig health. Therefore, benefits of dietary supplementation with a product based on vitamin D metabolite-rich plant extracts were assessed in 252 purebred Iberian piglets for a period of 60 days. The study group received 1,25 dihydroxyvitamin D (1,25(OH)D) (100 ppm) in the conventional feed, which already included vitamin D (2000 IU in the starter and 1000 IU in the adaptation diets, respectively).

MetaboMSDIA: A tool for implementing data-independent acquisition in metabolomic-based mass spectrometry analysis.

Data-dependent acquisition (DDA) is the most widely used mode in untargeted metabolomic analysis despite its limited tandem mass spectrometry (MS2) detection coverage. We present MetaboMSDIA for complete processing of data-independent acquisition (DIA) files by the extraction of multiplexed MS2 spectra and further identification of metabolites in open libraries. In the analysis of polar extracts from lemon and olive fruits, DIA allows one to obtain multiplexed MS2 spectra for 100% of precursor ions compared to 64% of precursor ions from average MS2 acquisition in DDA.

Dissecting the KNDy hypothesis: KNDy neuron-derived kisspeptins are dispensable for puberty but essential for preserved female fertility and gonadotropin pulsatility.

Background: Kiss1 neurons in the hypothalamic arcuate-nucleus (ARC) play key roles in the control of GnRH pulsatility and fertility. A fraction of ARC Kiss1 neurons, termed KNDy, co-express neurokinin B (NKB; encoded by Tac2). Yet, NKB- and Kiss1-only neurons are also found in the ARC, while a second major Kiss1-neuronal population is present in the rostral hypothalamus.

Spatial Distribution and Antioxidant Activity of Extracts from Citrus Fruits.

Citrus fruits are recommended components of the human diet because of their enriched composition in bioactive compounds and health benefits. Among their notable components are phenols, with a special emphasis on flavonoids, limonoids, and carboxylic acids. In this research, we have carried out a spatial metabolomics analysis for the characterization of these bioactive families in three citrus fruits, namely, lemons, limes, and mandarins.

The Longitudinal Changes in Subcutaneous Abdominal Tissue and Visceral Adipose Tissue Volumetries Are Associated with Iron Status.

Excess iron is known to trigger adipose tissue dysfunction and insulin resistance. Circulating markers of iron status have been associated with obesity and adipose tissue in cross-sectional studies. We aimed to evaluate whether iron status is linked to changes in abdominal adipose tissue longitudinally.

Determination of vitamin D conjugated metabolites: a complementary view on hydroxylated metabolites.

Experts typically define vitamin D deficiency levels by the determination of a circulating 25-hydroxyvitamin D-calcifediol prohormone. A large part of the population is characterized by deficient vitamin D levels (calcifediol < 20 ng mL) despite individuals not being affected by any disorder. Cholecalciferol (vitamin D) and/or calcifediol supplementation is a common practice for vitamin D-deficient individuals as recommended by international scientific societies and official agencies.

Metabolomics analysis of type 2 diabetes remission identifies 12 metabolites with predictive capacity: a CORDIOPREV clinical trial study.

Background: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is one of the most widely spread diseases, affecting around 90% of the patients with diabetes. Metabolomics has proven useful in diabetes research discovering new biomarkers to assist in therapeutical studies and elucidating pathways of interest. However, this technique has not yet been applied to a cohort of patients that have remitted from T2DM.

Use of High-Performance Liquid Chromatography/Electrospray Ionization Mass Spectrometry for Structural Characterization of Bioactive Compounds in the Olive Root Bark and Wood of Chemlali Cultivar.

This report aims to provide complete knowledge on the polyphenol composition and biological activities of the olive tree. The extraction of the root bark and wood of . L (Chemlali cultivar) was realized by solid-liquid ethanolic extraction, whose analysis was conducted via high-performance liquid chromatography equipped with photodiode array detection and mass spectrometry (HPLC-ESI-DAD and MS/MS).

EHO-85: A Multifunctional Amorphous Hydrogel for Wound Healing Containing Leaf Extract: Effects on Wound Microenvironment and Preclinical Evaluation.

The prevalence of chronic wounds is increasing due to the population aging and associated pathologies, such as diabetes. These ulcers have an important socio-economic impact. Thus, it is necessary to design new products for their treatment with an adequate cost/effectiveness ratio.

Evaluation of Antioxidant and Wound-Healing Properties of EHO-85, a Novel Multifunctional Amorphous Hydrogel Containing Leaf Extract.

The excess of free radicals in the wound environment contributes to its stagnation during the inflammatory phase, favoring hard-to-heal wounds. Oxidative stress negatively affects cells and the extracellular matrix, hindering the healing process. In this study, we evaluated the antioxidant and wound-healing properties of a novel multifunctional amorphous hydrogel-containing leaf extract (OELE).

Influence of the fatty acid profile on the volatile components of virgin olive oil subjected to thermal stress.

Background: Virgin olive oil (VOO) is greatly appreciated for its organoleptic features, which can be ascribed mainly to the presence of very chemically diverse volatile components. It is well known that the VOO volatile fraction depends strongly on different aspects, which encompass genetic, agronomic, processing, and post-processing factors. In this research, we developed a method for the qualitative and semiquantitative determination of volatile components in VOOs subjected to thermal stress by headspace extraction online coupled to gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (HS-GC-MS).

Serum Phospholipids Fatty Acids and Breast Cancer Risk by Pathological Subtype.

This study evaluates whether serum phospholipids fatty acids (PL-FAs) and markers of their endogenous metabolism are associated with breast cancer (BC) subtypes. EpiGEICAM is a Spanish multicenter matched case-control study. A lifestyle and food frequency questionnaire was completed by 1017 BC cases and healthy women pairs.

Gut microbiota steroid sexual dimorphism and its impact on gonadal steroids: influences of obesity and menopausal status.

Background: Gonadal steroid hormones have been suggested as the underlying mechanism responsible for the sexual dimorphism observed in metabolic diseases. Animal studies have also evidenced a causal role of the gut microbiome and metabolic health. However, the role of sexual dimorphism in the gut microbiota and the potential role of the microbiome in influencing sex steroid hormones and shaping sexually dimorphic susceptibility to disease have been largely overlooked.

Evaluating the Variability in the Phenolic Concentration of Extra Virgin Olive Oil According to the Commission Regulation (EU) 432/2012 Health Claim.

The health benefits of extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) are associated to its fatty acids profile (with predominance of oleic acid) and to the minor components that include phenols, among others. Phenols are responsible for the only health claim of olive oil reported in the Commission Regulation (EU) 432/2012. Here, we have applied a liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method to determine the most abundant phenols included in the health claim (with special emphasis on secoiridoids) in 1239 EVOO samples produced in two consecutive agronomical seasons.

Serum Phospholipid Fatty Acids Levels, Anthropometric Variables and Adiposity in Spanish Premenopausal Women.

This study investigates the still uncertain association between serum phospholipid fatty acids (PL-FA), and anthropometric and adiposity variables. A cross-sectional study was conducted with 1443 Spanish premenopausal women. Participants answered an epidemiological and a food frequency questionnaire.

Serum Phospholipid Fatty Acids and Mammographic Density in Premenopausal Women.

Background: The role of fatty acids (FAs) on mammographic density (MD) is unclear, and available studies are based on self-reported dietary intake.

Objectives: This study assessed the association between specific serum phospholipid fatty acids (PLFAs) and MD in premenopausal women.

Methods: The cross-sectional study DDM-Madrid recruited 1392 Spanish premenopausal women, aged 39-50 y, who attended a screening in a breast radiodiagnosis unit of Madrid City Council.

Profiling analysis of phospholipid fatty acids in serum as a complement to the comprehensive fatty acids method.

Fatty acids (FAs) are mostly found in blood as triglycerides, phospholipids (PLs) and cholesteryl esters. Determination of FAs is typically carried out in serum or plasma by a comprehensive method (known as the classical FAMEs method since FAs are determined as Fatty Acids Methyl Esters), which is based on liquid-liquid extraction, derivatization by transesterification, and determination by gas chromatography (GC) coupled to a suited detection technique. However, this method does not favor the determination of FAs that are chemically conjugated in PLs due to kinetics impediment.