Zebrafish obesogenic test identifies anti-adipogenic fraction in leaf extracts.

The zebrafish obesogenic test (ZOT) is a powerful tool for identifying anti-adipogenic compounds for in vivo screening. In our previous study, we found that (MO) leaf powder suppressed the accumulation of visceral adipose tissue (VAT) in ZOT. MO demonstrates a wide range of pharmacological effects; however, little is known about its functional constituents.

Globin Digest Improves Visceral Adiposity Through UCP1 Upregulation in Diet-Induced Obese Zebrafish and Mice.

Globin digest (GD), a bioactive oligopeptide derived from porcine hemoglobin proteins, has been demonstrated to have beneficial effects on improving postprandial hyperlipidemia, hyperglycemia, and liver injury. We previously reported the lipid-lowering effects of GD using a zebrafish obesogenic test. Here, we sought to evaluate the effect of GD on visceral adiposity and the underlying molecular mechanisms using zebrafish and mouse obesity models.

Preventive Effects of Green Tea Extract against Obesity Development in Zebrafish.

Various natural products (NPs) have been used to treat obesity and related diseases. However, the best way to fight obesity is preventive, with accurate body weight management through exercise, diet, or bioactive NPs to avoid obesity development. We demonstrated that green tea extract (GTE) is an anti-obesity NP using a zebrafish obesity model.

Attitudes Toward Psychological Disorders and Alternative Medicine in Saudi Participants.

This study was designed to investigate Saudis' attitudes toward mental distress and psychotropic medication, attribution of causes, expected side effects, and to analyze participants' expectations toward alternative or complementary medicine using aromatic and medicinal plants, through a survey. The study included 674 participants (citizens and residents in Saudi Arabia) who were randomly contacted via email and social media and gave their consent to complete a questionnaire dealing with 39 items that can be clustered in six parts. Descriptive statistics and Chi-square for cross-tabulation were generated using SPSS.

Anti-Obesity Natural Products Tested in Juvenile Zebrafish Obesogenic Tests and Mouse 3T3-L1 Adipogenesis Assays.

(1) Background: The obesity epidemic has been drastically progressing in both children and adults worldwide. Pharmacotherapy is considered necessary for its treatment. However, many anti-obesity drugs have been withdrawn from the market due to their adverse effects.

Characteristic Analysis of Trigonelline Contained in Cv. Sakurajima Daikon and Results from the First Trial Examining Its Vasodilator Properties in Humans.

Vascular disease poses a major public health problem worldwide. Trigonelline isolated from cv. Sakurajima Daikon (Sakurajima radish) induces nitric oxide production from vascular endothelial cells and enhances vascular function.

RNA-seq Based Transcriptome Analysis of the Anti-Obesity Effect of Green Tea Extract Using Zebrafish Obesity Models.

Green tea is a popular beverage that is rich in polyphenolic compounds such as catechins. Its major content, (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate, has been shown to have beneficial effects on several diseases including cancer, metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular diseases, and neurodegenerative diseases. The aim of this study was to assess the anti-obesity effects and the underlying molecular mechanisms of green tea extract (GTE) using zebrafish larva and adult obesity models.

Nano-Science-Engineering-Technology Applications to Food and Nutrition.

Nanoscale Science, Engineering and Technology are applied to Food and Nutrition. Various delivery systems include nanoemulsions, microemulsions, solid lipid nanoparticles, micelles, and liposomes. The nanoscale systems have advantages, such as higher bioavailabitity, and other physicochemical properties.

miRegulome: a knowledge-base of miRNA regulomics and analysis.

Unlabelled: miRNAs regulate post transcriptional gene expression by targeting multiple mRNAs and hence can modulate multiple signalling pathways, biological processes, and patho-physiologies. Therefore, understanding of miRNA regulatory networks is essential in order to modulate the functions of a miRNA. The focus of several existing databases is to provide information on specific aspects of miRNA regulation.

Post-meal perceivable satiety and subsequent energy intake with intake of partially hydrolysed guar gum.

Partially hydrolysed guar gum (PHGG), a soluble dietary fibre, has been shown to provide many health benefits. Previous studies had suggested that the combination of PHGG with protein provided a significant satiation effect on visual analogue scales (VAS). What was lacking was only the effect of administration of small doses of PHGG on post-meal satiation and subsequent energy intake.

In Search of a Safe Natural Sleep Aid.

Sleep deprivation is associated with an elevated risk of various diseases and leads to a poor quality of life and negative socioeconomic consequences. Sleep inducers such as drugs and herbal medicines may often lead to dependence and other side effects. L-Theanine (γ-glutamylethylamide), an amino acid naturally found abundant in tea leaves, has anxiolytic effects via the induction of α brain waves without additive and other side effects associated with conventional sleep inducers.

Proteome scale comparative modeling for conserved drug and vaccine targets identification in Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis.

Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis (Cp) is a pathogenic bacterium that causes caseous lymphadenitis (CLA), ulcerative lymphangitis, mastitis, and edematous to a broad spectrum of hosts, including ruminants, thereby threatening economic and dairy industries worldwide. Currently there is no effective drug or vaccine available against Cp. To identify new targets, we adopted a novel integrative strategy, which began with the prediction of the modelome (tridimensional protein structures for the proteome of an organism, generated through comparative modeling) for 15 previously sequenced C.

Engineered Nanoscale Food Ingredients: Evaluation of Current Knowledge on Material Characteristics Relevant to Uptake from the Gastrointestinal Tract.

The NanoRelease Food Additive project developed a catalog to identify potential engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) used as ingredients, using various food-related databases. To avoid ongoing debate on defining the term nanomaterial, NanoRelease did not use any specific definition other than the ingredient is not naturally part of the food chain, and its dimensions are measured in the nanoscale. Potential nanomaterials were categorized based on physical similarity; analysis indicated that the range of ENMs declared as being in the food chain was limited.

A novel in silico reverse-transcriptomics-based identification and blood-based validation of a panel of sub-type specific biomarkers in lung cancer.

Lung cancer accounts for the highest number of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Early diagnosis significantly increases the disease-free survival rate and a large amount of effort has been expended in screening trials and the development of early molecular diagnostics. However, a gold standard diagnostic strategy is not yet available.

Anti-stress effect of theanine on students during pharmacy practice: positive correlation among salivary α-amylase activity, trait anxiety and subjective stress.

Purpose: Theanine, an amino acid in tea, has significant anti-stress effect on experimental animals under psychosocial stress. Anti-stress effect of theanine on humans was evaluated in 5th-year university students during pharmacy practice.

Method: The study design was a single-blind group comparison and participants (n=20) were randomly assigned to theanine or placebo groups.

Ovalbumin induced allergic rhinitis and development of prediabetes to rats: possible role of Th2 cytokines.

Diabetes is known to be regulated by cytokines secreted from Th1 cells, while allergic rhinitis (AR) is mainly regulated by Th2 cytokines. In recent past we have reported the development of diabetes in response to parthinium induced AR to rats. These results were contradictory to Th1/Th2 paradigm which suggests that Th1 and Th2 cells reciprocally counteract each other.

Safety assessment and caloric value of partially hydrolyzed guar gum.

Guar gum and partially hydrolyzed guar gum (PHGG) are food ingredients that have been available for many years. PHGG is the partially hydrolyzed product from guar gum obtained from the Indian cluster bean (Cyanopsis tetragonolopus). The gum (CAS Registry No.

L-theanine administration results in neuroprotection and prevents glutamate receptor agonist-mediated injury in the rat model of cerebral ischemia-reperfusion.

While the neuroprotective effect of green tea (Camellia sinensis) might be explained by the presence of amino acid L-theanine in the tea leaves, it is not known whether postischemic administration of L-theanine could also provide neuroprotection. In the present study, we investigated the neuroprotective effect of L-theanine (1 and 4 mg/kg) administered at 3, 12, and 24 h after reperfusion in the rat model of stroke. We also studied the effect of L-theanine on brain injury caused by exogenous administration of N-methyl-D-aspartate and α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-isoxazole-4-propionate/kainate receptor agonists during reperfusion.

The effects of L-theanine (Suntheanine®) on objective sleep quality in boys with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD): a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial.

Introduction: The purpose of this study was to investigate the efficacy and safety of L-theanine as an aid to the improvement of objectively measured sleep quality in a population of 98 male children formally diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Methods: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial was conducted involving boys, ages 8-12 years, who had been previously diagnosed with ADHD. An experienced physician confirmed the diagnosis of ADHD in each subject.

Pilot-scale commercialization of iron-fortified rice: effects on anemia status.

Background: Rice, the staple food of the Philippines, is an appropriate vehicle for iron fortification to combat the high prevalence of iron-deficiency anemia. A previous study among schoolchildren supplemented with iron-fortified rice showed a significant reduction in the rate of iron-deficiency anemia from 100% to 33%.

Objective: To document the processes involved in commercializing iron-fortified rice and to determine its effects on anemia prevalence.

Comparative composition and antioxidant activity of Peptide fractions obtained by ultrafiltration of egg yolk protein enzymatic hydrolysates.

The objective of the study was to compare the antioxidant activity of two distinct hydrolysates and their peptide fractions prepared by ultrafiltration (UF) using membranes with molecular weight cut-off of 5 and 1 kDa. The hydrolysates were a delipidated egg yolk protein concentrate (EYP) intensively hydrolyzed with a combination of two bacterial proteases, and a phosphoproteins (PPP) extract partially hydrolyzed with trypsin. Antioxidant activity, as determined by the oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) assay, was low for EYP and PPP hydrolysates with values of 613.

ORAC and DPPH assay comparison to assess antioxidant capacity of tea infusions: relationship between total polyphenol and individual catechin content.

Commercially available tea infusions are the major source of catechins for preparing bottled tea beverages and tea supplements available in the market today. In the present study, we analyzed five tea infusions to measure the total antioxidant capacity (TAC) by oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging capacity (DRSC) assays, total polyphenol content by the colorimetric method and individual catechin content by high-performance liquid chromatography. Four major tea catechins were also analyzed for their TAC to reveal differential antioxidant behavior of the tea infusions, resulting in the ORAC and DRSC methods.

The protective role of amla (Emblica officinalis Gaertn.) against fructose-induced metabolic syndrome in a rat model.

We investigated the effects of amla (Emblica officinalis Gaertn.) on fructose-induced metabolic syndrome using a rat model. Male Wistar rats were fed a high-fructose (65 %) diet or standard chow for 1 week, and treated with an ethyl acetate (EtOAc) extract of amla, a polyphenol-rich fraction, at 10 or 20 mg/kg body weight per d, or vehicle, for 2 weeks.

Immunomodulatory effects of egg white enzymatic hydrolysates containing immunodominant epitopes in a BALB/c mouse model of egg allergy.

Egg has ben documented as a rich source for the supply of biologically active peptides. This study characterizes the immunomodulatory effects of an egg white enzymatic hydrolysate (EWH) using a BALB/c mouse model of egg allergy. Mice were orally sensitized to egg white and subsequently gavaged with EWH.