South East Asian Nutrition Surveys (SEANUTS) II - a multi-country evaluation of nutrition and lifestyle indicators in children aged 12 years and below: rationale and design.

Objective: To assess the nutritional status, growth parameters and lifestyle behaviours of children between 0·5 and 12 years in nationally representative samples in Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam.

Design: A cross-sectional study was conducted in the four countries, between May 2019 and April 2021. Data collected can be categorised into four categories: (1) Growth - anthropometry, body composition, development disorder, (2) nutrient intake and dietary habits - 24-h dietary recall, child food habits, breast-feeding and complementary feeding, (3) socio-economic status - food insecurity and child health status/environmental and (4) lifestyle behaviours - physical activity patterns, fitness, sunlight exposure, sleep patterns, body image and behavioural problems.

Prediction of subclinical atherosclerosis in low Framingham risk score individuals by using the metabolic syndrome criteria and insulin sensitivity index.

Background: Subclinical atherosclerosis can be present in individuals with an optimal cardiovascular risk factor profile. Traditional risk scores such as the Framingham risk score do not adequately capture risk stratification in low-risk individuals. The aim of this study was to determine if markers of metabolic syndrome and insulin resistance can better stratify low-risk individuals.

Gender differences in fasting and postprandial metabolic traits predictive of subclinical atherosclerosis in an asymptomatic Chinese population.

The prediction utility of Framingham Risk Score in populations with low conventional cardiovascular risk burden is limited, particularly among women. Gender-specific markers to predict cardiovascular risk in overtly healthy people are lacking. In this study we hypothesize that postprandial responses triggered by a high-calorie meal test differ by gender in their ability to triage asymptomatic subjects into those with and without subclinical atherosclerosis.

Clinical- and omics-based models of subclinical atherosclerosis in healthy Chinese adults: a cross-sectional exploratory study.

Background: Classical risk factors, such as fasting cholesterol, blood pressure (BP), and diabetes status are used today to predict the risk of developing cardiovascular disease (CVD). However, accurate prediction remains limited, particularly in low-risk groups such as women and younger individuals. Growing evidence suggests that biomarker concentrations following consumption of a meal challenge are better and earlier predictors of disease development than biomarker concentrations.

Plasma Branched-Chain Amino Acids Are Associated With Greater Fasting and Postprandial Insulin Secretion in Non-diabetic Chinese Adults.

Plasma branched-chain amino acids (BCAA) are consistently elevated in subjects with obesity and type 2 diabetes (T2DM) and correlate with insulin resistance. The association of BCAA with insulin secretion and clearance rates has not been adequately described. To evaluate the relationships between fasting and postprandial plasma BCAA, insulin secretion and insulin clearance.

Acute dose-response effect of coffee-derived chlorogenic acids on the human vasculature in healthy volunteers: a randomized controlled trial.

Background: Epidemiological studies have reported lower risk of cardiovascular disease with moderate coffee consumption. In addition, emerging evidence indicates that consumption of coffee beverages enriched in chlorogenic acids (CGAs) may influence blood pressure and endothelial function, suggesting that the beneficial cardiovascular effect of coffee may relate to its CGA content.

Objectives: We conducted a double-blind randomized crossover trial to test the effect of acute consumption of a decaffeinated green coffee extract (DGCE), rich in CGAs, on endothelial function in healthy subjects.

The Influence of Different Foods and Food Ingredients on Acute Postprandial Triglyceride Response: A Systematic Literature Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.

The use of postprandial triglyceride (ppTG) as a cardiovascular disease risk indicator has gained recent popularity. However, the influence of different foods or food ingredients on the ppTG response has not been comprehensively characterized. A systematic literature review and meta-analysis was conducted to assess the effects of foods or food ingredients on the ppTG response.

Dose-response relationship between cocoa flavanols and human endothelial function: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized trials.

Background: Several intervention studies have investigated the relationship between cocoa flavanols and endothelial function. However, the shape of the association and the type of compounds responsible for the effects are largely unknown.

Objective: To examine the dose-response association between the consumption of cocoa flavanols and endothelial function, measured by flow-mediated dilation (FMD).

The Impact of Epicatechin on Human Cognition: The Role of Cerebral Blood Flow.

Epicatechin is a monomeric flavanol found in food sources such as tea, apples, berries and cocoa. A number of large-scale epidemiological studies have demonstrated an association between the consumption of these foods and cognitive function, as well as improved blood flow. The aim of this review is to summarise the evidence from intervention studies to clarify the effect of epicatechin on cognition and to consider the role of increased cerebral blood flow as a mechanism for any effects.

Concentrations of Carotenoids and Tocopherols in Breast Milk from Urban Chinese Mothers and Their Associations with Maternal Characteristics: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Milk composition remains the best estimate of infant requirements. The aims of this study were to quantify carotenoids and tocopherols in human milk from healthy Chinese mothers, and to explore their associations with lactation stage, region, socio-economic and obstetric characteristics, and dietary intake. Human milk was obtained from 509 healthy mothers, and concentrations of carotenoids and tocopherols were analyzed by Ultra High Performance Liquid Chromatography.

Mediation of coffee-induced improvements in human vascular function by chlorogenic acids and its metabolites: Two randomized, controlled, crossover intervention trials.

Background & Aims: Polyphenol intake has been linked to improvements in human vascular function, although data on hydroxycinnamates, such as chlorogenic acid (CGA) have not yet been studied. We aimed to investigate the impact of coffee intake rich in chlorogenic acid on human vascular function and whether CGAs are involved in potential effects.

Methods: Two acute randomized, controlled, cross-over human intervention trials were conducted.

Effects of plant stanol or sterol-enriched diets on lipid profiles in patients treated with statins: systematic review and meta-analysis.

Efficacy and safety data from trials with suitable endpoints have shown that non-statin medication in combination with a statin is a potential strategy to further reduce cardiovascular events. We aimed to evaluate the overall effect of stanol- or sterol-enriched diets on serum lipid profiles in patients treated with statins by conducting a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs). We used the PubMed, Cochrane library and ClinicalTrials.

Acute effects of chlorogenic acids on endothelial function and blood pressure in healthy men and women.

Coffee is a rich source of polyphenols, primarily chlorogenic acids (CGA). Certain polyphenols and polyphenol-rich foods and beverages have been shown to improve endothelial function and lower blood pressure (BP). The aim of the present study was to investigate the acute effect of two doses of CGA (5-CGA) on endothelial function and BP.

The roasting process does not influence the extent of conjugation of coffee chlorogenic and phenolic acids.

Understanding the bioavailability and metabolism of coffee compounds will contribute to identify the unknown biological mechanism(s) linked to their beneficial effects. The influence of the roasting process on the metabolism of coffee chlorogenic acids in humans was evaluated. In a randomized, double-blind, crossover study, 12 healthy volunteers consumed four instant coffees namely, high roasted coffee (HRC), low roasted coffee (LRC), unroasted coffee (URC), and in vitro hydrolyzed unroasted coffee (HURC).

Effect of Glucuronidation on the Potential of Kaempferol to Inhibit Serine/Threonine Protein Kinases.

To study the effect of metabolic conjugation of flavonoids on the potential to inhibit protein kinase activity, the inhibitory effects of the dietary flavonol kaempferol and its major plasma conjugate kaempferol-3-O-glucuronide on protein kinases were studied. To this end, the inhibition of the phosphorylation activity of recombinant protein kinase A (PKA) and of cell lysate from the hepatocellular carcinoma cell line HepG2 on 141 putative serine/threonine phosphorylation sites derived from human proteins was assessed. Glucuronidation reduced the inhibitory potency of kaempferol on the phosphorylation activity of PKA and HepG2 lysate on average about 16 and 3.

The effect of glucuronidation on isoflavone induced estrogen receptor (ER)α and ERβ mediated coregulator interactions.

Non-prenylated isoflavone aglycones are known to have phyto-estrogenic properties and act as agonistic ligands on ERα and ERβ due to their structural resemblance to 17β-estradiol (E2). Genistein and daidzein are the two main dietary isoflavones; upon uptake they are extensively metabolized and exist nearly exclusively as their conjugated forms in biological fluids. Little is known about the effect of conjugation on the intrinsic estrogenic activities of these isoflavones.

Gastrointestinal absorption and metabolism of hesperetin-7-O-rutinoside and hesperetin-7-O-glucoside in healthy humans.

Scope: Hesperetin-7-O-rutinoside (hesperidin) reduces blood pressure in healthy volunteers but its intestinal absorption and metabolism are not fully understood. Therefore, we aimed to determine sites of absorption and metabolism of dietary flavanone glycosides in humans.

Methods And Results: Using a single-blind, randomized crossover design, we perfused equimolar amounts of hesperetin-7-O-rutinoside and hesperetin-7-O-glucoside directly into the proximal jejunum of healthy volunteers.

The effect of quercetin and kaempferol aglycones and glucuronides on peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma (PPAR-γ).

The consumption of dietary flavonoids has been associated with a variety of health benefits, including effects mediated by the activation of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma (PPAR-γ). Flavonoids are extensively metabolized during and after uptake and there is little known on the biological effects of these conjugated metabolites of flavonoids that are found in plasma. To investigate the effect of glucuronidation on the ability of flavonoids to activate PPAR-γ we studied and compared the activity of quercetin, kaempferol and their relevant plasma conjugates quercetin-3-O-glucuronide (Q3G) and kaempferol-3-O-glucuronide (K3G) on different PPAR-γ related endpoints.

Modulation of (-)-epicatechin metabolism by coadministration with other polyphenols in Caco-2 cell model.

Widely consumed beverages such as red wine, tea, and cocoa-derived products are a great source of flavanols. Epidemiologic and interventional studies suggest that cocoa flavanols such as (-)-epicatechin may reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases. The interaction of (-)-epicatechin with food components including other polyphenols could modify its absorption, metabolism, and finally its bioactivity.

Identification of epicatechin as one of the key bioactive constituents of polyphenol-enriched extracts that demonstrate an anti-allergic effect in a murine model of food allergy.

Polyphenols are naturally derived bioactive compounds with numerous reported health benefits. We have previously reported on the beneficial effect of a polyphenol-enriched apple extract in a murine model of food allergy. The objectives of the present study were to elucidate the class of bioactive polyphenols that exhibit a beneficial anti-allergic effect and to assess whether the protective effect matches the in vivo bioavailable metabolite concentrations.

The effect of acute dark chocolate consumption on carbohydrate metabolism and performance during rest and exercise.

Consumption of cocoa-enriched dark chocolate (DC) has been shown to alter glucose and insulin concentration during rest and exercise compared with cocoa-depleted control (CON). However, the impact of DC consumption on exercise metabolism and performance is uncertain. Therefore, we investigated carbohydrate metabolism via stable isotope tracer techniques during exercise after subjects ingested either DC or CON.

Quantification of phenolic acids and their methylates, glucuronides, sulfates and lactones metabolites in human plasma by LC-MS/MS after oral ingestion of soluble coffee.

Chlorogenic acids and derivatives like phenolic acids are potentially bioactive phenolics, which are commonly found in many foods. Once absorbed, chlorogenic and phenolic acids are highly metabolized by the intestine and the liver, producing glucuronidated and/or sulphated compounds. These metabolites were analyzed in human plasma using a validated liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS/MS) method.

Intestinal absorption, metabolism, and excretion of (-)-epicatechin in healthy humans assessed by using an intestinal perfusion technique.

Background: (-)-Epicatechin is a dietary flavonoid present in many foods that affects vascular function, but its action is limited by incomplete absorption, conjugation, and metabolism. Factors that influence this activity may be attributed to instability in the gastrointestinal lumen, low permeability across the intestinal wall, or active efflux from enterocytes and extensive conjugation.

Objective: With the use of a multilumen perfusion catheter, we investigated the jejunal absorption, systemic availability, metabolism, and intestinal, biliary, and urinary excretion of (-)-epicatechin in humans.

Identification of cholesteryl ester of ferulic acid in human plasma by mass spectrometry.

Epidemiological data suggests that regular consumption polyphenol rich foods and beverages is associated with a reduced risk of certain pathological conditions. While the in vivo "per se" antioxidant benefit of polyphenols still has not been clearly demonstrated, it has been suggested that phenolic acids can be incorporated into low-density lipoproteins (LDL). In the present study, we hypothesized that esterification of phenolic acids - such as ferulic acid - with lipophilic substances such as cholesterol can occur in vivo.

Bioavailability of bioactive food compounds: a challenging journey to bioefficacy.

Bioavailability is a key step in ensuring bioefficacy of bioactive food compounds or oral drugs. Bioavailability is a complex process involving several different stages: liberation, absorption, distribution, metabolism and elimination phases (LADME). Bioactive food compounds, whether derived from various plant or animal sources, need to be bioavailable in order to exert any beneficial effects.