Lingonberry (- L.) Skin Extract Prevents Weight Gain and Hyperglycemia in High-Fat Diet-Induced Model of Obesity in Mice.

The percentage of obese people is increasing worldwide, causing versatile health problems. Obesity is connected to diseases such as diabetes and cardiovascular diseases, which are preceded by a state called metabolic syndrome. Diets rich in fruits and vegetables have been reported to decrease the risk of metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes.

Survey of microbes in industrial-scale second-generation bioethanol production for better process knowledge and operation.

The microbes present in bioethanol production processes have been previously studied in laboratory-scale experiments, but there is a lack of information on full-scale industrial processes. In this study, the microbial communities of three industrial bioethanol production processes were characterized using several methods. The samples originated from second-generation bioethanol plants that produce fuel ethanol from biowaste, food industry side streams, or sawdust.

Development of a fermented quinoa-based beverage.

Quinoa is a crop that originated from the Andes. It has high nutritional value, outstanding agro-ecological adaptability, and low water requirements. Quinoa is an excellent crop alternative to help overcome food shortages, and it can also have a role in the prevention of developed world lifestyle diseases, such as type-2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, osteoporosis, inflammatory and autoimmune diseases, etc.

Effective saccharification of lignocellulosic barley straw by mechanocatalytical pretreatment using potassium pyrosulfate as a catalyst.

The catalytic conversion of lignocellulosic biomass is attractive due to the feasible generation of valuable products such as reducing sugars which constitute the basic substrates for chemical and transportation fuel production, as well as the production of renewable hydrogen. This study shows the efficient conversion of lignocellulose, especially hemicellulose, into reducing sugars such as xylose and galactose, by mechanocatalysis using potassium pyrosulfate, KSO, as an effective salt catalyst. Ball milling was performed, introducing a mechanical force which, combined with chemical pretreatment, leads to reducing sugar yields (40%) almost as high as when commonly used sulfuric acid was employed.

Solid acid-catalyzed depolymerization of barley straw driven by ball milling.

This study describes a time and energy saving, solvent-free procedure for the conversion of lignocellulosic barley straw into reducing sugars by mechanocatalytical pretreatment. The catalytic conversion efficiency of several solid acids was tested which revealed oxalic acid dihydrate as a potential catalyst with high conversion rate. Samples were mechanically treated by ball milling and subsequently hydrolyzed at different temperatures.

Urolithins display both antioxidant and pro-oxidant activities depending on assay system and conditions.

The biological effects of polyphenolic ellagitannins are mediated by their intestinal metabolites, urolithins. This study investigated redox properties of urolithins A and B using ORAC assay, three cell-based assays, copper-initiated pro-oxidant activity (CIPA) assay, and cyclic voltammetry. Urolithins were strong antioxidants in the ORAC assay, but mostly pro-oxidants in cell-based assays, although urolithin A was an antioxidant in cell culture medium.

Vitamin C inhibits staphylococcus aureus growth and enhances the inhibitory effect of quercetin on growth of Escherichia coli in vitro.

Quercetin is a natural flavonoid possessing a number of health beneficial effects. Its bioactivity is restricted by low solubility and sensitivity to oxidative degradation, factors that are often ignored in laboratory studies. We studied the antimicrobial effects of quercetin on Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli and Lactobacillus plantarum at concentrations at which it is soluble and investigated how the antioxidant vitamin C modulates these activities.

Chemical composition of ripe fruits of Rubus chamaemorus L. grown in different habitats.

Background: Cloudberry (Rubus chamaemorus L.) is one of the most valuable berry-producing plants because of its nutritional properties. The chemical composition and crop yield of ripe fruits of cloudberry grown wild in 10 habitats in northern Finland was analysed over two consecutive summers.