The dose-response effect of lecithin on carotenoid bioaccessibility and Caco-2 cell uptake.

Previous results have been mixed as to whether the emulsifying agent lecithin increases carotenoid bioaccessibility and Caco-2 cellular uptake. The dose-response effect of lecithin (0-5 mg) on carotenoid bioaccessibility and Caco-2 cellular uptake was investigated in vitro using a mixture of β-carotene, lycopene, lutein, zeaxanthin and astaxanthin. Resulting micelles were incubated with Caco-2 cells for 4 h.

CoQ10 bioaccessibility and Caco-2 cell uptake improved with novel medium chain triglyceride encapsulation.

Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) serves as a key component of the electron transport chain. Although it can be produced endogenously, genetic mutations and drugs (, statins) limit the amount absorbed, thus dietary sources provide a supplement. The hydrophobicity of CoQ10 limits its absorption during digestion.

Carotenoid Bioaccessibility and Caco-2 Cell Uptake Following Novel Encapsulation Using Medium Chain Triglycerides.

Carotenoids are especially hydrophobic and dissolve poorly in water. Encapsulation is used to increase their solubility in water-based food products. However, it is not yet known whether encapsulation with a combination of lecithin and medium-chain triglycerides improves carotenoid bioaccessibility and intestinal cell uptake.

Bioaccessibility and Caco-2 cell uptake of iron chlorophyllin using a biologically relevant digestion model.

Iron deficiency remains a top nutrient deficiency worldwide. Iron chlorophyllin (IC), a compound structurally analogous to heme, utilizes the protoporphyrin ring of chlorophyll to bind iron. IC has previously been shown to deliver more iron to Caco-2 cells than FeSO, the most common form prescribed for supplementation.

Re-remembering the influence of randomized β-carotene on cognitive decline.

The wave of individuals impacted by dementia continues to rise rapidly as worldwide lifespan increases. Dietary strategies to slow cognitive decline and prolong time to clinical dementia remain understudied, but with potentially powerful public health consequences. Indeed, previously conducted large, randomized, placebo-controlled trials of micronutrients remain an under-leveraged resource to study changes in cognitive performance.

Carotenoids and Their Health Benefits as Derived via Their Interactions with Gut Microbiota.

Carotenoids have been related to a number of health benefits. Their dietary intake and circulating levels have been associated with a reduced incidence of obesity, diabetes, certain types of cancer, and even lower total mortality. Their potential interaction with the gut microbiota (GM) has been generally overlooked but may be of relevance, as carotenoids largely bypass absorption in the small intestine and are passed on to the colon, where they appear to be in part degraded into unknown metabolites.

Fat-soluble vitamin and phytochemical metabolites: Production, gastrointestinal absorption, and health effects.

Consumption of diets rich in fruits and vegetables, which provide some fat-soluble vitamins and many phytochemicals, is associated with a lower risk of developing certain degenerative diseases. It is well accepted that not only the parent compounds, but also their derivatives formed upon enzymatic or nonenzymatic transformations, can produce protective biological effects. These derivatives can be formed during food storage, processing, or cooking.

A mechanism for red coloration in vertebrates.

Red coloration is a salient feature of the natural world. Many vertebrates produce red color by converting dietary yellow carotenoids into red ketocarotenoids via an unknown mechanism. Here, we show that two enzymes, cytochrome P450 2J19 (CYP2J19) and 3-hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase 1-like (BDH1L), are sufficient to catalyze this conversion.

Dietary Energy Intake and Presence of Aberrant Crypt Foci Are Associated with Phospholipid, Purine, and Taurine Metabolite Abundances in C57BL/6N Mouse Colon.

Scope: Colon metabolomes associated with high-fat (H) versus energy-restricted (E) diets in early colorectal cancer (CRC) models have never been directly compared. The objectives of this study are to elucidate metabolites associated with diet, aberrant crypt foci (ACF), and diet:ACF interaction, using a lifetime murine model.

Methods And Results: Three-week-old mice consumed control (C), E, or H initiation diets for 18 weeks.

A novel family of secreted insect proteins linked to plant gall development.

In an elaborate form of inter-species exploitation, many insects hijack plant development to induce novel plant organs called galls that provide the insect with a source of nutrition and a temporary home. Galls result from dramatic reprogramming of plant cell biology driven by insect molecules, but the roles of specific insect molecules in gall development have not yet been determined. Here, we study the aphid Hormaphis cornu, which makes distinctive "cone" galls on leaves of witch hazel Hamamelis virginiana.

The Metabolism and Potential Bioactivity of Chlorophyll and Metallo-chlorophyll Derivatives in the Gastrointestinal Tract.

Chlorophyll is the vivid chromophore which imparts the green color to plant leaves, and is consumed by humans through green vegetables. The basic porphyrin structure of chlorophyll binds magnesium in plants, but can bind different divalent metals (e.g.

Comparison of the carotenoid profiles of commonly consumed smear-ripened cheeses.

The objective of this study was to identify the carotenoids imparting the orange colour to the rind, and pale yellow color to the core, of selected smear-ripened cheeses. The cheeses investigated were Charloe, Ashbrook, Taleggio, and Limburger, and were sourced from artisanal markets. Samples of the rind and core were extracted using non-polar solvents, followed by saponification to hydrolyze triglycerides to remove fatty acids, and to release carotenoid esters.

Catechin-Rich Green Tea Extract and the Loss-of-TLR4 Signaling Differentially Alter the Hepatic Metabolome in Mice with Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis.

Scope: Catechin-rich green tea extract (GTE) limits inflammation in nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) consistent with a Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4)-dependent mechanism. It is hypothesized that GTE supplementation during NASH will shift the hepatic metabolome similar to that attributed to the loss-of-TLR4 signaling.

Methods And Results: Wild-type (WT) and loss-of-function TLR4-mutant (TLR4 ) mice are fed a high-fat diet containing 0% or 2% GTE for 8 weeks prior to performing untargeted mass spectrometry-based metabolomics on liver tissue.

Vitamin A and D Absorption in Adults with Metabolic Syndrome versus Healthy Controls: A Pilot Study Utilizing Targeted and Untargeted LC-MS Lipidomics.

Scope: Persons with metabolic syndrome (MetS) absorb less vitamin E than healthy controls. It is hypothesized that absorption of fat-soluble vitamins (FSV) A and D would also decrease with MetS status and that trends would be reflected in lipidomic responses between groups.

Methods And Results: Following soymilk consumption (501 IU vitamin A, 119 IU vitamin D ), the triglyceride-rich lipoprotein fractions (TRL) from MetS and healthy subjects (n = 10 age- and gender-matched subjects/group) are assessed using LC-MS/MS.

Temperature and storage time increase provitamin A carotenoid concentrations and bioaccessibility in post-harvest carrots.

The aim was to enhance provitamin A carotenoid (proVA CAR) concentrations and bioaccessibility in carrots by manipulating post-harvest factors. To that end, we assessed the effects of Ultraviolet-C light, pulsed light, storage temperature, and storage duration. We also measured CAR bioaccessibility by using an in vitro model.

COLMAR Lipids Web Server and Ultrahigh-Resolution Methods for Two-Dimensional Nuclear Magnetic Resonance- and Mass Spectrometry-Based Lipidomics.

Accurate identification of lipids in biological samples is a key step in lipidomics studies. Multidimensional nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy is a powerful analytical tool for this purpose as it provides comprehensive structural information on lipid composition at atomic resolution. However, the interpretation of NMR spectra of complex lipid mixtures is currently hampered by limited spectral resolution and the absence of a customized lipid NMR database along with user-friendly spectral analysis tools.

Enzymology of vertebrate carotenoid oxygenases.

Mammals and higher vertebrates including humans have only three members of the carotenoid cleavage dioxygenase family of enzymes. This review focuses on the two that function as carotenoid oxygenases. β-Carotene 15,15'-dioxygenase (BCO1) catalyzes the oxidative cleavage of the central 15,15' carbon-carbon double of β-carotene bond by addition of molecular oxygen.

Green Tea Extract Treatment in Obese Mice with Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis Restores the Hepatic Metabolome in Association with Limiting Endotoxemia-TLR4-NFκB-Mediated Inflammation.

Scope: Catechin-rich green tea extract (GTE) alleviates nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) by lowering endotoxin-TLR4 (Toll-like receptor-4)-NFκB (nuclear factor kappa-B) inflammation. This study aimed to define altered MS-metabolomic responses during high-fat (HF)-induced NASH that are restored by GTE utilizing livers from an earlier study in which GTE decreased endotoxin-TLR4-NFκB liver injury.

Methods And Results: Mice are fed a low-fat (LF) or HF diet for 12 weeks and then randomized to LF or HF diets containing 0% or 2% GTE for an additional 8 weeks.

The Effects of Doxorubicin-based Chemotherapy and Omega-3 Supplementation on Mouse Brain Lipids.

Chemotherapy-induced cognitive impairment affects ~30% of breast cancer survivors, but the effects on how chemotherapy impacts brain lipids, and how omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid supplementation may confer protection, is unknown. Ovariectomized mice were randomized to two rounds of injections of doxorubicin + cyclophosphamide or vehicle after consuming a diet supplemented with 2% or 0% EPA+DHA, and sacrificed 4, 7, and 14 days after the last injection (study 1, = 120) or sacrificed 10 days after the last injection (study 2, = 40). Study 1 whole brain samples were extracted and analyzed by UHPLC-MS/MS to quantify specialized pro-resolving mediators (SPMs).

Novel Processing Technologies as Compared to Thermal Treatment on the Bioaccessibility and Caco-2 Cell Uptake of Carotenoids from Tomato and Kale-Based Juices.

This research aimed to measure the impact of novel food processing techniques, i.e., pulsed electric field (PEF) and ohmic heating (OH), on carotenoid bioaccessibility and Caco-2 cell uptake from tomato juice and high-pressure processing (HPP) and PEF on the same attributes from kale-based juices, as compared with raw (nonprocessed) and conventional thermally treated (TT) juices.

The Effect of an Iron Supplement on Lycopene Metabolism and Absorption During Digestion in Healthy Humans.

Scope: To investigate the formation and absorption of lycopene (LYC) metabolites in the human upper gastrointestinal lumen, in the absence and presence of iron.

Methods: Healthy males (n = 7) consumed test meals that deliver ≈22 mg LYC + ≈0.3 mg apo-lycopenals from oleoresin without (-FeSO ) and with ferrous sulfate (160 mg, +FeSO ).

A Novel Tomato-Soy Juice Induces a Dose-Response Increase in Urinary and Plasma Phytochemical Biomarkers in Men with Prostate Cancer.

Background: Tomato and soy intake is associated with reduced prostate cancer risk or severity in epidemiologic and experimental studies.

Objective: On the basis of the principle that multiple bioactives in tomato and soy may act on diverse anticancer pathways, we developed and characterized a tomato-soy juice for clinical trials. In this phase 2 dose-escalating study, we examined plasma, prostate, and urine biomarkers of carotenoid and isoflavone exposure.

Production, separation, and characterization of apo-luteinoids by LC-MS/MS.

It has been postulated that chemical or enzymatic catabolism of carotenoids could produce apo‑carotenoids which have biological activity. Our objective was to generate and chemically characterize a series of apo‑luteinoids (i.e.