Lactobacillus acidophilus La5 and Bifidobacterium lactis Bb12 induce different age-related metabolic profiles revealed by 1H-NMR spectroscopy in urine and feces of mice.

Age-related dysbioses of intestinal microbiota and decline in the overall metabolic homeostasis are frequently found in the elderly. Probiotic supplementation may represent a way to prevent or reduce the senescence-associated metabolic disorders. The present study evaluated the metabolic impact of Lactobacillus acidophilus La5 and Bifidobacterium lactis Bb12 supplementation in relation to age by analyzing urine and feces metabolic profiles using (1)H-nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and multivariate analysis.

The third National Food Consumption Survey, INRAN-SCAI 2005-06: major dietary sources of nutrients in Italy.

Introduction: To promote healthy food consumption patterns, information is required on the contribution of food groups to total nutrient intake. The objective of this paper is to identify the main dietary sources of nutrients in the diet of the population in Italy.

Methods: Data collected through individual food records within the INRAN-SCAI 2005-06 survey were required.

Quantitation of tr-cinnamaldehyde, safrole and myristicin in cola-flavoured soft drinks to improve the assessment of their dietary exposure.

Quantitation of tr-cinnamaldehyde, safrole and myristicin was carried out in 70 samples of cola-flavoured soft drinks purchased in eight European countries with the purpose of assessing the variability in the levels of these substances. Results indicated a limited variability in the content of the three substances: the ratio between the 90th and the 10th percentile concentration amounted to 21, 6 and 13 for tr-cinnamaldehyde, safrole and myristicin, respectively. The uncertainty in the assessment of dietary exposure to these substances due to the variability of their level in cola-flavoured drinks was low.

Phenols, lignans and antioxidant properties of legume and sweet chestnut flours.

Total phenols (TPC) and antioxidant properties were determined in chick-pea, green and red lentils and sweet chestnut flours, in both aqueous-organic extracts and their residues, by the Folin Ciocalteau method and by the FRAP assay, respectively. Plant lignans were quantified in flours by means of HPLC. In addition, the FRAP of plant lignans (secoisolariciresinol, lariciresinol, isolariciresinol, pinoresinol, matairesinol), their mixture and enterolignans (enterodiol and enterolactone) were determined.

Serum-reduced and serum-free media for differentiation of Caco-2 cells.

Human intestinal Caco-2 cells were differentiated using serum-reduced medium with fetal bovine serum (FBS) added only to the basolateral (BL) medium, and four serum-free media, containing insulin, transferrin, selenium (ITS), or MITO+™ serum extender (ITS plus growth factors), with or without addition of a lipid mixture, respectively. Differentiation was assessed by monitoring monolayer permeability, alkaline phosphatase and sucrase activities, and the transport of digoxin and cephalexin. Notably, the serum-reduced protocol produced results that were comparable to cells differentiated in the control medium and should be recommended as an alternative to the use of 10% FBS in both apical (AP) and BL media.

Modelling framework for assessment of dietary exposure to added flavouring substances within the FACET (Flavours, Additives, and Food Contact Material Exposure Task) project.

This paper provides a model to assess dietary exposure to flavouring substances intentionally added to food. The purpose is to describe the approaches currently available and their scientific basis. The proposed exposure model for flavouring substances envisages three different levels of refinement: basic, intermediate and refined.

Use of market share data to select food products for an occurrence survey on flavourings in eight EU countries within the FACET project.

Dietary exposure assessment to flavourings presents a challenge due to the very large number of food products in which they may be present and the lack of knowledge of their actual presence. Industry claims to be adding more than 2800 different chemically defined flavourings in the European Union (EU). Within the Flavours, Additives and Food Contact Material Exposure Task (FACET) EU project, an occurrence survey was performed to explore the possible use of the information that can be collected from the labels to reduce the uncertainty in exposure assessment.

Food consumption and nutrient intake in Italian school children: results of the ZOOM8 study.

The food consumption and food habits of Italian third-class-primary-school children were assessed and their energy and nutrient intakes were compared with requirements. The study involved 1740 subjects (900 males and 840 females) aged 8-9 years, from the north, centre and south of Italy. Body weight and height were measured.

Effect of flavonoids on circulating levels of TNF-α and IL-6 in humans: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Epidemiological or in vitro evidence suggests a potential role for flavonoids as anti-inflammatory agents; we investigated the effect of flavonoids-rich foods or supplements on tumor necrosis factor- alpha (TNF-α) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) in long-term placebo-controlled human intervention trials. From 110 human intervention studies selected (MEDLINE, EMBASE, CHORANE, and FSTA databases), 32 long-term placebo-controlled trials were suitable for meta-analysis. After sensitivity analysis, seven studies imputed of bias were excluded and 25 studies were analyzed (TNF-α, n = 2404; IL-6, n = 2174).

A new flow cytometry method to measure oxidative status: the Peroxidation of Leukocytes Index Ratio (PLIR).

Background And Aim: A complex relationship between immune system and metabolic pathway exists and can induce oxidative stress. The objective of this study was to design a new methodology allowing the measurement of oxidative status of leukocytes.

Methods And Results: We developed a flow cytometry technique, based on C11-BODIPY 581/591 staining, to evaluate peroxidation in leukocytes.

Lignan Content in Cereals, Buckwheat and Derived Foods.

Cereal foods are a fundamental part of a balanced diet and several studies have assigned to wholemeal cereal products a protective role in human health, due to their content of bioactive compounds. Within the phytochemicals, lignans are of increasing interest for their potential anticarcinogenic, antioxidant, estrogenic and antiestrogenic activities. The aim of this work is to contribute to the updating of food lignan databases by providing the profile and the amount of lignans in cereals, buckwheat and several cereal based foods commonly consumed in human diets.

Walking four times weekly for at least 15 min is associated with longevity in a cohort of very elderly people.

Objectives: This study investigated the role of walking outdoors on longevity, controlling for individual and other life-style factors as possible confounders.

Methods: A 10-year cohort study was conducted with 152 self-caring and mobile, mean age 80 years, were enrolled in the study. Information on socio-demographic characteristics, clinical and biochemical data, diet, physical activity, smoking, depression status, cognitive status and anthropometrics measurements, were obtained for all participants.

Antioxidant Properties of Seeds from Lines of Artichoke, Cultivated Cardoon and Wild Cardoon.

The artichoke (Cynara cardunculus L. subsp. scolymus L.

[Italian cold cuts evolution. New opportunities for diet in athletes].

Italian cold cuts were not recommended for cardiac patients, healthy people, and athletes because of their high content in salt, fat, calories, and cholesterol. Recent studies from INRAN (National Institute of Research for Food and Nutrition) have provided new insights into Italian cold cuts, showing that they are more digestible, with less sodium, fat, cholesterol and calories, than previous products. Thanks to these new chemical-physical characteristics, Italian cold cuts can now be indicated for nutrition in the general population and athletes.

Oxidative stress in atherosclerosis development: the central role of LDL and oxidative burst.

The involvement of both oxidative stress and hyperlipaemia in atherosclerosis development is well established. Oxidative burst is an innate immune response to infection, the latter being associated also with marked changes in lipid and lipoprotein metabolism, aimed to neutralize endotoxin toxic effects. On the other hand, lipid overload may increase lipopolysaccharide circulating levels and oxidative stress.

Impact of different distribution scenarios and recommended storage conditions on flavor related quality attributes in ripening fresh tomatoes.

Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) fruits of three cultivars picked at different ripening stages were subjected to conditions in the laboratory simulating both short and long distribution chains as occurring in commercial practice and to recommended storage conditions. At the end of the postharvest experiments, a flavor quality profile of fruits was obtained by chemical determination of volatile compounds, sugars, and organic acids, and physical measurement of texture properties. In two of the three cultivars, the overall profile and many of the individual quality attributes was significantly affected by the distribution chain conditions, the effect being more pronounced in tomatoes marketed at full ripeness than in those marketed at an intermediate ripening stage.

A liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry approach to study "glucosinoloma" in broccoli sprouts.

Glucosinolates are an important class of secondary plant metabolites, possessing health-promoting properties. Young broccoli plants are a very good source of glucosinolates with concentrations several times greater than in mature plants. The aim of our study was to develop a liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry and liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry qualitative and quantitative method for the measure of glucosinolates in broccoli sprouts.

Intracellular zinc is required for intestinal cell survival signals triggered by the inflammatory cytokine TNFα.

The essential micronutrient zinc has long been known to be a functional component of diverse structural proteins and enzymes. More recently, important roles for free or loosely bound intracellular zinc as a signaling factor have been reported. Insufficient zinc intake was shown to exacerbate symptoms in mouse models of inflammation such as experimental colitis, while zinc supplementation was found to improve intestinal barrier function.

Fatty acid content of serum lipid fractions and blood lipids in normolipidaemic volunteers fed two types of cheese having different fat compositions: a pilot study.

The aim of this randomised, double-blind, crossover study in normolipidaemic volunteers was to investigate the effect of consumption of an experimental cheese (from cows fed a grass and maize silage-based diet with 5% of linseed oil added) or a control cheese (without linseed oil) on both plasma lipids and fatty acid content of serum lipid fractions. A lower content of medium-chain saturated fatty acids as well as a higher content of stearic acid and polyunsaturated fatty acids were found in the experimental cheese; its consumption was successful in limiting the enhanced blood concentration of atherogenic fatty acids, without affecting fatty acid content of serum lipid fractions. These results indicate that dairy products could be considered as key foods for fat modifications with the objective of optimizing their nutritional quality.

Antioxidant and inflammatory response following high-fat meal consumption in overweight subjects.

Purpose: Postprandial metabolic stress as a consequence of ingestion of high-energy meals is recognized as an important risk factor for cardiovascular disease. The objective of this study was to evaluate the inflammatory and antioxidant response of the body to the acute ingestion of a high-fat meal (HFM).

Methods: Fifteen healthy overweight subjects were recruited for the study.

Molecular characterization of a novel mosaic tet(S/M) gene encoding tetracycline resistance in foodborne strains of Streptococcus bovis.

The presence of antibiotic-resistance (AR) genes in foodborne bacteria of enteric origin represents a relevant threat to human health in the case of opportunistic pathogens, which can reach the human gut through the food chain. Streptococcus bovis is a human opportunistic pathogen often associated with infections in immune-compromised or cancer patients, and it can also be detected in the environment, including fermented foods. We have focused on the molecular characterization of a tetracycline (Tet)-resistance gene present in 39 foodborne isolates of S.

Analysis of fatty acids in 12 Mediterranean fish species: advantages and limitations of a new GC-FID/GC-MS based technique.

When fatty acids in fish are analyzed, results in percentage form (profile analysis) are mostly reported. However, the much more useful results expressed as mg/100 g (absolute analysis) is the main information required. Absolute methods based on calibration curves are of good accuracy but with a high degree of complexity if applied to a great number of analytes.

Evaluation of food and nutrient intake assessment using concentration biomarkers in European adolescents from the Healthy Lifestyle in Europe by Nutrition in Adolescence study.

Accurate food and nutrient intake assessment is essential for investigating diet-disease relationships. In the present study, food and nutrient intake assessment among European adolescents using 24 h recalls (mean of two recalls) and a FFQ (separately and the combination of both) were evaluated using concentration biomarkers. Biomarkers included were vitamin C, β-carotene, DHA+EPA, vitamin B12 (cobalamin and holo-transcobalamin) and folate (erythrocyte folate and plasma folate).

Co-cultures of enterocytes and hepatocytes for retinoid transport and metabolism.

Dietary retinoid bioavailability involves the interplay of the intestine (transport and metabolism) and the liver (secondary metabolism). To reproduce these processes in vitro, differentiated human intestinal Caco-2/TC7 cells were co-cultured with two hepatocyte cell lines. Murine 3A cells and the more highly differentiated human HepaRG hepatocytes were both shown to respond to β-carotene (BC) and retinol (ROH) treatment by secreting Retinol Binding Protein 4 (RBP4).