Evaluation of structural and physicochemical properties of octenyl succinic anhydride modified sweet potato starch with different degrees of substitution.

Octenyl succinic anhydride modified sweet potato starch (OSA-SPS) were synthesized in different degrees of substitution (DS) from 0.0073 to 0.0153.

The Significance of Regulatory MicroRNAs: Their Roles in Toxicodynamics of Mycotoxins and in the Protection Offered by Dietary Therapeutics Against Mycotoxin-Induced Toxicity.

Mycotoxins are contaminants commonly found in foods and represent a worldwide threat to human health and welfare. Efforts have been undertaken to reduce mycotoxins and their toxicity, including the introduction of good agricultural practices, appropriate food processing, specific biotransformation approaches, and pursue therapeutic agents to counteract mycotoxins. Efficient and predictive tools are required for investigations on mycotoxins and their toxicodynamics, and strategies for mycotoxin reduction.

Medium and Long Chain Fatty Acids Differentially Modulate Apoptosis and Release of Inflammatory Cytokines in Human Liver Cells.

Medium chain fatty acids (MCFA) can be more easily absorbed and supply energy more rapidly than long chain fatty acids (LCFA). However, little is known about the inflammatory response by the treatment of MCFA in human liver cells. Thus this study used human liver cells (LO2) to evaluate the effects of MCFA on apoptosis and inflammatory response.

Cinnamomum camphora Seed Kernel Oil Ameliorates Oxidative Stress and Inflammation in Diet-Induced Obese Rats.

Cinnamomum camphora seed kernel oil (CCSKO) was found to reduce body fat deposition and improve blood lipid in both healthy and obese rats. The study was aimed to investigate the antioxidative stress and anti-inflammatory effects of CCSKO in high-fat-diet-induced obese rats. The obese rats were treated with CCSKO, lard, and soybean oil, respectively, for 12 wk.

Effects of Long-Chain and Medium-Chain Fatty Acids on Apoptosis and Oxidative Stress in Human Liver Cells with Steatosis.

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is closely associated with obesity-related metabolic complications, which caused by excess energy intake and physical inactivity apart from genetic defects. The mechanisms that promote disease progression from NAFLD to further liver injury are still unclear. We hypothesize that the progression involved "2nd hit" is strongly influenced by the type of fatty acids in diets.

Microbial and Sensory Effects of Combined High Hydrostatic Pressure and Dense Phase Carbon Dioxide Process on Feijoa Puree.

Unlabelled: High hydrostatic pressure (HHP) is used for microbial inactivation in foods. Addition of carbon dioxide (CO2) to HHP can improve microbial and enzyme inactivation. This study investigated microbial effects of combined HHP and CO2 on Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis, and Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and evaluated sensory attributes of treated feijoa fruit puree (pH 3.

Effects of Combined High Hydrostatic Pressure and Dense Phase Carbon Dioxide on the Activity, Structure and Size of Polyphenoloxidase.

Unlabelled: High hydrostatic pressure (HHP) may activate undesirable enzymes such as polyphenoloxidase (PPO). Carbon dioxide (CO2 ) addition to HHP could increase enzyme inactivation. We investigated the inactivation of combined HHP and dense phase carbon dioxide process on activity, secondary conformation and size of pure PPO from mushroom.

Camphor Tree Seed Kernel Oil Reduces Body Fat Deposition and Improves Blood Lipids in Rats.

The total and positional fatty acid composition in camphor tree (Cinnamomum camphora) seed kernel oil (CKO) were analyzed, and for the first time, the effect of CKO on body fat deposition and blood lipids in rats was studied. The major fatty acids in CKO were determined to be decanoic acid (C10:0, 51.49%) and dodecanoic acid (C12:0, 40.

An innovative work-loop calorimeter for in vitro measurement of the mechanics and energetics of working cardiac trabeculae.

We describe a unique work-loop calorimeter with which we can measure, simultaneously, the rate of heat production and force-length work output of isolated cardiac trabeculae. The mechanics of the force-length work-loop contraction mimic those of the pressure-volume work-loops experienced by the heart. Within the measurement chamber of a flow-through microcalorimeter, a trabecula is electrically stimulated to respond, under software control, in one of three modes: fixed-end, isometric, or isotonic.

Evidence for minimal oxygen heterogeneity in the healthy human pulmonary acinus.

It has been suggested that the human pulmonary acinus operates at submaximal efficiency at rest due to substantial spatial heterogeneity in the oxygen partial pressure (Po(2)) in alveolar air within the acinus. Indirect measurements of alveolar air Po(2) could theoretically mask significant heterogeneity if intra-acinar perfusion is well matched to Po(2). To investigate the extent of intra-acinar heterogeneity, we developed a computational model with anatomically based structure and biophysically based equations for gas exchange.

Energetics of stress production in isolated cardiac trabeculae from the rat.

The heat liberated upon stress production in isolated cardiac muscle provides insights into the complex thermodynamic processes underlying mechanical contraction. To that end, we simultaneously measured the heat and stress (force per cross-sectional area) production of cardiac trabeculae from rats using a flow-through micromechanocalorimeter. In a flowing stream of O(2)-equilibrated Tyrode solution (∼22°C), the stress and heat production of actively contracting trabeculae were varied by 1) altering stimulus frequency (0.

Origin and propagation of human gastric slow-wave activity defined by high-resolution mapping.

Slow waves coordinate gastric motility, and abnormal slow-wave activity is thought to contribute to motility disorders. The current understanding of normal human gastric slow-wave activity is based on extrapolation from data derived from sparse electrode recordings and is therefore potentially incomplete. This study employed high-resolution (HR) mapping to reevaluate human gastric slow-wave activity.

Adenosine A(1) receptor mediated suppression of adrenal activity in near-term fetal sheep.

Activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis is a critical response to perinatal hypoxia. Recent data show that adenosine appears to inhibit baseline levels of fetal cortisol and to restrict the increase in ACTH and cortisol during moderate hypoxia. Because adenosine increases substantially during profound asphyxia, it is possible, but untested, that counterintuitively it might restrict the HPA response to more severe insults.

Is baroreflex control of sympathetic activity and heart rate active in the preterm fetal sheep?

The arterial baroreflex is a fundamental reflex that buffers rapid changes in arterial blood pressure (BP) via regulation of the heart rate and sympathetic nerve activity to the vasculature. In adults a sigmoidal relationship between BP and both heart rate and sympathetic nerve activity is well documented. Its role in blood pressure control before birth is unclear.

Fetal heart rate variability and brain stem injury after asphyxia in preterm fetal sheep.

This study was undertaken to determine the mechanisms mediating changes in fetal heart rate variability (FHRV) during and after exposure to asphyxia in the premature fetus. Preterm fetal sheep at 0.6 of gestation (91 +/- 1 days, term is 147 days) were exposed to either sham occlusion (n = 10) or to complete umbilical cord occlusion for either 20 (n = 7) or 30 min (n = 10).