Supplementation with turmeric residue increased survival of the Chinese soft-shelled turtle (Pelodiscus sinensis) under high ambient temperatures.

Turmeric residue (TR), containing residual levels of curcumin, is a solid by-product waste generated after the extraction and separation of curcumin from turmeric root. A feeding trial was conducted to evaluate the effects of TR on the survival of Chinese soft-shelled turtles (SSTs), Pelodiscus sinensis, under a high ambient temperature. A total of 320 female SSTs were assigned randomly to two diets: basal diet (the control group, n=160) and an interventional diet supplemented with 10% TR (the TR group, n=160).

Age as a factor in the responsiveness of the organism to the disruption of cognitive performance by exposure to HZE particles differing in linear energy transfer.

Exposure to particles of high energy and charge (HZE particles) can produce decrements in cognitive performance. A series of experiments exposing rats to different HZE particles was run to evaluate whether the performance decrement was dependent on the age of the subject at the time of irradiation. Fischer 344 rats that were 2-, 11- and 15/16-months of age were exposed to O, Ti, or He particles at the NASA Space Radiation Laboratory at Brookhaven National Laboratory.

Walnut extract modulates activation of microglia through alteration in intracellular calcium concentration.

Diets supplemented with walnuts have shown to protect brain against oxidative and inflammatory cytotoxicity and promote protective cellular and cognitive function. The current study was undertaken to test the hypothesize that whole walnut extract (WNE) inhibits lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced microglial activation by regulating calmodulin (CaM) expression through [Ca]. To test this hypothesis, we used an in vitro model the highly aggressively proliferating immortalized cells, a rat microglial cell line, treated with various concentrations of WNEs.

Transethnic Evaluation Identifies Low-Frequency Loci Associated With 25-Hydroxyvitamin D Concentrations.

Context: Vitamin D inadequacy is common in the adult population of the United States. Although the genetic determinants underlying vitamin D inadequacy have been studied in people of European ancestry, less is known about populations with Hispanic or African ancestry.

Objective: The Trans-Ethnic Evaluation of Vitamin D (TRANSCEN-D) genomewide association study (GWAS) consortium was assembled to replicate genetic associations with 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] concentrations from the Study of Underlying Genetic Determinants of Vitamin D and Highly Related Traits (SUNLIGHT) meta-analyses of European ancestry and to identify genetic variants related to vitamin D concentrations in African and Hispanic ancestries.

Raspberry differentially improves age-related declines in psychomotor function dependent on baseline motor ability.

Among older adults, falls are a leading cause of distress, pain, injury, loss of confidence, and ultimately, loss of independence and death. Previous studies in our laboratory have demonstrated that berry supplementation improves the age-related declines in balance, muscle strength, and coordination that often lead to falls, even when initiated later in life. The purpose of this study was to explore the interaction between baseline motor performance and the daily intake of raspberry required to improve/preserve motor function.

Nutritional Factors Affecting Adult Neurogenesis and Cognitive Function.

Adult neurogenesis, a complex process by which stem cells in the hippocampal brain region differentiate and proliferate into new neurons and other resident brain cells, is known to be affected by many intrinsic and extrinsic factors, including diet. Neurogenesis plays a critical role in neural plasticity, brain homeostasis, and maintenance in the central nervous system and is a crucial factor in preserving the cognitive function and repair of damaged brain cells affected by aging and brain disorders. Intrinsic factors such as aging, neuroinflammation, oxidative stress, and brain injury, as well as lifestyle factors such as high-fat and high-sugar diets and alcohol and opioid addiction, negatively affect adult neurogenesis.

Peanut butter increases the bioavailability and bioconversion of kale β-carotene to vitamin A.

Background And Objectives: Kale is a rich source of provitamin A- β-carotene. This study used intrinsically labeled kale [2H9] β-carotene to determine the effect of peanut butter on the bioconversion of kale β-carotene to vitamin A in preschool children.

Methods And Study Design: Preschool children (n=37; age 12-36 mo) were randomly assigned to 50 g cooked kale (1.

Effect of Major Royal Jelly Proteins on Spatial Memory in Aged Rats: Metabolomics Analysis in Urine.

Royal jelly (RJ) produced by worker honeybees is the sole food for the queen bee throughout her life as well as the larvae of worker bees for the first 3 days after hatching. Supplementation of RJ in the diet has been shown to increase spatial memory in rodents. However, the key constituents in RJ responsible for improvement of cognitive function are unknown.

A Clinically Relevant Frailty Index for Aging Rats.

Frailty is a clinical syndrome that is increasingly prevalent during aging. Frailty involves the confluence of reduced strength, speed, physical activity, and endurance and is associated with adverse health outcomes. The present study adapts existing clinical and preclinical indices of frailty to the Fischer (F344) rat.

Role of fruits, nuts, and vegetables in maintaining cognitive health.

Population aging is leading to an increase in the incidence of age-related cognitive dysfunction and, with it, the health care burden of caring for older adults. Epidemiological studies have shown that consumption of fruits, nuts, and vegetables is positively associated with cognitive ability; however, these foods, which contain a variety of neuroprotective phytochemicals, are widely under-consumed. Surprisingly few studies have investigated the effects of individual plant foods on cognitive health but recent clinical trials have shown that dietary supplementation with individual foods, or switching to a diet rich in several of these foods, can improve cognitive ability.

Tart cherry supplementation improves working memory, hippocampal inflammation, and autophagy in aged rats.

High consumption of fruits and vegetables has been associated with reduced risk of debilitating diseases and improved cognition in aged populations. These beneficial effects have been attributed to the phytochemicals found in fruits and vegetables, which have previously been shown to be anti-inflammatory and modulate autophagy. Tart cherries contain a variety of potentially beneficial phytochemicals; however, little research has been done to investigate the effects of tart cherry on the aging brain.

Supplementation with Major Royal-Jelly Proteins Increases Lifespan, Feeding, and Fecundity in Drosophila.

The major royal-jelly proteins (MRJPs) are the main constituents responsible for the specific physiological role of royal jelly (RJ) in honeybees. Male and female Drosophila flies were fed diets containing either no MRJPs (A) or casein (B) at 1.25% (w/w) of diet or MRJPs at 1.

Preserving Brain Function in Aging: The Anti-glycative Potential of Berry Fruit.

Advanced glycation end products (AGEs) are naturally occurring macromolecules that are formed in vivo by the non-enzymatic modification of proteins, lipids, or nucleic acids by sugar, even in the absence of hyperglycemia. In the diet, AGEs are found in animal products, and additional AGEs are produced when those foods are cooked at high temperatures. Studies have linked AGEs to various age-related physiological changes, including wrinkles, diabetic complications, and neurodegenerative disease, including Alzheimer's disease.

Modulation of oxidative stress, inflammation, autophagy and expression of Nrf2 in hippocampus and frontal cortex of rats fed with açaí-enriched diets.

Objective: Açaí (Euterpe spp.), an exotic palm fruit, has recently emerged as a promising source of natural antioxidants with wide pharmacological and nutritional value. In this study, two different species of açaí pulp extracts, naturally grown in two distinct regions of the Amazon, namely, Euterpe oleracea Mart.

Daily supplementation with mushroom (Agaricus bisporus) improves balance and working memory in aged rats.

Decline in brain function during normal aging is partly due to the long-term effects of oxidative stress and inflammation. Several fruits and vegetables have been shown to possess antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. The present study investigated the effects of dietary mushroom intervention on mobility and memory in aged Fischer 344 rats.

Changes in gene expression in the rat hippocampus following exposure to 56Fe particles and protection by berry diets.

Exposing young rats to particles of high energy and charge, such as (56)Fe, enhances indices of oxidative stress and inflammation and disrupts behavior, including spatial learning and memory. In the present study, we examined whether gene expression in the hippocampus, an area of the brain important in memory, is affected by exposure to 1.5 Gy or 2.

Walnut diet reduces accumulation of polyubiquitinated proteins and inflammation in the brain of aged rats.

An increase in the aggregation of misfolded/damaged polyubiquitinated proteins has been the hallmark of many age-related neurodegenerative diseases. The accumulation of these potentially toxic proteins in brain increases with age, in part due to increased oxidative and inflammatory stresses. Walnuts, rich in omega fatty acids, have been shown to improve memory, cognition and neuronal effects related to oxidative stress (OS) and inflammation (INF) in animals and human trials.

Berry fruit enhances beneficial signaling in the brain.

Increased lifespans have led to population aging and brought attention to healthcare concerns associated with old age. A growing body of preclinical and clinical research has identified neurological benefits associated with the consumption of berry fruits. In addition to their now well-known antioxidant effects, dietary supplementation with berry fruits also has direct effects on the brain.

Exposure to 16O-particle radiation causes aging-like decrements in rats through increased oxidative stress, inflammation and loss of autophagy.

Exposing young rats to particles of high energy and charge (HZE particles), a ground-based model for exposure to cosmic rays, enhances indices of oxidative stress and inflammation, disrupts the functioning of neuronal communication, and alters cognitive behaviors. Even though exposure to HZE particles occurs at low fluence rates, the cumulative effects of long-term exposure result in molecular changes similar to those seen in aged animals. In the present study, we assessed markers of autophagy, a dynamic process for intracellular degradation and recycling of toxic proteins and organelles, as well as stress and inflammatory responses, in the brains of Sprague-Dawley rats irradiated at 2 months of age with 5 and 50 cGy and 1 Gy of ionizing oxygen particles ((16)O) (1000 MeV/n).

Walnut extract inhibits LPS-induced activation of BV-2 microglia via internalization of TLR4: possible involvement of phospholipase D2.

Walnuts are a rich source of essential fatty acids, including the polyunsaturated fatty acids alpha-linolenic acid and linoleic acid. Essential fatty acids have been shown to modulate a number of cellular processes in the brain, including the activation state of microglia. Microglial activation can result in the generation of cytotoxic intermediates and is associated with a variety of age-related and neurodegenerative conditions.

Dietary polyunsaturated fatty acids improve cholinergic transmission in the aged brain.

The cholinergic theory of aging states that dysfunction of cholinergic neurons arising from the basal forebrain and terminating in the cortex and hippocampus may be involved in the cognitive decline that occurs during aging and Alzheimer's disease. Despite years of research, pharmacological interventions to treat or forestall the development of Alzheimer's disease have primarily focused on enhancing cholinergic transmission, either through increasing acetylcholine (ACh) synthesis or inhibition of the acetylcholinesterase enzyme responsible for ACh hydrolysis. However, recent studies have indicated that dietary supplementation can impact the cholinergic system, particularly during aging.

Effects of blackberries on motor and cognitive function in aged rats.

The polyphenolics in fruits and vegetables, when fed to rats from 19-21 months of age, have been shown to retard and even reverse age-related decrements in motor and cognitive performance. These effects may be the result of the polyphenols increasing antioxidant and/or anti-inflammatory levels, or by direct effects on signaling, in the brain. Increased dietary intake of berry fruit, in particular, has a positive and profound impact on human health, performance, and disease.

Plum juice, but not dried plum powder, is effective in mitigating cognitive deficits in aged rats.

Objective: Normal aging in animals and humans is accompanied by a decline in cognitive performance that is thought to be due to the long-term effects of oxidative stress and inflammation on neurologic processes. Previous findings have suggested that protection against age-related cognitive declines may be achieved by increasing the dietary intake of fruits and vegetables, especially those that are high in antioxidant activity, such as blueberries and strawberries. The objective of this study was to investigate supplementation with Prunus domestica L.

Recent advances in berry supplementation and age-related cognitive decline.

Purpose Of Review: To summarize recent findings and current concepts in the beneficial effects of berry consumption on brain function during aging.

Recent Findings: Berryfruit supplementation has continued to demonstrate efficacy in reversing age-related cognitive decline in animal studies. In terms of the mechanisms behind the effects of berries on the central nervous system, recent studies have demonstrated the bioavailability of berry polyphenols in several animal models.

Dose-dependent effects of walnuts on motor and cognitive function in aged rats.

Aged rats show decrements in performance on motor and cognitive tasks that require the use of spatial learning and memory. Previously we have shown that these deficits can be reversed by the polyphenolics in fruits and vegetables. Walnuts, which contain the n-3 fatty acids a-linolenic acid and linoleic acid, are a dietary source of polyphenols, antioxidants and lipids.