Hirudin variants production by genetic engineered microbial factory.

Hirudin was discovered as an active anticoagulant in leech extracts almost 60 years ago. Since their initial discovery, hirudin and its variants have been produced with various anti-thrombotic, cancer cell inhibition, diabetic cataract treatment and anti-fatigue activities. Some hirudin variants have been approved for clinical use and released into the marketplace.

Deoxynivalenol in wheat from the Northwestern region in China.

Because of global warming and changes in farming systems, Fusarium head blight has gradually spread towards high-latitude regions such as Northwestern China. A survey was conducted to assess the prevalence and concentration of deoxynivalenol (DON) in wheat harvested during 2013 from the Shaanxi, Ningxia, Gansu, and Xinjiang provinces in China. DON concentration in 181 wheat samples was analysed by high-performance liquid chromatography combined with ultraviolet detection.

Alpha-amylase, α-glucosidase and lipase inhibiting activities of polyphenol-rich extracts from six common bean cultivars of Southern Italy, before and after cooking.

Common beans (Phaseolus vulgaris) are a good source of nutrients and phenolic compounds with versatile health benefits. Polyphenol-rich extracts of six ecotypes of P. vulgaris were analysed to determine their phenolic profiles and assayed in vitro for inhibitory effects on digestive enzymes relevant to carbohydrates and lipids metabolism.

Recent developments and applications of hyperspectral imaging for rapid detection of mycotoxins and mycotoxigenic fungi in food products.

Mycotoxins are the foremost naturally occurring contaminants of food products such as corn, peanuts, tree nuts, and wheat. As the secondary metabolites, mycotoxins are mainly synthesized by many species of the genera Aspergillus, Fusarium and Penicillium, and are considered highly toxic and carcinogenic to humans and animals. Most mycotoxins are detected and quantified by analytical chemistry-based methods.

Calcium Bioavailability from Mineral Waters with Different Mineralization in Comparison to Milk and a Supplement.

Objective: The aim of the present study was to compare the bioavailability of calcium from 3 mineral waters with different concentrations of minerals with that of milk and a calcium supplement.

Methods: A single-center, randomized controlled trial with a crossover design with 21 healthy men and women was conducted at the Institute of Food Science and Human Nutrition, Leibniz University Hannover. The participants consumed the 5 test products providing 300 mg of calcium each on 5 examination days with 1-week wash-out phases in between.

Implications of domestic food practices for the presence of bioactive components in meats with special reference to meat-based functional foods.

Although an essential component of the diet, the consumption of meat is in question. Meat is a major source of beneficial compounds but it also contains other substances with negative health implications. Functional foods, which are leading trends in the food industry, constitute an excellent opportunity for the meat sector to improve healthier meat options.

The intestinal microbiota of piglets fed with wheat bran variants as characterised by 16S rRNA next-generation amplicon sequencing.

The intestinal microbiota of piglets fed with a Control diet low in dietary fibre and modified wheat bran variants as an additional source of insoluble dietary fibre was characterised. In this context, variances in the microbiota of three different gut segments were assessed. Wheat bran was either included in its native form or modified by fermentation and extrusion before added at 150 g/kg to a basal diet for 48 piglets (12 animals per treatment).

Estimated daily intake and health risk of heavy metals by consumption of milk.

Cd, Co, Pb, Cu and Ni were analysed in 480 milk samples by flame atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Mean concentrations were 0.001, 0.

Determination of volatile organic compounds in the dried leaves of Salvia species by solid-phase microextraction coupled to gas chromatography mass spectrometry.

Salvia spp. are used throughout the world both for food and pharmaceutical purposes. In this study, a method involving headspace solid-phase microextraction combined with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry was developed, to establish the volatiles profile of dried leaves of four Iranian Salvia spp.

Carotenoid deposition in plant and animal foods and its impact on bioavailability.

Over the past decades, an enormous body of literature dealing with the natural deposition of carotenoids in plant- and animal-based foods has accumulated. Prominent examples are the large solid-crystalline aggregates in carrots and tomatoes or the lipid-dissolved forms in dairy products and egg yolk. Latest research has identified lipid-dissolved forms in a rare number of plant foods, such as tangerine tomatoes and peach palm fruit (Bactris gasipaes Kunth).

Management of diabetic complications through fruit flavonoids as a natural remedy.

Diabetes mellitus is a global disorder, and a major issue for health care systems. The current review outlooks the use of fruit flavonoids as natural remedy in the prevention of diabetes mellitus. The onset of diabetes mainly depends upon genetics and lifestyle issues.

Interactions between Starch, Lipids, and Proteins in Foods: Microstructure Control for Glycemic Response Modulation.

In real food, starch is usually forming part of a matrix with lipids and proteins. However, research on this ternary system and interactions between such food components has been scarce so far. The control of food microstructure is crucial to determine the product properties, including sensorial and nutritionals ones.

In vitro antioxidant, antimicrobial and anti-proliferative activities of purple potato extracts (Solanum tuberosum cv Vitelotte noire) following simulated gastro-intestinal digestion.

Analyses of antioxidant and in vitro antimicrobial and anti-proliferative activities of anthocyanin-rich extracts from purple potatoes, Solanum tuberosum L. cv Vitelotte noire (Solanaceae), were performed by simulating both a domestic cooking process and human digestion. Extracts of crude and cooked purple potato did not exhibit antimicrobial activity against the tester strains: Bacillus cereus, Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Cheddar cheese ripening and flavor characterization: a review.

Cheddar cheese is a biochemically dynamic product that undergoes significant changes during ripening. Freshly made curds of various cheese varieties have bland and largely similar flavors and aroma and, during ripening, flavoring compounds are produced that are characteristic of each variety. The biochemical changes occurring during ripening are grouped into primary events including glycolysis, lipolysis, and proteolysis followed by secondary biochemical changes such as metabolism of fatty acids and amino acids which are important for the production of secondary metabolites, including a number of compounds necessary for flavor development.

Down-regulation of protein kinase CKII activity by sodium butyrate.

Butyrate, a dietary fiber derivative, is a well-known differentiating agent in cultured cell lines. In addition, its antineoplastic activity toward colon-rectum cancers has been documented both in vivo and in vitro. Despite the large amount of information on the potential clinical efficacy of butyrate, its mechanism of action at the molecular level has only been partially investigated.