PMID: 

J Biosci Bioeng. 2019 Oct 17. Epub 2019 Oct 17. PMID: 31630942

Abstract Title: 

Novel anti-obesity peptide (RLLPH) derived from hazelnut protein hydrolysates inhibits adipogenesis in 3T3-L1 adipocytes by regulating adipogenic transcription factors and adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) activation.

Abstract: 

Hazelnut proteins are an excellent source of bioactive peptides. Our previous study demonstrated that several novel peptides derived from Corylus heterophylla Fisch (C. heterophylla Fisch) have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. In this study, we purified and identified anti-obesity peptides from hazelnut protein hydrolysates by chromatography and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Subsequently, we evaluated the inhibitory effect of the synthetic peptide on adipogenesis in 3T3-L1 adipocytes by Oil Red O staining, reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and western blot. The results showed that a novel synthetic pentapeptide, Arg-Leu-Leu-Pro-His (RLLPH), derived from the C3 fraction, attenuated adipogenesisby downregulating the expression of several mRNAs related to adipogenesis, including peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ), CCAAT/enhancer binding protein alpha (C/EBPα), adipocyte fatty acid-binding protein 2 (aP2), sterol regulatory element binding protein 1c (SREBP-1c), fatty acid synthase (FAS), acetyl-CoA carboxylase 1 (ACC1), and 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA reductase (HMGCR). Moreover, RLLPH upregulated the levels of phosphorylated Adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and its substrate acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC) in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. A stability study revealed that RLLPH was relatively stable during pepsin digestion. These findings suggest that RLLPH has potential anti-obesity effects and may help combat metabolic diseases.

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PMID: 

Food Chem. 2019 Nov 15 ;298:125026. Epub 2019 Jun 15. PMID: 31260961

Abstract Title: 

Phenolic, oxylipin and fatty acid profiles of the Chilean hazelnut (Gevuina avellana): Antioxidant activity and inhibition of pro-inflammatory and metabolic syndrome-associated enzymes.

Abstract: 

Roasted cotyledons of the Chilean hazelnut (Gevuina avellana) are appreciated as snacks. The aim of our work was to assess the fatty acid, oxylipin and phenolic composition using gas chromatography (GC) coupled to mass spectrometry (MS), ultra- high performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC) coupled to MS and HPLC coupled to diode array detector (HPLC-DAD). Additionally, various antioxidant activities were assessed. The inhibition ofα-glucosidase, α-amylase, lipase, cyclooxygenases-1 and -2 (COX-1/COX-2), and lipoxygenase was determined. The main fatty acids were oleic and 7-hexadecenoic acids. Eight phytoprostanes and three phytofurans were identified and quantified. Hydroxybenzoic and hydroxycinnamic acids were the main phenolic compounds. Oils showed antioxidant activity determined by EPR, and inhibition of COX-1/COX-2. The statistical analysis showed that the roasting does not affect the composition of the samples. The occurrence of oxylipins in this species is reported for the first time. Chilean hazelnuts can be considered a source of health promoting compounds.

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PMID: 

J Bras Nefrol. 2018 Oct-Dec;40(4):312-318. Epub 2018 Aug 16. PMID: 30118536

Abstract Title: 

Inflammation and kidney injury attenuated by prior intake of Brazil nuts in the process of ischemia and reperfusion.

Abstract: 

INTRODUCTION: Ischemia and reperfusion (IR) is a process inherent to the procedures involved in the transplantation of organs that causes inflammation, cell death and cell injury, and may lead to rejection of the graft. It is possible that the anti-inflammatory properties of the Brazil nuts (BN) can mitigate the renal injury caused by IR.OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether the previous intake of BN reduces the expression of markers of inflammation, injury, and cell death after renal IR.METHODS: Male Wistar rats were distributed into six groups (N = 6/group): SHAM (control), SHAM treated with 75 or 150 mg of BN, IR, and IR treated with 75 or 150 mg of BN. The IR procedure consisted of right nephrectomy and occlusion of the left renal artery with a non-traumatic vascular clamp for 30 min. BN was given daily from day 1 to 7 before surgery (SHAM or IR), and maintained until sacrifice (48 h after surgery). Inflammation was evaluated by renal expression of COX-2 and TGF-β, injury by the expression of vimentin, and cell death by apoptosis through caspase-3 expression (immunohistochemistry).RESULTS: Pretreatment with 75 mg of BN reduced renal expression of the COX-2, TGF-β, vimentin, and caspase-3. The dose of 150 mg caused increased expression of COX-2.CONCLUSION: In experimental IR, the damage can be minimized with a prior low-dose intake of BN, improving inflammation, injury, and cell death.

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PMID: 

Food Chem Toxicol. 2018 Nov ;121:519-526. Epub 2018 Sep 20. PMID: 30243747

Abstract Title: 

Brazil nut improves the oxidative metabolism of superoxide-hydrogen peroxide chemically-imbalanced human fibroblasts in a nutrigenomic manner.

Abstract: 

There are some genes associated to the risk of chronic diseases that present potential nutrigenetic response, such as the human manganese-dependent superoxide dismutase gene (Val16Ala-SOD2, rs4880) for which homozygous genotypes (VV and AA) are associated with higher basal superoxide (S) and hydrogen peroxide (HP) levels, respectively. It is possible that the VV- and AA-imbalance could be attenuated by selenium(Se)-rich foods such as Brazil nut (BN). To test this hypothesis, we conducted an in vitro protocol triggering a chemical S-HP imbalance by exposure of dermal fibroblast cells (HFF-1) to paraquat, which generates high S levels (VV-like treatment) and porphyrin (MnTBAP), which generates high HP levels (AA-like treatment). Modulation of cell growth and pro-oxidative and antioxidant markers were evaluated. BN aqueous extract (BNAE) most effective concentration which increased cell growth and decreased oxidative metabolism indicators of imbalanced cells was 75 ng Se/mL. However, this effect was not directly affected by the S-HP imbalance: in AA-SOD2-like cells, thioredoxin reductase (TrxR-1) gene was upregulated and in VV-SOD2-like cells an upregulation of glutathione peroxidase (GPx-1) gene expression was observed, however, this regulation occured ina homeostatic manner. These results suggest that BNAE was able to minimize negative effects in both directions of the S-HP imbalance, by modulation of different oxidative-metabolic pathways.

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PMID: 

Nutr Res. 2019 Sep 9. Epub 2019 Sep 9. PMID: 31757635

Abstract Title: 

Acute consumption of Black walnuts increases fullness and decreases lipid peroxidation in humans.

Abstract: 

Walnuts are a nutrient dense food, but most health research is on English walnuts (EW). Black walnuts (BW) contain a different antioxidant and fatty acid profile, and more protein, compared to EW. The purpose of the study was to compare postprandial responses following the consumption of 3 breakfast meals containing either butter (control), BW, or EW. We hypothesized that walnut-containing meals would mitigate post-meal increases in glucose, insulin, triglycerides, and lipid peroxidation while increasing TAC compared to the traditional meal without nuts. Furthermore, we hypothesized that the BW meal would exhibit greater TAC and subjective fullness while mitigating postprandial increases in lipid peroxidation better than the EW. This was a randomized, double-blind control crossover study in 30 healthy adults with three testing visits. At each visit, subjects consumed either the control, BW, or EW meal. Blood draws and visual analog scale appetite ratings were obtained at fasting, 30, 60, 120, and 180 min postprandially. The BW and EW meals resulted in greater suppression of appetite vs. control (P 

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PMID: 

Am J Clin Nutr. 2019 Nov 27. Epub 2019 Nov 27. PMID: 31773150

Abstract Title: 

Comparative effects of different types of tree nut consumption on blood lipids: a network meta-analysis of clinical trials.

Abstract: 

BACKGROUND: Recent evidence has confirmed that nuts are one of the best food groups at reducing LDL cholesterol and total cholesterol (TC). However, the comparative effects of different types of nuts on blood lipids are unclear.OBJECTIVES: This network meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials aimed to assess the comparative effects of walnuts, pistachios, hazelnuts, cashews, and almonds on typical lipid profiles.METHODS: We conducted literature searches to identify studies comparing≥2 of the following diets-walnut-enriched, pistachio-enriched, hazelnut-enriched, cashew-enriched, almond-enriched, and control diets-for the management of triglycerides (TGs), LDL cholesterol, TC, and HDL cholesterol. Random-effects network meta-analyses, ranking analyses based on the surface under the cumulative ranking (SUCRA) curves, and sensitivity analyses according to the potential sources of heterogeneity across the included studies were performed for each outcome.RESULTS: Thirty-four trials enrolling 1677 participants were included in this study. The pistachio-enriched diet was ranked best for TG (SUCRA: 85%), LDL cholesterol (SUCRA: 87%), and TC (SUCRA: 96%) reductions. For TG and TC reductions, the walnut-enriched diet was ranked as the second-best diet. Regarding LDL cholesterol reduction, the almond-enriched diet was ranked second best. The pistachio-enriched and walnut-enriched diets were more effective at lowering TG, LDL cholesterol, and TC compared with the control diet. Regarding TG and TC reductions, the pistachio-enriched diet was also more effective than the hazelnut-enriched diet. For TG reduction, the walnut-enriched diet was better than the hazelnut-enriched diet. However, these findings are limited by the low quality of evidence ratings. In addition, the quality of this network meta-analysis was limited by the small number and generally poor reporting of available studies.CONCLUSIONS: The pistachio-enriched and walnut-enriched diet could be better alternatives for lowering TGs, LDL cholesterol, and TC compared with other nut-enriched diets included in this study. The findings warrant further evaluation by more high-quality studies.This network meta-analysis was registered at https://ift.tt/1nbX8KJ as CRD42019131128.

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PMID: 

Mol Nutr Food Res. 2019 Nov 22:e1900532. Epub 2019 Nov 22. PMID: 31755209

Abstract Title: 

Habitual Nut Exposure, Assessed by Dietary and Multiple Urinary Metabolomic Markers, and Cognitive Decline in Older Adults: The InCHIANTI Study.

Abstract: 

SCOPE: We prospectively evaluated the association between self-reported dietary intake and urinary metabolomic markers of habitual nut exposure with cognitive decline over a 3-year follow-up in an older Italian population.METHODS AND RESULTS: We selected 119 older participants, from the InCHIANTI cohort based on self referred nut intake: the non-nut consumer (n = 72) and the regular nut consumer (≥2.9 g/d, n = 47) groups. Nut exposure was measured at baseline either with the use of a validated food frequency questionnaire or with an HPLC-Q-ToF-MS metabolomic approach. Three years after, 28 from non-consumers group and 10 from consumers group experienced cognitive decline. Dietary nut exposure was characterized by urinary metabolites of polyphenols and fatty acids pathways. Nut consumption estimated either by the dietary marker or by the urinary marker model was in both cases associated with less cognitive decline (OR: 0.78, 95% CI: 0.61,0.99; P = 0.043 and OR: 0.995, 95% CI: 0.991,0.999; P = 0.016, respectively) with AUCs 73.2 (95% CI: 62.9,83.6) and 73.1 (62.5,83.7), respectively.CONCLUSIONS: A high intake of nuts may protect older adults from cognitive decline. The use of a panel of metabolites provides accurate and complementary information of the nut exposure and reinforces the results obtained using dietary information. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

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PMID: 

J Hematol Oncol. 2019 Dec 9 ;12(1):133. Epub 2019 Dec 9. PMID: 31815633

Abstract Title: 

Tumorigenesis, diagnosis, and therapeutic potential of exosomes in liver cancer.

Abstract: 

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC, also called primary liver cancer) is one of the most fatal cancers in the world. Due to the insidiousness of the onset of HCC and the lack of effective treatment methods, the prognosis of HCC is extremely poor, and the 5-year average survival rate is less than 10%. Exosomes are nano-sized microvesicle and contain various components such as nucleic acids, proteins, and lipids. Exosomes are important carriers for signal transmission or transportation of material from cell to cell or between cells and tissues. In recent years, exosomes have been considered as potential therapeutic targets of HCC. A large number of reports indicate that exosomes play a key role in the establishment of an HCC microenvironment, as well as the development, progression, invasion, metastasis, and even the diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of HCC. However, the exact molecular mechanisms and roles of exosomes in these processes remain unclear. We believe that elucidation of the regulatory mechanism of HCC-related exosomes and its signaling pathway and analysis of its clinical applications in the diagnosis and treatment of HCC can provide useful clues for future treatment regimens for HCC. This article discusses and summarizes the research progress of HCC-related exosomes and their potential clinical applications.

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PMID: 

Environ Sci Pollut Res Int. 2019 Nov 26. Epub 2019 Nov 26. PMID: 31773524

Abstract Title: 

Oxidative Stress and DNA methylation in male rat pups provoked by the transplacental and translactational exposure to bisphenol A.

Abstract: 

The epigenetic changes induced by environmental contaminants play important roles in the inheritance of male reproductive dysfunction. The present study investigated DNA methylation changes and some oxidative stress biomarkers induced by bisphenol A (BPA) in male offspring. A total number of 48 female albino rats were administered orally with 50μg/kg of BPA/day during gestation and/or lactation periods. At postnatal day 60, the samples were collected from the male pups to assess the serum testosterone, malondialdehyde (MDA) level, superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione S-transferase, and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activities in testicular tissue. DNA methylation in both DNA (cytosine-5)-methyltransferase 3A and estrogen receptor alpha genes was detected by methylation-specific PCR. BPA exposure resulted in significant decrease in the anogenital distance, testis and epididymis weights, serum testosterone level, SOD, GST, and GSH-Px levels with significant increase in weaning body weight and the MDA level. Additionally, BPA caused marked hypermethylation within Dnmt3A and ER- ∝ genes promoter regions in the testis of rat male pups. Graphical abstract.

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PMID: 

J Hazard Mater. 2019 Nov 20:121727. Epub 2019 Nov 20. PMID: 31796366

Abstract Title: 

Melatonin promotes metabolism of bisphenol A by enhancing glutathione-dependent detoxification in Solanum lycopersicum L.

Abstract: 

Bisphenol A (BPA), a widely distributed organic compound, is toxic to animals and plants. Here we show the mechanism of BPA detoxification by melatonin (MEL) in tomato, which is otherwise poorly understood in plants. BPA treatment decreased the quantum yield of photosystem II (Fv/Fm) and increased the membrane lipid peroxidation and reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation dose-dependently, whereas exogenous MEL alleviated the BPA effects on Fv/Fm, lipid peroxidation, ROS accumulation and BPA uptake. Furthermore, BPA elevated the glutathione (GSH) content, activities of glutathione S-transferase (GST), and glutathione reductase (GR), and the transcript levels of GSH1, GR1, GST1 and MEL biosynthesis genes (COMT, T5H, and SNAT), whereas BPA + MEL showed even a more profound induction. Silencing GSH1, GR1 and GST1 genes compromised the BPA detoxification potential of tomato plants as revealed by an increased level of ROS, lipid peroxidation and BPA uptake, and a decreased Fv/Fm and GST activity; these changes were alleviated by MEL application. Under in vitro conditions, BPA was glutathionylated by GSH, which was further catalyzed by GST to cysteine and N-acetylcysteine conjugates. These findings suggest a crucial role for MEL in BPA detoxification via GSH and GST, and can be useful to reduce BPA residue for food safety.

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