BACKGROUND Herbal supplements are increasingly used to manage menopausal symptoms.Physta®is a commercial herbal ingredient containing Eurycoma longifolia standardized water extract,traditionally used for vitality...BACKGROUND Herbal supplements are increasingly used to manage menopausal symptoms.Physta®is a commercial herbal ingredient containing Eurycoma longifolia standardized water extract,traditionally used for vitality.Its adaptogenic and anti-inflammatory properties promote hormonal balance,physical function,and sexual health,supporting its potential benefits for menopausal health.AIM To investigate Physta®’s role in improving menopausal quality of life,mood states,and overall safety profile compared with placebo.METHODS In this 12-week,randomized,double-blind,placebo-controlled trial,138 females aged 40-55 with menopausal symptoms were randomly assigned to receive Physta®50 mg,Physta®100 mg,or placebo.MENQOL and POMS were assessed at baseline,week 6,and week 12.Safety outcomes were evaluated through biochemical tests,vital signs,and female reproductive hormonal profile.RESULTS Physta®100 mg significantly reduced total MENQOL scores by 33.9%from baseline to week 12(P=0.049)with notable improvements in the physical(-36.4%,P=0.046)and sexual(-36.3%,P=0.043)domains.Total mood disturbance also declined more in the Physta®100 mg group(-38.6%)compared with placebo(-30.1%),although not statistically significant.No significant changes were observed in the vital signs and biochemical parameters,indicating the safety and tolerability of Physta®.No significant alterations were found in the female reproductive hormone profile,supporting its hormonal neutrality.CONCLUSION Physta®100 mg improved menopausal quality of life and mood without adverse effects,supporting its potential as a safe herbal therapy.Further studies with higher doses and longer durations are needed.展开更多
The date palm (<span style="font-family:Verdana;"><i></i></span><i><i><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Phoenix dactylifera</span></i><i>...The date palm (<span style="font-family:Verdana;"><i></i></span><i><i><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Phoenix dactylifera</span></i><i><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></i></i><span style="font-family:Verdana;"> L.) is one of the oldest primary staple crops in Southwest Asia and North Africa. Date palms are also grown in Australia, Mexico, South America, Southern Africa, and the United States, especially in Southern California, Arizona, and Texas. Date fruit is a high nutritional value food that is rich in carbohydrates, dietary fibers, proteins, minerals and vitamin B complex such as thiamine (B1), riboflavin (B2), niacin (B3), pantothenic (B5), pyridoxine (B6), and folate (B9). Carbohydrates comprise 70% of date fruit mainly as fructose and glucose. Minerals in date fruits are calcium, iron, magnesium, selenium, copper, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, sulfur, cobalt, fluorine, and manganese. Date fruits are highly nourishing and may thus confer numerous potential health benefits. In recent years, a huge interest in the abundant health promoting properties of date fruits has led to the need to develop new food products using dates as a source of nutrients. Thus, the aim of this paper is to review the nutritional value of date fruits in the context of the potential use of dates in nutrition bars for athletes.</span>展开更多
Sumac(Rhus coriaria)is a flowering plant that is widely consumed for its promoting health benefits and used in food preparations as a spice in the Mediterranean region.It is a high shrub or small tree with imparipinna...Sumac(Rhus coriaria)is a flowering plant that is widely consumed for its promoting health benefits and used in food preparations as a spice in the Mediterranean region.It is a high shrub or small tree with imparipinnate leaves,villus and red fruits with one-seeded drupe,and small greenish-white flowers.The nutraceutical and pharmaceutical potential of sumac makes it a remarkable functional food.In this review,the phytochemical and nutritional properties of sumac as an under valorized functional food have been discussed.Flavonoids,anthocyanins,phenolic acids,and organic acids have been reported as dominant phytochemicals in sumac,which are well known for their pharmacological properties that attract many consumers to commonly choose sumac in their diet as well as food preparations.The remarkable volatile compounds present in sumac give it a unique aroma that increases its acceptance by consumers and potential use in the food industry.Sumac has been evaluated for a broad range of nutritional and pharmacological activities such as antioxidant,antinociceptive,anti-inflammatory,anti-diabetic,hepatoprotective,cardioprotective,anticancer,anti-infertility,and neuroprotective potential.This review has also briefly outlined the safety concerns concerning the use of sumac in terms of toxicology and interactions.展开更多
Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) play a critical role in food, agricultural, and clinical applications. The fast growing characteristics of LAB and their metabolic activity have been the key in most applications including f...Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) play a critical role in food, agricultural, and clinical applications. The fast growing characteristics of LAB and their metabolic activity have been the key in most applications including food production, agricultural industry, and probiotics. However, the biochemical and biophysical environments have significant effect on the growth and metabolic activity of LAB. While the biochemical conditions are most likely established, controlling and optimizing of biochemical conditions have many limitations and challenges. In addition to selecting the right strain, desirable metabolic processes required optimizing and controlling the available nutrients including sugars, peptides, free amino acids, minerals, and vitamins in addition to buffering agents. Thus, much of research was conducted to understand the impact of available nutrients on the growth and metabolic activities of LAB. However, only a few nutritional parameters could be controlled at a time while holding other parameters constant. The nutritional parameters may also interact with each other resulting in faulty results. Characteristics of LAB such as fastidiousness in their nutritional requirements, ability to produce acid and antimicrobial compounds, and variations in the nutritional requirements among strains have added additional limitations and challenges in this regard. Thus, chemically defined media (CDM) were suggested to deal with different limitations and challenges. However, due to differences in growth conditions, results obtained in CDM may face some obstacles when it comes to industrial applications. Thus, this paper aimed to review the recent data in regard to the role of the nutritional requirements of LAB in optimizing and controlling metabolic activities and to discuss the associated limitations and challenges.展开更多
Objective To investigate the hypocholesterolemic activity of red yeast rice （RYR） and its underlying mechanism. Methods Three groups of hamsters were fed either the control diet or one of the two experimental diets ...Objective To investigate the hypocholesterolemic activity of red yeast rice （RYR） and its underlying mechanism. Methods Three groups of hamsters were fed either the control diet or one of the two experimental diets containing by weight 0.1% RYR （0.1RYR） or 0.3% RYR （0.3RYR）. Blood （0.5 mL） was collected from the retro-orbital sinus into a heparinized capillary tube at the end of week 0, 3, and 6. Plasma lipoproteins were measured using enzymatic kits, while fecal neutral and acidic sterols were quantified using a gas-liquid chromatography. Results Plasma total cholesterol was reduced by 12% in 0.1RYR group and by 18% in 0.3RYR group compared with the control value. Similarly, plasma triacylglycerol was decreased by 11% in 0.1RYR group and by 24% in 0.3RYR group. Western blotting analysis demonstrated that RYR had no effect on sterol regulatory element binding protein 2, fiver X receptor, 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutary-CoA reductase, LDL receptor, and cholesterol-7α-hydroxylase. HPLC analysis confirmed that RYR contained 0.88% monacolin K. It was recently found that RYR supplementation increased excretion of fecal acidic sterols by 34 folds compared with the conlrol value. Conclusion Hypocholesterolemic activity of RYR is mediated at least partially by enhancement of acidic sterol excretion.展开更多
Interaction between dietary polyphenol and proteins including digestive enzymes may result in reduced digestibility of food macronutrients, thus lowering absorption of nutrients that contributing to high energy accumu...Interaction between dietary polyphenol and proteins including digestive enzymes may result in reduced digestibility of food macronutrients, thus lowering absorption of nutrients that contributing to high energy accumulation in human body. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of grape seed polyphenol extract （GSPE） on the digestibility of starch, food lipid and food protein by digestive enzymes such as u-amylase, lipase, pepsin and trypsin. The digestion of each substrate was conducted at the optimal pH and temperature of specific enzyme. Bread containing different amount of grape pomace was used as a real food model and its digestion was conducted under simulated digestion condition. Concentrations of reducing sugar, fatty acid and amino acids in enzyme digested mixtures were determined as indicators of starch, lipid and protein digestions, respectively. Results indicate that GSPE significantly inhibited the digestion of starch, cooking oil and casein, but did not inhibit digestion of whey protein and egg white protein. Instead, the digestion of egg white and whey protein by trypsin was moderately enhanced in the presence of GSPE. However, under simulated human digestion condition, the grape pomace in the bread significantly reduced the digestibility of bread starch and protein.展开更多
Raw goat milk cheeses are known for their natural microflora linked to many biodiversity factors such as the use of raw milk. That microflora serves probiotic attribution conferring a beneficial health impact on the c...Raw goat milk cheeses are known for their natural microflora linked to many biodiversity factors such as the use of raw milk. That microflora serves probiotic attribution conferring a beneficial health impact on the consumer. Darfiyeh is an artisanal raw goat milk cheese manufactured traditionally in Northern Lebanese Mountains. To emphasize its clinical significance in both digestive and immune system, and to provide health remunerations to the consumer, the cheese microbiota will be investigated. To serve that purpose, the presence of the two potent probiotic Lactic Acid Bacteria (LAB): Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis and Lactobacillus plantarum will be investigated. For bacterial identification, selection and isolation: culture-dependent techniques that imply the use of laboratory media will be implemented, and culture independent techniques: Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) will be applied for further validation. Both bacteria were further verified as Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis and Lactobacillus plantarum by implementing specie-specific primers for the qualitative PCR.展开更多
Propionate and butyrate are proven capable of decreasing plasma cholesterol.However,their undesired odor and unpleasant smell limit their direct application as a dietary supplement.In contrast,their respective triacyl...Propionate and butyrate are proven capable of decreasing plasma cholesterol.However,their undesired odor and unpleasant smell limit their direct application as a dietary supplement.In contrast,their respective triacylglycerols tributyrin(Tb)and tripropionin(Tp)are odorless and can be directly used as healthy supplements.In view that no study has investigated the relative biological potency of Tb and Tp,the present study was designed to compare the effects of Tp and Tb on plasma cholesterol and gut microbiota using hypercholesterolemic hamsters as a model.Male golden hamsters were randomly allocated to 6 groups fed one of the following 6 diets,namely,low-cholesterol diet(LCD),high-cholesterol diet(HCD),HCD+0.5%Tp(LTp),HCD+1%Tp(HTp),HCD+0.5%Tb(LTb),and HCD+1%Tb(HTb).Results showed that Tb administration at 1%could significantly reduce plasma total cholesterol(TC),non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol(non-HDLC),and the ratio of non-HDLC to HDLC,whereas Tp supplementation had no effect.Mechanistically,Tb but not Tp could decrease plasma cholesterol by increasing the excretion of fecal bile acids via upregulating gene expression of cholesterol 7α-hydroxylase(CYP7A1)and liver X receptor alpha(LXRα).In addition,Tb supplementation at 1%could increase the gut microbiota diversity,reduce the ratio of Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes and favorably increase the abundance of beneficial microbial genera Bifidobacterium.In conclusion,dietary Tb supplementation was more effective than Tp in mitigating hypercholesterolemia by increasing the excretion of fecal bile acids and favorably modulating gut microbiota.展开更多
基金Supported by Biotropics Malaysia Berhad,Malaysia,NN-2021-016.
文摘BACKGROUND Herbal supplements are increasingly used to manage menopausal symptoms.Physta®is a commercial herbal ingredient containing Eurycoma longifolia standardized water extract,traditionally used for vitality.Its adaptogenic and anti-inflammatory properties promote hormonal balance,physical function,and sexual health,supporting its potential benefits for menopausal health.AIM To investigate Physta®’s role in improving menopausal quality of life,mood states,and overall safety profile compared with placebo.METHODS In this 12-week,randomized,double-blind,placebo-controlled trial,138 females aged 40-55 with menopausal symptoms were randomly assigned to receive Physta®50 mg,Physta®100 mg,or placebo.MENQOL and POMS were assessed at baseline,week 6,and week 12.Safety outcomes were evaluated through biochemical tests,vital signs,and female reproductive hormonal profile.RESULTS Physta®100 mg significantly reduced total MENQOL scores by 33.9%from baseline to week 12(P=0.049)with notable improvements in the physical(-36.4%,P=0.046)and sexual(-36.3%,P=0.043)domains.Total mood disturbance also declined more in the Physta®100 mg group(-38.6%)compared with placebo(-30.1%),although not statistically significant.No significant changes were observed in the vital signs and biochemical parameters,indicating the safety and tolerability of Physta®.No significant alterations were found in the female reproductive hormone profile,supporting its hormonal neutrality.CONCLUSION Physta®100 mg improved menopausal quality of life and mood without adverse effects,supporting its potential as a safe herbal therapy.Further studies with higher doses and longer durations are needed.
文摘The date palm (<span style="font-family:Verdana;"><i></i></span><i><i><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Phoenix dactylifera</span></i><i><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></i></i><span style="font-family:Verdana;"> L.) is one of the oldest primary staple crops in Southwest Asia and North Africa. Date palms are also grown in Australia, Mexico, South America, Southern Africa, and the United States, especially in Southern California, Arizona, and Texas. Date fruit is a high nutritional value food that is rich in carbohydrates, dietary fibers, proteins, minerals and vitamin B complex such as thiamine (B1), riboflavin (B2), niacin (B3), pantothenic (B5), pyridoxine (B6), and folate (B9). Carbohydrates comprise 70% of date fruit mainly as fructose and glucose. Minerals in date fruits are calcium, iron, magnesium, selenium, copper, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, sulfur, cobalt, fluorine, and manganese. Date fruits are highly nourishing and may thus confer numerous potential health benefits. In recent years, a huge interest in the abundant health promoting properties of date fruits has led to the need to develop new food products using dates as a source of nutrients. Thus, the aim of this paper is to review the nutritional value of date fruits in the context of the potential use of dates in nutrition bars for athletes.</span>
文摘Sumac(Rhus coriaria)is a flowering plant that is widely consumed for its promoting health benefits and used in food preparations as a spice in the Mediterranean region.It is a high shrub or small tree with imparipinnate leaves,villus and red fruits with one-seeded drupe,and small greenish-white flowers.The nutraceutical and pharmaceutical potential of sumac makes it a remarkable functional food.In this review,the phytochemical and nutritional properties of sumac as an under valorized functional food have been discussed.Flavonoids,anthocyanins,phenolic acids,and organic acids have been reported as dominant phytochemicals in sumac,which are well known for their pharmacological properties that attract many consumers to commonly choose sumac in their diet as well as food preparations.The remarkable volatile compounds present in sumac give it a unique aroma that increases its acceptance by consumers and potential use in the food industry.Sumac has been evaluated for a broad range of nutritional and pharmacological activities such as antioxidant,antinociceptive,anti-inflammatory,anti-diabetic,hepatoprotective,cardioprotective,anticancer,anti-infertility,and neuroprotective potential.This review has also briefly outlined the safety concerns concerning the use of sumac in terms of toxicology and interactions.
文摘Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) play a critical role in food, agricultural, and clinical applications. The fast growing characteristics of LAB and their metabolic activity have been the key in most applications including food production, agricultural industry, and probiotics. However, the biochemical and biophysical environments have significant effect on the growth and metabolic activity of LAB. While the biochemical conditions are most likely established, controlling and optimizing of biochemical conditions have many limitations and challenges. In addition to selecting the right strain, desirable metabolic processes required optimizing and controlling the available nutrients including sugars, peptides, free amino acids, minerals, and vitamins in addition to buffering agents. Thus, much of research was conducted to understand the impact of available nutrients on the growth and metabolic activities of LAB. However, only a few nutritional parameters could be controlled at a time while holding other parameters constant. The nutritional parameters may also interact with each other resulting in faulty results. Characteristics of LAB such as fastidiousness in their nutritional requirements, ability to produce acid and antimicrobial compounds, and variations in the nutritional requirements among strains have added additional limitations and challenges in this regard. Thus, chemically defined media (CDM) were suggested to deal with different limitations and challenges. However, due to differences in growth conditions, results obtained in CDM may face some obstacles when it comes to industrial applications. Thus, this paper aimed to review the recent data in regard to the role of the nutritional requirements of LAB in optimizing and controlling metabolic activities and to discuss the associated limitations and challenges.
文摘Objective To investigate the hypocholesterolemic activity of red yeast rice （RYR） and its underlying mechanism. Methods Three groups of hamsters were fed either the control diet or one of the two experimental diets containing by weight 0.1% RYR （0.1RYR） or 0.3% RYR （0.3RYR）. Blood （0.5 mL） was collected from the retro-orbital sinus into a heparinized capillary tube at the end of week 0, 3, and 6. Plasma lipoproteins were measured using enzymatic kits, while fecal neutral and acidic sterols were quantified using a gas-liquid chromatography. Results Plasma total cholesterol was reduced by 12% in 0.1RYR group and by 18% in 0.3RYR group compared with the control value. Similarly, plasma triacylglycerol was decreased by 11% in 0.1RYR group and by 24% in 0.3RYR group. Western blotting analysis demonstrated that RYR had no effect on sterol regulatory element binding protein 2, fiver X receptor, 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutary-CoA reductase, LDL receptor, and cholesterol-7α-hydroxylase. HPLC analysis confirmed that RYR contained 0.88% monacolin K. It was recently found that RYR supplementation increased excretion of fecal acidic sterols by 34 folds compared with the conlrol value. Conclusion Hypocholesterolemic activity of RYR is mediated at least partially by enhancement of acidic sterol excretion.
文摘Interaction between dietary polyphenol and proteins including digestive enzymes may result in reduced digestibility of food macronutrients, thus lowering absorption of nutrients that contributing to high energy accumulation in human body. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of grape seed polyphenol extract （GSPE） on the digestibility of starch, food lipid and food protein by digestive enzymes such as u-amylase, lipase, pepsin and trypsin. The digestion of each substrate was conducted at the optimal pH and temperature of specific enzyme. Bread containing different amount of grape pomace was used as a real food model and its digestion was conducted under simulated digestion condition. Concentrations of reducing sugar, fatty acid and amino acids in enzyme digested mixtures were determined as indicators of starch, lipid and protein digestions, respectively. Results indicate that GSPE significantly inhibited the digestion of starch, cooking oil and casein, but did not inhibit digestion of whey protein and egg white protein. Instead, the digestion of egg white and whey protein by trypsin was moderately enhanced in the presence of GSPE. However, under simulated human digestion condition, the grape pomace in the bread significantly reduced the digestibility of bread starch and protein.
文摘Raw goat milk cheeses are known for their natural microflora linked to many biodiversity factors such as the use of raw milk. That microflora serves probiotic attribution conferring a beneficial health impact on the consumer. Darfiyeh is an artisanal raw goat milk cheese manufactured traditionally in Northern Lebanese Mountains. To emphasize its clinical significance in both digestive and immune system, and to provide health remunerations to the consumer, the cheese microbiota will be investigated. To serve that purpose, the presence of the two potent probiotic Lactic Acid Bacteria (LAB): Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis and Lactobacillus plantarum will be investigated. For bacterial identification, selection and isolation: culture-dependent techniques that imply the use of laboratory media will be implemented, and culture independent techniques: Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) will be applied for further validation. Both bacteria were further verified as Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis and Lactobacillus plantarum by implementing specie-specific primers for the qualitative PCR.
基金supported by Hong Kong Research Grants Council General Research Fund(14104923).
文摘Propionate and butyrate are proven capable of decreasing plasma cholesterol.However,their undesired odor and unpleasant smell limit their direct application as a dietary supplement.In contrast,their respective triacylglycerols tributyrin(Tb)and tripropionin(Tp)are odorless and can be directly used as healthy supplements.In view that no study has investigated the relative biological potency of Tb and Tp,the present study was designed to compare the effects of Tp and Tb on plasma cholesterol and gut microbiota using hypercholesterolemic hamsters as a model.Male golden hamsters were randomly allocated to 6 groups fed one of the following 6 diets,namely,low-cholesterol diet(LCD),high-cholesterol diet(HCD),HCD+0.5%Tp(LTp),HCD+1%Tp(HTp),HCD+0.5%Tb(LTb),and HCD+1%Tb(HTb).Results showed that Tb administration at 1%could significantly reduce plasma total cholesterol(TC),non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol(non-HDLC),and the ratio of non-HDLC to HDLC,whereas Tp supplementation had no effect.Mechanistically,Tb but not Tp could decrease plasma cholesterol by increasing the excretion of fecal bile acids via upregulating gene expression of cholesterol 7α-hydroxylase(CYP7A1)and liver X receptor alpha(LXRα).In addition,Tb supplementation at 1%could increase the gut microbiota diversity,reduce the ratio of Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes and favorably increase the abundance of beneficial microbial genera Bifidobacterium.In conclusion,dietary Tb supplementation was more effective than Tp in mitigating hypercholesterolemia by increasing the excretion of fecal bile acids and favorably modulating gut microbiota.
