Nutrition
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Polyphenols are chemicals derived from plants known to possess antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. High intake of fruit and vegetables is believed to be beneficial to human health. Various studies have suggested that dietary polyphenols may protect against cancer and cardiometabolic and neurodegenerative diseases. Nerve growth factor (NGF) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) are neurotrophins that play key roles in brain cell development, growth, and survival. The aim of this study was to investigate whether or not administration of olive (Olea europaea L.) polyphenols could have an effect on NGF and BDNF content and the expression of their receptors, TrkA and TrkB, respectively, in the mouse brain. ⋯ Altogether, this study shows that olive polyphenols in the mouse may increase the levels of NGF and BDNF in crucial areas of the limbic system and olfactory bulbs, which play a key role in learning and memory processes and in the proliferation and migration of endogenous progenitor cells present in the rodent brain.
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Comparative Study
Quercetin reduces serum homocysteine level in rats fed a methionine-enriched diet.
The aim of this study was to determine the effects of quercetin on homocysteine (Hcy) metabolism and hepatic antioxidant status in high methionine (Met)-fed rats. ⋯ Quercetin is effective in decreasing serum Hcy level in high Met-fed rats and one of possible mechanisms is associated with increased transsulfuration of Hcy. Quercetin can acts as a prooxidant at high intake levels.
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To evaluate the effects of dietary restriction on oxidative status, the HuC/D-neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) myenteric neuron population, HuC/D-S100 glial cells, and the morphometry of the small intestine in rats at various ages. ⋯ The high oxidative status of the aging animals was reversed by dietary restriction, which also lowered cholesterol and triacylglycerol levels. The present dietary restriction elicited morpho-quantitative changes in the myenteric plexus and histology of the ileum, with likely effects on intestinal functions.
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Comparative Study
Assessing long-chain ω-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids: a tailored food-frequency questionnaire is better.
Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), including the long-chain (LC) ω-3 PUFAs, are important for health. The aim was to assess if the Anti-Cancer Council of Victoria Dietary Questionnaire (ACC DQ) accurately determines PUFA intakes compared with the recently validated electronic PUFA food-frequency questionnaire (FFQ). ⋯ The validated electronic PUFA FFQ is better suited to determine ω-3 PUFA intakes than the ACC DQ.
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To determine the association of in-hospital mortality in patients with enteral feeding to their glycemic status (normoglycemia, new hyperglycemia, or diabetes) and their levels of serum albumin. ⋯ The results of this study showed that newly diagnosed hyperglycemia can be considered an independent prognostic factor of in-hospital mortality in patients with enteral feeding and that there is no interaction between newly diagnosed hyperglycemia and serum albumin levels.