British Journal of Nutrition

Oxidative stress may be affected by lead exposure as well as antioxidants, yet little is known about the interaction between dietary antioxidants and blood lead levels (BLL) on oxidative stress level. We investigated the interaction between dietary antioxidants and BLL on oxidative stress level. As part of the Biomarker Monitoring for Environmental Health conducted in Seoul and Incheon, Korea, between April and December 2005, we analysed data from 683 adults (female = 47·4 %, mean age 51·4 (sd 8·4) years) who had complete measures on BLL, dietary intakes and oxidative stress marker (urinary 8-hydroxy-2′-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG)). Dietary intakes were assessed by a validated semi-quantitative FFQ, BLL was measured using atomic absorption spectrophotometry, and 8-OHdG by ELISA. Multivariate linear regression analyses were used to evaluate the influence of BLL on the association between dietary antioxidants and 8-OHdG. Geometric means of BLL and 8-OHdG concentrations were 4·1 (sd 1·5) μg/dl and 5·4 (sd 1·9) μg/g creatinine, respectively. Increases of vitamins C and E were significantly associated with the decrease of log10 8-OHdG in the adults from the lowest quartile of the BLL group ( ≤ 3·18 μg/dl, geometric mean = 2·36 μg/dl) than those of the highest quartile BLL group (>5·36 μg/dl, geometric mean = 6·78 μg/dl). Regarding antioxidant-related foods, vegetables excluding kimchi showed a higher inverse relationship with 8-OHdG in the lowest quartile BLL group than the highest group. These findings suggest a rationale for lowering the BLL and increasing the intake of dietary antioxidants in the urban population in Korea.

Pathogenic invasion byEscherichia coliandSalmonellaeremains a constant threat to the integrity of the intestinal epithelium and can rapidly induce inflammatory responses. At birth, colostrum consumption exerts numerous beneficial effects on the properties of intestinal epithelial cells and protects the gastrointestinal tract of newborns from pathogenic invasion. The present study aimed to investigate the effect of colostrum on the early and late inflammatory responses induced by pathogens. The short-term (2 h) and long-term (24 h) effects of exposure to heat-killed (HK)E. coliandSalmonella entericaTyphimurium on gene expression in the porcine intestinal epithelial cell (IPEC-J2) model were first evaluated by microarray and quantitative PCR analyses. Luciferase assays were performed using a NF-κB-luc reporter construct to investigate the effect of colostrum whey treatment on the activation of NF-κB induced by HK bacteria. Luciferase assays were also performed using NF-κB-luc, IL-8-luc and IL-6-luc reporter constructs in human colon adenocarcinoma Caco-2/15 cells exposed to dose–response stimulations with HK bacteria and colostrum whey. Bovine colostrum whey treatment decreased the expression of early and late inflammatory genes induced by HK bacteria in IPEC-J2, as well as the transcriptional activation of NF-κB-luc induced by HK bacteria. Unlike that with colostrum whey, treatment with other milk fractions failed to decrease the activation of NF-κB-luc induced by HK bacteria. Lastly, the reduction of the HK bacteria-induced activation of NF-κB-luc, IL-8-luc and IL-6-luc by colostrum whey was dose dependent. The results of the present study indicate that bovine colostrum may protect and preserve the integrity of the intestinal mucosal barrier in the host by controlling the expression levels of early and late inflammatory genes following invasion by enteric pathogens.

The objectives of the present study were to examine the effects of (1) ingesting mandatory snacks v. no snacks and (2) the composition of isoenergetically-dense snacks high in protein, fat or carbohydrate, on food intake and energy intake (EI) in eight men with ad libitum access to a diet of fixed composition. Subjects were each studied four times in a 9 d protocol per treatment. On days 1–2, subjects were given a medium-fat maintenance diet estimated at 1·6 × resting metabolic rate (RMR). On days 3–9, subjects consumed three mandatory isoenergetic, isoenergetically dense (380 kJ/100 g) snacks at fixed time intervals (11.30, 15.30 and 19.30 hours). Total snack intake comprised 30 % of the subjects' estimated daily energy requirements. The treatments were high protein (HP), high carbohydrate (HC), high fat (HF) and no snack (NS). The order was randomized across subjects in a counterbalanced, Latin-square design. During the remainder of the day, subjects had ad libitum (meal size and frequency) access to a covertly manipulated medium-fat diet of fixed composition (fat: carbohydrate: protein, 40:47:13 by energy), energy density 550 kJ/100 g. All foods eaten were investigator-weighed before ingestion and left-overs were weighed after ingestion. Subjective hunger and satiety feelings were tracked hourly during waking hours using visual analogue scales. Ad libitum EI amounted to 13·9 MJ/d on the NS treatment compared with 11·7, 11·7 and 12·2 MJ/d on the HP, HC and HF diets respectively (F(3,21) 5·35; P = 0·007, sed 0·66). Total EI values were not significantly different at 14·6, 14·5, 15·0 and 14·2 MJ/d respectively. Snack composition did not differentially affect total daily food intake or EI. Average daily hunger was unaffected by the composition of the snacks. Only at 12.00 hours did subjects feel significantly more hungry during the NS condition, relative to the other dietary treatments (F(3,18) 4·42; P = 0·017). Body weight was unaffected by dietary treatment. In conclusion, snacking per se led to compensatory adjustments in feeding behaviour in lean men. Snack composition (with energy density controlled) did not affect the amount eaten of a diet of fixed composition. Results may differ in real life where subjects can alter both composition and amount of food they eat and energy density is not controlled.

Dietary regulation of appetite may contribute to the prevention and management of excess body weight. The present study examined the effect of consumption of individual dairy products as snacks on appetite and subsequent ad libitum lunch energy intake. In a randomised cross-over trial, forty overweight men (age 32 (sd 9) years; BMI 27 (sd 2) kg/m²) attended four sessions 1 week apart and received three isoenergetic (841 kJ) and isovolumetric (410 ml) servings of dairy snacks or water (control) 120 min after breakfast. Appetite profile was determined throughout the morning and ad libitum energy intake was assessed 90 min after the intake of snacks. Concentrations of amino acids, glucose, insulin, ghrelin and peptide tyrosine tyrosine were measured at baseline (0 min) and 80 min after the intake of snacks. Although the results showed that yogurt had the greatest suppressive effect on appetite, this could be confounded by the poor sensory ratings of yogurt. Hunger rating was 8, 10 and 24 % (P < 0·001) lower after the intake of yogurt than cheese, milk and water, respectively. Energy intake was 11, 9 and 12 % (P < 0·02) lower after the intake of yogurt, cheese and milk, respectively, compared with water (4312 (se 226) kJ). Although there was no difference in the postprandial responses of hormones, alanine and isoleucine concentrations were higher after the intake of yogurt than cheese and milk (P < 0·05). In conclusion, all dairy snacks reduced appetite and lunch intake compared with water. Yogurt had the greatest effect on suppressing subjective appetite ratings, but did not affect subsequent food intake compared with milk or cheese.

1. The nutritional value of fish protein oxidized with different levels of hydrogen peroxide, and the utilization of oxidized sulphur-amino acids in the rat were investigated.

2. The results showed that the biological value (bv) and protein efficiency ratio (per) of the fish protein were significantly decreased by the treatment with H₂O₂, and although there were no significant differences between samples treated with 20, 40 or 80 g H₂O₂/kg, there was a gradual decrease of BV at higher concentrations. Digestibility was not affected by the treatment.

3. Supplementation with 1 g L-methionine/kg or 1 g L-cystine/kg significantly increased the BV for all H₂O₂-treated samples. With the exception of the sample treated with 80 g H₂O₂/kg, the BV was increased by L-methionine supplementation to the level for the untreated fish protein.

4. Treatment with H₂O₂led to the formation of methionine sulphoxide, methionine sulphone and cysteic acid. The availability of these compounds was studied as supplements to the untreated fish protein as well as to the H₂O₂-treated fish protein. The results showed that L-methionine DL-sulphoxide was as available as methionine, but that L-methionine sulphone and cysteic acid had no supplementary effect.

5. The availability of lysine in fish protein was not affected by treatment with 20 g H₂O₂/kg as judged by its effect as a supplement to wheat flour.

6. The plasma amino acid pattern for rats given a diet with H₂O₂-treated fish protein was identical to that for rats given an untreated fish protein, with the exception of the presence of the two isomers of L-methionine DL-sulphoxide and L-methionine sulphone. The oxidized S-amino acids were also found in liver, kidney and gastrocnemius muscle from the rat.

7. Only traces of L-methionine DL-sulphoxide were found in the urine. About half the ingested L-methionine sulphone was found in the urine and almost all was present as an acid-labile conjugate.

Zn deficiency compromises its biological functions, its effect on the immune system and its antiviral activity, increasing vulnerability to infectious diseases. This narrative review aims at presenting and discussing functional aspects and possible mechanisms involved in the potential role of Zn in the immune response and antiviral activity for coronavirus infectious disease-19 (COVID-19) prevention and control. The searches were conducted in PubMed and Science Direct databases, using clinical trials, experimental studies in animals and humans, case–control studies, case series, letters to the editor, and review articles published in English, without restrictions on year of publication. Search approach was based on using the terms: ‘zinc’, ‘COVID-19’, ‘antiviral agents’, ‘immunologic factors’ and ‘respiratory tract infections’. Literature shows the importance of Zn as an essential mineral immunomodulator with relevant antiviral activity in the body. Thus, although there is still a scarcity of studies evaluating Zn supplementation in patients with COVID-19, the results on the topic show the necessity of controlling Zn mineral deficiency, as well as maintaining its homoeostasis in the body in order to strengthen the immune system and improve the prevention of highly complex viral infections, such as that of the COVID-19.

Tỷ lệ tiêu thụ flavonoid thường xuyên có thể làm giảm nguy cơ mắc bệnh tim mạch. Tuy nhiên, các tác động của từng flavonoid, chẳng hạn như quercetin, vẫn chưa rõ ràng. Nghiên cứu hiện tại được thực hiện nhằm kiểm tra tác động của việc bổ sung quercetin lên huyết áp, chuyển hóa lipid, các chỉ số stress oxy hóa, viêm nhiễm và thành phần cơ thể ở một nhóm người có nguy cơ cao gồm 93 cá nhân thừa cân hoặc béo phì trong độ tuổi từ 25 đến 65 với các đặc điểm hội chứng chuyển hóa. Các đối tượng được ngẫu nhiên phân bổ để nhận 150 mg quercetin/ngày trong một thử nghiệm chéo mù đôi, đối chứng giả dược với các giai đoạn điều trị kéo dài 6 tuần, cách nhau bởi một giai đoạn rửa thuốc 5 tuần. Nồng độ quercetin trong huyết tương lúc đói trung bình đã tăng từ 71 lên 269 nmol/l (P < 0·001) trong quá trình điều trị bằng quercetin. Ngược lại với placebo, quercetin đã làm giảm huyết áp tâm thu (SBP) trung bình 2·6 mmHg (P < 0·01) trong toàn bộ nhóm nghiên cứu, giảm 2·9 mmHg (P < 0·01) trong nhóm phụ những người bị cao huyết áp và giảm 3·7 mmHg (P < 0·001) trong nhóm người trẻ từ 25 đến 50 tuổi. Quercetin đã giảm nồng độ HDL-cholesterol trong huyết thanh (P < 0·001), trong khi cholesterol toàn phần, TAG và tỷ lệ LDL:HDL-cholesterol và TAG:HDL-cholesterol không thay đổi. Quercetin đã làm giảm nồng độ LDL oxy hóa gây xơ vữa động mạch trong huyết tương, nhưng không có ảnh hưởng đến TNF-α và protein phản ứng C so với giả dược. Việc bổ sung quercetin không ảnh hưởng đến tình trạng dinh dưỡng. Các thông số máu về chức năng gan và thận, huyết học và điện giải trong huyết serum không cho thấy bất kỳ tác dụng bất lợi nào của quercetin. Kết luận, quercetin đã làm giảm SBP và nồng độ LDL oxy hóa trong huyết tương ở những người thừa cân có kiểu hình nguy cơ cao về bệnh tim mạch. Những phát hiện của chúng tôi cung cấp thêm bằng chứng cho thấy quercetin có thể bảo vệ chống lại bệnh tim mạch.