Food & Function最新文献

Background: Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) remain a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, with dietary interventions showing promise in reducing CVD risk factors. Phytosterols (PSs) in plant-based foods may reduce CVD risk by lowering low-density lipoprotein cholesterol. However, the relationship between dietary PS intake and CVD outcomes remains inconclusive. Methods: This study investigated the association between dietary PS intake and CVD outcomes, including coronary heart disease (CHD) and cardiovascular mortality, using a large cohort of 167 209 UK Biobank participants. PS intake was assessed through repeated 24 hour dietary recall data, with participants stratified into quintiles. The Cox proportional-hazards model was used to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) for CVD risk across quintiles of PS intake, adjusting for potential confounders. Restricted cubic splines were used to examine the nonlinear relationship between phytosterol intake and cardiovascular disease risk. Sensitivity and subgroup analyses explored interactions with demographic and lifestyle factors. Results: Higher dietary PS intake was significantly associated with a reduced risk of CVD events, including CHD and cardiovascular mortality. Each 100 mg increase in PS intake was linked to an 8% reduction in CVD risk (HR = 0.92, 95% CI: 0.87, 0.97). Multivariable-adjusted analyses revealed that participants in the highest quintile of PS intake had significantly lower CVD hazard ratios (HR = 0.81, 95% CI: 0.77, 0.84) compared to those in the lowest quintile. Significant inverse associations were also observed for cardiovascular mortality (HR: 0.86, 95% CI: 0.80, 0.94) and CHD (HR: 0.91, 95% CI: 0.84, 0.98). Subgroup analysis highlighted stronger inverse associations in current smokers, individuals with lower body mass index (BMI), and those with moderate to high physical activity levels, with variations observed based on dyslipidemia status. Sensitivity analyses, excluding early events and adjusting for energy intake, confirmed the robustness of the findings. Conclusions: This large cohort study provides evidence supporting the cardioprotective effects of dietary PS intake, particularly for CHD and cardiovascular mortality. Dietary PS may be considered an integral component of heart-healthy diets.

Impairment of gut barrier integrity is associated with the pathogenesis of gastrointestinal diseases, including inflammatory bowel disease, colorectal cancer, and coeliac disease. While many aspects of diet have been linked to improved barrier function, (poly)phenols, a broad group of bioactive phytochemicals, are of potential interest. The (poly)phenolic sub-class, flavan-3-ols, have been investigated in some detail owing to their abundance in commonly consumed foods, including grapes, tea, apples, cocoa, berries, and nuts. This review summarises studies on the effects of flavan-3-ols, their microbiome-mediated metabolites, and food sources of these compounds, on gut barrier structure. Extensive evidence demonstrates that flavan-3-ol rich foods, individual flavan-3-ols (e.g., (epi)catechin, epi(gallo)catechin-3-O-gallate, and pro(antho)cyanidins), and their related microbiota-mediated metabolites, could be effective in protecting and restoring the integrity of the gut barrier. In this context, various endpoints are assessed, including transepithelial electrical resistance of the epithelial layer and expression of tight junction proteins and mucins, in ex vivo, in vitro, and animal models. The differences in bioactivity reported for barrier integrity are structure-function dependent, related to the (poly)phenolic source or the tested compound, as well as their dose, exposure time, and presence or absence of a stressor in the experimental system. Overall, these results suggest that flavan-3-ols and related compounds could help to maintain, protect, and restore gut barrier integrity, indicating that they might contribute to the beneficial properties associated with the intake of their dietary sources. However, rigorous and robustly designed human intervention studies are needed to confirm these experimental observations.

Correction for 'Linolenic acid ameliorates sarcopenia in C. elegans by promoting mitophagy and fighting oxidative stress' by Lu Zhang et al., Food Funct., 2023, 14, 1498-1509, https://doi.org/10.1039/D2FO02974J.

Various dietary polyphenols have demonstrated potent anti-tumor properties and are being evaluated as potential adjuncts in cancer treatment. Although several reviews have offered extensive insights into the anti-tumor activities of dietary polyphenols, they frequently lack a detailed discussion on the design of therapeutic protocols and targeted delivery strategies of these compounds, which impedes the translation of their biological activity into clinical practice. This article aims to deliver a comprehensive review of the anti-tumor properties of dietary polyphenols, while also examining the design and implementation of nanotherapy systems based on these compounds. Additionally, given the challenges of low water solubility and stability of dietary polyphenols, this article outlines the current methodologies for the formulation and delivery of nano-preparations to enhance tumor targeting and therapeutic efficacy. This comprehensive review aspires to deepen our understanding of the operational mechanisms of dietary polyphenols and expand their clinical applications, thereby facilitating the development of polyphenol-based dietary supplements and food additives, and promoting the progress of dietary polyphenol-related nanomedicine.

β-Amyloid (Aβ) aggregation is the major pathological feature of Alzheimer's disease (AD), resulting in oxidative stress and further exacerbating Aβ aggregation. Ginger leaf polyphenols (GLP) have been found to possess antioxidant activity, evidencing their potential in addressing AD. GLP is mainly composed of 12 polyphenols, 8 organic acids, and 6 glycosides, of which polyphenols are predominantly composed of apigenin, kaempferol, and quercetin derivatives. Moreover, GLP alleviates reproductive toxicity, longevity toxicity, and neurotoxicity induced by Aβ via regulating the antioxidase system in Caenorhabditis elegans. As shown by the network pharmacology results, GLP might activate the JNK/Foxo signaling pathway to regulate the antioxidase system, which was evidenced by the up-regulation of gene expression levels of jnk-1, daf-16, sod-3, and hsp-16.2. Overall, GLP might be a potential antioxidant for combating AD.

Aims: Emerging evidence underscores the diet-microbiota-gut-brain axis as vital to brain health. The dietary index for gut microbiota (DI-GM), quantifying diet quality linked to gut microbiota diversity, reflects healthier gut microbiota with higher scores. Therefore, this study was designed to explore the unclear association between DI-GM and stroke. Methods: A cross-sectional analysis was conducted using data from 48 677 participants aged ≥20 years in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Demographic and dietary data were collected, and multivariable weighted logistic regression analysis was performed to evaluate the association between the DI-GM and stroke. Additionally, restricted cubic spline (RCS), subgroup analyses, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve were conducted. Results: In participants aged ≥20 years, the odds ratio (OR) was 0.96 (95% CI: 0.92-1.00, P = 0.075) in the crude model, but after adjustment, the OR was 0.93 (95% CI: 0.89-0.98, P = 0.003), while higher beneficial to gut microbiota scores were consistently associated with lower stroke prevalence with ORs of 0.87 (95% CI: 0.83-0.90, P < 0.001) in the crude model and 0.88 (95% CI: 0.83-0.93, P < 0.001) after adjustment. Among participants aged 20-29 years, no significant association was observed. For those aged ≥30 years, higher DI-GM and beneficial to gut microbiota scores were associated with lower stroke prevalence, with DI-GM showing ORs of 0.93 (95% CI: 0.89-0.97, P < 0.001) in the crude model and 0.93 (95% CI: 0.89-0.98, P = 0.003) after adjustment, and beneficial to gut microbiota scores showing ORs of 0.82 (95% CI: 0.79-0.86, P < 0.001) in the crude model and 0.88 (95% CI: 0.83-0.93, P < 0.001) after adjustment. RCS indicated a linear relationship between DI-GM and stroke. Conclusion: The DI-GM was inversely and linearly associated with stroke prevalence, particularly in adults aged 30 years and above.

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic inflammation with a high incidence rate. Many probiotics, including Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus (L. rhamnosus), have shown promise in IBD treatment. The therapeutic effects of most probiotics are greatly decided by the available live cells in the disease lesion, which is compromised as they pass through the gastric juice and intestinal tract, resulting in a loss of activity. To improve probiotic delivery efficiency in the intestinal tract, broken Ganoderma lucidum spore shells (bGLS) were explored as a carrier to enhance the intestinal tract delivery of L. rhamnosus SHA113, a probiotic that has been verified to have capability to treat IBD. It was found the bGLS treated with iturin A and hydrochloric acid (IH-bGLS) had much higher affinity to probiotic cells than the untreated ones. This is possibly due to the enhancement of hydrophobic and positive charge of bGLS. Furthermore, IH-bGLS demonstrated an 81% loading efficiency for L. rhamnosus SHA113 and 2.2% for Escherichia coli. More importantly, loading in IH-bGLS greatly enhanced the delivery of L. rhamnosus SHA113 cells to the colon and prolonged their retention time from 48 to over 120 h (P < 0.01). The mechanisms might be related to the enhancement of probiotic cell adhesion to the gastrointestinal mucosa, increase of mucus secretion and the upregulated expression of tight junction proteins, occludin and ZO-1, in the colon. The results of the animal experiment showed that the therapeutic effects of L. rhamnosus SHA113 on IBD were greatly enhanced when they were loaded with IH-bGLS. The novelty of this research is in the development of probiotic carriers from bGLS, which has significance in the improvement of intestinal delivery efficiency and the therapeutic effects of probiotics on IBD. This system may have attractive application in the enhancement of probiotic delivery efficiency in the intestinal tract, which is important to ensure and enhance the beneficial effects of probiotics.

Background: carbohydrate-restricted diets (CRDs) have gained attention to address metabolic dysregulation commonly observed in dyslipidemia, a condition posing significant risks to cardiovascular health. However, the effectiveness of CRDs in improving cardiovascular health remains contentious. This meta-analysis comprehensively evaluated the long-term effects of CRDs on glucolipid metabolism and weight loss in individuals with dyslipidemia. Methods: extensive searches were conducted in PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, the Cochrane Library, and EMBASE. Randomized controlled trials examining the effects of CRDs on glucolipid metabolism and weight loss in adults with dyslipidemia over a minimum of three weeks were included. This analysis compared the differential effects between moderate-low carbohydrate diets (MLCDs) and low carbohydrate diets (LCDs), including a targeted evaluation of animal-based CRDs and dyslipidemic individuals based on the BMI status, thereby addressing gaps in current knowledge. Results: Our findings indicated that CRDs significantly enhanced lipid profiles, including total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), and apolipoprotein B (ApoB), and contributed to weight management in individuals with dyslipidemia. MLCDs were more effective than LCDs in improving all lipid profiles except for TG, which was more effectively managed by LCDs. Animal-based CRDs did not significantly impact lipid profiles. Dyslipidemic individuals with overweight and obesity showed significant changes in TG and ApoB. A noteworthy negative correlation was also observed between TC, TG, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels with higher dietary fiber intake, supporting the beneficial impact of fiber on cardiovascular health. Conclusions: These results for the first time highlighted the potential of adopting MLCDs, particularly those with sufficient fiber content, as a powerful strategy for reducing the risk of cardiovascular diseases in patients suffering from dyslipidemia.

The effectiveness of high-carbohydrate diets (HCD) on cognitive impairment is still being debated. To clarify the impact of HCD on the cognitive behavior of mice under low-pressure hypoxic conditions, we studied 24 mice in different environments while subjecting them to dietary intervention for 5 weeks, and conducting behavioral tests. Under low-pressure hypoxic conditions, HCD intervention reversed the decline in spatial learning and memory abilities in mice caused by hypoxia, ameliorated pathological brain damage, and restored the integrity of the intestinal mucosa. We also identified differences in the microbial community. Under low-pressure hypoxic conditions, the intestinal abundance of Parasutterella in mice decreased, the abundance of harmful bacteria such as Desulfovibrio increased, and apoptosis was more prevalent, possibly explaining the observed decreases in glutathione peroxidase activity and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) expression in the brain. HCD intervention increased the intestinal abundance of Bifidobacterium in hypoxic mice, reduced the abundances of Desulfovibrio and Faecalibaculum, and played antioxidant roles by lowering malondialdehyde levels and increasing superoxide dismutase activity in the brain by metabolizing amino acids and lipids. HCD also upregulated hippocampal BDNF levels and downregulated caspase 3. Collectively, these results are important because they help explain how HCD intervention can reduce hypoxia-induced damage to brain function.

An in vitro digestion model was established to characterize the types of collagens in skin of cod, white fish, and salmon as well as their collagen-containing skin-derived protein hydrolysates (CSPH) before and after digestion. Moreover, the mineral content and their bioaccessibility were evaluated. Finally, the presence of heavy metals was evaluated to assess the safety of these products. The results showed that white fish protein exhibited a high digestibility, reaching up to 92%. Among the collagen products, salmon collagen had the highest digestibility (∼73%). Protein identification revealed that the emPAI of type I collagen in digested skin and CSPH was higher than that of undigested samples. In addition, raw skins had higher contents of P, K, Ca and Mg, and the mineral content of CSPH was lower than that of unprocessed skins. Among the minerals studied, Ca and Cu showed the highest bioaccessibility in raw skin cod, being 32% and 26%, respectively. The bioaccessibility of Cu in raw skin salmon was also higher (∼34%). Moreover, in CSPH, Mg, K and Cu can be easily digested and absorbed. Regarding heavy metals, As and Pb were below the respective safe limits in all raw skins and CSPH, while Hg and Cd were not detected in the fish CSPH. Fish-derived collagen has gained significant attention due to its numerous health benefits, high bioavailability, and superior sustainability compared to animal collagen. Moreover, different types of collagens offer distance roles and advantages in the body. However, there are limited reports on how collagen structure and type may change during the digestive process. This study seeks to deepen our understanding of the economic value of fish collagen, as well as the mechanisms of its absorption and digestion. By investigating processes, the research aims to provide a clearer insight into the physiological effects of fish-derived collagen, which can inform the development of tailored collagen supplementation programs based on specific health needs.