Recently, steps have been taken to further developments toward increasing gamma-linolenic acid (GLA) concentration and lowering costs in plant seed oils using transgenic technology. Through identification and expression of a fungal delta-6 desaturase gene in the high linoleic acid safflower plant, the seeds from this genetic transformation produce oil with ...

Two-piece hard shell capsules made from hypromellose (or hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, HPMC) containing carrageenan as a gelling agent have been proposed as an alternative to conventional gelatin capsules for oral drug delivery. We have previously compared the disintegration of hypromellose(carrageenan) (Quali-V(®)) and gelatin capsules (Qualicaps) in fasted human subjects using the ...

Glyceollins are stress-induced compounds in soybeans with bioactive properties distinct from parent soy isoflavones. The goals of this study were to evaluate effects of dietary glyceollin-enriched and standard soy protein isolates and identify candidate target pathways of glyceollins on transcriptional profiles within mammary gland tissue. Thirty female postmenopausal cynomolgus monkeys ...

Among obesity-associated disorders, low-grade inflammation has been described. The putative therapeutic properties of citrus and curcumin polyphenols could be associated with their anti-inflammatory properties. Two diets supplemented either with hesperidin (0·05 %) and naringin (0·1 %) from citrus extract or with highly bioavailable curcumin from Curcuma longa extract (0·09 %) were fed to ...

The immunoregulatory actions of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) of relevance to viral disease pathogenesis and immune responses were investigated. To test the hypothesis that CLA ameliorates immunosuppression, we developed a viral challenge model by infecting chickens with infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV). After 14 d of dietary supplementation with either ...

We investigated the effect of high molecular weight polygamma- glutamic acid (hm gamma-PGA) on adiposity and lipid metabolism of rats in the presence of an obesity-inducing diet. Thirty-two Sprague-Dawley rats were fed either a normal-fat (11.4% kcal fat, NFC) or high-fat (51% kcal fat, HFC) diet. After 5 weeks, half ...

Perfluoroalkyl compounds (PFCs) were measured in dust from Australian, Canadian, French, German, Kazahkstani, Thai, UK, and US homes, and UK cars, classrooms, and offices. Most PFCs were significantly lower in Kazahkstan and Thailand than elsewhere; 2-(N-methylperfluoro-1-octanesulfonamido)-ethanol (MeFOSE) and 2-(N-ethylperfluoro-1-octanesulfonamido)-ethanol (EtFOSE) were significantly lower in Canada than in the UK and ...

Chronic alcohol consumption is a major factor for several human diseases, and alcoholism is associated with a host of societal problems. One of the major alcohol-induced metabolic changes is the increased NADH levels, which reduces glucose synthesis and increases fatty acid (FA) synthesis. Probably more important is the induction of ...

Male Sprague-Dawley rats were chronically fed a high-unsaturated-fat diet for 130 days by using total enteral nutrition (TEN), or the same diet in which ethanol (EtOH) isocalorically replaced carbohydrate calories. Additional groups were supplemented with the antioxidant N-acetylcysteine (NAC) at 1.7 g·kg(-1)·day(-1). Relative to an ad libitum chow-fed group, the ...

The aim of our study was to examine the therapeutic effect of osthole, an active constituent isolated from the fruit of Cnidium monnieri (L.) Cusson, on alcohol-induced fatty liver in mice and investigate its potential mechanisms of treatment. A mouse alcoholic fatty liver model was established by feeding 52% alcohol ...

To assess the effectiveness of procysteine (PRO) supplementation provided during a period of abstinence (ABS) on alcohol-induced skeletal muscle atrophy and oxidant stress. Age- and gender-matched Sprague-Dawley rats were fed the Lieber-DeCarli liquid diet containing either alcohol or an isocaloric substitution (control diet) for 12 week. Next, subgroups of alcohol-fed ...

The relationship between chronic alcohol consumption and various hepatic lesions are grouped under the term alcoholic liver disease. This is an extremely common disease with a high mortality. Alcoholics, along with alcohol, consume high fat diet and are susceptible to permanent liver damage. The current treatment modalities are inadequate and ...

Excessive alcohol consumption continues to be a major public health problem, particularly in the adolescent and young adult populations. Generally, such a behavior tends to be confined to the weekends, to attain frequently binge drinking. This study in peripubertal male rats compares the effect of the discontinuous feeding of a ...

Aside from fat, ethanol is the macronutrient with the greatest energy density. Whether the energy derived from ethanol affects body composition and fat mass is debatable. We investigated the relationship of alcohol intake, body composition, and physical activity in the U.S. population by using data from the Third National Health ...

To examine the association between macronutrient dietary patterns and alcohol consumption using the Third National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey III. A total of 9877 subjects (5144 males) constituted the study cohort. Dietary interviews were conducted with all examinees by a trained dietary interviewer in a mobile examination center (MEC). ...

Excessive and chronic alcohol intake leads to a lower hepatic vitamin A status by interfering with vitamin A metabolism. Dietary provitamin A carotenoids can be converted into vitamin A mainly by carotenoid 15,15'-monooxygenase 1 (CMO1) and, to a lesser degree, carotenoid 9'10'-monooxygenase 2 (CMO2). CMO1 has been shown to be ...

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: This article reviews published studies regarding effects of ethanol intake on lipoprotein levels and function as they relate to atherosclerosis, with special emphasis on recent publications in the past 2 years. RECENT FINDINGS: Some recent studies have explored novel mechanisms of ethanol on atherogenesis via effects on ...

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of glutamine supplementation on inflammatory responses in chronic ethanol-fed rats. Male Wistar rats weighing about 160 g were divided into five groups. Two groups were fed a normal liquid diet and three groups were fed a glutamine-containing liquid diet. After ...

Alcohol consumption during pregnancy causes fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD), which includes a range of developmental deficits. Fetal alcohol syndrome is the most severe form of FASD and can be diagnosed with pathognomonic facial features such as a smooth philtrum, short palpebral fissure, and thin upper vermilion. However, many children ...

Environmental regulations on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from corn (Zea mays L.)-ethanol production require accurate assessment methods to determine emissions savings from coproducts that are fed to livestock. We investigated current use of coproducts in livestock diets and estimated the magnitude and variability in the GHG emissions credit for coproducts ...

Disruption of the intestinal barrier is a causal factor in the development of alcoholic endotoxemia and hepatitis. This study was undertaken to determine whether zinc deficiency is related to the deleterious effects of alcohol on the intestinal barrier. Mice were pair fed an alcohol or isocaloric liquid diet for 4 ...

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effect of ethanol extracts from red pepper seeds on the antioxidative defense system and oxidative stress in rats fed a high fat . high cholesterol diet. Rats were divided into four experimental groups which were composed of high fat . ...

Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis is associated with the deposition of lipid droplets in the liver, and is characterised histologically by the infiltration of inflammatory cells, hepatocellular degeneration and liver fibrosis. Oxidative stress may play an important role in the onset and deterioration of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis. We previously reported that an Eriobotrya japonica ...

The effect of different carbon sources on the starting-up duration of sulfidogenic bioreactor and corresponding bacterial communities were investigated. The bioreactor starting-up duration was closely dependent on the complexity and availability of the carbon sources. 16S rRNA gene diversity of climax bacterial communities developed in each bioreactor had an increasing ...

To investigate the effect of carnitine supplementation on alcoholic malnourished rats' hepatic nitrogen content. Malnourished rats, on 50% protein-calorie restriction with free access to water (malnutrition group) and malnourished rats under the same conditions with free access to a 20% alcohol/water solution (alcohol group) were studied. After the undernourishment period ...

Chronic alcohol consumption causes alcoholic liver disease, which is associated, or initiated, with dysregulated lipid metabolism. Very recent evidence suggested that dysregulated cholesterol metabolism plays an important role in the pathogenesis of alcoholic fatty liver diseases, however, the effects of chronic alcohol exposure on cholesterol homeostasis have not been well ...

Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) develops in the absence of chronic and excessive alcohol consumption. However, it remains unknown whether moderate alcohol consumption aggravates liver inflammation in pre-existing NASH condition. Sprague-Dawley rats were first fed ad libitum with Lieber-DeCarli high-fat diet (71% energy from fat) for 6 weeks to induce NASH, as ...

Evidence suggests that the orexigenic peptide, galanin (GAL), in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN) has a role in stimulating the consumption of ethanol, in addition to a high-fat diet. This possibility was further examined in mutant mice that overexpress the GAL gene. Two sets of GAL-overexpressors (GALOE) compared with wild-type ...

There is growing evidence suggesting that hypothalamic galanin (GAL), which is known to stimulate intake of a fat-rich diet, has a role in promoting the consumption of ethanol. The present study further examined this possibility in GAL knockout (GALKO) mice. Two groups of female and male GALKO mice, compared to ...

Phototoxic and photo-genotoxic furocoumarins occur, e.g., in citrus species, parsnip, parsley, celery, and figs. They exhibit phototoxic and photo-genotoxic properties in combination with UV radiation, while less is known about the phototoxicity of the coumarin derivative limettin mainly found in limes and lemons. Risk assessment of dietary furocoumarins is based ...

Studies in both humans and animals suggest a positive relationship between the intake of ethanol and intake of fat, which may contribute to alcohol abuse. This relationship may be mediated, in part, by hypothalamic orexigenic peptides such as orexin (OX), which stimulate both consumption of ethanol and fat, and circulating ...

Nanji and French investigated the relationship between per-caput consumption of total fat, beef, and pork and for alcohol consumption and rates of mortality for cirrhosis for 16 countries for 1965. The present study reports significant and positive associations for 1996 and 2003 between the following: alcohol consumption and cirrhosis mortality, ...

BACKGROUND: Alcoholic and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis are leading causes of liver diseases worldwide. While of different etiology, these share common pathophysiological mechanisms and feature abnormal fat metabolism, inflammation and fibrosis. MicroRNAs (miRNA) are highly conserved noncoding RNAs that control gene expression at the post-transcriptional level either via the degradation of target ...

Propolis, a resinous substance collected by Apis mellifera bees from various plant sources and mixed with secreted beeswax, is a multifunctional material used by bees in the construction, maintenance, and protection of their hives. The collected propolis sample, from High Egypt, was dark-green with olive-odor. The minimal inhibition concentration (MIC) ...

Long-term alcohol ingestion may produce severe oxidant stress and lead to skeletal muscle dysfunction. Emerging evidence has suggested that members of the interleukin-6 (IL-6) family of cytokines play diverse roles in the regulation of skeletal muscle mass. Thus, our goals were (i) to minimize the degree of oxidant stress and ...

This work was undertaken to study whether consumption of alcoholic beverage mixed with soft drinks could reduce the metabolic effect caused by ethanol. When 24 hr fasted rats were intragastrically fed rum (with 40% ethanol) diluted (1:1) with water, 3.0 ml (0.5 g ethanol) per 100 g body weight and ...

This longitudinal study examined the impact of alcohol consumption (88 hazardous and 76 nonhazardous drinkers) and race/ethnicity on lipid profiles in individuals starting highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). At baseline, Whites and Hispanics had the most adverse lipid profiles, whereas Blacks had the least atherogenic. Whites and Hispanics showed higher ...

Chronic alcohol abuse is a risk factor for osteoporosis and sarcopenia, but the long-term effects of alcohol on the immature musculoskeletal system are less clear. The present investigation in growing rats was designed to determine the effects of alcohol consumption on body composition, muscle mass, and bone mass, architecture, and ...

We employed a proteomic profiling strategy to examine the effects of ethanol and betaine diet supplementation on major liver protein level changes. Male Wistar rats were fed control, ethanol or betaine supplemented diets for 4 weeks. Livers were removed and liver cytosolic proteins resolved by one-dimensional and two-dimensional separation techniques. ...

Our previous studies, demonstrating ethanol-induced alterations in phosphatidylcholine (PC) synthesis via the phosphatidylethanolamine methyltransferase (PEMT) pathway, implicated a defect in very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) secretion in the pathogenesis of hepatic steatosis. The objective of this study was to determine whether VLDL secretion was reduced by chronic ethanol consumption and whether ...

BACKGROUND: Chronic ethanol consumption coupled with folate deficiency leads to rapid liver fat accumulation and progression to alcoholic steatohepatitis (ASH). However, the specific effects of alcohol on key liver lipid metabolic pathways involved in fat accumulation are unknown. It is unclear whether lipid synthesis, lipid export, or a combination of ...

AIM: This study is designed to investigate the protective effects of propolis in ocular tissues against chronic alcohol exposure. MATERIAL AND METHOD: Wistar albino rats were used in this study. Rats were divided into 4 groups, and each group was fed a special liquid diet which contained an equal amount ...

NAFLD (non-alcoholic fatty liver disease), associated with obesity and the cardiometabolic syndrome, is an important medical problem affecting up to 20% of western populations. Evidence indicates that mitochondrial dysfunction plays a critical role in NAFLD initiation and progression to the more serious condition of NASH (non-alcoholic steatohepatitis). Herein we hypothesize ...

Only in the last few years has non-alcoholic steatohepatitis been recognized as an important and relatively common liver disease. To date, the therapeutic options are limited, vitamin E and metformin have been proposed for the treatment of this condition, although their mechanisms are not completely clarified as yet. The aim ...

Regular moderate wine consumption is often associated with reduced morbidity and mortality from to a variety of chronic diseases in which inflammation is a root cause. Wine comes in a wide variety of styles that contain quite different ethanol and polyphenol contents. Controversy remains as to whether the alcohol or ...

Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is part of the spectrum of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), currently the most common cause of abnormal liver tests. Given the difficulty of studying all the factors involved in it in human populations, studies in animal models might provide crucial insights in the pathogenesis of steatohepatitis. ...

Highly purified rat-liver nuclei were previously shown to have nuclear ethanol (EtOH) metabolizing system able to bioactivate alcohol to acetaldehyde and 1-hydroxyethyl radicals. These reactive metabolites were able to covalently bind to nuclear proteins and lipids potentially being able to provoke oxidative stress of nuclear components. In this study, the ...

OBJECTIVE: We assessed the influence of alcohol-free beer on factors implicated in atherosclerosis, such as lipid profile, oxidative stress parameters, and proinflammatory cytokines, in postmenopausal women, a population particularly at risk for atherosclerotic disease. METHODS: The study was carried out in 29 nuns, 58 to 73 y old, who live ...

BACKGROUND: Human and animal findings indicate that males and females display major differences in risk for and consequences of alcohol abuse and alcoholism. These differences are in large part mediated by sex-specific hormonal environments. Gonadal and adrenal secretory products are known to modulate the neurobehavioral responses of ethanol (EtOH) dependence ...

The objective of the present study was to investigate the effect of alcohol and nicotine consumption on the pathogenesis of choroidal neovascularization (CNV) in rats after laser-photocoagulation. Confocal microscopic analysis demonstrated an increase in CNV complex size in rats fed with alcohol (2.3-fold), nicotine (1.9-fold), and the combination of alcohol ...