Search results for "beverage"
showing 10 items of 4650 documents
Polyphenolic Phytochemicals in Cancer Prevention and Therapy: Bioavailability versus Bioefficacy
2017
Natural polyphenols are organic chemicals which contain phenol units in their structures. They show antitumor properties. However, a key problem is their short half-life and low bioavailability under in vivo conditions. Still, definitively demonstrating the human benefits of isolated polyphenolic compounds (alone or in combination) using modern scientific methodology has proved challenging. The most common discrepancy between experimental and clinical observations is the use of nonphysiologically relevant concentrations of polyphenols in mechanistic studies. Thus, it remains highly controversial how applicable underlying mechanisms are with bioavailable concentrations and biological half-li…
Survival of Late Pleistocene Hunter-Gatherer Ancestry in the Iberian Peninsula
2019
The Iberian Peninsula in southwestern Europe represents an important test case for the study of human population movements during prehistoric periods. During the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM), the peninsula formed a periglacial refugium [1] for hunter-gatherers (HGs) and thus served as a potential source for the re-peopling of northern latitudes [2]. The post-LGM genetic signature was previously described as a cline from Western HG (WHG) to Eastern HG (EHG), further shaped by later Holocene expansions from the Near East and the North Pontic steppes [3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9]. Western and central Europe were dominated by ancestry associated with the ∼14,000-year-old individual from Villabruna, Italy…
The habitual nature of food purchases at the supermarket: Implications for policy making
2020
Abstract Supermarkets have become the most important provider of food products worldwide. However, empirical evidence about how consumers make their food purchase decisions in this environment is still scarce. The present field study aimed to: i) explore how people make their in-store food purchases, and ii) identify the information they search for when making those purchases. Consumers (n = 144) were intercepted when entering the facilities of three supermarkets in two Uruguayan cities. They were asked to wear a mobile eye-tracker while they made their purchases as they normally do. The great majority of the consumers bought at least one food product or beverage (92%) and, on average, exam…
Effects of Apirolio Addition and Alfalfa and Compost Treatments on the Natural Microbial Community of a Historically PCB-Contaminated Soil
2018
Abstract Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are ubiquitous and persistent organic pollutants generated exclusively from human sources and found in the environment as several congeners (e.g. Apirolio, produced in Italy and used for electrical transformers). To evaluate the ability of the natural microbial community of historically PCB-contaminated soil to transform or degrade PCBs after fresh contamination through the addition of Apirolio, a microcosm experiment was conducted in a greenhouse for approximately 8 months. Compost and Medicago sativa (alfalfa) were additionally used in the microcosms to stimulate microbial PCB degradation. Chemical analyses were performed to evaluate PCB concentra…
Emerging Roles of RNA 3′-end Cleavage and Polyadenylation in Pathogenesis, Diagnosis and Therapy of Human Disorders
2020
A crucial feature of gene expression involves RNA processing to produce 3′ ends through a process termed 3′ end cleavage and polyadenylation (CPA). This ensures the nascent RNA molecule can exit the nucleus and be translated to ultimately give rise to a protein which can execute a function. Further, alternative polyadenylation (APA) can produce distinct transcript isoforms, profoundly expanding the complexity of the transcriptome. CPA is carried out by multi-component protein complexes interacting with multiple RNA motifs and is tightly coupled to transcription, other steps of RNA processing, and even epigenetic modifications. CPA and APA contribute to the maintenance of a multitude of dive…
Polyphenols: Potential Use in the Prevention and Treatment of Cardiovascular Diseases
2018
Background: Polyphenols are bioactive compounds that can be found mostly in foods like fruits, cereals, vegetables, dry legumes, chocolate and beverages such as coffee, tea and wine. They are extensively used in the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disease (CVD) providing protection against many chronic illnesses. Their effects on human health depend on the amount consumed and on their bioavailability. Many studies have demonstrated that polyphenols have also good effects on the vascular system by lowering blood pressure, improving endothelial function, increasing antioxidant defences, inhibiting platelet aggregation and low-density lipoprotein oxidation, and reducing inflammator…
Using food comfortability to compare food's sensory characteristics expectations of elderly people with or without oral health problems
2017
Food consumption is by far the most important point where food's organoleptic properties can be perceived and can elicit sensory pleasure. Ageing is often accompanied by oral impairments. Those impairments may impact food perception by changing texture perception and the release of flavor components, which have a significant impact on food acceptability. The present study aimed at evaluating the impact of oral health on the perception of food comfortability in an elderly population. This was achieved by asking elderly people with a good oral health and elderly people with poor oral health to rate six cereal products and six meat products using a food comfortability questionnaire. Thirty-sev…
Population genetic structure and milk production traits in Girgentana goat breed
2017
The aim of this work was to evaluate the genetic status of the Girgentana goat, an endangered breed from Sicily (Italy), using microsatellite markers. Furthermore, as the main purpose of the Girgentana breed is milk production, quantitative milk traits were investigated, including fatty acid profile. Molecular data from CSN1S1, CSN2, CSN1S2, and CSN3 casein genes were also used to infer haplotypes. A total of 264 individuals were collected. Samples of Maltese (n = 41) and Derivata di Siria (n = 33) goat breeds were also used to understand the genetic relationship among breeds. Test-day records for milk production were collected to determine daily milk yield, fat, protein, casein, lactose, a…
Antimicrobial packaging based on ɛ-polylysine bioactive film for the control of mycotoxigenic fungi in vitro and in bread
2017
Abstract ɛ‐Poly‐l‐lysine (ɛ‐PL) is a cationic peptide with a broad‐spectrum antimicrobial activity. This study investigates the use of ɛ‐PL as natural antimicrobial to inhibit fungal growth and to reduce aflatoxins (AFs) production. Antifungal activity of starch biofilms with different concentrations of ɛ‐Poly‐l‐lysine (ɛ‐PL) was determined in solid medium against Aspergillus parasiticus (AFs producer) and Penicillium expansum. Then, biofilms were tested as antimicrobial devices for the preservation of bread loaf inoculated with A. parasiticus CECT 2681 and P. expansum CECT 2278. Shelf life and AFs content were examined. Biofilms with concentrations of ɛ‐PL less than 1.6 mg/cm2 showed no fu…
The Phytochemical Indicaxanthin Synergistically Enhances Cisplatin-Induced Apoptosis in HeLa Cells via Oxidative Stress-Dependent p53/p21waf1 Axis
2020
Combining phytochemicals with chemotherapics is an emerging strategy to treat cancer to overcome drug toxicity and resistance with natural compounds. We assessed the effects of indicaxanthin (Ind), a pigment obtained from Opuntia ficus-indica (L. Mill) fruit, combined with cisplatin (CDDP) against cervical cancer cells (HeLa). Measured cell viability via Trypan blue assay