Salt reduction in different bread types: an intervention study in the Northern Portugal

Salt consumption in Portugal almost doubles WHO recommended maximum level of intake and bread consumption represents 18% of daily salt intake. The aim of this study was to evaluate sodium and correspondent salt levels in Portuguese bread before and after an intervention planned to reduce salt contents, to motivate representative associates of the Northern Portugal Bakery Association (AIPAN) to voluntary reduce salt in bread. Sampling plan included 220 samples of 4 traditional bread types: carcaça, regueifa, broa, pão da avó, collected from two bakeries (control or intervention) per district, from five different districts (Viana do Castelo, Vila Real, Braga, Porto, Aveiro), between July and November 2016. After initial quantification (baseline), the intervention group carried out an intervention directed at the bakery owner in order to decrease the salt content in the recipe of the four types of bread, without other change in industrial process. Sodium levels were determined using an Inductively Couple Plasma Atomic Emission Spectrometry–ICP-OES. Analyses were performed in quality management system according to ISO 17025. Differences between groups were assessed with t test, and tests with a P-value of <0.05 were considered statistically significant. Baseline values are in line with the Portuguese law. Mean salt values were: carcaça 1.23g, pão da avó 1.13g, broa 1.05g and regueifa 1.22g. Post-Intervention, salt levels decreased (p-values <0.05) in the four types of bread. Since bread has the highest individual contribution to salt intake, any reduction in salt levels in bread will be equivalent to a significantly decrease of sodium intake in society. Reducing salt levels in bread, without further changes in the production process, would bring important economic and public health benefits, especially related to cardiovascular diseases and hypertension. The outcome of this study provides baseline information to police makers to implement a strategy to reduce salt in bread.N/

Estrogen receptors in urogenital schistosomiasis and bladder cancer: estrogen receptor alpha-mediated cell proliferation

Estrogen-like metabolites have been identified in S. haematobium, the helminth parasite that causes urogenital schistosomiasis (UGS) and in patients´ blood and urine during UGS. Estrogen receptor (ER) activation is enriched in the luminal molecular subtype bladder cancer (BlaCa). To date, the significance of ER to these diseases remains elusive. We evaluated ERα and ERβ expression in UGS-related BlaCa (n = 27), UGS-related non-malignant lesions (n = 35), and noninfected BlaCa (n = 80). We investigated the potential of ERα to recognize S. haematobium-derived metabolites by docking and molecular dynamics simulations and studied ERα modulation in vitro using 3 BlaCa cell lines, T24, 5637 and HT1376. ERα was expressed in tumor and stromal cells in approximately 20% noninfected cases and in 30% of UGS-related BlaCa, predominantly in the epithelial cells. Overall, ERα expression was associated with features of tumor aggressiveness such as high proliferation and p53 positive expression. ERα expression correlated with presence of schistosome eggs. ERβ was widely expressed in both cohorts but weaker in UGS-related cases. molecular dynamics simulations of the 4 most abundant S. haematobium-derived metabolites revealed that smaller metabolites have comparable affinity for the ERα active state than 17β-estradiol, while the larger metabolites present higher affinity. Our in vitro findings suggested that ERα activation promotes proliferation in ERα expressing BlaCa cells and that this can be reverted with anti-estrogenic therapy. In summary, we report differential ER expression between UGS-related BlaCa and noninfected BlaCa and provide evidence supporting a role of active ERα during UGS and UGS-induced carcinogenesis.publishe

Characterisation of microbial attack on archaeological bone

As part of an EU funded project to investigate the factors influencing bone preservation in the archaeological record, more than 250 bones from 41 archaeological sites in five countries spanning four climatic regions were studied for diagenetic alteration. Sites were selected to cover a range of environmental conditions and archaeological contexts. Microscopic and physical (mercury intrusion porosimetry) analyses of these bones revealed that the majority (68%) had suffered microbial attack. Furthermore, significant differences were found between animal and human bone in both the state of preservation and the type of microbial attack present. These differences in preservation might result from differences in early taphonomy of the bones. © 2003 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved