Vernonia cinerea Less. supplementation and strenuous exercise reduce smoking rate: relation to oxidative stress status and beta-endorphin release in active smokers

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Purpose</p> <p>The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of <it>Vernonia cinerea </it>Less. (VC) supplementation and exercise on oxidative stress biomarkers, beta-endorphin release, and the rate of cigarette smoking.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Volunteer smokers were randomly divided into four groups: group 1: VC supplement; group 2: exercise with VC supplement; group 3: exercise; and group 4: control. VC was prepared by wash and dry techniques and taken orally before smoking, matching the frequency of strenuous exercise (three times weekly). Before and after a two month period, exhaled carbon monoxide (CO), blood oxidative stress (malondialdehyde [MDA], nitric oxide [NOx], protein hydroperoxide [PrOOH] and total antioxidant capacity [TAC]), beta-endorphin and smoking rate were measured, and statistically analyzed.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>In Group 1, MDA, PrOOH, and NOx significantly decreased, whereas TAC increased (p < 0.05). In Group 2, MDA and PrOOH decreased (p < 0.05), with no other changes noted (p > 0.05). In Group 3, MDA, PrOOH, NOx, TAC, and beta-endorphin levels increased significantly (p < 0.05). Group 4 showed no change in oxidative stress variables or beta-endorphine levels (p > 0.05). All groups had lower levels of CO after the intervention. The smoking rate for light cigarette decreased in group 2(62.7%), 1(59.52%), 3 (53.57%) and 4(14.04%), whereas in self-rolled cigarettes it decreased in group 1 (54.47%), 3 (42.30%), 2 (40%) and 4 (9.2%).</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Supplementation with <it>Vernonia cinerea </it>Less and exercise provided benefit related to reduced smoking rate, which may be related to oxidaive stress and beta-endorphine levels.</p

Measuring and decomposing inequity in self-reported morbidity and self-assessed health in Thailand

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>In recent years, interest in the study of inequalities in health has not stopped at quantifying their magnitude; explaining the sources of inequalities has also become of great importance. This paper measures socioeconomic inequalities in self-reported morbidity and self-assessed health in Thailand, and the contributions of different population subgroups to those inequalities.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The Health and Welfare Survey 2003 conducted by the Thai National Statistical Office with 37,202 adult respondents is used for the analysis. The health outcomes of interest derive from three self-reported morbidity and two self-assessed health questions. Socioeconomic status is measured by adult-equivalent monthly income per household member. The concentration index (CI) of ill health is used as a measure of socioeconomic health inequalities, and is subsequently decomposed into contributing factors.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The CIs reveal inequality gradients disadvantageous to the poor for both self-reported morbidity and self-assessed health in Thailand. The magnitudes of these inequalities were higher for the self-assessed health outcomes than for the self-reported morbidity outcomes. Age and sex played significant roles in accounting for the inequality in reported chronic illness (33.7 percent of the total inequality observed), hospital admission (27.8 percent), and self-assessed deterioration of health compared to a year ago (31.9 percent). The effect of being female and aged 60 years or older was by far the strongest demographic determinant of inequality across all five types of health outcome. Having a low socioeconomic status as measured by income quintile, education and work status were the main contributors disadvantaging the poor in self-rated health compared to a year ago (47.1 percent) and self-assessed health compared to peers (47.4 percent). Residence in the rural Northeast and rural North were the main regional contributors to inequality in self-reported recent and chronic illness, while residence in the rural Northeast was the major contributor to the tendency of the poor to report lower levels of self-assessed health compared to peers.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The findings confirm that substantial socioeconomic inequalities in health as measured by self-reported morbidity and self-assessed health exist in Thailand. Decomposition analysis shows that inequalities in health status are associated with particular demographic, socioeconomic and geographic population subgroups. Vulnerable subgroups which are prone to both ill health and relative poverty warrant targeted policy attention.</p

Approaches in biotechnological applications of natural polymers

Natural polymers, such as gums and mucilage, are biocompatible, cheap, easily available and non-toxic materials of native origin. These polymers are increasingly preferred over synthetic materials for industrial applications due to their intrinsic properties, as well as they are considered alternative sources of raw materials since they present characteristics of sustainability, biodegradability and biosafety. As definition, gums and mucilages are polysaccharides or complex carbohydrates consisting of one or more monosaccharides or their derivatives linked in bewildering variety of linkages and structures. Natural gums are considered polysaccharides naturally occurring in varieties of plant seeds and exudates, tree or shrub exudates, seaweed extracts, fungi, bacteria, and animal sources. Water-soluble gums, also known as hydrocolloids, are considered exudates and are pathological products; therefore, they do not form a part of cell wall. On the other hand, mucilages are part of cell and physiological products. It is important to highlight that gums represent the largest amounts of polymer materials derived from plants. Gums have enormously large and broad applications in both food and non-food industries, being commonly used as thickening, binding, emulsifying, suspending, stabilizing agents and matrices for drug release in pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries. In the food industry, their gelling properties and the ability to mold edible films and coatings are extensively studied. The use of gums depends on the intrinsic properties that they provide, often at costs below those of synthetic polymers. For upgrading the value of gums, they are being processed into various forms, including the most recent nanomaterials, for various biotechnological applications. Thus, the main natural polymers including galactomannans, cellulose, chitin, agar, carrageenan, alginate, cashew gum, pectin and starch, in addition to the current researches about them are reviewed in this article.. }To the Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Cientfíico e Tecnológico (CNPq) for fellowships (LCBBC and MGCC) and the Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nvíel Superior (CAPES) (PBSA). This study was supported by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) under the scope of the strategic funding of UID/BIO/04469/2013 unit, the Project RECI/BBB-EBI/0179/2012 (FCOMP-01-0124-FEDER-027462) and COMPETE 2020 (POCI-01-0145-FEDER-006684) (JAT)

Role of lipid deterioration on the quality of aquatic products during low-temperature storage: a lipidomics-based study using large yellow croaker (Larimichthys crocea)

This work investigated the effects of different storage periods (0 day, 90 days, 120 days) on the quality of large yellow croaker oil. The lipomics of large yellow croaker oil was quantitatively detected by GC-MS, the content of triglyceride in large yellow croaker oil reached 52.56% at 0 day. With the extension of storage time, the content of large yellow croaker oil components decreased gradually. Differential lipid histogram clearly indicates that the extension of the storage period will affect the change of fish oil, due to the rise in the temperature of large yellow croaker oil; the color of the hot map is bright from the dark. Additionally, the fatty acid composition and volatile components were measured. At 120 days, the decomposition rate of lipid molecular in large yellow croaker oil is increased by oxidation of unsaturated fatty acids, and its oxidised metabolite produced small substance such as aldehydes, ketones, alcohols, and acids. During storage, the waxy, fat, and floral flavour in the oil aroma of large yellow croaker oil decreased gradually, while the yeast flavour and oil flavour increased gradually. These results provide insights for the study of lipid transformation and quality of large yellow croaker oil during different storage

Optimization of parameters for obtaining surimi-like material from mechanically separated chicken meat using response surface methodology

Surimi is a semi-processed washed fish mince protein concentrate mixed with cryoprotectants for frozen storage, which is the primary constituent of processed foods. Mechanically separated chicken meat (MSCM) is a common ingredient of comminuted sausages mainly due to its low price. The present work aimed to define the adequate parameters to obtain surimi-like material from MSCM using response surface methodology, and to characterize the chemical and textural properties of this product. The MSCM was utilized in the elaboration of surimi-like material using the bleaching method with sodium bicarbonate and sodium chloride solutions. For this purpose, the effect of process parameters viz: temperature (T=2, 7, and 12 °C), time (t=5, 10, and 15 min/cycles) and washing solution: MSCM ratio (R=2:1, 4:1, and 6:1w/w) were evaluated using response surface methodology. The highest composite design averages obtained were 10.7 % for protein content, 1,003.4 g for breaking force, 645.8 g.cm for gel strength, 9.0 N for cutting strength, and 24.1 N.s for work of shearing at the optimum combination of processing conditions of 7 °C, 10 min and 4:1 washing solution:MSCM ratio, corresponding to the central points of the proposed experimental design. The obtained models had high determination coefficients, explaining 95.85, 98.23, 98.41, and 96.08%of total variability in protein content, cutting strength, breaking force, and work of shearing variabilities, respectively. According to the folding test the surimi-like material presented the same characteristics of a high quality surimi (FT=5)

Contrasting trends of smoking cessation status: insights from the stages of change theory using data from the global adult tobacco survey

Background Quitting tobacco use can reduce smokers' risks for disease and premature death. We used the trans-theoretical behavior change model to examine temporal differences in readiness to quit smoking among adults in five countries. Methods We analyzed two independent samples from the Global Adult Tobacco Survey, a standardized national adult household survey of persons aged ≥15 years, for five countries: Mexico (2009, 2015), Philippines (2010, 2016), Thailand (2009, 2011), Turkey (2008, 2012), and Vietnam (2010, 2016). Response rates ranged 82.5%-96.3% and sample sizes ranged 8,996-20,606. Current smokers were defined as adults who smoked tobacco on a daily or non-daily basis. Using responses to questions assessing intention to quit cigarette smoking, we categorized current smokers into the following stages of change: pre-contemplation, contemplation, and preparation. Relative change was compared using z-tests ( p < 0.05). Results No significant change in smoking prevalence between wave 1 and 2 occurred for Mexico (15.9% to 16.4%), Thailand (23.7% to 24.0%), or Vietnam (23.8% to 22.5%). In contrast, smoking prevalence declined for Philippines (28.2% to 22.7%) and Turkey (31.2% to 27.1%). There was an increase in the proportion of smokers in the pre-contemplation stage in Thailand (76.1% to 85.4%) and Vietnam (70.8% to 82.3%), while a decline occurred in Turkey (31.2% to 27.1%); no significant change occurred in Mexico or Philippines. The proportion of smokers in the contemplation stage declined in Thailand (17.6% to 12.0%) and Vietnam (21.6% to 14.1%), but increased in Turkey (21.2% to 26.9%); no significant change occurred in Mexico or Philippines. The proportion in the preparation stage declined in Thailand (6.3% to 2.6%) and Vietnam (7.6% to 3.6%); no significant changes occurred in, Mexico, Philippines, or Turkey. Conclusions Using the stages of change model, smokers' readiness to quit varies by country. Tailored interventions towards specific stages of cessation might help motivate quitting behavior