17 research outputs found
High toxicity and specificity of the saponin 3-GlcA-28-AraRhaxyl-medicagenate, from Medicago truncatula seeds, for Sitophilus oryzae
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Because of the increasingly concern of consumers and public policy about problems for environment and for public health due to chemical pesticides, the search for molecules more safe is currently of great importance. Particularly, plants are able to fight the pathogens as insects, bacteria or fungi; so that plants could represent a valuable source of new molecules.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>It was observed that <it>Medicago truncatul</it>a seed flour displayed a strong toxic activity towards the adults of the rice weevil <it>Sitophilus oryzae</it> (Coleoptera), a major pest of stored cereals. The molecule responsible for toxicity was purified, by solvent extraction and HPLC, and identified as a saponin, namely 3-GlcA-28-AraRhaxyl-medicagenate. Saponins are detergents, and the CMC of this molecule was found to be 0.65âmg per mL. Neither the worm <it>Caenorhabditis elegans</it> nor the bacteria <it>E. coli</it> were found to be sensitive to this saponin, but growth of the yeast <it>Saccharomyces cerevisiae</it> was inhibited at concentrations higher than 100âÎŒg per mL. The purified molecule is toxic for the adults of the rice weevils at concentrations down to 100âÎŒg per g of food, but this does not apply to the others insects tested, including the coleopteran <it>Tribolium castaneum</it> and the Sf9 insect cultured cells.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>This specificity for the weevil led us to investigate this saponin potential for pest control and to propose the hypothesis that this saponin has a specific mode of action, rather than acting <it>via</it> its non-specific detergent properties.</p
Carbohydrates, Starch, Total Sugar, Fiber Intakes and Food Sources in Spanish Children Aged One to <10 Years-Results from the EsNuPI Study
Diet quality is a modifiable factor that may contribute to the onset of diet-related chronic diseases. Currently, in Spain there are no studies that examine the intakes and sources for total carbohydrates, starch, total sugar, and fiber by both children consuming all kind of milks and children regularly consuming adapted milk formulas. Our goal was to evaluate the contribution of different food groups to total carbohydrates, starch, total sugar, and fiber consumption within the EsNuPI study participants by assessing their usual intakes by applying two 24 h dietary recalls that were completed by 1448 children (1 to <10 years) divided into two cohorts: one Spanish Reference Cohort (SRS) of the general population (n = 707) and another cohort which included children consuming adapted milks including follow-on milk, toddler's or growing up milk, fortified and enriched milks, here called Adapted Milk Consumers Cohort" (AMS) (n = 741). Estimation of the usual intake showed that nutrient intake increased with age for all nutrients except for fiber. The percentage of children by age and gender who met the reference intake (RI) range for total carbohydrates, was in all groups more than 50% of individuals, except for girls aged 6 to <10 years from the reference cohort in which only 46.9% complied the RI. Median fiber intake, both in the SRS and the AMS, was well below the adequate intake (AI) for children between 3 and 10 years. Main total carbohydrates sources were cereals, followed by milk and dairy products, fruits, bakery and pastry, vegetables and sugars and sweets. The highest contributors to starch intakes were cereals, bakery and pastry, vegetables, and fruits. Major sources of total sugar intakes were milk and dairy products, fruits, bakery and pastry, sugars and sweets, vegetables, and cereals. Nonetheless, milk and dairy products, and fruits, mainly provided lactose and fructose, respectively, which are not considered free sugars. Higher contribution to fiber intakes was provided by fruits, cereals, vegetables and bakery and pastry. There were no significant differences in relation with the total sugar intake according to the body mass index (BMI) between SRS and AMS. The present study suggests a high proportion of children had total carbohydrates intakes in line with recommendations by public health authorities, but still a significant number presented insufficient total carbohydrate and fiber intakes, while total sugar consumption was high, with no major differences between SRS and AMS cohorts
Dietary Intake of Individual (Intrinsic and Added) Sugars and Food Sources from Spanish Children Aged One to <10 YearsâResults from the EsNuPI Study
Currently, in Spain there are no studies assessing the intakes and sources of intrinsic
and added sugars by both children consuming standard milks and children regularly consuming
adapted milk formulas. Our goal was to evaluate current sugar intake levels (intrinsic and added)
and their major dietary sources within the EsNuPI study participants by applying two 24-h dietary
recalls that were completed by 1448 children (1 to <10 years) divided into two subsamples: One
âSpanish Reference Sampleâ (SRS) of the general population (n = 707) and another sample which
included children consuming adapted milks including follow-on milk, toddlerâs or growing up milk
and fortified and enriched milks, here called âAdapted Milk Consumers Sampleâ (AMS) (n = 741).
Estimates of intrinsic and added sugar intakes from the Spanish EsNuPI population as well as the
adherence to recommendations varied notably according to age segment, but no major differences
between subsamples were found. Younger children (1 to <3 years) showed the highest added sugar
contribution to total energy intake (TEI) (SRS: 12.5% for boys and 11.7% for girls; AMS: 12.2% for
boys and 11.3% for girls) and the lowest adherence to recommendations set at <10% TEI (SRS: 27.4%
for boys and 37.2% for girls; AMS: 31.3% for boys and 34.7% for girls). Adherence increased with age but remains inadequate, with approximately one in two children from the older age segment (6 to
<10 years) exceeding the recommendations. Main food sources of intrinsic sugars for both subsamples
were milk and dairy products, fruits, vegetables and cereals, while for added sugars, these were milk
and dairy products (mainly yogurts), sugars and sweets (mainly sugary cocoa and nougat), bakery
products (mainly cookies) and cereals (mainly bread and wheat flour). However, for the AMS, the
groups milk and dairy products and cereals showed a significantly lower contribution to intrinsic
sugar intake but a significantly higher contribution to that of added sugars. These results demonstrate
that sugar intake and the adherence to recommendations in the studied population varied notably
according to age but not to the type of milk consumed. In addition, our results highlight the need
to monitor the consumption of added sugars by the infant population, as well as the need to make
efforts to facilitate this task, such as harmonizing the recommendations regarding free/added sugars
and the inclusion of information on their content on the nutritional labeling of products in order to
incorporate them into food composition databases
Carbohydrates, Starch, Total Sugar, Fiber Intakes and Food Sources in Spanish Children Aged One to <10 YearsâResults from the EsNuPI Study â
Diet quality is a modifiable factor that may contribute to the onset of diet-related chronic
diseases. Currently, in Spain there are no studies that examine the intakes and sources for total
carbohydrates, starch, total sugar, and fiber by both children consuming all kind of milks and children
regularly consuming adapted milk formulas. Our goal was to evaluate the contribution of different
food groups to total carbohydrates, starch, total sugar, and fiber consumption within the EsNuPI
study participants by assessing their usual intakes by applying two 24 h dietary recalls that were
completed by 1448 children (1 to <10 years) divided into two cohorts: one Spanish Reference Cohort
(SRS) of the general population (n = 707) and another cohort which included children consuming adapted milks including follow-on milk, toddlerâs or growing up milk, fortified and enriched milks,
here called Adapted Milk Consumers Cohortâ (AMS) (n = 741). Estimation of the usual intake
showed that nutrient intake increased with age for all nutrients except for fiber. The percentage of
children by age and gender who met the reference intake (RI) range for total carbohydrates, was in all
groups more than 50% of individuals, except for girls aged 6 to <10 years from the reference cohort
in which only 46.9% complied the RI. Median fiber intake, both in the SRS and the AMS, was well
below the adequate intake (AI) for children between 3 and 10 years. Main total carbohydrates
sources were cereals, followed by milk and dairy products, fruits, bakery and pastry, vegetables
and sugars and sweets. The highest contributors to starch intakes were cereals, bakery and pastry,
vegetables, and fruits. Major sources of total sugar intakes were milk and dairy products, fruits,
bakery and pastry, sugars and sweets, vegetables, and cereals. Nonetheless, milk and dairy products,
and fruits, mainly provided lactose and fructose, respectively, which are not considered free sugars.
Higher contribution to fiber intakes was provided by fruits, cereals, vegetables and bakery and pastry.
There were no significant differences in relation with the total sugar intake according to the body
mass index (BMI) between SRS and AMS. The present study suggests a high proportion of children
had total carbohydrates intakes in line with recommendations by public health authorities, but still
a significant number presented insufficient total carbohydrate and fiber intakes, while total sugar
consumption was high, with no major differences between SRS and AMS cohorts