Blackcurrants: A Nutrient-Rich Source for the Development of Functional Foods for Improved Athletic Performance

Blackcurrants are nutrient-rich fruits with a significant amount of bioactive compounds including vitamin C and polyphenols, especially anthocyanins. The high phytochemical content of blackcurrants promotes this fruit to become a valuable functional food ingredient with varying health-promoting activities targeting different consumers including athletes. Athletes experience oxidative stress during intense exercise, which can result in inflammation and reduced exercise performance. Antioxidants such as vitamin C and polyphenols can restore the regular oxidative status of the body. Blackcurrant supplementation has shown potential ergogenic activity to improve athlete performance during high-intensity training. Clinical trials have evaluated the effectiveness of blackcurrant supplementation on exercise performance, fat oxidation, blood lactate levels, muscle fatigue, and cardiac output. Due to the rich nutritional value of blackcurrants, they can be a potential candidate for the development of functional foods targeted at the improved performance of athletes. Blackcurrants can be used as ingredients to develop functional beverages and snacks for athletes as well as gluten-free products for celiac athletes.Blackcurrant is rich in bioactive compounds that can help improve athletic performance. It can be considered a potential bioactive ingredient to develop functional foods for athletes

Blackcurrants: A Nutrient-Rich Source for the Development of Functional Foods for Improved Athletic Performance

Blackcurrants are nutrient-rich fruits with a significant amount of bioactive compounds including vitamin C and polyphenols, especially anthocyanins. The high phytochemical content of blackcurrants promotes this fruit to become a valuable functional food ingredient with varying health-promoting activities targeting different consumers including athletes. Athletes experience oxidative stress during intense exercise, which can result in inflammation and reduced exercise performance. Antioxidants such as vitamin C and polyphenols can restore the regular oxidative status of the body. Blackcurrant supplementation has shown potential ergogenic activity to improve athlete performance during high-intensity training. Clinical trials have evaluated the effectiveness of blackcurrant supplementation on exercise performance, fat oxidation, blood lactate levels, muscle fatigue, and cardiac output. Due to the rich nutritional value of blackcurrants, they can be a potential candidate for the development of functional foods targeted at the improved performance of athletes. Blackcurrants can be used as ingredients to develop functional beverages and snacks for athletes as well as gluten-free products for celiac athletes.Blackcurrant is rich in bioactive compounds that can help improve athletic performance. It can be considered a potential bioactive ingredient to develop functional foods for athletes

Mortality from gastrointestinal congenital anomalies at 264 hospitals in 74 low-income, middle-income, and high-income countries: a multicentre, international, prospective cohort study

Summary Background Congenital anomalies are the fifth leading cause of mortality in children younger than 5 years globally. Many gastrointestinal congenital anomalies are fatal without timely access to neonatal surgical care, but few studies have been done on these conditions in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs). We compared outcomes of the seven most common gastrointestinal congenital anomalies in low-income, middle-income, and high-income countries globally, and identified factors associated with mortality. Methods We did a multicentre, international prospective cohort study of patients younger than 16 years, presenting to hospital for the first time with oesophageal atresia, congenital diaphragmatic hernia, intestinal atresia, gastroschisis, exomphalos, anorectal malformation, and Hirschsprung’s disease. Recruitment was of consecutive patients for a minimum of 1 month between October, 2018, and April, 2019. We collected data on patient demographics, clinical status, interventions, and outcomes using the REDCap platform. Patients were followed up for 30 days after primary intervention, or 30 days after admission if they did not receive an intervention. The primary outcome was all-cause, in-hospital mortality for all conditions combined and each condition individually, stratified by country income status. We did a complete case analysis. Findings We included 3849 patients with 3975 study conditions (560 with oesophageal atresia, 448 with congenital diaphragmatic hernia, 681 with intestinal atresia, 453 with gastroschisis, 325 with exomphalos, 991 with anorectal malformation, and 517 with Hirschsprung’s disease) from 264 hospitals (89 in high-income countries, 166 in middleincome countries, and nine in low-income countries) in 74 countries. Of the 3849 patients, 2231 (58·0%) were male. Median gestational age at birth was 38 weeks (IQR 36–39) and median bodyweight at presentation was 2·8 kg (2·3–3·3). Mortality among all patients was 37 (39·8%) of 93 in low-income countries, 583 (20·4%) of 2860 in middle-income countries, and 50 (5·6%) of 896 in high-income countries (p<0·0001 between all country income groups). Gastroschisis had the greatest difference in mortality between country income strata (nine [90·0%] of ten in lowincome countries, 97 [31·9%] of 304 in middle-income countries, and two [1·4%] of 139 in high-income countries; p≤0·0001 between all country income groups). Factors significantly associated with higher mortality for all patients combined included country income status (low-income vs high-income countries, risk ratio 2·78 [95% CI 1·88–4·11], p<0·0001; middle-income vs high-income countries, 2·11 [1·59–2·79], p<0·0001), sepsis at presentation (1·20 [1·04–1·40], p=0·016), higher American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) score at primary intervention (ASA 4–5 vs ASA 1–2, 1·82 [1·40–2·35], p<0·0001; ASA 3 vs ASA 1–2, 1·58, [1·30–1·92], p<0·0001]), surgical safety checklist not used (1·39 [1·02–1·90], p=0·035), and ventilation or parenteral nutrition unavailable when needed (ventilation 1·96, [1·41–2·71], p=0·0001; parenteral nutrition 1·35, [1·05–1·74], p=0·018). Administration of parenteral nutrition (0·61, [0·47–0·79], p=0·0002) and use of a peripherally inserted central catheter (0·65 [0·50–0·86], p=0·0024) or percutaneous central line (0·69 [0·48–1·00], p=0·049) were associated with lower mortality. Interpretation Unacceptable differences in mortality exist for gastrointestinal congenital anomalies between lowincome, middle-income, and high-income countries. Improving access to quality neonatal surgical care in LMICs will be vital to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 3.2 of ending preventable deaths in neonates and children younger than 5 years by 2030

Lipidomic Profiling of Rice Bran after Green Solid&ndash;Liquid Extractions for the Development of Circular Economy Approaches

Rice bran is a rather underutilized by-product of the rice industry that nowadays is far from being valorized. In this study, the lipidomic profile of bran of the Italian rice variety, Roma, has been evaluated through ultra performance liquid chromatography&mdash;tandem mass spectrometry. Crude lipid extracts were obtained from rice bran treated with different green solvents (1-butanol, ethanol and methyl tert-butyl ether/methanol mixture) in combination with an ultrasonic pre-treatment, and then compared with extracts obtained with standard solvents (chloroform/methanol mixture). Lipid yield, number and type of lipids and composition of prevalent lipid classes extracted were evaluated in order to provide an exhaustive lipid profile of the rice bran and to identify the most efficient green solvent for solid&ndash;liquid extractions. Twelve different lipid classes and a maximum of 276 lipids were identified. Ethanol and methyl tert-butyl ether/methanol solvents provided higher lipid extraction yields, the former being the most effective solvent for the extraction of triglycerides and N-acylethanolamines and the latter the most effective for the extraction of diglycerides, phospholipids and ceramides at 4 &deg;C. Moreover, extraction with ethanol at 20 &deg;C gave similar results as at 4 &deg;C in terms of lipid yield and for most of the classes of lipids extracted. Taken together, our results indicate ethanol and methyl tert-butyl ether/methanol as excellent solvents for lipid extraction from rice bran, with the aim to further valorize this food by-product in the perspective of a circular economy

Lipidomic Profiling of Rice Bran after Green Solid–Liquid Extractions for the Development of Circular Economy Approaches

Rice bran is a rather underutilized by-product of the rice industry that nowadays is far from being valorized. In this study, the lipidomic profile of bran of the Italian rice variety, Roma, has been evaluated through ultra performance liquid chromatography—tandem mass spectrometry. Crude lipid extracts were obtained from rice bran treated with different green solvents (1-butanol, ethanol and methyl tert-butyl ether/methanol mixture) in combination with an ultrasonic pre-treatment, and then compared with extracts obtained with standard solvents (chloroform/methanol mixture). Lipid yield, number and type of lipids and composition of prevalent lipid classes extracted were evaluated in order to provide an exhaustive lipid profile of the rice bran and to identify the most efficient green solvent for solid–liquid extractions. Twelve different lipid classes and a maximum of 276 lipids were identified. Ethanol and methyl tert-butyl ether/methanol solvents provided higher lipid extraction yields, the former being the most effective solvent for the extraction of triglycerides and N-acylethanolamines and the latter the most effective for the extraction of diglycerides, phospholipids and ceramides at 4 °C. Moreover, extraction with ethanol at 20 °C gave similar results as at 4 °C in terms of lipid yield and for most of the classes of lipids extracted. Taken together, our results indicate ethanol and methyl tert-butyl ether/methanol as excellent solvents for lipid extraction from rice bran, with the aim to further valorize this food by-product in the perspective of a circular economy

Beyond bariatric surgery and weight loss medicaments. A systematic review of the current practice in obesity rehabilitative inpatient programs in adults and pediatrics

Obesity treatment strategies mainly include outpatient lifestyle modification, drugs and bariatric surgery. Voluntary rehabilitative inpatient programs are gaining relevance as potential alternative settings of care that focus on weight loss and prevention of weight regain through a multidisciplinary approach, but their prevalence is still limited due to the high costs

Data_Sheet_1_Beyond bariatric surgery and weight loss medicaments. A systematic review of the current practice in obesity rehabilitative inpatient programs in adults and pediatrics.docx

BackgroundObesity treatment strategies mainly include outpatient lifestyle modification, drugs and bariatric surgery. Voluntary rehabilitative inpatient programs are gaining relevance as potential alternative settings of care that focus on weight loss and prevention of weight regain through a multidisciplinary approach, but their prevalence is still limited due to the high costs.AimConsidering the lack of evidence in this area, the objective of this study is to systematically review the currently available literature on non-pharmacological and non-surgical inpatient programs aimed at weight loss, to clarify the efficacy and the characteristics of these interventions.MethodsProper English language articles from 2000 to 2022 were searched on relevant databases. Quality assessment was performed by two different authors using ROB2 and robvis tools. Adult and pediatric studies were reviewed separately and their characteristics were systematically displayed.Results36 articles were included (20 on adults, 16 on children, and adolescents) for a total of 5,510 individuals. The multidisciplinary approach was mainly comprehensive of a low-calorie diet, scheduled physical activity, and psychological support based on behavioral treatment. Educational and cooking sessions were present at a lower rate. Globally, inpatient weight loss programs showed a consistent efficacy in reducing body weight and inducing beneficial effects on quality of life, psychological well-being, eating behavior, physical performance, and fatigue. Follow-up data were scarce, but with a high percentage of patients regaining weight after a short period.ConclusionWeight loss inpatient rehabilitation is a promising area that has evidence of all-rounded success in the amelioration of several aspects related to obesity. Nevertheless, it appears to be quite inconsistent in preserving these benefits after the intervention. This might slow the innovation process in this area and preclude further investments from national healthcare. Personalized and enriched programs could show greater impact when focusing on the behavioral and educational aspects, which are crucial points, in particular in pediatrics, for setting up a long-lasting lifestyle modification. More studies are therefore necessary to evaluate long-term efficacy based on the different work-up models.</p