Endothelial progenitor cells: a new player in lupus?

Patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) have a greatly increased risk of cardiovascular disease. There is growing interest in the link between vascular damage and lupus-specific inflammatory factors. Impaired endothelial repair could account for the endothelial dysfunction in this patient group. This review describes the contribution that endothelial progenitor cells could play in the pathogenesis of premature vascular damage in this disease. The methods of isolation, detection, and characterization of endothelial progenitor cells, together with their potential role in repair of the endothelium and as a therapeutic target in SLE, are discussed

Premature senescence, endothelial turnover and accelerated atherosclerosis in SLE : the relationship between circulating endothelial cells, telomere length and lupus factors

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is associated with premature onset of coronary heart disease and endothelial dysfunction. To date the mechanisms underlying this remain unclear. We hypothesise there is premature biological ageing in patients with SLE as evidenced by a reduction in the mean telomere length of PBMC. Premature biological ageing is also evident in the vasculature of patients with SLE and reflected by relatively shortened telomeres of cells involved in vascular repair and regeneration i.e. endothelial progenitor cells (EPC). Furthermore, senescent EPC result in cellular imbalance with a relatively reduced number and/or function of circulating healthy EPC. We studied 200 SLE patients longitudinally over an average of 5.8 (5.2, 6.3) years and demonstrated progression of carotid plaque burden in 17.5%. Baseline traditional CHD risk factors did not influence plaque progression. We measured CD34/CD133+ EPC using flow cytometry in 54 SLE patients and 49 controls in cross-sectional study and demonstrated no significant difference between the groups. We further investigated number and function of EPC by enumerating colony-forming unit (CFU) in culture in 39 SLE patients and 27 controls and demonstrated a significant reduction in CFU number in SLE [median (IQR) CFU 5.7 (2.3, 8.0) in SLE vs. 10.0 (5.7, 15.0) in controls; p= 0.0016] and this difference was particularly marked in those under the age of 40 years [4 (2, 8) vs. 10.5 (7, 19), p= 0.03]. We measured relative telomere length of PBMC in SLE compared to age-matched controls using real-time qPCR in a cross-sectional study and demonstrated a significant reduction in SLE patients [0.97 (0.47, 1.57) and 1.53 (0.82, 2.29), p = P = 0.0008]. Further, telomere length of DNA extracted from CFU after 7 days in culture was quantified in a preliminary study of 5 SLE patients and 5 controls and demonstrated a trend to telomere length reduction in SLE patients. In conclusion there was evidence of significant progression of carotid plaque is in this cohort of female SLE patients. Further there is evidence of abnormal endothelial repair and premature senescence in SLE. Results support the hypothesis that there is a premature senescent phenotype in SLE and as such may present a novel therapeutic target to attenuate the risk of CHD in SLE.EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo

Extraction of fish oil from the skin of Indian mackerel using supercritical fluids.

The total oil was extracted from the ground skin of Indian mackerel (Rastrelliger kanagurta) using various techniques of supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) at 20–35 MPa and 45–75 °C and by the Soxhlet method for comparison. The oil yield increased with pressure and temperature and the highest yields were 24.7, 53.2, 52.8, and 52.3/100 g sample (dry basis) for the continuous, cosolvent, soaking, and pressure swing techniques, respectively, at 35 MPa and 75 °C. The yield from the Soxhlet extraction was 53.6/100 g sample (dry basis). The CO2 consumption was 581.8, 493.6, 484.9 and 290.9 g for the continuous, cosolvent, soaking and pressure swing techniques, respectively, at 35 MPa and 75 °C. The largest recoveries of PUFA, especially the ω-3 family, were achieved from the soaking and pressure swing techniques at 35 MPa and 75 °C. Thus, the pressure swing and soaking techniques are the most effective at extracting the oil from fish skin

Experimental design of supercritical fluid extraction: a review

Supercritical fluid extraction (SFE), a sustainable green technology leads a wide range of applications since the past decade. Like many other processes, SFE is sometimes criticized for its large number of factors which need to be properly adjusted before every single run. Experimental design and proper statistical analysis with small number of trials in adjusting the SFE parameters become popular in this regard. This paper is aimed to review the common experimental designs that are frequently used in the SFE process. Utilizations of different experimental designs in SFE with the intention of either screening the most influential factors or optimizing the selected factors are briefly reviewed. Strategies and recommendation addressing the choice of appropriate design, constructing design matrix, experimental trial and data analysis are discussed in this paper. For more application oriented readers of SFE, an effective and easy chart on choosing proper experimental design and a list of experimental design software are also included

Cocoa butter fats and possibilities of substitution in food products concerning cocoa varieties, alternative sources, extraction methods, composition, and characteristics

The current concern for cocoa butter fat as major ingredients of chocolate intake in the World has raised the question of the high price of cocoa butter among all other vegetable fats. Productions of natural cocoa butter fats are decreasing day by day due to the decrease of cocoa cultivation worldwide; moreover, cocoa fruit contains only a little amount of cocoa butter. Therefore, the food industries are keen to find the alternatives to cocoa butter fat and this issue has been contemplated among food manufacturers. This review offers an update of scientific research conducted in relation to the alternative fats of cocoa butter from natural sources. The findings highlights how these cocoa butter alternatives are being produced either by blending, modifying the natural oils or fats from palm oil, palm kernel oil, mango seed kernel fats, kokum butter fat, sal fat, shea butter, and illipé fat

Hard cocoa butter replacers from mango seed fat and palm stearin

The blending effects of mango seed fat (MSF), extracted using supercritical fluid, and palm stearin (PS) to formulate hard cocoa butter replacers (CBRs), were investigated. The triglycerides (TG), thermal properties and solid fat content (SFC) of the formulated blends were determined using different chromatographic and thermal techniques. All the blends had three main TGs; namely, 1,3-dipalmitoyl-2-oleoylglycerol (POP) (8.6 to 17.7%), 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-3-stearoyl-glycerol (POS) (12.6 to 19.6%), and 1,3-distearoyl-2-oleoyl-glycerol (SOS) (37.2 to 31.4%), with SOS being the major component. The melting peak temperatures gradually increased and shifted towards higher temperatures with PS. The crystallization onset temperatures increased, while the offset decreased with PS. The SFC did not drop to 0% at 37.5 °C, which was shifted to 0% at and above 40 °C for some blends. The studies revealed that CBRs could be prepared by blending MSF and PS, and they could be utilized by chocolate manufacturers in tropical countries

Determination of fluoranthene, benzo[b]fluoranthene and benzo[a]pyrene in meat and fish products and their intake by Malaysian

Forty-two types of meat and fish products widely consumed by Malaysian population were analyzed for three high molecular weight polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) namely, fluoranthene, benzo[b]fluoranthene and benzo[a]pyrene using high performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detector. Dietary intake of sum of the three PAHs was then estimated for the population by interviewing 600 respondents aged above 18 years old using food frequency questionnaire. The highest level of individual PAHs was found to be fluoranthene (219.74 ng/g), whereas the lowest level was benzo[a]pyrene (24.33 ng/g). Grilled beef satay showed the highest total PAHs (66.28 ng/g) among the all food products. The mean dietary intake of the sum of three PAHs by Malaysian was 297.58 ng/day

Valuable components of bambangan fruit (Mangifera pajang) and its co-products: a review

Fruits are important food commodities that can be consumed either raw or processed and are valued for their taste, nutrients, and healthy compounds. Mangifera pajang Kosterm (bambangan) is an underutilized fruit found in Malaysia (Sabah and Sarawak), Brunei, and Indonesia (Kalimantan). It is highly fibrous and juicy with an aromatic flavour and strong smell. In recent years, bambangan fruit has been gaining more attention due to its high fibre, carotenoid content, antioxidant properties, phytochemicals, and medicinal usages. Therefore, the production, trade, and consumption of bambangan fruit could be increased significantly, both domestically and internationally, because of its nutritional value. The identification and quantification of bioactive compounds in bambangan fruit has led to considerable interest among scientists. Bambangan fruit and its waste, especially its seeds and peels, are considered cheap sources of valuable food and are considered nutraceutical ingredients that could be used to prevent various diseases. The use of bambangan fruit waste co-products for the production of bioactive components is an important step towards sustainable development. This is an updated report on the nutritional composition and health-promoting phytochemicals of bambangan fruit and its co-products that explores their potential utilization. This review reveals that bambangan fruit and its co-products could be used as ingredients of dietary fibre powder or could be incorporated into food products (biscuits and macaroni) to enhance their nutraceutical propertie

Progression of subclinical and clinical cardiovascular disease in a UK SLE cohort: the role of classic and SLE-related factors

Objectives We aimed to describe the rate and determinants of carotid plaque progression and the onset of clinical cardiovascular disease (CVD) in a UK SLE cohort. Methods Female patients with SLE of white British ancestry were recruited from clinics in the North-West of England and had a baseline clinical and CVD risk assessment including measurement of carotid intima–media thickness (CIMT) and plaque using B-mode Doppler ultrasound. Patients were followed up (>3.5 years after baseline visit) and had a repeat carotid Doppler to assess progression of plaque and CIMT. Clinical CVD events between visits were also noted. Results Of 200 patients with a baseline scan, 124 (62%) patients had a second assessment at a median (IQR) of 5.8 (5.2–6.3) years follow-up. New plaque developed in 32 (26%) (4.5% per annum) patients and plaque progression was observed in 52 (41%) patients. Factors associated with plaque progression were older age (OR 1.13; 95%  CI 1.06 to 1.20), anticardiolipin (OR 3.36; 1.27 to 10.40) and anti-Ro (OR 0.31; 0.11 to 0.86) antibodies. CVD events occurred in 7.2% over 5.8 years compared with 1.0% predicted using the Framingham risk score (p<0.001). Higher triglycerides (OR 3.6; 1.23 to 10.56), cyclophosphamide exposure ‘ever’ (OR 16.7; 1.46 to 63.5) and baseline Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics damage index score (OR 9.62; 1.46 to 123) independently predicted future CVD events. Conclusion Accelerated atherosclerosis remains a major challenge in SLE disease management. A more comprehensive approach to CVD risk management taking into account disease factors such as severity and anticardiolipin antibody status may be necessary to improve CVD outcomes in this high-risk population

Physicochemical properties of cocoa butter replacers from supercritical carbon dioxide extracted mango seed fat and palm oil mid-fraction blends

Supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO2) extracted mango seed fat (MSF) was blended with palm oil mid-fraction (POMF) to obtain cocoa butter replacers (CBRs). The fatty acid constituents and physicochemical properties of the formulated blends were analysed by gas chromatography (GC). In this study, the fatty acid constituents and other physicochemical properties such as iodine value (43.2 to 43.4 g I2/100 g fat), saponification value (195.7 to 195.9 mg KOH/g fat), acid value (2.1 to 2.7%), and slip melting point (33.8 to 34.9°C) of blends MSF/POMF at ratios 85/15, 80/20, 75/25, and 70/30 were found similar to the physicochemical properties of commercial cocoa butter. Thus, it could be concluded that the MSF/POMF blends that are blends 85/15, 80/20, 75/25, and 70/30 (3 to 6) could be suggested as CBRs in terms of the physicochemical properties like fatty acid constituents, iodine, saponification and acid values and slip melting point