Enzymatic Activity in Wheat Seeds of Different Protein Content

We have examined buffer soluble protein content and oxido-reductive and proteolytic enzyme activities of three wheat cultivars with different total protein content. The amount of extracted proteins was lower in wheat with lower total protein content. Activity of glutathione reductase (GR), catalase (CAT), peroxidase (POX) and aspartate protease (phytepsin) was unaffected by differences in total protein content of examined wheat, except in case of peroxidase activity in Srpanjka cultivar. Activity of lypooxigenase (LOX), arginyl and phenylalanyl aminopeptidase (Arg-AP; Phe-AP) was proportionally lower in wheat with lower total protein content. Polyphenoloxidase (PPO) activity was significantly lower, while carboxypeptidase I (CP-I) activity increased with decrease of total protein content. The obtained results indicate that total protein content of wheat affecting the amount of extractable proteins as well as activity of LOX, Arg-AP and Phe-AP, while activities of GR, CAT, POX, PPO, CP-I and phytepsin seem unaffected by total protein content

IRRITABLE BOWEL SYNDROME PREVALENCE AND THE ROLE OF DIET IN ADULT POPULATION

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is one of the most common functional gastrointestinal disorders with a very strong psychosomatic component in the etiology. The prevalence is higher in women and many IBS patients say that food triggers their symptoms. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of IBS symptoms (GSRS-IBS questionnaire) and the role of diet and dietary habits on IBS symptoms in adults. An observational online study with the study-specific questionnaire was completed by 109 adults (84.4% women, 15.6% men), average age 26 years (21-63 years). 12.8% of study participants had high IBS score (44-75 points). Participants with high IBS score tend to overeat (93.0% sometimes, 7.0% always) and skip meals (36.0%) which was proven to worsen IBS symptoms. Coffee consumption also worsens IBS symptoms, as well as the consumption of all drinks (without water) and sweets. IBS score was higher in participants who said that some food provokes symptoms. Beans (lentil, pea, bean) were proven to increase the risk for high IBS score, while strong spices (soup cube, chilli, curry) increase the risk of high IBS only in women (univariate logistic regression)

Analgesic Potential of Monoterpenes from Citrus Essential Oils

Chronic pain is a noteworthy health issue with immense impact on global healthcare systems. Although this issue has not come into the limelight as other noncommunicable diseases, it should be highlighted that modern medicine still has no efficient treatment to curb chronic pain. In this aspect, essential oils have been used for the prevention of several disease conditions including pain management. These odorous products, obtained from botanically defined raw material, have a variable and complex composition. Their composition largely depends on the extraction technique used, from simple hydro-distillation, to supercritical or microwave-assisted extraction. Monoterpenoids are some of the most biologically active and highly researched compounds when it comes to antinociceptive effects. They are volatile oils, primarily composed of two isoprene units with highly distinctive aromas and flavors. More than 90% of the essential oils of medicinal plants consist of monoterpenoids like limonene, myrcene, α-terpineol, linalool, pinene, p-cymene, and nerol. Besides strong anti-inflammatory effect, all essential oils with high D-limonene content pose a significant free radical scavenging effect, predominantly disabling the production of reactive oxygen species. Further studies in humans are encouraged to determine the real long-term potential in treating chronic pain

THE USE OF FITNESS WRIST BANDS IN CHRONIC PAIN PATIENTS – ADVANTAGES AND LIMITATIONS

Uvod: Tehnologija se sve više koristi za promicanje tjelesne aktivnosti (TA) i smanjenje sjedilačkog načina života u općoj populaciji, no upotreba nosive tehnologije u bolesnika s kroničnom boli (KB) još uvijek je rijetka. KB je globalni zdravstveni problem koji pogađa petinu svjetske populacije, s neizmjer-nim negativnim utjecajem na sve aspekte života bolesnika. TA je presudna za poboljšanje kvalitete živo-ta bolesnika s KB, no dugoročni ciljevi povećanja TA ipak uvelike ovise o percepciji boli, stvarnom ili predviđenom pogoršanju boli i nedostatku samopouzdanja za vrijeme TA. Ova studija želi utvrditi u-činkovitost, motivacijske mogućnosti i ograničenja Fitbit 2 fitness narukvice koja je korištena za praće-nje TA i obrasca spavanja kod pacijenata s KB koji su uključeni u četverotjedni multidisciplinarni pro-gram liječenja KB. Ispitanici i metode: Analiza je provedena na podacima za 41 od 42 bolesnika koji su završili program (podaci za jednog bolesnika nisu dostupni). Usporedili su se obrasci TA i spavanja bolesnika tijekom intervencije (0-4 tjedna) s podacima dobivenim 4 tjedana nakon završetka intervencije (4-8 tjedana). Fitness narukvice prikupile su sljedeće podatke: broj dana TA, prosječno dnevno vrijeme trajanja TA, prosječni broj koraka dnevno, prosječno vrijeme dubokog sna dnevno, prosječno vrijeme provedeno budno na dan, broj buđenja tijekom noći. Ti su podaci povezani s antropometrijskim mjerenjima pacije-nata. Protokol je dostupan u registru kliničkih istraživanja (NCT 03837080). Rezultati: Povećao se broj koraka i prosječno vrijeme TA dnevno, kao i vrijeme dubokog spavanja dne-vno, ali bez postizanja statističke važnosti. Međutim, uočeno je nekoliko prednosti: pacijenti dobivaju aktivnu ulogu u upravljanju KB-om pri čemu narukvice djeluje motivirajuće, potiču postavljanje ciljeva u TA, konkurenciju s drugim pacijentima i socijalnu podršku unutar KB skupine, a u klini-čkim/istraživačkim uvjetima pružaju bolji, kontinuirani nadzor nad TA i obrascima spavanja pacijenata koji su vrlo korisni za promjenu ponašanja i individualizirane edukacijske strategije. Ipak, narukvice imaju nekoliko nedostataka. Prvo, zahtijevaju mobilnu aplikaciju i osnovno znanje o tome kako koristiti pametni telefon (prosječna dob pacijenata je 55,6±12,5 godina), pojava iznenadne neispravnosti uređaja (2 od 16) i/ili softvera (2 od 16). Također, uočene su razne prepreke na individualnoj osnovi (tj. demo-grafija, psihosocijalni faktori, nedostatak motivacije) koje mogu biti razlog koji ne ide u prilog korište-nju narukvica. Pored toga, utvrđeno je značajno smanjenje opsega struka, omjera struk-bokovi i omjera struk-visina u pacijenata koji su imali dulje vrijeme dubokog sna. Ovi rezultati potvrđuju ulogu sna na stanje uhranje-nosti i metaboličke rizike. Zaključci: Pokazalo se da su fitness narukvice prikladne za promicanje TA kod bolesnika s KB, no uz ograničenja koja su poglavito povezana s neophodnom osnovnom informatičkom pismenošću.Introduction: Technology is increasingly used to promote physical activity (PA) and reduce sedentary behaviour in the general population, but the possibility of using it to support PA in chronic pain (CP) patients is still sparse. CP is a global health concern affecting fifth of the global population, with im-mense adverse impact on all aspects of a patient’s life. PA is crucial for improving quality of life of CP patients. However, long-term PA goals widely depend on pain perception, actual or anticipated pain exacerbation, and lack of confidence when doing PA. This study aims to determine effectiveness, mo-tivating opportunities and limitations of Fitbit 2 fitness bands used to measure PA and sleep pattern in CP patients enrolled in the 4-week CP management programme. Participants and Methods: Out of 42 CP patients who completed the programme, the analysis was performed on the data for 41 patients (one patient had no data). We compared PA and sleep pattern of CP patients between the intervention (0-4 weeks) and follow-up (4-8 weeks). Wrist band collected the following data: number of days of the activity measured, average time of activity per day, average steps per day, average deep sleep time per day, average time spent awake per day, number of wakening per day. These data were correlated to patients’ anthropometric measurements. Full protocol is available in the Clinical Trials Registry (NCT 03837080). Results: The number of steps and average time of activity per day increased, as well as deep sleep time per day but without reaching statistical significance. However, we observed several advantages: pa-tients are getting active role in their CP management which is self-motivating, encourages goal-setting, competition and social support within the CP group, and in clinical/research setting bands provide bet-ter, continuous oversight of patient’s PA and sleeping patterns which are very useful for behavioural change and individualized educational strategies. Still, wrist bands have several disadvantages. Firstly, they require a mobile app and some knowledge of how to use a smart phone (patients’ mean age is 55.6 ± 12.5 years). Sudden malfunction of the band (2 out of 16) and/or the software (2 out of 16). Also, various obstacles on an individual basis (i.e., demographics, psychosocial factors, lack of motivation) might be a reason not in favour of the band. In addition, we found significant improvement in waist circumference and waist-to-hip ratio and waist-to-height ratio were found in CP patients with longer deep sleep time. These results confirm the role of sleep on state of nourishment and metabolic risks. Conclusion: Fitness bands were found to be suitable for the promotion of PA in CP patients, but re-strictions apply, mainly due to required IT literacy

DIETARY HABITS OF COLORECTAL CANCER PATIENTS – COMPARISON BETWEEN SLAVONIA AND DALMATIA

Diet plays crucial role in colorectal cancer (CRC), from incidence to progression. It is the second cause of death due to carcinoma in Croatia, with significant regional differences. The aim of this observational study was to determine dietary habits of CRC patients, and whether their diet differs by region. A total of 60 patients with non-metastatic CRC, 30 from Slavonia and 30 from Dalmatia participated in the study. Two thirds of patients from both regions changed their diet for better after CRC diagnosis. However, one third of patients do not get any physical activity. Patients do not differ in their energy intake or intake of vitamins or minerals. Still, high contribution of fats (>40%) and low contribution of carbohydrates in the total daily energy intake was found. Contribution of proteins is higher in Slavonia (p=0.040). More patients from Dalmatia have intake of calcium <700 mg/day (43.3% vs 33.3%). Alcohol is consumed more often by patients from Dalmatia (p<0.001) and higher consumption of alcohol correlates with the high risk diet profile which was found in 66.7% of patients from Dalmatia in comparison to 36.7% patients from Slavonia (p=0.020). The results point out some regional differences in the diet which need further analysis

Endopeptidase activity in wheat seeds aged at different storage conditions

Starenje zrna pšenice je prirodan proces, pri kojem se u zrnu kumulativno nakupljaju kemijske i biokemijske promjene biomolekula, što rezultira gubitkom vijabilnosti i sposobnosti klijanja, te krajnje, smrću zrna. Ovim istraživanjem se pokušalo ustanoviti dolazi li tijekom starenja tri sorte krušnih pšenice pri četiri različita uvjeta skladištenja do promjena u količini ekstraktibilnih proteina te specifičnoj aktivnosti aspartatne proteaze. Rezultati pokazuju nepromjenjivost količine ekstraktibilnih proteina i aktivnosti aspartatne proteaze tijekom godine dana starenja pri svim uvjetima. Tijekom istraživanja uočena je zaraza žitnim žiškom zrnjevlja jedne od ispitivanih sorti, te se pokušalo ustanoviti kako se zaraza žitnim žiškom odražava na aktivnost aspartatne proteaze i udio ekstraktibilnih proteina, a u svrhu pronalaska mogućeg indikatora vizualno "nevidljive" zaraze. Ustanovljene su značajne razlike u aktivnosti aspartatne proteaze između zdravih i zaraženih zrna, te bi aspartatna proteaza mogla poslužiti kao indikator zaraze.Ageing of wheat seeds is a natural process, characterized by the cumulative accumulation of chemical and biochemical changes of seeds biomolecules, which leads to theloss of seed viability, germination ability, and consequently to the seed death. In this research, we have examined changes in proteins extraction and aspartate protease activity of three wheat varieties, aged at four different storage conditions. The results showed that ageing of wheat seeds for one year, at different storage conditions, didn't make changes to protein extractability, or in aspartate protease activity. During seed ageing, in one of the examined varieties, granary weevil infestation occurred. The influence of granary weevil infestation on seeds protein extractability and aspartate protease activity, were therefore examined. Analysis revealed significant differences in aspartate protease activity between non-infested and infested wheat seeds. It would seem that aspartate protease activity could be used as a possible indicator of wheat seeds infestation, by granary weevil