Effects of purified anthocyanins in people at risk for dementia: Study protocol for a phase II randomized controlled trial

Background: The number of people with dementia is increasing, with huge challenges for society and health-care systems. There are no disease-modifying therapies available. There is, therefore, an urgent need to identify strategies to reduce the risk of developing dementia. Anthocyanins are a class of compounds found in dark berries and fruits with some effects that might reduce the risk for cognitive decline and the development of dementia in older people. Aim: This phase II three-center, randomized, 24-week, placebo-controlled study, ongoing in Norway, aims to evaluate the safety, and efficacy of anthocyanins in modifying key dementia-related mechanisms and maintain cognitive functioning in older people at risk for dementia. Methods: Participants (220 individuals aged 60–80 years) who meet the inclusion criteria (either mild cognitive impairment or two or more cardiometabolic disorders) are being enrolled in this study at three different centers in Norway. Participants are block randomized to identically appearing capsules containing 80 mg of naturally purified anthocyanins or placebo 1:1. Dosage is 2 + 2 capsules per day for 24 weeks. The primary outcome will be the quality of episodic memory score, a composite measure from the extensively validated online cognitive test battery CogTrack®, which is administered at baseline and monthly for the next 6 months. Secondary outcomes include other major scores from CogTrack, as well as a range of neuroimaging and other biomarkers. Anthocyanin metabolites will be measured in blood and cerebrospinal fluid. The change from baseline scores will be subject to a mixed model for repeated measures analysis of covariance. The primary comparison will be the contrast (difference in the least-square means) between active and placebo at the end of the study (week 24). The primary study population will be a modified intention-to-treat population (ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03419039). Discussion: This study aims to demonstrate whether there are beneficial effects of purified anthocyanins on cognition and relevant biological functions in people at increased risk for dementia. Forthcoming results may contribute to further improvement of intervention strategies to prevent or delay the onset of dementia, including a potential decision to take anthocyanins toward phase III trials.publishedVersio

A Randomised Placebo-Controlled Study of Purified Anthocyanins on Cognition in Individuals at Increased Risk for Dementia

Importance Identifying nutritional compounds which can reduce cognitive decline in older people is a hugely important topic. Objective To study the safety and effect of anthocyanins in maintaining cognitive functioning in people at increased risk for dementia. Design, setting, and participants Participants (206 individuals, aged 60–80 years) diagnosed with either mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or two or more cardiometabolic disorders (i.e., diabetes, hypertension, obesity) were enrolled at three different centres in Norway. Intervention Participants were randomly assigned to four capsules with a total of 320 mg/d of naturally purified anthocyanins or placebo 1:1 for 24 weeks. Main outcomes and measures The primary outcome was the Quality of Episodic Memory composite measure (0–100) from an online cognitive test battery CogTrack, which was administered at baseline and monthly for the next 24 weeks. Secondary outcomes included other cognitive scores from the CogTrack battery. We applied mixed effects models with a baseline test score, group, time and their interaction as fixed effects, as well as other predefined baseline covariates. The primary comparison was the group difference at week 24 based on a modified intention-to-treat principle. Results : The primary analysis did not show a significant group difference at 24 weeks (78.2 versus 76.8; adjusted mean difference 1.4 (95% confidence interval -0.9–3.7); effect size 0.15; p = 0.23). However, there was a significant difference in slopes during weeks 8–24 (p = 0.007); the anthocyanin group improved while the placebo group worsened. No differences were found for the secondary cognitive outcomes. Anthocyanin capsules were well-tolerated and safe to use. Conclusion Anthocyanin supplementation for 24 weeks was safe and well tolerated in people with MCI or cardiometabolic disorders. We found no significant group difference in episodic memory at the end of the study but statistically significant differences in slopes. Further studies are warranted to explore whether anthocyanins supplementation can reduce cognitive decline in people at increased risk of dementia.publishedVersio

Body mass index, performance on activities of daily living and cognition: analysis in two different populations

Background With this study, we aim to determine the associations of the different categories of the body mass index (BMI) with activities of daily living (ADL) and cognitive performance in two different populations living in the community; Colombian and South Korean older adults. Methods We performed a cross-sectional analysis of two surveys separately; The Survey on Health, Well-Being, and Aging in Colombia (SABE) (n = 23,343) and the Korean Longitudinal Study of aging (KLoSA) (n = 4556). Participants older than 50 years were selected from rural and urban areas achieving a representative sample. Here we investigated the association between BMI categories with function using zero-inflated negative binomial regressions, and with cognition using logistic regression models. Results After adjustment, in Colombia, underweight was associated with an impaired score on the Mini-mental State Examination (MMSE) and worse performance in the instrumental activities of daily living (IADL). Also, being overweight was associated with a better score on the MMSE and the IADL. For both outcomes education level significantly influenced the predictions. In South Korea, there were no significant associations for cognition, IADL, or basic activities of daily living (BADL). Conclusions In the Colombian population, underweight, was associated with reduced cognitive performance and daily functioning. Additionally, being overweight but not obese was associated with better cognition and daily functioning. In South Korea, there were no significant associations between BMI and cognition, IADL, or BADL.publishedVersio

A year of genomic surveillance reveals how the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic unfolded in Africa.

The progression of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic in Africa has so far been heterogeneous, and the full impact is not yet well understood. In this study, we describe the genomic epidemiology using a dataset of 8746 genomes from 33 African countries and two overseas territories. We show that the epidemics in most countries were initiated by importations predominantly from Europe, which diminished after the early introduction of international travel restrictions. As the pandemic progressed, ongoing transmission in many countries and increasing mobility led to the emergence and spread within the continent of many variants of concern and interest, such as B.1.351, B.1.525, A.23.1, and C.1.1. Although distorted by low sampling numbers and blind spots, the findings highlight that Africa must not be left behind in the global pandemic response, otherwise it could become a source for new variants

The evolving SARS-CoV-2 epidemic in Africa: Insights from rapidly expanding genomic surveillance.

Investment in severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) sequencing in Africa over the past year has led to a major increase in the number of sequences that have been generated and used to track the pandemic on the continent, a number that now exceeds 100,000 genomes. Our results show an increase in the number of African countries that are able to sequence domestically and highlight that local sequencing enables faster turnaround times and more-regular routine surveillance. Despite limitations of low testing proportions, findings from this genomic surveillance study underscore the heterogeneous nature of the pandemic and illuminate the distinct dispersal dynamics of variants of concern-particularly Alpha, Beta, Delta, and Omicron-on the continent. Sustained investment for diagnostics and genomic surveillance in Africa is needed as the virus continues to evolve while the continent faces many emerging and reemerging infectious disease threats. These investments are crucial for pandemic preparedness and response and will serve the health of the continent well into the 21st century

The evolving SARS-CoV-2 epidemic in Africa: Insights from rapidly expanding genomic surveillance

INTRODUCTION Investment in Africa over the past year with regard to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) sequencing has led to a massive increase in the number of sequences, which, to date, exceeds 100,000 sequences generated to track the pandemic on the continent. These sequences have profoundly affected how public health officials in Africa have navigated the COVID-19 pandemic. RATIONALE We demonstrate how the first 100,000 SARS-CoV-2 sequences from Africa have helped monitor the epidemic on the continent, how genomic surveillance expanded over the course of the pandemic, and how we adapted our sequencing methods to deal with an evolving virus. Finally, we also examine how viral lineages have spread across the continent in a phylogeographic framework to gain insights into the underlying temporal and spatial transmission dynamics for several variants of concern (VOCs). RESULTS Our results indicate that the number of countries in Africa that can sequence the virus within their own borders is growing and that this is coupled with a shorter turnaround time from the time of sampling to sequence submission. Ongoing evolution necessitated the continual updating of primer sets, and, as a result, eight primer sets were designed in tandem with viral evolution and used to ensure effective sequencing of the virus. The pandemic unfolded through multiple waves of infection that were each driven by distinct genetic lineages, with B.1-like ancestral strains associated with the first pandemic wave of infections in 2020. Successive waves on the continent were fueled by different VOCs, with Alpha and Beta cocirculating in distinct spatial patterns during the second wave and Delta and Omicron affecting the whole continent during the third and fourth waves, respectively. Phylogeographic reconstruction points toward distinct differences in viral importation and exportation patterns associated with the Alpha, Beta, Delta, and Omicron variants and subvariants, when considering both Africa versus the rest of the world and viral dissemination within the continent. Our epidemiological and phylogenetic inferences therefore underscore the heterogeneous nature of the pandemic on the continent and highlight key insights and challenges, for instance, recognizing the limitations of low testing proportions. We also highlight the early warning capacity that genomic surveillance in Africa has had for the rest of the world with the detection of new lineages and variants, the most recent being the characterization of various Omicron subvariants. CONCLUSION Sustained investment for diagnostics and genomic surveillance in Africa is needed as the virus continues to evolve. This is important not only to help combat SARS-CoV-2 on the continent but also because it can be used as a platform to help address the many emerging and reemerging infectious disease threats in Africa. In particular, capacity building for local sequencing within countries or within the continent should be prioritized because this is generally associated with shorter turnaround times, providing the most benefit to local public health authorities tasked with pandemic response and mitigation and allowing for the fastest reaction to localized outbreaks. These investments are crucial for pandemic preparedness and response and will serve the health of the continent well into the 21st century

Correlation between structural and morphological properties of multilayer perovskite ZnTiO

This work reports on correlation between structural and morphological properties of ZnTiO3/porous silicon (PS). The PS was elaborated by electrochemical anodization from the single- crystal p-type silicon wafer. Nanocrystalline ZnTiO3 thinfilms have been prepared on PS using sol-gels pin coating technique. The deposited films were annealed in air at 800 °C for 2 h. The structural and morphological properties of the films were studied for different number of layers. X-ray diffraction spectra confirms that ZnTiO3 films were hexagonal phase and the crystallite size of ZnTiO3 films increased from 111 to 125 nm when the number of layers increase from 4 to 8 layers. SEM image shows approximate semi-spherical particles with a little agglomeration for all samples. The morphologies changed and the average grain size changed and increases from 81 nm to 131 nm

evidence of their ability to cross the BBB

Funding Information: The authors thank Anthony Sullivan, Chris Titman, and Neil Loftus from Shimadzu UK Ltd for their support on the LC-MS/MS instrument. The authors also want to acknowledge and thank the participants for their kind effort during the study and all the research staff members at the three sites for their assistance and contribution to the conduction of the trial. Sources of support for the work : This work was funded by a grant from Nasjonalforeningen and Evonik Operations GmbH to D. A. and A. R. M. iNOVA4Health Research Unit (LISBOA-01-0145-FEDER-007344), which is cofunded by Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT)/Ministério da Ciência e do Ensino Superior, through national funds, and by FEDER under the PT2020 Partnership Agreement and European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement no. 804229, is acknowledged. Publisher Copyright: © 2023 The Royal Society of Chemistry.Increasing evidence suggests that dietary (poly)phenols and methylxanthines have neuroprotective effects; however, little is known about whether they can cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and exert direct effects on the brain. We investigated the presence of (poly)phenol and methylxanthine metabolites in plasma and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from 90 individuals at risk of dementia using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry and predicted their mechanism of transport across the BBB using in silico modelling techniques. A total of 123 and 127 metabolites were detected in CSF and plasma, respectively. In silico analysis suggests that 5 of the 20 metabolites quantified in CSF can cross the BBB by passive diffusion, while at least 9 metabolites require the aid of cell transporters to cross the BBB. Our results showed that (poly)phenols and methylxanthines are bioavailable, can cross the BBB via passive diffusion or transport carriers, and can reach brain tissues to exert neuroprotective effects.publishersversionepub_ahead_of_prin

A Review on the Adsorption of Phenol Derivatives from Wastewater

Several environmental companies consider phenols compounds to be very dangerous pollutants because they are highly toxic and non-biodegradable, notably their high toxicity in water. For this reason, several processes have been studied by researchers to understand the mechanisms of elimination of phenolic compounds. Adsorption remains the best technique due to its characteristics, in fact, it is non-destructive and simple to use as well as have more other advantages, such as practicality and efficiency and low cost, Therefore, these methods need to be widely developed on an industrial scale to remove phenol derivatives and achieve wastewater quality in accordance with standards. On the other hand, the development of these adsorption methods is highly dependent on new research on materials from abundant natural resources, namely apatites or biomaterials

A Review on Processes for Olive Mill Waste Water Treatment

The olive mill waste water (OMWW) are effluents issues issued from the extraction of olive oil, these effluents are cloudy-looking liquids with a reddish-brown color, their pH varies from 4 to 5. They are very rich in polyphenols, which cause causes many environmental problems, such as water pollution, Currently, on an industrial scale, there is no reliable, and efficient, and less expensive technique for OMWW treatment., indeed, OMWW are evaporated in watertight basins or discharged into watercourses. several Several techniques have been studied to treat these industrial effluents,. The objective of our this work was to compare these studies to conclude formulate the recommendations that can be adopted for an effective and cheaper treatment of these effluents which constitute a major environmental problem for water resources,. iIndeed, it can be concluded that it’s it is very difficult to de treat OMWW by conventionnels conventional methods due to its non-biodegradability and high cost of the others methods like distillation and oxidations are very expensive. In the end, we have it was concluded that for a better OMWW treatment, it is necessary to start firstly by the adsorption of phenolic compounds which are responsible for the non-biodegradability of OMWW while using cheaper adsorbents namely clays, bioadsorbnats bio-adsorbents or apatites, then dilute the OMWW with domestic wastewater, .indeed, tThe dilution of OMWW by urban wastewater leads to good mineralization of organic matter by enriching the medium with microorganisms, which facilitates the elimination of the organic load and then we use the usual techniques as a plant filter or Aactive sludge for mixture treatment