Comparison of the chemical compositions and nutritive values of various pumpkin (Cucurbitaceae) species and parts

Pumpkins have considerable variation in nutrient contents depending on the cultivation environment, species, or part. In this study, the general chemical compositions and some bioactive components, such as tocopherols, carotenoids, and β-sitosterol, were analyzed in three major species of pumpkin (Cucurbitaceae pepo, C. moschata, and C. maxima) grown in Korea and also in three parts (peel, flesh, and seed) of each pumpkin species. C. maxima had significantly more carbohydrate, protein, fat, and fiber than C. pepo or C. moschata (P < 0.05). The moisture content as well as the amino acid and arginine contents in all parts of the pumpkin was highest in C. pepo. The major fatty acids in the seeds were palmitic, stearic, oleic, and linoleic acids. C. pepo and C. moschata seeds had significantly more γ-tocopherol than C. maxima, whose seeds had the highest β-carotene content. C. pepo seeds had significantly more β-sitosterol than the others. Nutrient compositions differed considerably among the pumpkin species and parts. These results will be useful in updating the nutrient compositions of pumpkin in the Korean food composition database. Additional analyses of various pumpkins grown in different years and in different areas of Korea are needed

Kaempferol Rhamnosides from Geranium sibiricum as Aldose Reductase Inhibitors and Their Content by HPLC Analysis

The study aimed to assess the aldose reductase (AR) inhibition of selected Geranium species and determine the bioactive flavonoid constituents. Flavonoids are known to be good AR inhibitors. Among the species examined, G. sibiricum exhibited potent inhibition of AR (IC50 value, 2.4 &micro;g/mL). Further examination of G. sibiricum, after solvent extraction and fractionation, revealed that the ethyl acetate fraction (IC50 value, 0.41 &micro;g/mL) had a potent AR inhibitory effect. Kaempferol rhamnosides were the active compounds from this fraction. Moreover, G. sibiricum showed the highest content of kaempferol-7-O-rhamnoside and kaempferol-3,7-O-dirhamnoside among the samples examined with a concentration in the extracts of 28.1 and 2.2 mg/g, respectively. This study shows that G. sibiricum exhibits promising AR inhibitory activity, which can be explored further as a natural therapy for treating and managing complications associated with diabetes

Hair-Growth-Promoting Effects of the Fish Collagen Peptide in Human Dermal Papilla Cells and C57BL/6 Mice Modulating Wnt/&beta;-Catenin and BMP Signaling Pathways

Fish-derived collagen has recently emerged as an alternative collagen source with bioactive properties, including the enhancement of hair and skin health. It is also cost-effective and has high bioavailability, in addition to having fewer side-effects compared to collagen from porcine skin or bovine skin. Collagen peptides (CPs) extracted from the scales of Mozambique tilapia (Oreochromis mossambicus) reportedly promote hair and skin health. This study sought to evaluate the effects of CPs on hair growth using in vitro and in vivo models. CP significantly enhanced hair regrowth and the proliferation of human dermal papilla cells (hDPCs) in vitro. CP was orally administered to C57BL/6 mice for 6 weeks to confirm the hair-growth-promoting effects. The mice were divided into four groups: negative control (distilled water), positive control (1 mg/kg of finasteride), CP500 (500 mg/kg of CP), and CP1000 (1000 mg/kg of CP). CP treatment significantly enhanced the proliferation of hDPCs compared to 0.2 &mu;M finasteride, in addition to enhancing hair regrowth. Particularly, CP1000 treatment achieved a hair-growth index similar to that of the PC. In H&amp;E staining, the CP groups exhibited a high A/T ratio. Furthermore, CP increased the expression of hair growth factors (IGF-1, VEGF, krt27, Gprc5d, and Ki67) and decreased the growth inhibitory factor (TGF-&beta;1). Furthermore, CP significantly upregulated the Wnt/&beta;-catenin pathways and downregulated the BMP pathways. Therefore, these results indicate that CP could be used as food supplements and nutraceuticals for hair loss prevention as well as hair regrowth during alopecia

Hair Growth Promotion Effect of Nelumbinis Semen Extract with High Antioxidant Activity

This study investigated the hair regeneration promotion and hair loss prevention properties of Nelumbinis Semen (NS) extract in vitro and in vivo. The effect of NS on the proliferation and migration of human dermal papilla cells (hDPCs) was measured in vitro via CCK-8 and scratch migration assays, after which the antioxidant activity of NS was also quantified. NS extracts were then applied to the back of 7-week-old C57BL/6 mice for 3 weeks to monitor hair growth patterns and hair follicle (HF) histology. The mice were divided into three groups: negative control group (NC; DMSO), positive control group (PC; 3% minoxidil), and experimental group (NS extract 1,000 ppm). Moreover, to study the molecular mechanisms by which NS extract regenerates hair growth, real-time PCR was used to analyze factors related to the hair growth cycle. The NS extracts were found to possess high antioxidant properties due to their high flavonoid contents and electron-donating ability. Moreover, NS extracts enhanced hDPC proliferation and migration in a concentration-dependent manner (15.63–125 ppm). The hair growth index and growth area of the NS group (2.81 score, 81%) on day 14 were higher than those of the PC group (2.65 score, 68%) (p<0.05). Additionally, the HFs of the NS group were located deep in the subcutis, similar to the PC group with developed hair roots. Moreover, the mRNA expression of VEGF and IGF-1 was higher in the NS group compared to the PC group, whereas TGF-β1 expression was lower (p<0.05). Our findings indicate that NS modulates hair growth by increasing IGF-1 and VEGF expression while inhibiting that of TGF-β1. Therefore, our findings suggest that NS extract is a promising new hair loss treatment derived from a natural substance that helps promote hair growth and prevent hair loss

CD98 regulates vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation in atherosclerosis

Background and aimsVascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC) migrate and proliferate to form a stabilizing fibrous cap that encapsulates atherosclerotic plaques. CD98 is a transmembrane protein made of two subunits, CD98 heavy chain (CD98hc) and one of six light chains, and is known to be involved in cell proliferation and survival. Because the influence of CD98hc on atherosclerosis development is unknown, our aim was to determine if CD98hc expressed on VSMC plays a role in shaping the morphology of atherosclerotic plaques by regulating VSMC function.MethodsIn addition to determining the role of CD98hc in VSMC proliferation and apoptosis, we utilized mice with SMC-specific deletion of CD98hc (CD98hcfl/flSM22αCre+) to determine the effects of CD98hc deficiency on VSMC function in atherosclerotic plaque.ResultsAfter culturing for 5 days in&nbsp;vitro, CD98hc-/- VSMC displayed dramatically reduced cell counts, reduced proliferation, as well as reduced migration compared to control VSMC. Analysis of aortic VSCM after 8 weeks of HFD showed a reduction in CD98hc-/- VSMC proliferation as well as increased apoptosis compared to controls. A long-term atherosclerosis study using SMC-CD98hc-/-/ldlr-/- mice was performed. Although total plaque area was unchanged, CD98hc-/- mice showed reduced presence of VSMC within the plaque (2.1&nbsp;±&nbsp;0.4% vs. 4.3&nbsp;±&nbsp;0.4% SM22α-positive area per plaque area, p&nbsp;&lt;&nbsp;0.05), decreased collagen content, as well as increased necrotic core area (25.8&nbsp;±&nbsp;1.9% vs. 10.9&nbsp;±&nbsp;1.6%, p&nbsp;&lt;&nbsp;0.05) compared to control ldlr-/- mice.ConclusionsWe conclude that CD98hc is required for VSMC proliferation, and that its deficiency leads to significantly reduced presence of VSMC in the neointima. Thus, CD98hc expression in VSMC contributes to the formation of plaques that are morphologically more stable, and thereby protects against atherothrombosis

Evaluation of monoclonal antibody–based immunohistochemistry for the detection of European and North American \u3ci\u3ePorcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus\u3c/i\u3e and a comparison with in situ hybridization and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction

The objective of the present study was to compare the ability of 2 monoclonal antibodies (mAbs; SDOW17 and SR30) to detect types 1 and 2 Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) lung tissues by immunohistochemistry (IHC) and to compare the immunohistochemical results with in situ hybridization (ISH) and reverse transcription nested polymerase chain reaction (RT-nPCR) detection techniques. Lungs from 30 experimentally infected pigs (15 pigs with each genotype of PRRSV) and 20 naturally infected pigs (10 pigs with each genotype of PRRSV) with types 1 and 2 PRRSV, respectively, were used for the IHC, ISH, and RTnPCR analyses. The SR30 mAb-based IHC detected significantly more type 1 PRRSV-positive cells in the accessory and caudal lobes from the experimentally infected pigs at 7 (P = 0.025) and 14 (P = 0.018) days postinoculation, respectively, compared to the SDOW17 mAb-based IHC. The results demonstrated that SR30 mAb-based IHC is useful for detecting both types 1 and 2 PRRSV antigen in FFPE lung tissues

Trends in Beverage Consumption and Related Demographic Factors and Obesity among Korean Children and Adolescents

It is well known that reducing consumption of sugar is a global public health priority. Beverages were the primary source of total sugar intake from processed foods. However, there are few studies investigating the trend of beverage consumption among children and adolescents in Korea. We examined the overall trend in beverage consumption among 11,996 participants aged 10&ndash;18 years who were enrolled in the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) (1998&ndash;2018). Further, we examined the effect of beverage types on beverage consumption-related demographic factors and obesity among 6121 participants using the recent 24 h dietary recall data (2010&ndash;2018) that captured the consumption of fruit and vegetable juices, soft drinks, milk and milk-based products and alcoholic beverages. Demographic characteristics, including sex, age, body mass index, household income level and residential area, were considered. Consumers&rsquo; overall beverage intake and the percentage of energy derived from fruit and vegetable juices and soft drinks steadily increased from 1998 to 2016&ndash;2018 (p-trend &lt; 0.0001); in contrast, dairy product consumption declined since 2010&ndash;2012. The main sources of beverage-based calories were fruit and vegetable juices (107.5 kcal/day), soft drinks (145.2 kcal/day), dairy products (181.8 kcal/day) and alcoholic beverages (103.5 kcal/day). Also, Korean adolescents aged 16&ndash;18 years consumed more soft drinks, fewer dairy products and higher alcoholic drinks than other age groups; particularly, boys consumed more energy from beverages (p &lt; 0.0001). The odds ratios of obesity prevalence tended to be higher for soft drink consumption than for other beverages but this was not significant. The consumption of fruit and vegetable juices and milk and milk products showed a marginal association with a reduced risk of obesity prevalence. Since beverage consumption has increased steadily among Korean children and adolescents, appropriate interventions are needed. In the future, data from a larger sample of Korean children and adolescents are necessary to identify significant differences and longitudinal studies are necessary to examine the causalities