Xanthohumol lowers body weight and fasting plasma glucose in obese male Zucker fa/fa rats

Obesity contributes to increased risk for several chronic diseases including cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. Xanthohumol, a prenylated flavonoid from hops (Humulus lupulus), was tested for efficacy on biomarkers of metabolic syndrome in 4 week old Zucker fa/fa rats, a rodent model of obesity. Rats received daily oral doses of xanthohumol at 0, 1.86, 5.64, and 16.9 mg/kg BW for 6 weeks. All rats were maintained on a high fat (60% kcal) AIN-93G diet for 3 weeks to induce severe obesity followed by a normal AIN-93G (15% kcal fat) diet for the last 3 weeks of the study. Weekly food intake and body weight were recorded. Plasma cholesterol, glucose, insulin, triglyceride, and monocyte chemoattractant protein -1 (MCP-1) levels were assessed using commercial assay kits. Plasma and liver tissue levels of XN and its metabolites were determined by liquid-chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. Plasma and liver tissue levels of xanthohumol were similar between low and medium dose groups and significantly (p<0.05) elevated in the highest dose group. There was a dose-dependent effect on body weight and plasma glucose levels. The highest dose group (n=6) had significantly lower plasma glucose levels compared to the control group (n=6) in male but not female rats. There was also a significant decrease in body weight for male rats in the highest dose group (16.9 mg / kg BW) compared to rats that received no xanthohumol, which was also not seen for female rats. Plasma cholesterol, insulin, triglycerides, and MCP-1 as well as food intake were not affected by treatment. The findings suggest that xanthohumol has beneficial effects on markers of metabolic syndrome.Keywords: Humulus lupulus, Hops, Obesity, Type 2 diabetes, Xanthohumol, Rats, Metabolic syndromeKeywords: Humulus lupulus, Hops, Obesity, Type 2 diabetes, Xanthohumol, Rats, Metabolic syndrom

Xanthohumol improved cognitive flexibility in young mice

The protein palmitoylation cycle has been shown to be important for protein signaling and synaptic plasticity. Data from our lab showed a change in the palmitoylation status of certain proteins with age. A greater percentage of the NMDA receptor subunits GluN2A and GluN2B, along with Fyn and PSD95 proteins, were palmitoylated in the old mice. The higher level of protein palmitoylation was also associated with poorer learning scores. Xanthohumol is a prenylated flavonoid that has been shown to increase beta-oxidation in the livers of rodents, decreasing circulating free fatty acids in the serum. What is not known is whether the application of xanthohumol could influence the palmitoylation status of proteins. In this study, young and old mice were fed a diet supplemented with xanthohumol for 8 weeks. Spatial memory was assessed with the Morris water maze and protein palmitoylation quantified. The young xanthohumol-treated mice showed a significant improvement in cognitive flexibility. However, this appeared to be associated with the young control mice, on a defined, phytoestrogen-deficient diet, performing as poorly as the old mice and xanthohumol reversing this effect. The old mice receiving xanthohumol did not significantly improve their learning scores. Xanthohumol treatment was unable to affect the palmitoylation of NMDA receptor subunits and associated proteins assessed in this study. This evidence suggests that xanthohumol may play a role in improving cognitive flexibility in young animals, but it appears to be ineffective in adjusting the palmitoylation status of neuronal proteins in aged individuals.Keywords: Palmitoylation, Reversal trials, Aging, Memory, PalmitateKeywords: Palmitoylation, Reversal trials, Aging, Memory, Palmitat

Systematic review of the effects of the intestinal microbiota on selected nutrients and non-nutrients

The systematic review demonstrates that the IM plays a major role in the breakdown and transformation of the dietary substrates examined. However, recent human data are limited with the exception of data from studies examining fibres and polyphenols. Results observed in relation with dietary substrates were not always consistent or coherent across studies and methodological limitations and differences in IM analyses made comparisons difficult. Moreover, non-digestible components likely to reach the colon are often not well defined or characterised in studies making comparisons between studies difficult if not impossible. Going forward, further rigorously controlled randomised human trials with well-defined dietary substrates and utilizing omic-based technologies to characterise and measure the IM and their functional activities will advance the field. Current evidence suggests that more detailed knowledge of the metabolic activities and interactions of the IM hold considerable promise in relation with host health

Effect of soy isoflavones and prebiotics on bone metabolism in a post menopausal rodent model

Post menopausal women are at increased risk for several chronic diseases, including osteoporosis and cardiovascular disease. Phytoestrogens, especially equol and genistein, and prebiotics are of interest for their potential to improve bone and heart health by increasing calcium retention and lowering cholesterol. There are limited data on the dietary effects of equol on bone and metabolism of dietary equol and its metabolites. A dose response study of equol at low (50 ppm), medium (100 ppm), and high (200 ppm) doses on bone properties and a pharmacokinetic study comparing dietary daidzein and equol were conducted in ovariectomized (OVX) Sprague Dawley rats. In OVX rats receiving 200 ppm equol, femoral calcium concentration was greater compared to lower doses but was still less than SHAM (p\u3c0.05); other bone measures were not improved. At this dietary equol intake, uterine weight was significantly higher (p\u3c0.05) than other OVX groups, but lower than the SHAM operated intact rats. At 200 ppm, dietary equol also significantly increased proliferative index in the uterine epithelium. Dietary equol had no stimulatory effect on mammary gland epithelium. The majority (≥99%) of circulating equol metabolites present were glucuronide conjugates. However, low levels of sulfated conjugates were detected, specifically equol monosulfate. There were higher and longer circulating equol sulfated conjugate concentrations with dietary equol compared to dietary daidzein. Another soy isoflavone, genistein, has also gained interest due to its potential bone and heart benefits. Recent evidence suggests a combination of prebiotics and phytoestrogen consumption may be more effective than either alone. A four week feeding study was conducted in 5 mo. old OVX Sprague Dawley rats to examine the effect of genistein, Synergy® (prebiotic) and genistein + Synergy® on bone density and strength, calcium metabolism and lipid biomarkers. SHAM Control rats had significantly higher femoral bone density, as determined by underwater weighing, than all other groups. A three-point bending test showed that OVX rats receiving daily estradiol injections, and OVX rats on 5% Synergy® diet matched bone breaking strength (p\u3c0.05) of the SHAM Control. Rats receiving genistein only had significantly lower total cholesterol than Control, rats receiving daily estradiol injections, and rats fed 5% Synergy® . Dietary equol provided minimal bone health effects at a dose that caused adverse effects on reproductive tissue. Genistein supplementation imparted modest heart health benefits and prebiotic consumption (Synergy® ) resulted in mild bone health benefits in ovariectomized rats

Choline and DHA in Maternal and Infant Nutrition: Synergistic Implications in Brain and Eye Health

The aim of this review is to highlight current insights into the roles of choline and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) in maternal and infant nutrition, with special emphasis on dietary recommendations, gaps in dietary intake, and synergistic implications of both nutrients in infant brain and eye development. Adequate choline and DHA intakes are not being met by the vast majority of US adults, and even more so by women of child-bearing age. Choline and DHA play a significant role in infant brain and eye development, with inadequate intakes leading to visual and neurocognitive deficits. Emerging findings illustrate synergistic interactions between choline and DHA, indicating that insufficient intakes of one or both could have lifelong deleterious impacts on both maternal and infant health

Lead teacher, assistant teacher, and peer racial/ethnic match and child outcomes for Black children enrolled in enhanced high-quality early care and education programs

Teacher-child racial match has been shown to benefit young Black children, but less is known about the degree to which the match is with the lead teacher or the assistant, and if the preschool racial context moderates this association. This study utilized existing data collected during the 2014–15 through 2018–19 school years in 20 high-quality preschools that enrolled children from households/families with low-income. Analyses of data from 2553 preschool-age Black children enrolled in 418 classrooms revealed that most Black children (82%) were enrolled in preschools with a majority (\u3e=50%) of Black peers, and children in Black Majority preschools were more likely to experience teacher-child racial match with lead and assistant teachers. Racial match with lead and/or assistant teachers were associated with teacher demographic and beliefs differences but not differences in classroom instructional support or child outcomes. Black Majority preschool enrollment was also associated with more problem-behaviors but not other outcomes. However, within Black Majority schools, behavior concerns were reduced when the assistant teacher was a racial match and child initiative was higher when both the teachers were a match. In sum, the effect of teacher-child racial match for Black children should be considered jointly with co-occurring ecological contexts that typify the proximal effects of systemic racism like the preschool racial composition

Equol, via Dietary Sources or Intestinal Production, May Ameliorate Estrogen Deficiency-Induced Bone Loss1–3

Equol, a product of intestinal metabolism of daidzein, is chemically similar to estrogen (without the lipophilic moiety) and has higher estrogen receptor-β binding affinity than its parent precursor. In 2004, a long-term, randomized controlled trial that characterized postmenopausal women by their equol-producing status showed stronger advantages to lumbar spine bone mineral density (BMD) in equol- compared with nonequol-producers. Subsequent studies have related equol status of participants to change in bone turnover markers or BMD in response to soy isoflavone interventions. To our knowledge, we are the first to prescreen women for equol-producing status prior to initiating an intervention. In menopausal Western women, equol status did not affect the modest, but significant, reduction in bone resorption achieved with a soy isoflavone intervention