Assessing the Mediterranean diet adherence during pregnancy: Practical considerations based on the associations with cardiometabolic risk

Objective: The aim of the present study was to provide practical considerations for assessing MD adherence during pregnancy based on the association with cardiometabolic risk. Study design: Longitudinal study. Main outcome measures: A food frequency questionnaire was fulfilled by 152 pregnant women at the 16th gestational week (g.w.). We calculated the Mediterranean Food Pattern (MFP), the MD Scale (MDScale), the Short MD questionnaire (SMDQ), the MD Score (MedDietScore), and the MD scale for pregnant women (MDS-P). The cardiometabolic risk score consisted of pre-pregnancy body mass index, blood pressure, glucose, triglycerides, and high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (at 16th and 34th g.w.). Results: Multiple linear regression models showed that the MFP, the MedDietScore, and the SMDQ were associated with lower cardiometabolic risk at the 16th and 34th g.w. (β’s: −0.193 to −0.415, all p < 0.05); and the MDS-P at the 34th g.w. (β = −0.349, p < 0.01). A comparison of these models with the J test showed that the MFP and the MedDietScore outperformed the SMDQ at the 16th g.w. (p's < 0.05); while the MedDietScore outperformed the SMDQ, MFP, and MDS-P (p's < 0.05) at the 34th g.w. Receiver-Operating-Characteristic-derived thresholds for the MFP, MedDietScore and MDS-P indices were 21, 30, and 6 points, respectively, to identify women with high cardiometabolic risk. Conclusion: The MFP and MedDietScore are recommended to assess MD adherence during pregnancy, as these showed the strongest associations with cardiometabolic risk. Our validated thresholds might assist in the detection of poor dietary patterns during pregnancy

Effects of a concurrent exercise training program on low back and sciatic pain and pain disability in late pregnancy

Objective: The aim of the present study was to explore the influence of a concurrent exercise (aerobic + resistance) training program, from the 17th gestational week (g.w.) until birth on low back and sciatic pain, and pain disability. A total of 93 pregnant women divided into exercise (n = 49) and control (n = 44) groups followed a 60-min, 3 days/week, concurrent exercise training. Methods: Low back and sciatic pain were measured with a Visual Analogic Scale (VAS). The disability resulting from pain was assessed with the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI). Measures were performed at the 16th and 34th g.w. Results: The exercise group increased 21.9 mm less the VAS low back (between-group differences (B): 95% CI: −33.6 to −10.2; p < 0.001) and 12.9 mm less the VAS sciatica score (between-group differences: 95% CI (B): −21.8 to −4.0; p = 0.005) than the control group. Regarding the ODI questionnaire, the exercise group increased 0.7, 0.5, and 0.7 less than the control group in pain while sleeping (between-group differences (B): 95% CI: −1.4 to −0.01; p = 0.025), pain while lifting weight (between-group differences (B): 95% CI: −0.9 to −0.01; p = 0.016), and limitations of the social life due to pain (between-group differences(B): 95% CI: −1.3 to −0.06; p = 0.032). Furthermore, the exercise group suffered 6.9% less pain than the control group in the ODI total score (between-group differences (B): 95% CI: −13.9 to 0.053; p = 0.052). Conclusion: This concurrent exercise training program adapted to pregnant women improved pain compared to controls.Funding information Regional Ministry of Health of the Junta de Andalucía, Grant/Award Number: PI-0395-2016; Spanish Ministry of Education, Culture, and Sports, Grant/Award Number: FPU17/03715; University of Granada, Excellence actions: Units of Excellence; Unit of Excellence on Exercise and Health (UCEES), and by the Junta de Andalucía, Consejería de Conocimiento, Investigación y Universidades and European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), Grant/ Award Number: REF. SOMM17/6107/UGR10 página

Acyloxylation of Cyclic Enones: Synthesis of Densely Oxygenated Guaianolides

The α′-acyloxylation of cyclic enones with linear carboxylic acids is described. The reaction is promoted by KMnO4 in the presence of a carboxylic acid and its corresponding carboxylic anhydride. The optimization of the reaction has been carried out using the statistical methodology known as design of experiments. The optimized reaction conditions have been evaluated in terms of substrate scope and compatibility with different functional groups. The methodology has been applied to the synthesis of densely oxygenated guaianes and guaianolides

Legumes as food ingredient: characterization, processing, and applications

Editores: Jiménez-López, José Carlos (CSIC); Clemente, Alfonso (CSIC

Effect of different coating-forming agents on the efficacy of the biocontrol agent Candida sake CPA-1 for control of Botrytis cinerea on grapes

[EN] Multiple formulations of known biocontrol agent (BCA) Candida sake, containing different coatingforming polymers and surfactants were tested at different polymer:BCA ratios, in order to improve control of Botrytis cinerea on grapes. The BCA cell viability on the grape surface was analyzed and reduction in disease incidence and severity was determined. Coating-forming solids improved the survival and effi- cacy of C. sake as a BCA against B. cinerea, depending on the polymer type and ratio. The incorporation of surfactants did not improve survival or disease control, although they promoted a better cell dispersion on the grape surface. Cell growth of the antagonist during incubation led to the formation of aggregates, even when surfactants were present. Sodium caseinate and starch were the most suitable polymers to formulate C. sake preparations to obtain coating-forming systems with this BCA and to increase its survival and efficacy at the minimum economic cost of the ingredients. 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reservedThe authors are grateful to the Spanish Government for the financial support from the national project RTA2012-00067-C02 (Instituto Nacional de Investigacion y Tecnologia Agraria y Alimentaria, Spain and FEDER founds) and to the Conselleria d'Educacio of the Generalitat Valenciana, (Spain) for A. Marin's PhD grant.Marín-Gozalbo, A.; Cháfer Nácher, MT.; Atarés Huerta, LM.; Chiralt, A.; Torres, R.; Usall, J.; Teixidó, N. (2016). Effect of different coating-forming agents on the efficacy of the biocontrol agent Candida sake CPA-1 for control of Botrytis cinerea on grapes. Biological Control. 96:108-119. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocontrol.2016.02.012S1081199

A survey on continuous elliptical vector distributions

In this paper it is taken up a revision and characterization of the class of absolutely continuous elliptical distributions upon a parameterization based on the density function. Their properties (probabilistic characteristics, a±ne transformations, marginal and conditional distributions and regression) are shown in a practical and easy to interpret way. Two examples are fully undertaken: the multivariate double exponential dis-tribution and the multivariate uniform distribution

Estudio de la digestibilidad ileal y actividad prebiótica in vivo de galacto-oligosacáridos sintetizados a partir de lactosa y lactulosa

Resumen del trabajo presentado al III Workshop Probióticos, Prebióticos y Salud. Evidencia Científica, celebrado en Castelldefels (Barcelona) del 15 al 16 de diciembre de 2011.Los galacto-oligosacáridos (GOS) son mezclas de oligosacáridos basados en unidades de galactosas, producidos mediante transgalactosilación de la lactosa (GOS-La), usando como catalizador β-galactosidasas. Recientemente, se han sintetizado y caracterizado nuevos GOS a partir de lactulosa (GOS-Lu), observándose que dichos carbohidratos poseen un efecto bifidogénico in vitro. Para confirmar su potencial prebiótico, el objetivo del presente trabajo fue estudiar la digestibilidad de GOS sintetizados a partir de lactosa y lactulosa, evaluando su actividad prebiótica in vivo y la diversidad poblacional de bifidobacterias en el intestino grueso (ciego y colon). Para ello, se alimentaron ratas Wistar durante 14 días, con dietas al 1% (p/p) de GOS-Lu, GOS-La y lactulosa, respectivamente, incluyendo como marcador indigestible Cr2O3. La presencia de estos carbohidratos en el íleon se detectó y cuantificó mediante GC-MS, determinándose su grado de digestibilidad. El efecto prebiótico in vivo así como la modulación de las poblaciones de bifidobacterias del contenido intestinal se determinaron mediante qPCR y DGGE, respectivamente. Los trisacáridos de GOS-Lu demostraron ser mucho menos digeribles en el íleon (12.5%) que los trisacáridos presentes en GOS-La (53.2 %), mientras que la lactulosa y los disacáridos presentes en GOS-Lu no se digirieron. Estos resultados indican que los GOS-Lu alcanzan el intestino grueso en mayor proporción que los GOS-La. Mediante qPCR, se observó una mayor actividad bifidogénica tras ingesta de GOS-Lu, comparado con GOS-La, presentando las muestras de contenido intestinal una mayor diversidad poblacional de bifidobacterias.En conclusión, los resultados obtenidos con GOS-Lu ponen de manifiesto su capacidad para alcanzar el intestino grueso en concentraciones fisiológicamente significativas debido a su baja digestibilidad ileal, además de ejercer un efecto positivo en la modulación de la microbiota intestinal y en la diversidad poblacional de bifidobacterias, en comparación con prebióticos comercialmente disponibles (GOS-La).Peer Reviewe

Mitogenome of the blood feeding leech Haementeria acuecueyetzin (Hirudinida: Glossiphoniidae) from Tabasco, Mexico

Here, we present the mitogenome of the blood feeding leech Haementeria acuecueyetzin (Hirudinida: Glossiphoniidae) based on specimens collected in Tabasco, Mexico. The circular genome is 14,985 bp in length, and consists of 13 protein-coding genes, 22 tRNA genes, two rRNA genes, and an AT-rich control region. Phylogenetic analysis based on the 13 protein-coding genes and two rRNA genes places H. acuecueyetzin sister to H. officinalis within the family Glossiphoniidae. Mitochondrial gene order in H. acuecueyetzin is consistent with other members of Clitellata with no evidence of gene gain/loss, duplication, or rearrangement

The anti-proliferative properties of Bowman-Birk proteins from legumes on colon cancer cells are related to their ability to inhibit trypsin- and chymotrypsin-like proteases

Resumen del trabajo presentado al BIT's Inaugural Symposium on Enzymes & Biocatalysis celbrado en Shanghai (China) del 22 al 24 de abril de 2010.Bowman-Birk inhibitors (BBI) from legumes, such as soybean, pea, lentil and chickpea, are naturally-occurring protease inhibitors with potential health-promoting properties within the gastrointestinal tract. Recently, we have demonstrated that BBI proteins are structurally and functionally resistant to the harsh environment of the gastrointestinal tract in vivo. BBI proteins from chickpea seeds can resist both acidic conditions and the action of proteolytic enzymes, and transit through the pig stomach and small intestine without major degradation, permitting significant amounts to reach the large intestine in active form. Further studies have demonstrated that the protease (trypsin- and chymotrypsin-like) inhibitory activities of soybean BBI are unaffected by the metabolic/proteolytic activity of faecal microbiota. We demonstrated that soybean BBI, consisting of multiple isoinhibitors, inhibited the in vitro cell growth of HT29 human colorectal adenocarcinoma cells as a consequence of their intrinsic ability to inhibit the proteolytic activities of serine proteases, where chemically inactive BBI showed no such effect. In contrast, the growth of non-malignant colonic fibroblast CCD-18Co cells was unaffected by soybean BBI. In our studies, sequence variation within the inhibitory domains suggested to be of biological relevance. Two major soybean isoinhibitors, IBB1 and IBBD2, showing considerable amino acid sequence divergence within and between their inhibitory domains, were purified in order to evaluate their individual effects on the proliferation of HT29 colon cancer cells. The anti-proliferative properties of individual isoinhibitors from soybean reveal that both trypsin- and chymotrypsin-like proteases involved in carcinogenesis should be considered as potential targets of BBI-like proteins.Peer Reviewe