Individuals Diagnosed with Binge-Eating Disorder Have DNA Hypomethylated Sites in Genes of the Metabolic System: A Pilot Study

Binge-eating disorder, recently accepted as a diagnostic category, is differentiated from bulimia nervosa in that the former shows the presence of binge-eating episodes and the absence of compensatory behavior. Epigenetics is a conjunct of mechanisms (like DNA methylation) that regulate gene expression, which are dependent on environmental changes. Analysis of DNA methylation in eating disorders shows that it is reduced. The present study aimed to analyze the genome-wide DNA methylation differences between individuals diagnosed with BED and BN. A total of 46 individuals were analyzed using the Infinium Methylation EPIC array. We found 11 differentially methylated sites between BED- and BN-diagnosed individuals, with genome-wide significance. Most of the associations were found in genes related to metabolic processes (ST3GAL4, PRKAG2, and FRK), which are hypomethylated genes in BED. Cg04781532, located in the body of the PRKAG2 gene (protein kinase AMP-activated non-catalytic subunit gamma 2), was hypomethylated in individuals with BED. Agonists of PRKAG2, which is the subunit of AMPK (AMP-activated protein kinase), are proposed to treat obesity, BED, and BN. The present study contributes important insights into the effect that BED could have on PRKAG2 activation

Milk Fermentation by Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus GG and Streptococcus thermophilus SY-102: Proteolytic Profile and ACE-Inhibitory Activity

Health benefits of probiotics and production of inhibitors of angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) released during milk fermentation are well known. That is why in this investigation the proteolytic profile and ACE inhibitory capacity of peptide fractions from protein hydrolysis of milk during fermentation processes was analyzed. Milk fermentation was carried out inoculating 106 CFU of L. rhamnosus GG, S. thermophilus SY-102 and with both bacteria. The proteolytic profile was determined using: TNBS, SDS-PAGE and SEC-HPLC techniques. In vitro ACE inhibition capacity was measured. The pH of 4.5 was reached at 56 h when the milk was fermented with L. rhamnosus, at 12 h with S. thermophillus and at 41 h in the co-culture. Production of free amino groups corresponded with the profile of low molecular weight peptides observed by SDS-PAGE and SEC-HPLC. Co-culture fermentation showed both the highest concentration of low molecular weight peptides and the ACE inhibitory activity (>80%). Results indicated that the combination of lactic cultures could be useful in manufacture of fermented milk with an added value that goes beyond basic nutrition, such as the production of ACE-inhibitory peptides