Influence of brassica sprouts on short chain fatty acids concentration in stools of rats with thyroid dysfunction

The aim of the study was to investigate the influence of kohlrabi and broccoli sprouts added to the diet on the concentrations of short-chain fatty acids in feces samples of rats with thyroid dysfunction. Two models of hypothyroidism were used. The first one was based on the diet with iodine deficiency and the second by sulfadimethoxine addition to the animal drinking water. In most cases, the concentrations of acetic acid, propanoic acid and butanoic acid in stool samples obtained from rats with thyroid dysfunction were insignificantly lower than found in the control group. Moreover, almost in all cases the diet enriched with brassica sprouts insignificantly increased the concentration of fatty acids in investigated material. A significant positive correlation between concentrations of butanoic and acetic acids was found in different groups of rats. In conclusion, the addition of broccoli or kohlrabi sprouts in ratís diet may slightly alleviate the decline of concentrations of some fatty acids in the stool of animals with thyroid dysfunction. Long term effects of this phenomenon should be evaluated in future studies

Selenium supplementation of amaranth sprouts influences betacyanin content and improves anti-inflammatory properties via NFκB in murine RAW 264.7 macrophages

Abstract Sprouts contain potent compounds which while influencing crucial transduction pathways in cell reveal anti-inflammatory and anticancer activities. In this study, we report the biological activity for seeds and colourful sprouts of four types of edible amaranth, as amaranth has recently attracted interest due to its appreciable nutritional value. MTT assay conducted for the amaranth seeds and sprouts did not show any adverse effect on the viability of murine RAW 264.7 cells. As amaranth accumulates selenium, the sprouts were supple-mented with this trace element (10 mg/L; 15 mg/L Se as so-dium selenite) while growing. Selenium concentration in sprouts was observed to be significantly correlated with betacyanins content of the tested species. The amounts of Se and betacyanins in sprouts varied for various Amaranth spe-cies. In the present study, Amaranthus cruentus sprouts with the highest betacyanins (19.30 ± 0.57–28.85 ± 2.23 mg of amaranthin/100 g of fresh weight) and high total selenium (22.51 ± 1.57–1044.75 ± 73.08 μg/L in methanol extracts) content prevented NFκB translocation to the cell nucleus and subsequently exerted an anti-inflammatory effect by sig-nificant decreasing inflammatory interleukin 6 production (587.3 ± 34.2–710.0 ± 88.1 pg/mL) in the cell culture of acti-vated RAW 264.7 macrophages (vs LPS control 1520 ± 114 pg/mL)

Microorganisms and Biostimulants Impacton the Antioxidant Activity of Buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum Moench) Sprouts

The study analyzes the influence of plant growth promoters and biological control agents on the chemical composition and antioxidant activity (AA) in the sprouts of buckwheat. The AA of cv. Kora sprouts was higher than cv. Panda, with 110.0 µM Fe2+/g (FRAP—Ferric Reducing Antioxidant Power), 52.94 µM TRX (Trolox)/g (DPPH—1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl), 182.7 µM AAE (Ascorbic Acid Equivalent)/g (Photochemiluminescence—PCL—ACW—Water-Soluble Antioxidant Capacity) and 1.250 µM TRX/g (PCL—ACL—Lipid-Soluble Antioxidant Capacity). The highest AA was found in the sprouts grown from seeds soaked in Ecklonia maxima extract and Pythium oligandrum (121.31 µM Fe2+/g (FRAP), 56.33 µM TRX/g (DPPH), 195.6 µM AAE/g (PCL—ACW) and 1.568 µM TRX/g (PCL—ACL). These values show that the antioxidant potential of buckwheat sprouts is essentially due to the predominant hydrophilic fraction of antioxidants. The AA of the sprouts was strongly correlated with total polyphenol content

Animals in iodine deficiency or sulfadimethoxine models of thyroid damage are differently affected by the consumption of brassica sprouts

The study was primarily aimed at investigating the effect of brassica sprout consumption, namely rutabaga (Brassica napus L. var. napobrassica) sprouts (R) generally recognized as antithyroid agent due to its goitrogenic substance content, on hematological, biochemical, and immunological parameters in rats. Sprouts were tested alone and in a combination with other antithyroid factors, such as iodine deficiency (RDI) and sulfadimethoxine (RS). The expression of the heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) gene in the thyroid as a stress-inducible protein was determined. The thermographic analysis was also estimated. The intake of rutabaga sprouts by healthy rats did not reveal any significant, harmful effect on the thyroid function. Both body temperature and expression of HO-1 remained unchanged in response to the consumed sprouts. In animals with hypothyroidism, rutabaga sprouts enhanced the negative effect of iodine deficiency or sulfadimethoxine ingestion on the organism by increasing the WBC (RDI), TNF-α (RS), creatinine (RS), and triglyceride (RDI and RS) levels, as well as decreasing PLT (RS) level. Moreover, rutabaga sprout consumption by rats with iodine deficiency and sulfadimethoxine decreased their body temperature. Additionally, the concomitant administration of sprouts and iodine depletion significantly reduced the expression of HO-1 in the thyroid. The results may prove useful in confirming rutabaga sprout consumption to be safe, though the seeds of this vegetable provide a well-known antithyroid agent. Our results have shown that rutabaga sprout consumption may be also a factor that enhances the negative clinical features only when combined with iodine deficiency and sulfadimethoxine ingestion

New organic-inorganic hybrid compounds based on sodium peroxidomolybdates (VI) and derivatives of pyridine acids : structure determination and catalytic properties

Two organic-inorganic hybrids based on sodium peroxidomolybdates(VI) and 3,5-dicarboxylic pyridine acid (Na-35dcpa) or N-oxide isonicotinic acid (Na-isoO) have been synthesized and characterized. All compounds contain inorganic parts: a pentagonal bipyramid with molybdenum center, and an organic part containing 3,5-dicarboxylic pyridine acid or N-oxide isonicotinic acid moieties. The type of organic part used in the synthesis influences the crystal structure of obtained compounds. This aspect can be interesting for crystal engineering. Crystal structures were determined using powder X-ray diffraction or single crystal diffraction for compounds Na-35dcpa and Na-isoO, respectively. Elemental analysis was used to check the purity of the obtained compounds, while X-ray Powder Diffraction (XRPD) vs. temp. was applied to verify their stability. Moreover, all the compounds were examined by Infrared (IR) spectroscopy. Their catalytic activity was tested in the Baeyer–Villiger (BV) oxidation of cyclohexanone to ε-caprolactone in the oxygen-aldehyde system. The highest catalytic activity in the BV oxidation was observed for Na-35dcpa. The compounds were also tested for biological activity on human normal cells (fibroblasts) and colon cancer cell lines (HT-29, LoVo, SW 620, HCT 116). All compounds were cytotoxic against tumor cells with metastatic characteristics, which makes them interesting and promising candidates for further investigations of specific anticancer mechanisms

Phosphorus Solubilization by <i>Bacillus</i> Species

Microbial solubilization applies the natural ability of a microorganism to liberate phosphorus from unavailable structures. The main mechanism recognized to be responsible for the solubilization of phosphorus is the production of different types of organic acids. Three kinds of Bacillus species and three types of raw materials (poultry bones, fish bones, and ash) were tested for solubilization. The following parameters were compared for all discussed cases: pH, specific growth rate, solubilization factor, released phosphorus concentration, and total and individual concentration of organic acids. Utilization of ash brought about the highest specific and maximum specific growth rates. A decrease in pH was observed in most of the discussed cases with the exception of fish bones. At the same time, fish bones had the highest concentration of released P2O5 and the highest total concentration of produced organic acids (gluconic, lactic, acetic, succinic, and propionic) in all discussed cases. The tested Bacillus species produced the mentioned acids with the exception of B. megaterium, where propionic acid was not present. The lactic and acetic acids were those produced in the highest amount. The kind of raw materials and type of Bacillus species used in solubilization had a strong influence on the kind of organic acids that were detected in the broth culture and its total concentration, which had a direct influence on the amount of released phosphorus. The combination of Bacillus megaterium with the fish bones at 5 g/L is proposed as the pair that gives the highest concentration of released phosphorus (483 &#177; 5 mg/L)

Chickpea Sprouts as a Potential Dietary Support in Different Prostate Disorders—A Preliminary In Vitro Study

Background: Prostate cancer (PC) and benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) are common health problems in the aging male population. Due to the unexplored and unconfirmed impact of food containing isoflavones, like sprouts, on the development of the management of BPH and prostate cancer, we decided to extend the knowledge in this area. Results: We have demonstrated for the first time that chickpea sprouts may play an important role in the chemoprevention of prostate disorders. However, attention should be paid to the isoflavone content in the sprouts, as in our study, chickpea sprouts with a moderate concentration of the compounds, harvested in natural light conditions (CA10L) and blue LED light (CA7B), showed the best scores in terms of their potential towards prostate disorders. Methods: Chickpea seeds were grown in LED chambers. The methanol extracts from sprouts were quantitatively defined using the HPLC system. Experiments such as the determination of PSA, 5-α-reductase, and dihydrotestosterone were performed on PNT2 and LNCaP cells. For anti-inflammatory assays (determination of NO, IL-6, and TNF-alpha release), murine RAW264.7 macrophages were used. Conclusions: The role of legume products as a diet element should be deeply evaluated for the development of future dietary recommendations for prostate cancer and BPH prevention

Can Simulated Microgravity and Darkness Conditions Influence the Phytochemical Content and Bioactivity of the Sprouts?—A Preliminary Study on Selected Fabaceae Species

Sprouts’ consumption has become popular due to their wide availability, easy cultivation process, and proven biological activity. Moreover, stress factors, such as limited access to light or disturbed gravity during growth, may contribute to the increased activity and the synthesis of bioactive compounds. In this study, for the first time, the examination of the impact of darkness and simulated microgravity conditions on the white clover sprouts from the Fabaceae family was conducted. Among several species, used in the preliminary attempts, only white clover was satisfactory sprouting in the disturbed gravity conditions, and thus was chosen for further examination. A random positioning machine setup was used during the cultivation process to simulate microgravity conditions. Additionally, the sprouts were cultivated in total darkness. Simulated microgravity and/or darkness during the first few days of the sprouts’ growth caused biomass reduction, the increased synthesis of bioactive compounds (isoflavones and phenolics), and changes in the level of abscisic acid and phenylalanine ammonia-lyase. Moreover, it increased the antioxidant properties of the sprouts, while the enhancement of their cytotoxic impact was observed only for androgen-dependent prostate cancer LNCaP cells. To conclude, the presented results are promising in searching for novel functional food candidates and further studies are necessary, directed at other plant families