Determination and Comparison of Soybean Lecithin and Bovine Brain Plasmalogens Effects in Healthy Male Wistar Rats

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of soybean lecithin and plasmalogens concentrating on a variety of physiological tests and biochemical analyses in healthy Wistar rats. For six weeks, male Wistar rats were given a standard diet that included plasmalogens or soybean lecithin. We measured anxiety levels, overall exploratory activity, short- and long-term memory, cognitive abilities, and grip strength. Lecithin increased significantly anxiety and enhanced memory and cognitive functions. Plasmalogens significantly improved appetite and increased grip strength. When compared to plasmalogens, lecithin significantly raised HDL levels while lowering LDL levels. The plasmalogens group showed a significant increase in the C16:0DMA/C16:0 ratio, which led us to assume that plasmalogen consumption could increase their synthesis in neural tissue. The study’s findings imply that, despite their various modes of action, soy lecithin and plasmalogens may both be significant nutritional components for enhancing cognitive functions

Complex of polyphenols sorbed on buckwheat flour as a functional food ingredient

An innovative approach to creating a new generation of specialised foods for dietary therapy of type 2 diabetes can involve planned adding of plant polyphenols to their formulafions. The marked antioxidant properties of polyphenols largely determine their potential antidiabetic effects. However, the use of food polyphenols for prophylactic purposes is limited by their low bioavailability, which makes it expedient to search for technological approaches aimed at obtaining polyphenolic matrices with high biological activity, increased digestibility, and stability. This study objective was to purposely extract and concentrate the polyphenols by sorbing them from an aqueous solution of the bilberry leaf extract (BLE) on buckwheat flour and to assess their storage stability. A number of experiments on optimal parameters selection for sorbing polyphenols from the BLE on buckwheat flour were performed. The parameters included the concentration of the extract solution, the solution/sorbent ratio, the pH of the solution, the temperature and the time of sorption. The sorption on the polyphenol matrix was determined from the difference in their contents in the initial solution of the extract and in the supernatant after centrifugation by the FolinCiocalteu method. The effects of exposure to light, temperatures, and humidity on the polyphenol compounds in the dry BLE and in the food matrix contents during storage was analysed by the FTIR spectroscopy. The experiments determined the optimal conditions for the BLE polyphenol sorption on buckwheat flour by incubation of a 2% BLE solution pH = 3.6 with the portion of buckwheat flour at the ratio of 1g/50 cm3 solution for 45 minutes at 25°C. When storing the food matrix, there was no significant degradation of the polyphenolic compounds in the food matrix, which indicates an increase in the stability of the polyphenols sorbed on buckwheat flour. This paper presents the results that are scientifically and practically relevant for the nutritiology experts who devise promising technological approaches to expanding the range of functional food ingredients of the antidiabetic character

Adaptogenic Properties of a Phytoecdysteroid-Rich Extract from the Leaves of Spinacia oleracea L.

Increasing the ability of the human body to adapt in conditions of physical or emotional stress is promising from the standpoint of the use of preventive nutrition containing functional food ingredients (FFI) with proven effectiveness in complex physiological in vivo studies. In this work, we developed FFI from spinach leaves (Spinacia oleracea L.) with a high content of polyphenols and adaptogens—phytoecdysteroids. Using in vivo models of increased physical activity and immobilization-induced emotional stress, we evaluated the nonspecific resistance of rats in response to the addition of the developed FFI to the diet. In the acute toxicity experiment, we found no signs of FFI toxicity up to 5000 mg/kg body weight. As a result of the daily 26-day consumption of FFI, we observed an anxiolytic effect in physiological studies. FFI prevented an increase in the content of biogenic amines in the blood, the main markers of the stress system, and had a positive effect on the lipid metabolism of the rats. The obtained results demonstrate a “smoothing” effect on the body’s reaction in response to induced stress conditions