De BIL tien jaar: het resultaat?

De Bestuurskundige Interfacultaire vereniging Leiden beleeft dit jaar haar tweede lustrum. Naast onze jaarlijks terugkerende activiteiten is dit natuurlijk aanleiding tot enige extra activiteiten om dit feit te vieren. Ook deze Bestuurskundigen Berichten staat in het teken van de BIL-lustrumactiviteiten. Zie hiervoor het oranje katern dat is opgenomen in het midden van de BB. In dit artikel wordt door de verschillende bestuursleden een reis door de tijd gemaakt. Een reis langs de zaken die de BIL inmiddels bereikt heeft, met ook een uitstapje naar de toekomst om eens te zien wat die biedt voor onze vereniging

Spinach as a source of carotenoids, folate and antioxidant activity

Fruits and vegetables are generally considered important contributors to a healthy diet and an increased intake of fruits and vegetables is related to a decreased risk of cancers, cardiovascular disease, and other diseases. In this thesis two aspects of spinach, a dark-green, leafy vegetable, are examined. The first aspect is the bioavailability of the carotenoids and folate present in spinach. The second aspect is the antioxidant activity of spinach consumption in humans and the antioxidant capacity of spinach products. The literature on carotenoid bioavailability and bioconversion was reviewed for each of the SLAMENGHI factors. These factors include: Species of carotenoid; molecular Linkage; Amount of carotenoid consumed in a meal; Matrix in which the carotenoid is incorporated; Effectors of absorption; Nutrient status of the host; Genetic factors; Host related factors; and Interactions.A dietary intervention study with 70 healthy human subjects divided over six treatment groups was conducted to examine the effect of the food matrix on the bioavailability of carotenoids and folate and to evaluate the effect of spinach intake on biomarkers of antioxidant activity. Four groups received a basic diet plus a spinach product (whole-leaf, minced, enzymatically liquefied, and liquefied spinach plus added dietary fibre), one group received the basic diet plus a carotenoid supplement ofβ-carotene, lutein and a small amount of zeaxanthin dissolved in oil, and one group received the basic diet only. Consumption of spinach (20 g/MJ), containing the carotenoidsβ-carotene and lutein, increased serum concentrations ofβ-carotene, lutein,α-carotene and retinol and decreased the serum concentration of lycopene compared with the control group. Compared with the synthetic carotenoid supplement, the relative bioavailability ofβ-carotene was low, 5.1-9.5%, but much higher for lutein, 45-55%. Serumβ-carotene responses differed significantly between the whole-leaf and liquefied spinach groups and between the minced and liquefied spinach groups. The plasma folate response was significantly greater in the spinach groups compared with the control group. Intake of minced and liquefied spinach resulted in greater plasma folate responses than consumption of whole-leaf spinach.Thus, disruption of the food matrix (cell wall structure) and loss of cellular structure had an effect on the bioavailability ofβ-carotene and folate, whereas the bioavailability of lutein was not affected. Addition of dietary fibre to the liquefied spinach to compensate for the fibre that was broken down during liquefaction had no effect on serum carotenoid or plasma folate responses.Consumption of spinach or the carotenoid supplement resulted in an increased erythrocyte glutathione reductase activity, and decreased erythrocyte catalase activity and serumα-tocopherol concentration. These changes were related to serum lutein concentrations. The antioxidant capacity of the differently processed spinach products was determined in different oxidation systems. Corrected for the total phenolics content of the spinach, the whole-leaf spinach extract showed the strongest inhibition of hydroperoxide formation, followed by extracts from liquefied and minced spinach. The calculated amount of lutein in the spinach samples used (amounts were adjusted for the total phenolics content of spinach) was correlated with the inhibition of hydroperoxide formation. In a meat ball model at 100 and 200 g spinach/kg meat, whole-leaf and minced spinach were prooxidative (increased the formation of thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances); the liquefied spinach became antioxidative at 200 g/kg. Minced and liquefied spinach were antioxidatively active with respect to the mean inhibition of hexanal formation, whereas whole-leaf spinach showed prooxidant activity.In conclusion, the results of the studies described in this thesis demonstrated an effect of the food matrix onβ-carotene and folate, but not on lutein, bioavailability and support the finding thatβ-carotene is not a good antioxidant in man or in foods, but indicate that lutein may play a role as antioxidant.</p

Zuivering van drainwater in een beekbegeleidend rietmoeras

In Noord-Limburg liggen intensieve landbouwgebieden met een hoge belasting van het oppervlaktewater met fosfor. In 2006 is in één van die gebieden een rietmoeras aangelegd om de zuiveringsefficientie van fosfor uit drainwater in de praktijk te testen. Het moeras ligt aan de Eeuwelsche Loop in de buurt van Ospel. De Eeuwselsche Loop stroomt vanuit een landbouwgebied door het natuurgebied de Groote Peel naar de Aa in Brabant. De inrichting van het moeras is opgezet om een maximale hoeveelheid fosfor te verwijderen. De eerste resultaten zijn veelbelovend. Van het aangevoerde stikstof bedraagt de zuiveringsefficiëntie circa 30 procent en voor fosfor 50 procent. De rietgroei kwam moeizaam op gang en heeft nog niet zijn maximale productie bereikt. Het oppervlaktebeslag is twee procent en door de ligging aan de Eeuwelsche Loop biedt het ook ruimte voor waterberging en biodiversiteit van natte systemen. Mogelijkheden voor hergebruik van het maaisel en het ijzergruis kan de aanleg van meer rietmoerassen wellicht stimuleren

Safety of Vitamin D2 Mushroom Powder as a Novel Food Pursuant to Regulation (EU) 2015/2283

Following a request from the European Commission, the EFSA Panel on Nutrition, Novel Foods and Food Allergens (NDA) was asked to deliver a scientific opinion on vitamin D2 mushroom powder as a novel food (NF) pursuant to Regulation (EU) 2015/2283. The NF is an ingredient produced from Agaricus bisporus mushrooms that have been exposed to ultraviolet (UV) light to induce the conversion of provitamin D2 (ergosterol) to vitamin D2 (ergocalciferol). The NF contains concentrations of vitamin D provided by vitamin D2 in the ranges of 1,000–1,300 lg/g. The information provided on the manufacturing process, composition and specifications of the NF does not raise safety concerns. The applicant intends to add the NF in a variety of foods and beverages, including food for special medical purposes and food supplements. The target population is the general population except for food supplements, for which the target population is individuals above seven months of age. The Panel concludes that the NF, used as an ingredient, is safe for the general population at the proposed condition of use in foods and beverages and that the NF used as a food supplement, is safe for individuals above 1 year. The Panel, however, notes that the UL for infants aged 0–6 months may be exceeded in high consumers of infant formula (IF) and/or follow-on formula (FoF) that may also be high consumers of foods fortified with the NF and for infants aged 7–12 months consuming a daily vitamin D oral supplementation of 10 lg. However, the Panel considers this scenario unlikely as complementary feeding in high consumers of IF and/or FoF may be limited. Furthermore, the combined consumption of vitamin D via fortified foods and supplements does not specifically concern this NF application. The Panel concludes that the NF is safe under the proposed conditions of use for the proposed target populations