Consumption of minimally processed food is inversely associated with excess weight in adolescents living in an underdeveloped city.

BACKGROUND: The consumption of ultra-processed foods may be associated with the development of chronic diseases, both in adults and in children/adolescents. This consumption is growing worldwide, especially in low and middle-income countries. Nevertheless, its magnitude in small, poor cities from the countryside is not well characterized, especially in adolescents. This study aimed to assess the consumption of minimally processed, processed and ultra-processed foods by adolescents from a poor Brazilian city and to determine if it was associated with excess weight, high waist circumference and high blood pressure. METHODS: Cross-sectional study, conducted at a public federal school that offers technical education together with high school, located in the city of Murici. Adolescents of both sexes and aged between 14-19 years old were included. Anthropometric characteristics (weight, height, waist circumference), blood pressure, and dietary intake data were assessed. Associations were calculated using Poisson regression models, adjusted by sex and age. RESULTS: At total, 249 adolescents were included, being 55.8% girls, with a mean age of 16 years-old. The consumption of minimally processed foods was inversely associated with excess weight (Adjusted Prevalence Ratio: 0.61, 95% Confidence Interval: [0.39-0.96], P = 0.03). Although the consumption of ultra-processed foods was not associated with excess weight, high blood pressure and high waist circumference, 46.2% of the sample reported eating these products more than weekly. CONCLUSION: Consumption of minimally processed food is inversely associated with excess weight in adolescents. Investments in nutritional education aiming the prevention of chronic diseases associated with the consumption of these foods are necessary.

Hepatic fatty acid profile of rats fed a triheptanoin-based ketogenic diet / Perfil de ácidos grasos de hígados de ratones alimentados con una dieta cetogénica basada en triheptanoína

Objective: the aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of consumption of a ketogenic diet supplemented with triheptanoin, a medium-chain anaplerotic triacylglycerol, on the liver fatty acid profile of Wistar rats. Methods: three groups of male Wistar rats (n=10) were submitted to an AIN-93 control diet, a triheptanoin-based ketogenic diet, or a soybean oil-based ketogenic diet for 60 days. Excised livers were subjected to lipid extraction and methylation to obtain fatty acids methyl esters, which were subjected to gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Results and discussion: compared to the rats fed the control diet, those fed ketogenic diets showed a significant reduction in the concentrations of 9-hexadecenoic and 9-octadecenoic acids, whereas those fed triheptanoin showed increased levels of octadecanoic acid. Conclusion: changes in the liver fatty acid profiles of the rats fed a triheptanoin-based or a soybean oil-based ketogenic diet did not seem to be related to the dietary fat source, but rather to the characteristics of the ketogenic diets themselves (AU)

Objetivo: el objetivo de este estudio fue evaluar la influencia del consumo de una dieta cetogénica complementada con triheptanoína, un triacilglicerol de cadena media y anaplerótico, en el perfil de ácidos grasos del hígado de ratones Wistar. Métodos: tres grupos de ratones Wistar machos (n=10) fueron sometidos durante 60 días a una dieta AIN-93 de control, una dieta cetogénica basada en triheptanoína o una dieta cetogénica a base de aceite de soja. Los hígados fueron escindidos y sometidos a extracción de lípidos y metilación para obtener los ésteres metílicos de ácidos grasos, que se sometieron a cromatografía de gas-espectrometría de masa. Resultados y discusión: en comparación con los ratones alimentados con la dieta de control, los de ambas dietas cetogénicas mostraron una reducción significativa en las concentraciones de los ácidos grasos 9-hexadecenoico y 9-octadecenoico, mientras que los alimentados con triheptanoína mostraron niveles de ácido octadecenoico aumentados. Conclusión: los cambios en los perfiles de ácidos grasos del hígado de los ratones alimentados con dietas cetogénicas no están relacionados con la fuente de grasa de la dieta (triheptanoína o aceite de soja), sino más bien con la concentración total de lípidos (AU)

Oncocalyxone A functions as an anti-glycation agent in vitro.

Advanced glycation endproducts (AGE) are the result of post-translational changes to proteins, which ultimately compromise their structure and/or function. The identification of methods to prevent the formation of these compounds holds great promise in the development of alternative therapies for diseases such as diabetes. Plants used in traditional medicine are often rich sources of anti-glycation agents. Therefore, in this study, we investigated the anti-glycation activity of one such compound, Oncocalyxone A (Onco A). Using spectrofluorimetric techniques, we determined that Onco A inhibits AGE formation in a concentration-dependent manner. Its IC50 value (87.88 ± 3.08 µM) was almost two times lower than the standard anti-glycation compound aminoguanidine (184.68 ± 4.85 µM). The excellent anti-glycation activity of Onco A makes it an exciting candidate for the treatment of diseases associated with excessive accumulation of AGE. However, additional studies are necessary to identify its mechanism of action, as well as the in vivo response in suitable model organisms.