Quality and antioxidant response of gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata L.) to dietary supplements of fenugreek (Trigonella foenum graecum) alone or combined with probiotic strains.

The present study was conducted to determine the potential effect of the dietary intake of fenugreek (Trigonella foenum graecum) seeds alone or in combination with Bacillus licheniformis, Lactobacillus plantarum or B. subtilis on gilthead seabream quality and antioxidant response after 2 and 3 weeks of experimental feeding. The results showed that the supplements did not affect the percentage of the fatty acid profiles of muscle, demonstrating that all the additives tested can be administrated without any negative effect on biochemical composition and quality of gilthead seabream. The quantification of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances in muscle demonstrated the significant beneficial effect of the experimental diets compared with the control one. Besides, an increase in superoxide dismutase and catalase in liver was recorded after 3 weeks of administration of experimental diets. Furthermore, real time qPCR revealed that dietary supplementation with FEBS significantly enhances the expression of scavenging enzymes, such as cat and gr genes in the liver after 3 weeks. The findings suggest that the administration of fenugreek supplement alone or combined with probiotic strains could be considered as a good source of natural antioxidants and as a functional aquafeed ingredient for gilthead seabream.

Tunisian tomato by-products, as a potential source of natural bioactive compounds.

Consumption of tomato and tomato products is positively related to the reduction in cardiovascular disease and several types of cancer, thanks to the presence of natural compounds, such as antioxidants. Peels and seeds fractions of tomato, collected after industrial processing in Tunisian industries, were analysed for nutritional and antioxidants composition in perspective of its utilisation. Proximate composition, fatty acids profile, carotenoids, such as lycopene and beta-carotene, polyphenols contents, demonstrated the good potential of these residual products as a source of natural compounds, useful for food and nutraceuticals applications.

Clinical usefulness of end-tidal CO2 profiles during incremental exercise in patients with chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension.

INTRODUCTION: Great ventilation to carbon dioxide output (ΔV˙E/ΔV˙CO2) and reduced end-tidal partial pressures for CO2 (PetCO2) during incremental exercise are hallmarks of chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) and idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension (IPAH). However, CTEPH is more likely to involve proximal arteries, which may lead to poorer right ventricle-pulmonary vascular coupling and worse gas exchange abnormalities. Therefore, abnormal PetCO2 profiles during exercise may be more prominent in patients with CTEPH and could be helpful to indicate disease severity. METHODS: Seventy patients with CTEPH and 34 with IPAH underwent right heart catheterization and cardiopulmonary exercise testing. According to PetCO2 pattern during exercise, patients were classified as having an increase or stabilization in PetCO2 up to the gas exchange threshold (GET), an abrupt decrease in the rest-exercise transition or a progressive and slow decrease throughout exercise. A subgroup of patients with CTEPH underwent a constant work rate exercise test to obtain arterial blood samples during steady-state exercise. RESULTS: Multivariate logistic regression analyses showed that progressive decreases in PetCO2 and SpO2 were better discriminative parameters than ΔV˙E/ΔV˙CO2 to distinguish CTEPH from IPAH. This pattern of PetCO2 was associated with worse functional impairment and greater reduction in PaCO2 during exercise. CONCLUSION: Compared to patients with IPAH, patients with CTEPH present more impaired gas exchange during exercise, and PetCO2 abnormalities may be used to identify more clinically and hemodynamically severe cases.