Extraction, purification and characterization of amylose from sago and corn: Morphological, structural and molecular comparison.

In the present work, a comprehensive study was carried out to better understand the molecular characteristics of amylose extracted from sago starch, using butanol as the extraction solvent. The sago derived amylose was compared with amylose extracted from corn starch and both characterized through different techniques, i.e. size exclusion chromatography, X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, Scanning electron microscopy, Atomic force microscopy and Zeta potential measurements. The purity of the amylose extracted from sago and corn was 99.20 % and 93.46 %, respectively. From XRD results, it was revealed that sago amylose had more crystallinity with high thermal stability compared to corn amylose. Based on Raman spectra, single and double helices formed in both extracted amyloses, but due to their intrinsic differences, the intensities associated with these helices varied for sago and corn amylose. Purified amyloses were shown to have two different forms of spherulite morphology: torus and spherical shapes with varying degrees of roughness. Our findings demonstrated that sago starch is a novel and low-cost source for supplying amylose, a promising polymer for different applications.

The association between obesity with serum levels of liver enzymes, alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase and gamma-glutamyl transferase in adult women.

BACKGROUND: Obesity-induced inflammation may independently disturb the function of critical organs such as liver. This study aimed to investigate the association of obesity with serum levels of biomarkers of liver function including alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT) in adult women. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was carried out on 360 adult women in the summer of 2020 in Tehran, Iran. The participants were categorized into two groups based on their body mass index (BMI≤29.9 and BMI > 30). The serum levels of ALT, AST, ALP and GGT were measured. Logistic regression method was used to assess the association between BMI and liver enzymes after adjusting for the confounders. RESULTS: The mean BMI in non-obese and obese groups was 26.32 ± 2.61 and 33.40 ± 2.80 kg/m2 , respectively (p = .01). A significant association was found between BMI with ALT (ß = .16, p = .002) and GGT (ß = .19, p = .01) enzymes after adjustment for age. The association between BMI and GGT remained significant after further adjustments for smoking, alcohol use, physical activity and educational status. There was no significant association between BMI and liver enzymes after adjustment for dietary intake. CONCLUSIONS: Obesity was associated with the level of serum liver enzymes. However, adjustment for dietary intake disappeared the significant results. Further studies are needed to determine the independent effects of obesity on the liver function.

Aqueous extract of Stevia rebaudiana (Bertoni) Bertoni abrogates death-related signaling pathways via boosting the expression profile of oxidative defense systems.

Indigenous inhabitants of South America and other areas have been using stevia as a traditional medicine for years, but its impact on cell signaling pathways has not been well studied yet. We evaluated the impacts of aqueous extract of Stevia rebaudiana (Bertoni) Bertoni on the expression of the selected genes involved in significant cell death modalities, including p53-DNA damage and the cellular antioxidative defense in pancreatic tissues in STZ-induced diabetic rats and murine pancreatic cell lines. The in vivo study revealed that aqueous extract of Stevia significantly upregulated the expression of GSTM1 and P1 and GPX (4.67, 12.08, and 2.81 fold, respectively; all p < .05) along with significant downregulation of the genes which were upregulated by STZ, including apoptotic genes caspase-3 and -9 (-9.80 and -4.16 fold, p < .05, respectively) and necroptotic genes, RIP1K, 2 K, and 3 K (-9.48, -2.70, and -12.9 fold, respectively, all p < .05). In vitro studies also revealed comparable results. In conclusion, the observed clinical improvements in diabetic rats are the result of overexpression of major genes of antioxidative defense systems in the course of a significant downregulation of major cell death modalities. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: The popularity of noncaloric sweeteners, including stevia, has rocketed in recent years, but the consumption of stevia as traditional medicine has a long history. The findings of the current study provide strong mechanistic lines of evidence supporting the beneficial biological effects of stevia as a noncaloric sweetener in diabetes.

The association between FTO rs9939609 polymorphism and serum lipid profile in adult women.

BACKGROUND: FTO gene is considered to play an important role in many metabolic diseases. Evidence from studies indicated the possible association between the FTO rs9939609 polymorphisms with serum lipid profile. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the association of FTO rs9939609 polymorphism with lipid profile in Iranian women. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was carried out on 380 adult women. Information about age, height, weight, BMI, physical activity, and dietary intake were collected. The serum levels of Low Density Lipoprotein (LDL), High Density Lipoprotein (HDL), Triglyceride (TG), and total cholesterol were measured. The FTO gene was genotyped for rs9939609 polymorphism. The participants were divided into two groups of TT and AT/AA considering dominant model of FTO rs9939609 polymorphism. RESULTS: General characteristics of the participants with different FTO genotypes were not significantly different. The lower levels of HDL were observed in AT/AA genotypes compared to the TT wild type genotype of FTO rs9939609 polymorphism (P = 0.004). Adjustments of age, BMI, and physical activity did not change the results. CONCLUSIONS: However, the significant association between FTO genotype and the HDL level was disappeared after further adjustments for dietary intake. Further studies are warranted to identify the underlying mechanisms of the possible association between FTO gene and serum lipid profile.

The association between fat mass and obesity-associated (FTO) genotype and serum vitamin D level in breast cancer patients.

The preventive effect of vitamin D against breast cancer can be influenced by gene polymorphisms. This study aimed to investigate the association between serum level of 25(OH) vitamin D and FTO genotype in breast cancer patients. A cross-sectional study was carried out on 180 newly diagnosed patients with breast cancer in Tehran, Iran. The blood samples were collected from the participants in order to assess the FTO gene rs9939609 polymorphism by the tetra-primer amplification refractory mutation system (Tetra-ARMS) PCR method. The serum level of 25(OH) vitamin D was measured using the direct competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method. The association between vitamin D and the FTO genotype in patients with breast cancer was assessed after adjustment for cofounders. The frequency of TT, AT and AA genotypes in the breast cancer patients were 43% (n = 77), 49% (n = 89) and 8% (n = 14), respectively. All patients with higher than 40 ng/dl of serum 25(OH) vitamin D had one or two copies of FTO rs9939609 risk allele (p = 0.019). No linear association was found between the number of FTO risk allele and the level of serum vitamin D. All patients with high serum level of 25(OH) vitamin D had one or two copies of FTO rs9939609 risk allele. FTO gene polymorphisms may counteract the beneficial effects of vitamin D in breast cancer prevention. Further studies can help to better understand the genetic factors predisposing to breast cancer and their effect on the association between vitamin D and breast cancer.

Association of serum 25-OH-vitamin D level with FTO and IRX3 genes expression in obese and overweight boys with different FTO rs9930506 genotypes.

BACKGROUND: The roles of FTO gene and the level of serum 25-OH-vitamin D in obesity are frequently reported. This study aimed to investigate the interactions of serum 25-OH-vitamin D level, FTO and IRX3 genes expression, and FTO genotype in obese and overweight boys. METHODS: This study was carried out on the 120 male adolescents with overweight in Tehran, Iran. Blood samples were collected from the participants in order to evaluate the serum level of 25-OH-vitamin D, the expression level of FTO and IRX3 genes, and FTO genotype for rs9930506 at baseline and after 18 weeks of the study. RESULTS: In general, no significant association was found between serum 25-OH-vitamin D level and IRX3 and FTO genes expression. The results of linear regression on the relationship between 25-OH-vitamin D serum level and FTO and IRX3 genes expression based on FTO genotypes for rs9930506 indicated that in AA/AG genotype carriers, serum 25-OH-vitamin D level was positively associated with FTO gene expression (B = 0.07, p = 0.02) and inversely associated with IRX3 gene expression (B = - 0.07, p = 0.03). In GG carriers, serum 25-OH-vitamin D level was not associated with expression of IRX3 and FTO genes. CONCLUSION: There are significant interactions between 25-OH-vitamin D and the expression of FTO and IRX3 genes in the subset of obese patients with specific genotypes for FTO rs9930506. There was no association between serum 25-OH-vitamin D levels and the expression of FTO and IRX genes in individuals with a homozygous genotype for the risk allele of the FTO gene polymorphism.

Serum lipid profile of Parkinson's disease patients: A study from the Northwest of Iran.

BACKGROUND: Parkinson's disease (PD) is defined as a long-lasting, neurological illness. Low levels of serum lipid fractions are related with a high risk of PD. Current investigation was designed to evaluate the concentration blood lipid fractions in patients suffering from PD and compared with healthy subjects. METHODS: This case-control study was conducted from February 2016 to September 2018 in Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran. The present investigation consisted of 75 persons who had PD and 75 normal people. The blood levels of lipid fractions were measured by concentrations of total cholesterol (TC), serum triglycerides (TG), low-density lipoprotein (LDL-C), high-density lipoprotein (HDL-C), and total cholesterol. The results were analyzed with SPSS software using Kolmogorov-Smirnov, chi-square, and student's t-test. RESULTS: Serum level of TG was remarkably lower in patients with PD (111.92±8.75 mg/dL) compared with healthy subjects (123.64±9.97 mg/dL, P=0.008). Furthermore, we saw an important difference in the level of LDL-C (P=0.001) and TC (P=0.004) between the two groups. However, there was not any observed meaningful difference in the serum concentrations of HDL-C between the studied groups (P=0.135). CONCLUSION: Our results showed that the serum concentration of TG, LDL-C, and TC are noticeably lower in the PD suffering patients. Further investigations are needed to provide comprehensive information on the participants' cognitive layout and subsequent actions.

Interactions of anthropometric indices, rs9939609 FTO gene polymorphism and breast cancer: A case-control study.

Contradictory results were reported on the effect of fat mass- and obesity-associated (FTO) gene and anthropometric measurements on breast cancer (BC). This study aimed to assess the interactions between rs9939609 polymorphism of FTO gene, anthropometric indices and BC risk in Iranian women. This case-control study was performed on 540 women including 180 women with BC and 360 healthy women in Tehran, Iran. Physical activity and dietary intakes were assessed by validated questionnaires. Data on sociodemographic and pathologic factors of the participants as well as their blood samples were collected. The rs9939609 FTO gene polymorphism was genotyped using the tetra-primer amplification refractory mutation system-polymerase chain reaction (T-ARMS-PCR). No significant association was found between BC and risk allele of FTO rs9939609 polymorphism after adjustments for the confounders. However, there was a significant association between rs9939609 polymorphism risk allele and BC risk in females with overweight, even after adjusting for age, family history of BC, abortion, BMI and the number of pregnancies (P < .05). The association was disappeared after further adjustments for lifestyle factors including smoking, alcohol consumption, calorie and macronutrients intake, and physical activity. The FTO gene polymorphism was associated with the risk of BC in overweight individuals. This association was influenced by environmental factors including diet, alcohol consumption and smoking. Future studies are required to confirm the association between the FTO gene and BC in overweight females and to identify the underlying mechanisms.

Association between FTO gene polymorphisms and breast cancer: the role of estrogen.

Introduction: The fat mass and obesity-associated (FTO) gene may be associated with breast cancer risk. This study aimed to systematically investigate the association between FTO gene polymorphisms and breast cancer and the possible role of estrogen in this association.Areas covered: We performed an extensive search of electronic databases such as PubMed, Science Direct, Scopus, and Cochran for published original studies on the association of FTO gene polymorphisms with breast cancer risk. Keywords such as breast cancer and/or FTO gene and/or polymorphism were used in order to identify the related articles. We excluded studies unrelated to the FTO genotype and the outcome of breast cancer.Expert opinion: FTO gene may have a significant association with the risk of breast cancer. The association between FTO gene polymorphisms and breast cancer was influenced by the status of estrogen receptors. Estrogen may promote breast cancer cell proliferation through up-regulation of FTO gene expression and activation of the PI3 K/Akt signaling pathway in estrogen receptor positive patients. Further studies are warranted to identify the underlying mechanisms and signaling pathways involved in the interactions between FTO gene, estrogen, and the risk of breast cancer.

The possible mechanisms of the effects of IRX3 gene on body weight: an overview.

INTRODUCTION: Recent studies reported that FTO exert its effects on body weight through change the expression IRX3. The aim of this study was investigation of the possible mechanisms of the effects of IRX3 gene on obesity. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The present review was carried out using keywords such as polymorphism and/or obesity and/or BMI and/or IRX3 gene and/or Iroquois homeobox protein 3. Databases including PubMed, Science Direct, web of sciences, Scopus, and Cochran databases were used to collect all related articles published from 2000 to 2019. RESULTS: Based on this review, there are some evidences on the association between the IRX3 polymorphisms and the IRX3 expression level with body weight. In some studies, the up-regulation of IRX3 expression was related to increased body weight, while in some other studies down-regulation of IRX3 expression was related to obesity. CONCLUSIONS: This review investigated the probable mechanisms of the effects of the IRX3 gene on obesity. Studies in this are limited and reported contradictory results. Further studies are required to evaluate the role of IRX3 gene in the associations between genes, diet, and obesity.