Awareness, Knowledge and Attitude towards 'Superfood' Kale and Its Health Benefits among Arab Adults.

This cross-sectional online survey aimed to determine the awareness of Arab adults on the benefits of consuming nutrient-dense foods, such as kale. A total of 1200 respondents completed the survey. The questionnaire included questions related to socio-economic information, e.g., whether the participants have consumed kale, if they observed any health effects, and 13 other questions to test their knowledge on this superfood. Only 276 (23%) of the participants had previously consumed kale, with 64.5% reporting favorable health outcomes, the most common of which was weight reduction, and only 17.8% reporting side effects, such as constipation and gastrointestinal irritation. From the 13 kale knowledge questions, the average total knowledge score, scaled from 0 to 10, was 3.5 and 3.7 for males and females, respectively. The regression analysis revealed that age, income, and educational status were significant contributors for predicting better knowledge scores, as older individuals with a higher income and higher education scored higher (odds ratio of 2.96, 2.00 and 4.58, respectively). To summarize, there is a dearth of awareness about kale and its health benefits in Saudi Arabia. Kale should be promoted as a super food in all segments, particularly among the younger, lower-income, and less-educated sections of the population.

Soil-plant system and potential human health risk of Chinese cabbage and oregano growing in soils from Mn- and Fe-abandoned mines: microcosm assay.

In Portugal, many abandoned mines are often close to agricultural areas and might be used for plant food cultivation. Soils in the vicinity of two Mn- and Fe-abandoned mines (Ferragudo and Rosalgar, SW of Portugal) were collected to cultivate two different food species (Brassica rapa subsp. pekinensis (Lour.) Hanelt and Origanum vulgare L.). Chemical characterization of the soil-plant system and potential risk of adverse effects for human health posed by plants associated with soil contamination, based on the estimation of hazard quotient (HQ), were assessed in a microcosm assay under greenhouse conditions. In both soils, the average total concentrations of Fe and Mn were above the normal values for soils in the region and their concentration in shoots of both species was very high. Brassica rapa subsp. pekinensis grew better in Ferragudo than in Rosalgar soils, and it behaved as an excluder of Cu, Mn, Fe, S and Zn in both soils. The HQ for Cu, Fe, Mn and Zn in the studied species grown on both soils was lower than unit indicating that its consumption is safe. The high Mn tolerance found in both species might be due in part to the high contents of Fe in the soil available fraction that might contribute to an antagonism effect in the uptake and translocation of Mn. The obtained results emphasize the need of further studies with different food crops before cultivation in the studied soils to assess health risks associated with high metal intake.

Protective role of broccoli extract on estradiol valerate-induced polycystic ovary syndrome in female rats

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is one of the most common causes of infertility. The aim of this study was to investigate the protective role of broccoli extract on estradiol valerate (EV)-induced PCOS in female rats. Forty adult female rats were divided into four main groups; control, broccoli-treated, EV, single intramuscular injection of 16mg/kg)-treated, EV+broccoli (1 g/kg/day)-treated groups. The protected rats were treated orally by gastric tube daily for 4 weeks. At the end of the experiment, blood samples were collected and the ovary were subjected to histological and immunohistochemical analyses. EV treated group exhibited the characteristic features of PCOS. Disturbed ovarian cyclicity in addition to histopathological alterations, including decreased number of healthy follicles and corpora lutea, increased degenerated, cystic follicles and increased collagen fiber deposition were detected by light microscopic studies. Moreover, increased immune-reactivity for iNOS and altered proliferation index were observed by immunohistochemical assessments. Co-adminis-tration of broccoli extract improved EV-induced PCOS in rat model. In conclusion, broccoli may be an effective therapeutic candidate for the treatment of PCOS

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Isothiocyanates are detected in human synovial fluid following broccoli consumption and can affect the tissues of the knee joint.

Osteoarthritis is a major cause of disability and there is no current pharmaceutical treatment which can prevent the disease or slow its progression. Dietary advice or supplementation is clearly an attractive option since it has low toxicity and ease of implementation on a population level. We have previously demonstrated that sulforaphane, a dietary isothiocyanate derived from its glucosinolate precursor which is found in broccoli, can prevent cartilage destruction in cells, in in vitro and in vivo models of osteoarthritis. As the next phase of this research, we enrolled 40 patients with knee osteoarthritis undergoing total knee replacement into a proof-of-principle trial. Patients were randomised to either a low or high glucosinolate diet for 14 days prior to surgery. We detected ITCs in the synovial fluid of the high glucosinolate group, but not the low glucosinolate group. This was mirrored by an increase in ITCs and specifically sulforaphane in the plasma. Proteomic analysis of synovial fluid showed significantly distinct profiles between groups with 125 differentially expressed proteins. The functional consequence of this diet will now be tested in a clinical trial.

Consecutive Outbreaks of Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli O6 in Schools in South Korea Caused by Contamination of Fermented Vegetable Kimchi.

BACKGROUND: Two outbreaks of gastroenteritis occurred in South Korea, affecting a middle school in the Jeollanam-do province in 2013 (Outbreak 1) and 10 schools in the Incheon province in 2014 (Outbreak 2). We investigated the outbreaks to identify the pathogen and mode of transmission. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was conducted in the Outbreak 1; and case-control studies were performed for the Outbreak 2. Samples from students, environments, and preserved food items were collected and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) was conducted to identify strains of pathogen. RESULTS: We identified 167 and 1022 students who met the case definition (≥3 loose stools in any 24-h period) in the Outbreaks 1 and 2, respectively. The consumption of cabbage kimchi and young radish kimchi were significantly associated with the illness. Adjusted odds ratios of kimchi were 2.62-11.74. In the Outbreak 1, cabbage kimchi was made and consumed in the school restaurant and in the Outbreak 2, young radish kimchi was supplied by food company X and distributed to all the 10 schools in the Incheon province. Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) O6 was isolated from fecal samples in 375 cases (33.9%) and from kimchi samples. PFGE patterns of the outbreak strains isolated from cases and food were indistinguishable in each outbreak. CONCLUSION: The suspected food vehicle in these two consecutive outbreaks was kimchi contaminated with ETEC O6. We recommend continued monitoring and stricter sanitation requirements for the food supply process in Korea, especially in relation to kimchi.

Concentrations of thiocyanate and goitrin in human plasma, their precursor concentrations in brassica vegetables, and associated potential risk for hypothyroidism.

Brassica vegetables are common components of the diet and have beneficial as well as potentially adverse health effects. Following enzymatic breakdown, some glucosinolates in brassica vegetables produce sulforaphane, phenethyl, and indolylic isothiocyanates that possess anticarcinogenic activity. In contrast, progoitrin and indolylic glucosinolates degrade to goitrin and thiocyanate, respectively, and may decrease thyroid hormone production. Radioiodine uptake to the thyroid is inhibited by 194 µmol of goitrin, but not by 77 µmol of goitrin. Collards, Brussels sprouts, and some Russian kale (Brassica napus) contain sufficient goitrin to potentially decrease iodine uptake by the thyroid. However, turnip tops, commercial broccoli, broccoli rabe, and kale belonging to Brassica oleracae contain less than 10 µmol of goitrin per 100-g serving and can be considered of minimal risk. Using sulforaphane plasma levels following glucoraphanin ingestion as a surrogate for thiocyanate plasma concentrations after indole glucosinolate ingestion, the maximum thiocyanate contribution from indole glucosinolate degradation is estimated to be 10 µM, which is significantly lower than background plasma thiocyanate concentrations (40-69 µM). Thiocyanate generated from consumption of indole glucosinolate can be assumed to have minimal adverse risks for thyroid health.

Broccoli seed extract: Genotoxicity and subchronic toxicity studies.

Potential health benefits have been attributed to broccoli consumption. Hence, there is potential for use of broccoli seed extract (BSE) in food or for use as a dietary supplement. To assess the potential safety of a BSE product, three genotoxicity experiments, including an Ames, in vivo mouse micronucleus, and in vivo mouse sperm abnormality assay, were carried out. BSE was subject to an acute oral toxicity test and was evaluated in a 30-day feeding study in rats. BSE showed no mutagenic activity in the Ames assay and no evidence of genotoxic potential in the in vivo assays at doses up to 10 g/kg body weight (bw). The LD50 of BSE in rats was >10 g/kg bw/d. In the 30-day feeding study, in which BSE was administered in the diet to provide doses of 0, 0.3, 1.0, or 3.0 g/kg bw/d, no toxicological significant effects were noted on body weight, body weight gain, organ weights, or on the results of hematological, clinical chemistry and histopathological evaluations. The no-observed-adverse-effect level was considered to be 3.0 g/kg bw/d, the highest dose tested. Collectively, these results support the safe use of BSE as a food ingredient or product.

Comparison of the effect of raw and blanched-frozen broccoli on DNA damage in colonocytes.

Consumption of cruciferous vegetables may protect against colorectal cancer. Cruciferous vegetables are rich in a number of bioactive constituents including polyphenols, vitamins and glucosinolates. Before consumption, cruciferous vegetables often undergo some form of processing that reduces their content of bioactive constituents and may determine whether they exert protective effects. The aim of this study was to compare the ability of raw and blanched-frozen broccoli to protect colonocytes against DNA damage, improve antioxidant status and induce xenobiotic metabolizing enzymes (XME). Fifteen Landrace × Large White male pigs were divided into five age-matched and weight-matched sets (79 days, SD 3, and 34·7 kg, SD 3·9, respectively). Each set consisted of siblings to minimize genetic variation. Within each set, pigs received a cereal-based diet, unsupplemented (control) or supplemented with 600 g day(-1) of raw or blanched-frozen broccoli for 12 days. The consumption of raw broccoli caused a significant 27% increase in DNA damage in colonocytes (p = 0·03) relative to the control diet, whereas blanched-frozen broccoli had no significant effect. Both broccoli diets had no significant effect on plasma antioxidant status or hepatic and colonic XME. This study is the first to report that the consumption of raw broccoli can damage DNA in porcine colonocytes.

Inhibition effects of Chinese cabbage powder on aflatoxin B1-induced liver cancer.

In this study, 0.25 µg/ml aflatoxin B1 was used to establish a liver cancer model for assessing the potential anticancer ability of Chinese cabbage powder, which is a complex water-soluble extract from Chinese cabbage by spray-drying at an outlet temperature of 130 °C. We found at least 11 potential anticancer substances in Chinese cabbage powder. A 90-d animal experiment demonstrated that 10% of Chinese cabbage powder in drinking water could improve the plasma micronutrient status, inhibit the formation of aflatoxin B1-DNA adducts in liver cells, and effectively reduce the incidence of liver tumor induced by aflatoxin B1 from 6.67% to 0%. The dose effect experiment revealed that 10% may be the minimal effective dose to prevent the occurrence of early liver tumors. This study will help elucidate the basis of epidemiological observations of dietary cancer prevention in humans, as well as explore related mechanisms.

Compositional and proteomic analyses of genetically modified broccoli (Brassica oleracea var. italica) harboring an agrobacterial gene.

Previously, we showed improved shelf life for agrobacterial isopentenyltransferase (ipt) transgenic broccoli (Brassica oleracea var. italica), with yield comparable to commercial varieties, because of the protection mechanism offered by molecular chaperones and stress-related proteins. Here, we used proximate analysis to examine macronutrients, chemical and mineral constituents as well as anti-nutrient and protein changes of ipt-transgenic broccoli and corresponding controls. We also preliminarily assessed safety in mice. Most aspects were comparable between ipt-transgenic broccoli and controls, except for a significant increase in carbohydrate level and a decrease in magnesium content in ipt-transgenic lines 101, 102 and 103, as compared with non-transgenic controls. In addition, the anti-nutrient glucosinolate content was increased and crude fat content decreased in inbred control 104 and transgenic lines as compared with the parental control, "Green King". Gel-based proteomics detected more than 50 protein spots specifically found in ipt-transgenic broccoli at harvest and after cooking; one-third of these proteins showed homology to potential allergens that also play an important role in plant defense against stresses and senescence. Mice fed levels of ipt-transgenic broccoli mimicking the 120 g/day of broccoli eaten by a 60-kg human adult showed normal growth and immune function. In conclusion, the compositional and proteomic changes attributed to the transgenic ipt gene did not affect the growth and immune response of mice under the feeding regimes examined.

Off-target effects of sulforaphane include the derepression of long terminal repeats through histone acetylation events.

Sulforaphane is a naturally occurring isothiocyanate in cruciferous vegetables. Sulforaphane inhibits histone deacetylases, leading to the transcriptional activation of genes including tumor suppressor genes. The compound has attracted considerable attention in the chemoprevention of prostate cancer. Here we tested the hypothesis that sulforaphane is not specific for tumor suppressor genes but also activates loci such as long terminal repeats (LTRs), which might impair genome stability. Studies were conducted using chemically pure sulforaphane in primary human IMR-90 fibroblasts and in broccoli sprout feeding studies in healthy adults. Sulforaphane (2.0 µM) caused an increase in LTR transcriptional activity in cultured cells. Consumption of broccoli sprouts (34, 68 or 102 g) by human volunteers caused a dose dependent elevation in LTR mRNA in circulating leukocytes, peaking at more than a 10-fold increase. This increase in transcript levels was associated with an increase in histone H3 K9 acetylation marks in LTR 15 in peripheral blood mononuclear cells from subjects consuming sprouts. Collectively, this study suggests that sulforaphane has off-target effects that warrant further investigation when recommending high levels of sulforaphane intake, despite its promising activities in chemoprevention.

Small bowel obstruction from potato and broccoli phytobezoar mimicking mesenteric ischemia.

BACKGROUND: Bezoars are concretions of undigested foreign material that form in the gastrointestinal tract. Rare in humans, they are nonetheless a well-documented cause of intraluminal bowel obstruction. OBJECTIVES: The objectives of this case report include describing an unusual presentation of small bowel obstruction due to phytobezoar, which mimicked mesenteric ischemia, and highlighting the risk factors, presentation, and management of bezoars, in addition to covering historical beliefs regarding bezoars. CASE REPORT: Here we report a 64-year-old man who presented to the Emergency Department with chest pain, vomiting, and hypotension. Initial work-up was directed at ruling out cardiac causes and aortic catastrophe such as aortic dissection or ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm. Computed tomography angiography of the chest and abdomen showed findings suggestive of mesenteric ischemia and small bowel obstruction. However, exploratory laparotomy revealed intraluminal small bowel obstruction from a phytobezoar consisting of undigested chunks of potato, brussels sprouts, and broccoli. CONCLUSIONS: Although rare in humans, bezoars are a documented cause of small bowel obstruction, and should be considered when intraluminal bowel obstruction occurs. Bezoars causing small bowel obstruction require surgical treatment.

Combined effects of isothiocyanate intake, glutathione S-transferase polymorphisms and risk habits for age of oral squamous cell carcinoma development.

Dietary isothiocyanates (ITCs) found in cruciferous vegetables (Brassica spp.) has been reported to reduce cancer risk by inducing phase II conjugating enzymes, in particular glutathione S-transferases (GSTs). This case-control study was aimed at determining associations between dietary ITCs, GSTs polymorphisms and risk habits (cigarette smoking, alcohol drinking and betel-quid chewing) with oral cancer in 115 cases and 116 controls. Information on dietary ITC intake from cruciferous vegetables was collected via a semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). Peripheral blood lymphocytes were obtained for genotyping of GSTM1, GSTT1 and GSTP1 using PCR multiplex and PCR-RFLP. Chi-square and logistic regression were performed to determine the association of ITC and GSTs polymorphism and risk of oral cancer. When dietary ITC was categorized into high (greater than/equal to median) and low (less than median) intake, there was no significant difference between cases and control group. Logistic regression yielding odd ratios resulted in no significant association between dietary ITC intake, GSTM1, GSTT1 or GSTP1 genotypes with oral cancer risk overall. However, GSTP1 wild-type genotype was associated with later disease onset in women above 55 years of age (p= 0.017). Among the men above 45 years of age, there was clinical significant difference of 17 years in the age of onset of oral cancer between GSTP1 wild-type + low ITC intake and GSTP1 polymorphism + high ITC intake (p= 0.001). Similar conditions were also seen among men above 45 years of age with risk habits like drinking and chewing as the earlier disease onset associated with GSTP1 polymorphism and high ITC intake (p< 0.001). This study suggests that combination effects between dietary ITCs, GSTP1 polymorphism and risk habits may be associated with the risk of oral cancer and modulate the age of disease onset.

Volatile flavours in raw egg yolk of hens fed on different diets.

BACKGROUND: Recent studies have suggested that the composition of lipophilic components of egg yolk is influenced by the feed. The aim of the present study was to isolate volatile flavours from egg yolk after different feeding trials using solvent extraction and thin layer high-vacuum distillation. The resulting aroma extract was analysed by various gas chromatographic techniques. Chickens were either fed with laying meal, laying meal plus cabbage and onion or laying meal plus rapeseed oil or held in free-range. RESULTS: The predominating odour impressions were described as onion-like. Comparing all analytical and sensory data of the flavour extracts, there were minimal differences among the respective samples. Free-range eggs contained fewer volatile compounds than the other samples, whereas rapeseed oil supplementation caused an enrichment of sulfur compounds. CONCLUSION: While data from gas chromatography/flame ionisation detection, gas chromatography/mass spectrometry and gas chromatography/olfactometry were less conclusive, the results from sulfur-specific analysis using gas chromatography/flame photometric detection showed a considerable effect. However, because of the low abundance of sulfur compounds in the yolk, these differences are not expected to be perceivable by the consumer.

Radionuclide concentration in tea, cabbage, orange, kiwi and soil and lifetime cancer risk due to gamma radioactivity in Rize, Turkey.

BACKGROUND: In this study, the activity concentrations of (232) Th, (238) U, (40) K and (137) Cs were measured in tea, cabbage, orange, kiwi and soil samples collected from different stations using gamma spectrometry with a high-purity germanium detector. RESULTS: The average activity concentrations of (232) Th, (238) U, (40) K and (137) Cs were found to be 8.2 ± 1.8, 17.3 ± 3.3, 465.8 ± 11.8 and 20.9 ± 3.8 Bq kg(-1) in food samples, and 72.4 ± 9.8, 51.1 ± 8.3, 229.3 ± 14.7 and 312.9 ± 11.5 Bq kg(-1) in farm soils, respectively. The internal effective dose to individuals and excess lifetime cancer risk from the consumption of the food type radioactivity ranged between 11.7 and 53.6 µSv y(-1) and between 0.05 × 10(-3) and 0.24 × 10(-3) , respectively. The annual external gamma effective dose and excess lifetime cancer risk in the farms due to soil radioactivity ranged between 94.1 and 139.8 µSv y(-1) and between 0.43 × 10(-3) and 0.64 × 10(-3) , respectively. The mean transfer factors of (232) Th, (238) U, (40) K and (137) Cs, from the soil to vegetables and fruit were 0.57, 0.32, 2.12 and 0.04, respectively. CONCLUSION: Annual effective gamma doses were found to be higher than the world's average in soil samples. The excess lifetime cancer risks were only found higher than the world's average in soil samples.