Different berries and berry fractions have various but slightly positive effects on the associated variables of metabolic diseases on overweight and obese women.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Dietary habits have a major role in obesity, type 2 diabetes and atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases. In this study, we compared the effects of sea buckthorn (SB) and its fractions, and bilberries (BBs) on associated variables of metabolic diseases on overweight and obese women. SUBJECTS/METHODS: In total, 110 female volunteers were recruited, and they followed four different berry diets (BB, SB, SB phenolic extract (SBe) and SB oil (SBo)) in a randomized order for 33-35 days. Each intervention was followed by a wash-out period of 30-39 days. Blood samples were drawn and physical measurements were performed after each period. Eighty volunteers completed the study. RESULTS: There was statistically significant decrease in waist circumference after BB (Δ, -1.2 cm; P = 0.041) and SB (Δ, -1.1 cm; P = 0.008) periods and also a small decrease in weight after BB diet (Δ, -0.2 kg; P = 0.028). Vascular cell adhesion molecule decreased after BB (Δ, -49.8 ng/ml; P = 0.002) and SBo (Δ, -66.1 ng/ml; P = 0.001) periods, and in intercellular adhesion molecule (ICAM) after SBe diet (Δ, -6.1 ng/ml; P = 0.028). CONCLUSIONS: Based on the results, it can be stated that different berries and berry fractions have various but slightly positive effects on the associated variables of metabolic diseases.

Berry meals and risk factors associated with metabolic syndrome.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease is commonly associated with obesity, insulin resistance, dyslipidemia and type 2 diabetes, and can thus be regarded as the hepatic manifestation of metabolic syndrome. In this study we compared the effects of lifestyle intervention with and without industrial berry products, on risk factors associated with metabolic syndrome on slightly overweight women. SUBJECTS/METHODS: Sixty-one female volunteers (average age 42.9 years) were recruited and randomized for a 20-week dietary intervention trial with two parallel treatment groups, one lifestyle intervention group with berry products equaling with an average daily dose of 163 g of northern berries (berry group, diet 1, N=31, of which 28 completed the study) and the other group with lifestyle intervention only (control group, diet 2, N=30, of which 22 completed the study). RESULTS: Increased berry consumption as part of the normal daily diet was the only lifestyle difference between the two intervention groups. The major effects achieved by diet 1 were changes in the levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALAT) and adiponectin (at P-values <0.001 and 0.002, respectively). A statistically significant difference between the two intervention groups was the higher decrease in the ALAT value in the berry group (P=0.003). CONCLUSIONS: The 23% decrease in the ALAT value, from 20.29 to 15.66 U/l in the berry group may be regarded as nutritionally significant by enhancing the liver function. This may contribute positively to the low-grade systemic inflammation in body and decrease the risk of cardiovascular diseases.

Variation among and within mountain birch trees in foliage phenols, carbohydrates, and amino acids, and in growth ofEpirrita autumnata larvae.

Leaf quality of the mountain birch (Betula pubescens ssp.tortuosa) for herbivores was studied at several hierarchical levels: among trees, among ramets within trees, among branches within ramets, and among short shoots within branches. The experimental units at each level were chosen randomly. The indices of leaf quality were the growth rate of the larvae of a geometrid,Epirrita autumnata, and certain biochemical traits of the leaves (total phenolics and individual phenolic compounds, total carbohydrates and individual sugars, free and protein-bound amino acids). We also discuss relationships between larval growth rate and biochemical foliage traits. Larval growth rates during two successive years correlated positively at the level of tree, the ramet, and the branch, indicating that the relationships in leaf quality remained constant between seasons both among and within trees. The distribution of variation at different hierarchical levels depended on the trait in question. In the case of larval growth rate, ramets and short shoots accounted for most of the explained variation. In the case of biochemical compounds, trees accounted for most of the variance in the content of total phenolics and individual low-molecular-weight phenolics. In the content of carbohydrates (total carbohydrates, starch, fructose, glucose, and sucrose) and amino acids, variation among branches was generally larger than variation among trees. Variation among ramets was low for most compounds. No single leaf trait played a paramount role in larval growth. Secondary compounds, represented by phenolic compounds, or primary metabolites, particularly sugars, may both be important in determining the suitability of birch leaves for larvae. If phenols are causally more important, genet-specific analyses of foliage chemistry are needed. If sugars are of primary importance, within-genet sampling and analysis of foliage chemistry are necessary.

Growth performance of Epirrita autumnata (Lepidoptera: Geometridae) on mountain birch: trees, broods, and tree x brood interactions.

The outcome of herbivore-host plant interactions is partly a function of variation within the two populations. We partitioned variance in herbivore growth performance into components attributable to differences between trees, differences between (full-sib) insect broods, and tree x brood interactions. Growth performance of Epirrita larvae feeding on a small (0.25 ha) population of mountain birch was greatly influenced by differences between individual trees. Up to 49% of the variation in insect growth rate was due to tree effects; 5th instar growth rates ranged from 0.38 to 0.56 mg·mg-1·day-1 across a sample of 8 trees. About 25% of the variation in pupal weights and larval periods was due to tree effects; on low quality trees larvae required a longer time to attain lower pupal weights. Differences between trees were also evident in physical and chemical characteristics of the leaves. Insect broods differed in the duration of the larval period (15% of the variance) which led to differences in the pupal weight attained (13% of the variance). However, brood-specific differences in growth rate were modest (6% in the 4th instar) or nonexistent (5th instar). There was no evidence for tree x brood interactions, which refutes the possibility of fine scale adaptation to particular tree phenotypes. Hypotheses to explain the existence of this variability, and to predict its evolutionary and ecological consequences, are advanced.