Quality improvement effects of electrolyzed water on rice noodles prepared with semidry-milled rice flours.

To investigate the effects of electrolyzed water treatment on the qualities of rice noodles prepared with semidry- milled rice flour, pasting properties and thermal properties of rice flour, and the cooking and textural properties of rice noodles were determined. Higher peak viscosity and lower melting enthalpy were observed in electrolyzed water (EW) treated rice flour. The hardness, gumminess and chewiness of rice noodle in slightly acidic electrolyzed water treated rice noodles with available chlorine concentration (ACC) 20.32 mg/L were increased significantly (p < 0.05). The cooking loss decreased significantly in strong acidic electrolyzed water treated noodles with ACC 10.09 mg/L treatment (p < 0.05). The results indicated that EW could promote the gelatinization of rice flour, and improve the textural qualities of rice noodles. Therefore EW was appropriate to be used in rice noodle production.

Anti-obesity effect of Lactobacillus plantarum CQPC01 by modulating lipid metabolism in high-fat diet-induced C57BL/6 mice.

Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are an important group of microorganisms in the food industry. LAB with health benefits are considered natural elements promoting consumer health. The study investigated the anti-obesity effects of Lactobacillus plantarum CQPC01 (LP-CQPC01) on high-fat diet-induced mice. Liver morphology, liver function indexes, lipid indexes, and inflammatory factors in the serum and liver were determined. Expressions of lipid metabolism-related gene were also detected by qPCR. LP-CQPC01 slowed the HFD-induced increase in body weight, decreased the organ indexes, alleviated hepatic lipid accumulation, and inhibited the increased adipose cell volume. LP-CQPC01 decreased lipid levels of serum and liver, and the contents of pro-inflammatory factors, and increased the IL-4 and IL-10 contents. LP-CQPC01 downregulated the expressions of the C/EBP-α and PPARγ mRNA and upregulated CYP7A1, CPT1, LPL, CAT, SOD1, and SOD2 mRNA. Our results indicated that LP-CQPC01 is a potential probiotic for preventing or alleviating high-energy intake-related lipid conditions. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: Obesity is a factor of a variety of cardiovascular diseases. Therefore, it is necessary to suppress the occurrence of fat accumulation in time. This study investigated the effect of LP-CQPC01 on lipid regulation in mice fed a high-fat diet (HFD) and clarified the mechanism of strain to alleviate obesity by enhancing the decomposition of cholesterol and detoxification of fat. LP-CQPC01 reduced fat accumulation without oxidative damage, and was confirmed by the attenuated pathological changes of liver. This research can serve as a significant reference for future research, prevention, and treatment of high-energy intake-related lipid conditions, and the development of functional foods with anti-obesity activity.

Regulating effect of Lactobacillus plantarum CQPC03 on lipid metabolism in high-fat diet-induced obesity in mice.

Probiotics are regard as safety approaches for preventing and treating some chronic diseases. This study investigated the regulating effect of Lactobacillus plantarum CQPC03 (LP-CQPC03) on lipid metabolism in high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obesity in mice. The results showed that administration of LP-CQPC03 at a concentration of 1.0 × 109  CFU/kg body weight inhibits HFD-induced obesity and improves lipid metabolism in the liver and serum. LP-CQPC03 intervention attenuated obesity-induced hepatic tissue damage, led decreases in hepatic triglyceride (42.02 mmol/gprot), total cholesterol (3.85 mmol/gprot), and LDL-C (1.03 mmol/gprot), and an increase in HDL-C (1.07 mmol/gprot). The same tendencies were observed in serum of HFD-fed mice. LP-CQPC03 intervention led a decrease in serum levels of aspartic transaminase, alanine transaminase, and alkaline phosphatase. LP-CQPC03 alleviated inflammation by increasing the level of interleukin (IL)-4 and IL-10, and decreasing the levels of pro-inflammatory factors, including IL-6, IL-1ß, tumor necrosis factor-α, and interferon-γ. LP-CQPC03 also increased activities of SOD and GSH-Px in liver significantly and dropped the hepatic malondialdehyde (MDA) level from 3.39 nmol/gprot to 1.90 nmol/gprot. RT-qPCR results showed that the lipid metabolism-improving effect of LP-CQPC03 was performed by upregulating the expression of carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1, lipoprotein lipase, catalase, and superoxide dismutase 1. This study indicates that L. plantarum CQPC03 might be a potential probiotic that can help mitigate the adverse effects of excessive lipids on the liver, and prevent or alleviate high-energy intake-related obesity. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: Intaking high-energy foods is a potential risk of lipid metabolic disorder. Therefore, it is necessary to seek an effective and safe approach for preventing the obesity-related disease. This study found that LP-CQPC03 limited the rate of increase in body weight of mice fed on HFD, maintained normal hepatic tissue morphology, and exhibited a strong regulating effect on lipid metabolism. And the threshold concentration of LP-CQPC03 for the lipid-lowering effect was 1.0 × 109  CFU/kg body weight. Therefore, LP-CQPC03 is a potential probiotic for preventing or alleviating high-energy intake-related obesity.

Wheat Gluten Regulates Cholesterol Metabolism by Modulating Gut Microbiota in Hamsters with Hyperlipidemia.

The objective of this research was to evaluate the effect of wheat gluten on gut microbiota from hamsters and also analyse whether alterations in microbiota could result in wheat gluten's lipid-lowering properties. Four weeks male hamsters were divided into 3 groups (n=10). Two hypercholesterolemic groups were fed for 35 days with hypercholesterolemic diet, containing 20% (w/w) wheat gluten or casein. Wheat gluten significantly reduced serum total cholesterol (TC), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) concentrations, and also decreased the liver total cholesterol (TC), free cholesterol (FC), cholesterol ester (CE), triglycerides (TG) concentrations. Wheat gluten group had a higher fecal lipids, total cholesterol (TC) and bile acids (BA) than that of casein group (p < 0.05). Moreover, wheat gluten significantly increased total short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) concentrations in feces. Sequencing of 16S rRNA gene revealed that intake of wheat gluten decreased the relative abundances of Firmicutes and Erysipelotrichaceae, but to increased the relative abundances of Bateroidetes, Bacteroidales_S24-7_group and Ruminococcaceae. The lipid lowering properties of wheat gluten was associated with the lower ratio of Firmicutes/Bateroidetes, the lower of the bacterial taxa Erysipelotrichaceae and the higher of the bacterial taxa Bacteroidales_S24-7_group and Ruminococcaceae. These results suggest that wheat gluten modulate cholesterol metabolism by altering intestinal microflora.

Effect of Oat and Tartary Buckwheat - Based Food on Cholesterol - Lowering and Gut Microbiota in Hypercholesterolemic Hamsters.

The nutritional components in oat and tartary buckwheat had been assessed to have cholesterollowering effects. However, The effect of oat and tartary buckwheat based-food (OF) on cholesterol-lowering and gut microbiota in hypercholesterole hamsters was still limited studied because they are usually consumed in whole gran as well as after being processed. In this study, normal diets, high fat diet (HFD) with/without OF were fed to hamsters for 30 days respectively and growth parameters, metabolic parameters, and gut microbiota were investigated, respectively. It was found that OF significantly decreased plasma total cholesterol (TC) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-cholesterol), lowered liver TC, cholesterol ester (CE), and triglycerides (TG) concentrations, and increased fecal weight and bile acids (BA) concentrations, compared with HFD (p < 0.05). Moreover, the concentrations of acetate, propionate, butyrate and total short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) were significantly increased in hamsters fed with OF, compared with HFD (p < 0.05). OF changed the overall structure of gut microbiota. The relative abundances of Erysipelotrichaceae, Ruminococcaceae, and Lachnospiraceae were decreased and the relative abundance of Eubacteriaceae was increased, compared with HFD. These results suggested that OF could reduce the concentrations of plasma lipid by inhibiting cholesterol absorption in liver and promoting excretions of fecal lipid and BA. And it also increased SCFAs and modulated the gut microbiota effectively to exert the hypocholesterolemic effects.

Bowel mesentery (meso-appendix) microcystic/reticular schwannoma: case report and literature review.

Microcystic/reticular schwannoma is a recently described variant of schwannoma with a predilection for the gastrointestinal tract. Due to overlapping features with other tumors, unawareness of this tumor type may lead to diagnostic and therapeutic pitfalls. We here report a case of microcystic/reticular schwannoma arising in the meso-appendix of a 43-year-old woman. The tumor was incidentally discovered by computed tomography scan for unrelated reasons. A laparoscopic operation was performed shortly after admission. Histological examination revealed a circumscribed tumor with a striking microcystic and cribriform architecture. Immunohistochemically, the tumor cells were diffusely positive for S100 protein, glial fibrillary acid protein and protein gene product 9.5, which were consistent with a peripheral nerve sheath tumor. The patient remains well with no signs of recurrence at a 10-mo follow-up. To our knowledge, this is the first case of microcystic/reticular schwannoma arising in the meso-appendix. Albeit very rare, microcystic/reticular schwannoma should be included in the differential diagnosis of appendiceal tumors.

A study of extraction process and in vitro antioxidant activity of total phenols from Rhizoma Imperatae.

The study investigated the extraction method of Rhizoma Imperatae and its antioxidant activity, and provided a basis for its rational development. The extraction method of Rhizoma Imperatae was determined using orthogonal design test and by total phenol content, its hydroxyl radical scavenging ability was measured by Fenton reaction, and potassium ferricyanide reduction method was used to determine its reducing power. The results showed that the optimum extraction process of Rhizoma Imperatae was a 50-fold volume of water, 30 °C, three times of extraction with 2 h each. Its IC50 for scavenging of hydroxyl radicals was 0.0948 mg/mL, while IC50 of ascorbic acid was 0.1096 mg/mL; in the ferricyanide considerable reduction method, the extract exhibited reducing power comparable to that of the ascorbic acid. The study concluded that Rhizoma Imperatae extract contains relatively large amount of polyphenols, and has a good anti-oxidation ability.

Population-based study on the prevalence of and risk factors for human papillomavirus infection in Qujing of Yunnan province, Southwest China.

BACKGROUND: Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection causes cervical cancer and premalignant lesions of the cervix. Prevalence of HPV infection and HPV genotypes vary among different regions. However there is no data on the prevalence of HPV infection and HPV genotypes from southwest China. This study was undertaken to determine the prevalence of and risk factors for HR-HPV infection in Qujing of Yunnan province, southwest China to provide comprehensive baseline data for future screening strategies. METHODS: A sample of 5936 women was chosen by the multi-stage stratified cluster sampling method with selection probabilities proportional to size (PPS). An epidemiological questionnaire was conducted via a face-to-face interview and cervical specimens were taken for HPV DNA testing by Digene Hybrid Capture 2 (HC2) test. HPV Genotyping Reverse Hybridization Test was used for HPV genotyping. Proportions were compared by Chi-squared tests, and logistic regression was utilized to evaluate risk factors. RESULTS: The median age was 38 years and the inter-quartile range was from 31 years to 47 years. 97.3% of the study population was Han nationality. Overall prevalence of HR-HPV infection was 8.3% (494/5936) and bimodal age distribution of HPV infection was observed. The five most prevalent HR-HPV genotypes were HPV-16(3.4%), HPV-56(1.7%), HPV-58(1.4%), HPV-33(1.2%) and HPV-52(0.88%). Multiple HPV infections were identified in 50.5% (208/412) of the positive genotyping specimens. Multivariate logistic regression model indicated that parity (OR = 1.35, 95% CI: 1.18-1.53, p < 0.0001) was a risk factor for HR-HPV infection, and age of 50-65 years (OR = 0.60, 95% CI: 0.45-0.80, p = 0.0005), being married or in stable relationship (OR = 0.55, 95% CI: 0.31-0.96, p = 0.035) were protective factors. CONCLUSIONS: This study provided baseline data on HR-HPV prevalence in the general female population in Qujing of Yunnan province, southwest China. The finding of multiple HPV infections and bimodal age distribution revealed that HPV screening is necessary for perimenopausal women in future.

Population-based case-control study on DAPK1, RAR-ß2 and MGMT methylation in liquid-based cytology.

OBJECTIVE: Methylated genes have the potential to provide a new generation of cancer biomarkers. The aim of this study was to investigate: (1) the promoter methylation status of DAPK1, RAR-ß2 and MGMT in randomly selected normal cytology of the general female population; (2) the effectiveness of gene methylation in liquid-based cytology to help in the early diagnosis of HSIL; (3) the relationship between HPV infection and gene methylation. METHODS: Methylation of DAPK1, RAR-ß2 and MGMT in 667 cervical samples with 331 cases of abnormal cytology and 336 randomly selected normal cytology controls was detected by methylation-specific PCR and denaturing high-performance liquid chromatography method (MSP-DHPLC). The methylation frequencies of each gene were compared. RESULTS: Methylation frequencies for MGMT, RAR-ß2 and DAPK1 in normal cytology were 36.9, 42.0 and 46.7%, respectively. There was a trend toward increasing methylation frequency for any gene with age (p = 0.0133). Among abnormal cytology, there was a trend toward increasing number of methylation of any gene with severity of cytology grade (r = 0.1178, p = 0.0026). Methylation frequencies for MGMT and RAR-ß2 among cytology of each grade were significantly different (χ ( 2 ) = 6.8976, p = 0.0086; χ ( 2 ) = 33.2477, p < 0.0001), and methylation frequencies for RAR-ß2 in ASC were significantly higher than that in negative cytology (χ ( 2 ) = 8.7128, p = 0.0032). The relationship between MGMT, RAR-ß2 and DAPK1 gene methylation and HPV infection was not found. CONCLUSION: This study reported methylation frequencies for MGMT, RAR-ß2 and DAPK1 in normal cytology of the general female population. The combination of MGMT methylation, cytology and HPV infection is preferable for early detection of CIN2+ in cytology samples. There was no relationship between MGMT, RAR-ß2 and DAPK1 gene methylation and HPV infection.

Age-specific prevalence of human papillomavirus by grade of cervical cytology in Tibetan women.

BACKGROUND: Human papillomavirus (HPV) is believed to be the most common sexually transmitted infection. However, little is known about the prevalence and distribution of HPV types in China. We aimed to assess the prevalence and the distribution of HPV types as well as risks for abnormal cervical cytology in women who reside in the Tibetan Autonomous Region of China. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was performed involving a sample of 3036 women. An epidemiological questionnaire was applied and cervical specimens were obtained for liquid-based cytology and HPV DNA detection. Statistical analysis included chi-square and Logistic regression model. RESULTS: In this population, 3.66% (111/3036) had atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance (ASCUS), 1.45% (44/3036) low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (LSIL) and 1.09% (33/3036) had high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (HSIL). Tibetan women (5.74%, 137/2387) exhibited lower abnormal cytology rates than non-Tibetan women (8.01%, 52/649, P = 0.03). The overall prevalence of HPV infection was 9.19% (279/3036). We failed to identify any differences in HPV prevalence by age. In the groups with normal, ASCUS, LSIL and HSIL, the overall HPV prevalences were 7.41% (211/2847), 24.32% (27/111), 56.82% (25/44) and 45.45% (15/33), respectively. HPV 16 (1.52%, 46/3036) was the most common type, and was also the most prevalent in women with ASCUS (8.11%, 9/111) and HSIL (15.15%, 5/33). The most common HPV type for Tibetan women was HPV 16 (1.42%, 34/2387), whereas for non-Tibetan individuals it was HPV 33 (2.31%, 15/649). Of the 279 HPV-infected women, 40 individuals (14.34%) presented with multiple HPV positivity. Women who had two pregnancies were more likely to have abnormal cytology smear (OR = 1.67; 95%CI: 1.07 - 2.61). CONCLUSIONS: A low prevalence of HPV positivity was observed in women who reside in the Tibetan Autonomous Region of China. The prevalence of abnormal cervical cytology and HPV type distributions were different between Tibetan and non-Tibetan women.

[Prevalence of human papillomavirus infection in women in Tibet Autonomous Region of China.].

OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence of cervical type-specific human papillomavirus (HPV) infection as well as risk factors associated in Tibet Autonomous Region of China. METHODS: A cluster sampling study was performed in Lasa, Rikaze and Naqu of Tibet. An epidemiological questionnaire was applied and 3036 cervical specimens were obtained for liquid-based cytology and HPV DNA detection. Statistical analysis included Wald Chi-square and stepwise logistic regression model. RESULTS: The overall HPV prevalence of involved 3036 women was 9.19% (279/3036), of which 7.05% (214/3036) of the women were infected by high-risk types (including 14 sorts of types) and 2.14% (65/3036) by low-risk types (including 6 sorts of types). There were no significant differences of HPV prevalence between age groups (P = 0.936), race (P = 0.718) and areas (P = 0.746), respectively. Twenty-one types of HPV were detected, of which HPV16 (1.52%) was the most common type, followed by HPV33 (1.42%), HPV58 (1.22%), HPV52 (1.15%), and HPV31 (1.05%). HPV type distribution was varied by age. Of the 279 HPV infected women, 14.3% (40/279) exhibited multiple HPV infections. Independent risk factors for HPV infection were smoking (P = 0.027), number of sex partners (P = 0.198) and early age of first intercourse (P = 0.237). CONCLUSION: The overall prevalence of HPV infection in Tibet Autonomous Region is lower than that in China or abroad, in which the most common genotype is HPV16 and the independent risk factors for HPV infection included early age of first intercourse, smoking, and number of sex partners.

Strong hyperon-nucleon pairing in neutron stars.

We explore the possibilities of hyperon-nucleon pairing, involving lambda or sigma- hyperons, using different Nijmegen hyperon-nucleon potentials. We find possible very large nsigma- gaps and estimate their relevance for neutron star physics.