Orange juice affects acylcarnitine metabolism in healthy volunteers as revealed by a mass-spectrometry based metabolomics approach.

Citrus juices, especially orange juice, constitute rich sources of bioactive compounds with a wide range of health-promoting activities. Data from epidemiological and in vitro studies suggest that orange juice (OJ) may have a positive impact on lipid metabolism. However, the effect of orange juice intake on blood lipid profile is still poorly understood. We have used two different blood samples, Dried Blood Spots (DBS) and plasma, to assess the effect of two-week orange juice consumption in healthy volunteers by a mass-spectrometry based metabolomics approach. DBS were analysed by liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LC-MS) and plasma samples were analysed by the gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS). One hundred sixty-nine lipids including acylcarnitines (AC), lysophosphatidylcholines (LysoPC), (diacyl- and acyl-alkyl-) phosphatidylcholines (PC aa and PC ae) and sphingomyelins (SM) were identified and quantified in DBS. Eighteen fatty acids were identified and quantified in plasma. Multivariate analysis allowed to identify an increase in C3:1, C5-DC(C6-OH), C5-M-DC, C5:1-DC, C8, C12-DC, lysoPC18:3, myristic acid, pentadecanoic acid, palmitoleic and palmitic acid and a decrease in nervonic acid, C0, C2, C10, C10:1, C16:1, C16-OH, C16:1-OH, C18-OH, PC aa C40:4, PC ae C38:4, PC ae C42:3, PC ae C42:4 and cholesterol levels after orange juice intake. A two-week period of orange juice intake could affect fatty acids ß-oxidation through mitochondrial and peroxisomal pathways, leading to an increase of short-chain acylcarnitines and a decrease of medium and long-chain acylcarnitines. This is the first report analyzing the effect of orange juice intake in healthy volunteers using a dried blood spot-based metabolomics approach.

Clinical effect of bicyclol combined with polyene phosphatidyl choline in elderly non-alcoholic fatty liver disease / 中国医师进修杂志

Objective To observe the clinical effect of bicyclol combined with polyene phosphatidyl choline in elderly non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).Methods One hundred and twenty elderly patients with NAFLD were divided into 3 groups by block randomization method,40 cases in each group.Therapeutic group was treated by bicyclol combined with polyene phosphatidyl choline; bicyclol group was only treated by bicyclol; and polyene phosphatidyl choline group was only treated by polyene phosphatidyl choline.The blood biochemical indexes,liver ultrasound score and clinical curative effect of 3 groups were compared after treated for 24 weeks.Results The total cholesterol (TC),triglyceride (TG),alanine aminotransferase (ALT),aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and gamma glutamine transferase (GGT) in 3 groups after treatment were lower than those before treatment,and the difference was statistically significant (P ＜ 0.05) ; TC,TG and ALT levels in therapeutic group after treatment were significantly lower than those in bicyclol group and polyene phosphatidyl choline group [(1.36 ± 0.84) mmol/L vs.(2.77 ± 1.27),(2.84 ±1.35) mmol/L; (1.32 ±0.71) mmol/L vs.(1.89 ±0.87),(1.92 ±0.90) mmol/L; (38.26 ± 12.75) U/L vs.(57.83 ± 16.67),(62.07 ± 18.16) U/L],and the difference was statistically significant (P ＜ 0.05).The liver ultrasound score in 3 groups after treatment was significantly decreased compared with that before treatment,and the difference was statistically significant (P ＜ 0.05).Liver ultrasound scores in therapeutic group after treatment were significantly lower than those in bicyclol group and polyene phosphatidyl choline group [(2.08 ± 0.93) scores vs.(3.17 ± 1.14),(3.34 ± 1.07) scores],and the difference was statistically significant (P ＜ 0.05).The total effective rate in therapeutic group was significantly higher than that in bicyclol group and polyene phosphatidyl choline group [85.0％ (34/40) vs.67.5％ (27/40),65.0％ (26/40)],and the difference was statistically significant (P ＜0.05).Conclusions Bicyclol combined with polyene phosphatidyl choline has better clinical effect in elderly patients with NAFLD.It is better than single bicyclol and polyene phosphatidyl choline and worth clinical promotion.