Search Results (4)

Background and objectives: Chronological age (CA) may not accurately reflect the health status of an individual. Rather, biological age (BA) or hypothetical underlying “functional” age has been proposed as a relevant indicator of healthy aging. Diets high in polyphenol-rich foods, such as the Mediterranean diet, were inversely associated with biological aging in several cohorts. However, the nutritional content is only one aspect of overall food health potential, and increasing attention should be paid to non-nutrient food characteristics, such as food processing. Ultra-processed foods (UPFs) are mostly industrial formulations designed to maximize palatability and consumption through a combination of calorie-dense ingredients and chemical additives, and have been consistently associated with the increased risk of premature mortality and diseases. We therefore examined the association of UPF with biological aging. Methods: A cross-sectional analysis of a sub-cohort of 4510 subjects (aged ≥35 years; 52.0% women) enrolled in the Moli-sani Study (2005–2010). Food intake was assessed using a 188-item food frequency questionnaire. UPF was defined according to the Nova classification and calculated as the ratio (%) of UPF (g/d) to total food consumed (g/d), and categorized into sex-specific quintiles. Diet quality was assessed using the Food Standards Agency Nutrient Profiling System (FSAm-NPS) dietary index. A Deep Neural Network approach based on 36 circulating biomarkers was used to compute BA, and the resulting difference (∆age = BA−CA) was tested as a dependent variable in multivariable linear regression analyses including known risk factors. Results: The mean CA (SD) was 55.6 y (±11.6 years), BA 54.8 y (±8.6 years), and ∆age −0.77 (±7.7). In multivariable-adjusted analyses also including the FSAm-NPS dietary index, a higher intake of UPF consumption was directly associated with accelerated biological aging (β = 0.61; 95%CI 0.05 to 1.17 for Q5 vs. Q1). Discussion: High UPF consumption was directly associated with a blood-markers-based measure of biological aging, independent of overall diet quality. These findings suggest that biological aging could be influenced by non-nutrient food characteristics (e.g., altered food matrix, contact materials and neoformed compounds). Longitudinal studies are warranted to examine whether accelerated biological aging could fall on the pathway between UPF consumption and chronic disease onset. Full article

The search for an animal model to evaluate the allergenic potential of processed food products is still ongoing. Both the sensitization to ovalbumin (OVA) in different structural states and the allergic response triggered after intragastric or food challenges were assessed. BALB/c mice were sensitized intraperitoneally to OVA (50 µg) in different structural states (native OVA, N-OVA; denatured OVA, D-OVA; formaldehyde- and lysine-treated OVA, FK-OVA; denatured OVA-FK, OVA-DFK; peptides from pepsin digestion, Pep-OVA). Anti-OVA-specific IgE responses were evaluated using ELISA. Anaphylactic signs and mMCP-1 serum levels were evaluated after intragastric (2.0 mg/OVA) and food (0.41 mg/OVA) challenges. IgE reactivities to N-OVA and D-OVA were similar among groups (p > 0.05). After the challenges, all OVA-sensitized mice developed mild to severe anaphylactic signs (p < 0.05 vs. control). Mice sensitized to N-OVA and D-OVA had the highest mMCP-1 serum levels after challenges (p < 0.05 vs. control). Allergic responses were similar despite the different OVA doses used for the challenges. The N-OVA-sensitized murine model of egg allergy proposed in the present study holds the potential for evaluating the impact of food matrix composition and processing on the threshold of egg-allergic responses. Full article

An accurate and simple HPLC-UV method has been developed for the determination of clonidine in mouse plasma. A reversed phase C18 Nova Pack^® column (125 mm × 4.6 mm i.d., × 3 μm particle size) was used as stationary phase. The mobile phase composition was a mixture of 0.1% diethylamine/acetonitrile (70:30, v/v) at pH 8 in an isocratic mode at flow rate was 1.0 mL/min. Detection was set at 210 nm. Tizanidine was used as an internal standard. The clonidine and tizanidine were extracted from plasma matrix using the deproteinization technique. The developed method exhibited a linear calibration range 100.0–2000 ng/mL and the lower limit of detection (LOD) and quantification (LOQ) were 31.0 and 91.9 ng/mL, respectively. The intra-day and inter-day accuracy and precision of the method were within 8.0% and 3.0%, respectively, relative to the nominal concentration. The developed method was validated with respect to linearity, accuracy, precision, and selectivity according to the US Food and drug guideline. Minimal degradation was demonstrated during the determination of clonidine under different stability conditions. The suggested method has been successfully applied during a pharmacokinetic study of clonidine in mouse plasma. Full article

This review compiles information regarding the use of alginate, and in particular alginate hydrogels, in culturing cells in 3D. Knowledge of alginate chemical structure and functionality are shown to be important parameters in design of alginate-based matrices for cell culture. Gel elasticity as well as hydrogel stability can be impacted by the type of alginate used, its concentration, the choice of gelation technique (ionic or covalent), and divalent cation chosen as the gel inducing ion. The use of peptide-coupled alginate can control cell–matrix interactions. Gelation of alginate with concomitant immobilization of cells can take various forms. Droplets or beads have been utilized since the 1980s for immobilizing cells. Newer matrices such as macroporous scaffolds are now entering the 3D cell culture product market. Finally, delayed gelling, injectable, alginate systems show utility in the translation of in vitro cell culture to in vivo tissue engineering applications. Alginate has a history and a future in 3D cell culture. Historically, cells were encapsulated in alginate droplets cross-linked with calcium for the development of artificial organs. Now, several commercial products based on alginate are being used as 3D cell culture systems that also demonstrate the possibility of replacing or regenerating tissue. Full article