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21 pages, 2618 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Anxiolytic, Antidepression, and Memory-Enhancing Effects of the Novel Instant Soup RJ6601 in the Middle-Aged of Female Rats

by Rujikan Chaisanam, Jintanaporn Wattanathorn, Wipawee Thukham-mee, Nawanant Piyavhatkul and Pongsatorn Paholpak

Foods 2024, 13(14), 2170; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods13142170 - 9 Jul 2024

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1417

Abstract

Due to the health benefits of polyphenols and dietary fiber in combating mental disorders, we hypothesized that a polyphenol- and dietary fiber-enriched soup (RJ6601) would improve mental wellness in a rat model of middle-aged women. To test this hypothesis, female Wistar rats aged 18 months (350–450 g) were orally administered RJ6601 at doses of 200 and 400 mg/kg BW for 28 days. The anxiolytic, antidepression, and memory-enhancing effects were assessed every 7 days throughout the study period. The neuron density and levels of activities of AChE, total MAO, MAO-A, MAO-B, MDA, SOD, CAT, GSH-Px, IL-1β, IL-6, and BDNF in the prefrontal cortex at the end of study were also investigated. Furthermore, the amounts of Lactobacillus spp. and Bifidobacterium spp. in their feces were also determined. The results revealed that the developed soup shows anxiolytic, antidepression, and memory-enhancing effects. An increased neuron density; reductions in AChE, total MAO, MAO-A, MAO-B, and MDA; and an elevation of serum BDNF, together with increased amounts of both bacterial species in feces, were also observed. Our results suggest that RJ6601 is a potential mental wellness promotion supplement that enhances BDNF levels, brain plasticity, neurotransmitter balance, and oxidative stress and inflammation status, along with improving microbiota. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Functional Food Used for Regulating Inflammation and Metabolism in Chronic Diseases)

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22 pages, 9750 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Arc-Mediated Synaptic Plasticity Regulates Cognitive Function in a Migraine Mouse Model

by Luyu Hu, Qiaoyu Gong, Yanjie Zhou, Yajuan Wang, Tao Qiu, Yuting Fang, Wanbin Huang, Jingjing Liang and Zheman Xiao

Brain Sci. 2023, 13(2), 331; https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci13020331 - 15 Feb 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2822

Abstract

Previous clinical and basic studies have shown that migraine is associated with cognitive impairment, anxiety, and depression. It severely affects the quality of life. In this study, C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into four groups: IS group, IS+M group, and IS+S group with repeated application of dural inflammatory soup (IS) stimulation to establish a migraine model, followed by PBS, memantine, and sumatriptan interventions, respectively; the blank control group underwent the same treatment procedure but with PBS instead of IS and intervention drugs. The cognitive function of the mice was used as the main outcome indicator. After application of the IS, mice showed reduced pain threshold for mechanical stimulation, decreased learning memory capacity, attention deficit, a reduced number of dendritic spines in hippocampal neurons, and altered synaptic ultrastructure. The cognitive function indexes of mice in the IS+M group recovered with changes in Arc protein expression to a level not statistically different from that of the Control group, while the IS and IS+S groups remained at lower levels. The present results suggest that Arc-mediated synaptic plasticity may be an essential mechanism of cognitive dysfunction in migraine. Full article

(This article belongs to the Section Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience)

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9 pages, 2107 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Developing Edible Starch Film Used for Packaging Seasonings in Instant Noodles

by Hui Chen, Mahafooj Alee, Ying Chen, Yinglin Zhou, Mao Yang, Amjad Ali, Hongsheng Liu, Ling Chen and Long Yu

Foods 2021, 10(12), 3105; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods10123105 - 14 Dec 2021

Cited by 17 | Viewed by 6357

Abstract

Edible starch-based film was developed for packaging seasoning applied in instant noodles. The edible film can quickly dissolve into hot water so that the seasoning bag can mix in the soup of instant noodles during preparation. To meet the specific requirements of the packaging, such as reasonable high tensile properties, ductility under arid conditions, and low gas permeability, hydroxypropyl cornstarch with various edible additives from food-grade ingredients were applied to enhance the functionality of starch film. In this work, xylose was used as a plasticizer, cellulose crystals were used as a reinforcing agent, and laver was used to decrease gas permeability. The microstructures, interface, and compatibility of various components and film performance were investigated using an optical microscope under polarized light, scanning electron microscope, gas permeability, and tensile testing. The relationship was established between processing methodologies, microstructures, and performances. The results showed that the developed starch-based film have a modulus of 960 MPa, tensile strength of 36 Mpa with 14% elongation, and water vapor permeability less than 5.8 g/m².h under 20% RH condition at room temperature (25 °C), which meets the general requirements of the flavor bag packaging used in instant noodles. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Frontiers on Sustainable Food Packaging)

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11 pages, 570 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Comparing Meal Satisfaction Based on Different Types of Tableware: An Experimental Study of Japanese Cuisine Culture

by Tomoko Hasegawa and Nobuyuki Sakai

Foods 2021, 10(7), 1546; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods10071546 - 4 Jul 2021

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 5318

Abstract

In Japan, as in other countries, the externalization of food preparation is increasing. Japanese people are interested in the combination of food and tableware and they are concerned about transferring ready-made meals from plastic containers to natural tableware. This study aimed to examine the varying evaluations of meals due to differences in tableware. In this study, we investigated the effect of tableware on meal satisfaction, which is emphasized in Japanese culture. We studied the difference in the evaluation of ready-made meals (a rice ball, salad, croquette, and corn soup) before, during, and after a meal under two conditions: plastic tableware and natural wooden tableware. The results showed that there was no difference in the perceptual evaluation of taste and texture during the meal, except for the color of the salad and the temperature of the soup. On the other hand, meals served on natural wooden tableware were rated more positively than those served on plastic tableware before and after meals. These results suggest that, in Japan, the use of tableware, even for ready-made meals, increases the level of meal satisfaction. These findings have implications for both the providers and consumers of ready-made meals as well as the food industry. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Studying of Human Eating and Drinking Behaviors for Novel Foods/Beverages)

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11 pages, 2766 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Plastic Hotspot Mapping in Urban Water Systems

by Paolo Tasseron, Hestia Zinsmeister, Liselotte Rambonnet, Auke-Florian Hiemstra, Daniël Siepman and Tim van Emmerik

Geosciences 2020, 10(9), 342; https://doi.org/10.3390/geosciences10090342 - 29 Aug 2020

Cited by 39 | Viewed by 9034

Abstract

Reducing plastic pollution in rivers, lakes, and oceans is beneficial to aquatic animals and human livelihood. To achieve this, reliable observations of the abundance, spatiotemporal variation, and composition of plastics in aquatic ecosystems are crucial. Current efforts mainly focus on collecting data on the open ocean, on beaches and coastlines, and in river systems. Urban areas are the main source of plastic leakage into the natural environment, yet data on plastic pollution in urban water systems are scarce. In this paper, we present a simple method for plastic hotspot mapping in urban water systems. Through visual observations, macroplastic abundance and polymer categories are determined. Due to its simplicity, this method is suitable for citizen science data collection. A first application in the Dutch cities of Leiden and Wageningen showed similar mean plastic densities (111–133 items/km canal) and composition (75–80% soft plastics), but different spatial distributions. These observations emphasize the importance of long-term data collection to further understand and quantify spatiotemporal variations of plastics in urban water systems. In turn, this will support improved estimates of the contribution of urban areas to the plastic pollution of rivers and oceans. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Understanding Plastic Pollution in Freshwater Environments)

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53 pages, 11979 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperReview

Enzymatic Synthesis of Biobased Polyesters and Polyamides

by Yi Jiang and Katja Loos

Polymers 2016, 8(7), 243; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym8070243 - 25 Jun 2016

Cited by 208 | Viewed by 45490

Abstract

Nowadays, “green” is a hot topic almost everywhere, from retailers to universities to industries; and achieving a green status has become a universal aim. However, polymers are commonly considered not to be “green”, being associated with massive energy consumption and severe pollution problems (for example, the “Plastic Soup”) as a public stereotype. To achieve green polymers, three elements should be entailed: (1) green raw materials, catalysts and solvents; (2) eco-friendly synthesis processes; and (3) sustainable polymers with a low carbon footprint, for example, (bio)degradable polymers or polymers which can be recycled or disposed with a gentle environmental impact. By utilizing biobased monomers in enzymatic polymerizations, many advantageous green aspects can be fulfilled. For example, biobased monomers and enzyme catalysts are renewable materials that are derived from biomass feedstocks; enzymatic polymerizations are clean and energy saving processes; and no toxic residuals contaminate the final products. Therefore, synthesis of renewable polymers via enzymatic polymerizations of biobased monomers provides an opportunity for achieving green polymers and a future sustainable polymer industry, which will eventually play an essential role for realizing and maintaining a biobased and sustainable society. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Enzymatic Polymer Synthesis)

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20 pages, 2679 KiB

Open AccessReview

Coupled Folding and Specific Binding: Fishing for Amphiphilicity

by Vikas P. Jain and Raymond S. Tu

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2011, 12(3), 1431-1450; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms12031431 - 24 Feb 2011

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 11903

Abstract

Proteins are uniquely capable of identifying targets with unparalleled selectivity, but, in addition to the precision of the binding phenomenon, nature has the ability to find its targets exceptionally quickly. Transcription factors for instance can bind to a specific sequence of nucleic acids from a soup of similar, but not identical DNA strands, on a timescale of seconds. This is only possible with the enhanced kinetics provided for by a natively disordered structure, where protein folding and binding are cooperative processes. The secondary structures of many proteins are disordered under physiological conditions. Subsequently, the disordered structures fold into ordered structures only when they bind to their specific targets. Induced folding of the protein has two key biological advantages. First, flexible unstructured domains can result in an intrinsic plasticity that allows them to accommodate targets of various size and shape. And, second, the dynamics of this folding process can result in enhanced binding kinetics. Several groups have hypothesized the acceleration of binding kinetics is due to induced folding where a “fly-casting” effect has been shown to break the diffusion-limited rate of binding. This review describes experimental results in rationally designed peptide systems where the folding is coupled to amphiphilicity and biomolecular activity. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Molecular Recognition)

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