Dietary (poly)phenol intake is associated with cardiometabolic health parameters in adolescents

The protective role of(poly)phenols against metabolic disorders has been extensively studied in adults but not in adolescents.To assess associations of dietary(poly)phenols and their subclasses with cardiometabolic health parameters in adolescents.A cross-sectional study was conducted in 944 individuals aged 11–14 years enrolled in the SI!Program for Secondary Schools trial(NCT03504059).(Poly)phenol intake was assessed using semiquantitative food frequency questionnaires and the Phenol-Explorer database.The measured cardiometabolic parameters were waist circumference(WC)age-sex Z-score,blood pressure(BP)age-sex Z-score,blood glucose(BG),triglycerides(TG),and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol(HDL-c).Multilevel mixedeffect linear regression models were applied to examine the association between(poly)phenol quintiles and cardiometabolic health parameters.Compared to the lowest quintile,adolescents in the highest quintile of total(poly)phenol intake had lower WC Z-scores,mean arterial pressure Z-scores,and HDL-c after multivariable adjustment.The WC Z-scores and HDL-c were lower in the highest quintile of flavonoid intake compared to the lowest quintile.The highest quintile of phenolic acid intake was associated with a lower WC Z-score and TG levels,and the highest quintile of stilbene intake with lower BG and TG,and with higher HDL-c compared to the lowest quintile.A higher intake of(poly)phenols,especially flavonoids,phenolic acids,and stilbenes,was associated with better cardiometabolic parameters in adolescents.

Expression of miR‑138 in cryopreserved bovine sperm is related to their fertility potential

Background MicroRNAs(miRNAs)are small,single-stranded,non-coding RNA molecules of 22–24 nucleotides that regulate gene expression.In the last decade,miRNAs have been described in sperm of several mammals,including cattle.It is known that miRNAs can act as key gene regulators of early embryogenesis in mice and humans;however,little is known about the content,expression,and function of sperm-borne miRNAs in early bovine embryo.In this study,total sperm RNA was isolated from 29 cryopreserved sperm samples(each coming from a separate bull)using a RNeasy kit and treatment with DNase I.RNA concentration and purity were determined through an Epoch spectrophotometer and an Agilent Bioanalyzer.The expression of 10 candidate miRNAs in bovine sperm(bta-miR-10a,bta-miR-10b,bta-miR-138,bta-miR-146b,bta-miR-19b,bta-miR-26a,bta-miR-34a,bta-miR-449a,bta-miR-495 and btamiR-7),previously identified in testis and/or epididymis,was evaluated with RT-qPCR.The cel-miR-39-3p was used as a spike-in exogenous control.Nonparametric Mann–Whitney tests were run to evaluate which miRNAs were differentially expressed between bulls with high fertility[HF;non-return rates(NRR)ranging from 39.5 to 43.5]and those with subfertility(SF;NRR ranging from 33.3 to 39.3).Several sperm functionality parameters(e.g.,viability,membrane stability or oxygen consumption,among others)were measured by multiplexing flow cytometry and oxygen sensing technologies.Results RNA concentration and purity(260/280 nm ratio)(mean±SD)from the 29 samples were 99.3±84.6 ng/μL and 1.97±0.72,respectively.Bioanalyzer results confirmed the lack of RNA from somatic cells.In terms of the presence or absence of miRNAs,and after applying the Livak method,8 out of 10 miRNAs(bta-miR-10b,-138,-146b,-19b,-26a,-449a,-495,-7)were consistently detected in bovine sperm,whereas the other two(bta-miR-10a,and-34a)were absent.Interestingly,the relative expression of one miRNA(bta-miR-138)in sperm was significantly lower in the SF than in the HF group(P=0.038).In addition to being associated to fertility potential,the presence of this miRNA was found to be negatively correlated with sperm oxygen consumption.The expression of three other miRNAs(bta-miR-19b,bta-miR-26a and bta-miR-7)was also correlated with sperm function variables.Conclusions In conclusion,although functional validation studies are required to confirm these results,this study suggests that sperm bta-miR-138 is involved in fertilization events and beyond,and supports its use as a fertility biomarker in cattle.

In-vitro gastrointestinal digestion of functional cookies enriched with chestnut shells extract:Effects on phenolic composition,bioaccessibility,bioactivity,andα-amylase inhibition

Chestnut(Castanea sativa)shells(CS)are an appealing source of antioxidants.In previous studies,the research team validated a nutraceutical extract from CS,recovered by an eco-friendly technology,by in-vitro and in-vivo assays,and developed functional cookies enriched with this extract.This study attempts,for the first time,to investigate the impact of the in-vitro gastrointestinal digestion in the phenolic composition,bioaccessibility,antioxidant/antiradical properties,andα-amylase inhibition of CS extract-enriched cookies.The outcomes revealed higher polyphenols concentrations retained after intestinal digestion,endorsing its better antioxidant,antiradical,and hypoglycemic properties.The phenolics recovery enhanced in the following order:oral<gastric<intestinal phases,achieving 93.50%of maximum bioaccessibility and unveiling a protective effect of the cookie matrix and slow phenolics release during digestion.Regardless the identical composition in phenolic acids,changes in their concentrations were attested between digested and undigested cookies.Multivariate analysis predicted the outstanding contribution of polyphenols to the bioactivity of cookies.This study high-lighted the valorization of CS as nutraceutical ingredient for functional cookies,proving its efficacy after in-vitro digestion.