Vitamin B6 and Lipid Contents in Engraulisjaponica Specifically Caught for Production of Japanese Soup Stock

The purpose of this study was to elucidate the relationship between percentage of body lipid and individual vitamin B6 contents in the anchovy used for production of Japanese soup stock. The contents of individual vitamin B6 compound in foods should be determined to estimate the functionality of foods. Anchovies （Engraulisjaponica） for use as production of iriko, which is a raw material for preparation of Japanese soup stock, were caught using a medium-sized purse seine on May 26th, June 1st, and July 6th 2011 in Tachibana Bay, Nagasaki, Japan. Vitamin B6 contents were analyzed by 4-pyridoxolacone-coversion （all-enzymatic） HPLC. The relationship between body length, lipid content and the individual contents of vitamin B6 compounds in the anchovies was determined. The propriety of anchovies for iriko preparation could not be estimated based on the appearance of length of fishes. The anchovies were rich in vitamin B6, especially pyridoxamine 5＇-phosphate, which may prevent diabetic complications. The percentage of body lipid significantly showed a negative correlation with the content of pyridoxamine 5＇-phosphate. The contents of the other vitamin B6 compounds did not show the significant correlation with the percentage of body lipid.

Involvement of Cbl-b-mediated macrophage inactivation in insulin resistance

Aging and overnutrition cause obesity in rodents and humans. It is well-known that obesity causes various diseases by producing insulin resistance(IR). Macrophages infiltrate the adipose tissue(AT) of obese individuals and cause chronic low-level inflammation associated with IR. Macrophage infiltration is regulated by the chemokines that are released from hypertrophied adipocytes and the immune cells in AT. Saturated fatty acids are recognized by toll-like receptor 4(TLR4) and induce inflammatory responses in AT macrophages(ATMs). The inflammatory cytokines that are released from activated ATMs promote IR in peripheral organs, such as the liver, skeletal muscle and AT. Therefore, ATM activation is a therapeutic target for IR in obesity. The ubiquitin ligase Casitas b-lineage lymphoma-b(Cbl-b) appears to potently suppress macrophage migration and activation. Cbl-b is highly expressed in leukocytes and negatively regulates signals associated with migration and activation. Cbl-b deficiency enhances ATM accumulation and IR in aging- and diet-induced obese mice. Cbl-b inhibits migration-related signals and SFA-induced TLR4 signaling in ATMs. Thus, targeting Cbl-b may be a potential therapeutic strategy to reduce the IR induced by ATM activation. In this review, we summarize the regulatory functions of Cbl-b in ATMs.

Possible Application of the Medicinal Plant Hyoscyamus albus in Phytoremediation: Excess Copper Compensates for Iron Deficiency, Depending on the Light Conditions

Seedlings of the medicinal plant Hyoscyamus albus were supplied with an excess of Cu to examine the possible application in phytoremediation. The seedlings were cultured in B5 medium supplied with basal 0.1 μM Cu and 200 μM Cu under various light conditions: short day (SD);long day (LD);and continuous light (CL). In addition, the effect of supplying 200 μM Cu under Fe deficiency was determined, in order to elucidate the interaction between Cu and Fe. Interestingly, Fe-deficiency symptoms that developed in plants grown with basic levels of Cu under LD almost disappeared when excess Cu was supplied. Plant growth mainly depended on the photo irradiation period (SD < LD^CL);and 200 μM Cu did not inhibit growth at all when Fe was available, whereas in the absence of Fe, CL caused damage to growth. Analysis of the Cu and Fe contents of the plants revealed that Cu was distributed equally in both the aerial parts and roots, whereas most of the Fe was found in the roots;under Fe deficiency, Cu accumulation in the roots apparently increased. Cu was mainly distributed in the soluble fraction, which included vacuoles and the cell-wall fraction. These results provide evidence indicating that H. albus seedlings are tolerant of Cu present in excess. Furthermore, excess Cu was able to compensate for Fe deficiency, depending on the light conditions. Continuous light inhibited this effect, probably as a result of the induction of Mn deficiency. The possible applications of this newly discovered cuprophyte are discussed.