Computer-generated vegan menus: The importance of food composition database choice

Precise data on food chemical composition is crucial for any quantitative nutrition research and indispensable for evaluation and planning of computer-based menus. Moreover, exact food chemical composition is of the utmost importance in composing specific diets that may be low in certain essential nutrients. Therefore, this research evaluated a weekly vegan menu using three different food composition databases (FCDB): the Croatian, the official Danish Food Composition Database and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) – National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference. Significant differences (p < 0.05) were determined in evaluated and optimised offers for the same menu when using different FCDBs. Furthermore, in these menus quantities of some nutrients have not reached official daily recommendations needed for prevention of non-communicable diseases. In this research, new vegan menus that can provide adequate quantity of essential nutrients, regardless of FCDB utilized, were created with linear optimisation (LO). This resulted in high quality daily menu offers. However, depending on the FCDB that was used, optimal menus differed in daily meal combinations, and the effectiveness of the optimisation in the minimisation of differences caused by differences of data in FCDBs was tested. Linear optimisation has been proved to be an effective tool in planning of specific diets, such as vegan diets. Nonetheless, the quality of computer-planned menus depends heavily on the quality of FCDB used.     

安息香药材化学成分、药理作用研究进展及质量标志物预测分析＊

安息香为安息香科白花树Styrax tonkinensis （Pierre） Craib ex Hart.的干燥树脂，主要化学成分为香脂酸类和三萜类物质，及少数木脂素类物质，其中香脂酸类化合物是其主要活性成分。安息香主要药理活性有抗炎解热、抗肿瘤、血脑屏障保护等。本文对安息香药材的化学成分和药理作用进行了综述，并从多角度分析预测了安息香可能的质量标志物，为安息香药材的质量控制、合理开发与利用提供参考。     

泽泻化学成分及药理作用研究进展

泽泻为我国传统中药,广泛应用于中医临床复方及多种中成药中。目前从泽泻中分离到了220余个化合物,包括三萜、倍半萜、二萜、糖类、含氮化合物、苯丙素、黄酮、甾体等。药理学研究表明泽泻醇提物、水提物及一些单体类成分具有利尿、抗结石及肾脏保护、降血脂及保肝、降血糖、抗癌、抗氧化损伤、抗炎、抗补体等作用。该文对近五十年来泽泻的化学成分和药理作用进行了全面系统的整理,以期为泽泻的深入研究和开发利用提供理论依据。     

Quantitative chemical exchange saturation transfer (qCEST) MRI – omega plot analysis of RF‐spillover‐corrected inverse CEST ratio asymmetry for simultaneous determination of labile proton ratio and exchange rate

Chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST) MRI is sensitive to labile proton concentration and exchange rate, thus allowing measurement of dilute CEST agent and microenvironmental properties. However, CEST measurement depends not only on the CEST agent properties but also on the experimental conditions. Quantitative CEST (qCEST) analysis has been proposed to address the limitation of the commonly used simplistic CEST‐weighted calculation. Recent research has shown that the concomitant direct RF saturation (spillover) effect can be corrected using an inverse CEST ratio calculation. We postulated that a simplified qCEST analysis is feasible with omega plot analysis of the inverse CEST asymmetry calculation. Specifically, simulations showed that the numerically derived labile proton ratio and exchange rate were in good agreement with input values. In addition, the qCEST analysis was confirmed experimentally in a phantom with concurrent variation in CEST agent concentration and pH. Also, we demonstrated that the derived labile proton ratio increased linearly with creatine concentration (P < 0.01) while the pH‐dependent exchange rate followed a dominantly base‐catalyzed exchange relationship (P < 0.01). In summary, our study verified that a simplified qCEST analysis can simultaneously determine labile proton ratio and exchange rate in a relatively complex in vitro CEST system. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.