Positive effects of resistant starch supplementation on bowel function in healthy adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

Animal experimental studies have found that resistant starch can significantly improve bowel function, but the outcomes are mixed while conducting human studies. Thus, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials to evaluate the relationship between resistant starch supplementation and large intestinal function. Three electronic databases (PubMed, Embase, Scopus) were searched to identify eligible studies. The standardized mean difference (SMD) or weighted mean difference (WMD) was calculated using a fixed-effects model or a random-effects model. The pooled findings revealed that resistant starch significantly increased fecal wet weight (WMD 35.51?g/d, 95% CI 1.21, 69.82) and butyrate concentration (SMD 0.61, 95% CI 0.32, 0.89). Also, it significantly reduced fecal PH (WMD ?0.19, 95% CI ?0.35, ?0.03), but the increment of defecation frequency were not statistically significant (WMD 0.04stools/g, 95% CI ?0.08, 0.16). To conclude, our study found that resistant starch elicited a beneficial effect on the function of large bowel in healthy adults.     

Effect of cooking methods on the stability of thiamin and folic acid in fortified rice

Rice fortification offers great potential to deliver essential micronutrients to a large part of the world population. However, high temperatures required for cooking rice are deleterious to thermally labile micronutrients. This study evaluated the content and stability of thiamin and folic acid in fortified rice after different cooking methods (stir-frying, boiling, cooking in a microwave oven and boiling in a Food Service). The analyses were performed by High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC). The fortified rice showed the highest thiamin content (0.97?mg/kg) and retention (65.4%) when cooked in microwave oven, and for folic acid the lowest content (0.17?mg/kg) and the highest retention (96.11%) when cooked in a Food Service and stir-fried, respectively. In conclusion, the stability of thiamin and folic acid varied according to the cooking method and the stability of folic acid presented higher percentages in relation to thiamin in the different methods.      

Cross-national and multi-professional inter-rater reliability of the Housing Enabler

In order to render reliable assessment of housing accessibility in a cross-national context possible, the objective of this study was to investigate multi-professional, cross-national inter-rater reliability of the ENABLE-AGE project-specific version of the Housing Enabler instrument. The data collection was performed with elderly persons in ordinary housing in five European countries. After participation in rater training courses, 26 raters representing different nationalities and professions performed data collection in independent pairs of raters, n=64. Inter-rater reliability was calculated by means of percentage agreement as well as Cohen's kappa. The results demonstrated moderate to good overall inter-rater reliability of the project-specific version of the Housing Enabler instrument. The mean agreement for the personal component part of the instrument was 91%. For 13 of the 15 items in this part kappa values could be defined, , indicating moderate agreement. In the environmental component part the mean agreement for all 188 items was 85%, while , indicating moderate agreement. Given the complexity of the instrument and the number of different professions and countries involved, we consider the Housing Enabler as useful for cross-national research targeting housing accessibility, even if the agreement levels reached were moderate. However, the moderate agreement levels pinpoint the importance of rater training.     

Neither Short-term Sprint nor Endurance Training Enhances Thermal Response to Exercise in a Hot Environment

Improvements in fitness from a brief period of physical training may elicit sufficient physiological adaptations to decrease thermal strain during exercise in the heat. This study tested heat adaptation from short-term endurance (ET) and sprint-interval (SIT) training in moderately fit individuals. The ET group (n = 8) cycled at 65% for 8 sessions (4 sessions each at 60 and 90 min, respectively) over two weeks, while the SIT group (n = 8) performed repeated 30-s Wingate sprints (resistance 7.5% body mass; 4 sessions each of 4 and 5 sprints, respectively). and heat stress testing (HST; 60 min cycling at 65% at 35ºC, 40% relative humidity) were performed pre- and post-training. increased by 11% (p = 0.025) and 14% (p = 0.020) for the ET and SIT groups post-training, respectively. Thermal stress was similar pre- and post-training, with no significant difference in the rate of whole-body metabolic heat production (p = 0.106) for either group post-training. Cardiovascular improvement was evident with both ET and SIT, with a significant mean decrease (p = 0.014) in HR for both groups (ET: 146 ± 15 beats·min^?1pre vs. 142 ± 12 beats·min^?1post; SIT: 149 ± 15 beats·min^?1pre vs. 146 ± 12 beats·min^?1post) during the HST post-training. However, mean sweat loss (p = 0.248) and the rise in core temperature (p = 0. 260) did not change significantly comparing pre- and post-training HST. While short-term ET and SIT both induced significant improvements in aerobic fitness and decreased cardiovascular strain, neither elicited improved thermal responses during exercise in the heat and do not replace heat acclimatization.     

Development of a Fragment Constant Method for Estimating the Mixture Toxicity

Based on Group Contribution Theory, a fragment constant model to estimate mixture toxicity is proposed in this paper. The toxicity (EC_50M) of 58 mixtures is determined using Photobacterium phosphoreum. Analysis of these EC_50M and the mole fraction of the individual chemical fragments (Br, Cl, NO₂, OH, NH₂) helps work out the fragment toxicity contribution (T_i) to EC_50M. Thus, a linear regression equation is established between the toxicity contribution T_i and the fragment constants of Hansch f_i, and this equation is so significant that it helps provide an approach for calculating EC_50M.     

Effects of the herbicide atrazine and its degradation products,alone and in combination,on phototrophic microorganisms

Toxic effects of the herbicide atrazine and four of its degradation products were determined for growth, photosynthesis, and acetylene-reducing ability of two species of green algae and three species of cyanobacteria. Atrazine was significantly more toxic than its degradation products towards the above test criteria, yielding EC₅₀ values ranging from 0.1 to 0.5 ppm (g/ml) for photosynthesis and 0.03 to 5.0 ppm for growth. Deethylated atrazine was the next most toxic with EC₅₀ values of 0.7 to 4.8, and 1.0 to 8.5 ppm for photosynthesis and growth, respectively. With deisopropylated atrazine the EC₅₀ values for the same physiological functions ranged from 3.6 to 9.3, and 2.5 to >10 ppm, respectively. Hydroxy- and diamino-atrazine were non-toxic towards most of the cultures tested. Acetylene reduction with cyanobacteria was found to be insensitive to all of the test compounds, except for atrazine, which had an EC₅₀ of 55 ± 15 ppm towardsAnabaena inaequalis. Combinations of atrazine and its monodealkylated products were tested withA. inaequalis and yielded both synergistic, antagonistic, and additive interaction responses, depending upon the actual test system employed.     

Radical scavenging activity of flavonoids from Trollius chinensis Bunge

Objective

Flos trollii is considered as functional tea, as well as a traditional medicinal herb, in China. In this study, total phenolic and flavonoid contents of Flos trollii were determined by a colorimetric method. The antioxidative potential of the hydroalcoholic extract of Flos trollii (FTE, extracted by alcohol:water, 80:20) was also evaluated by various antioxidant assays.

Methods

Chemiluminescence technique was used to determine the radical scavenging activities of FTE toward different reactive oxygen species, including superoxide anion (O_-2·), hydroxyl radical (OH·), lipid-derived radicals (R·), and singlet oxygen (¹O₂).

Results

FTE could effectively scavenge O_-2·, OH·, R·, and ¹O₂ at an efficient concentration (EC₅₀) of 46, 5.64, 5.19, and 3.97 mg/mL, respectively. Moreover, the radical scavenging activities of FTE were higher than those of ascorbic acid. Further, FTE had higher 1,1 diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radical (DPPH) radical-scavenging activity with EC₅₀ 44 mg/mL, compared with butylated hydroxytoluenesynthetic antioxidant with EC₅₀ 52 mg/mL.

Conclusion

All results indicated that FTE is a powerful antioxidant, deserving of better utilization of the extracted Flos trollii as antioxidants.