Muscle Carnosine Concentration with the Co-Ingestion of Carbohydrate with β-alanine in Male Rats

Development and validation of a quantitative method for discriminating Korean and Japanese red seabream (Pagrus major) via UHPLC-QqQ-MS/MS

In this study, a robust and validated UHPLC-QqQ-MS/MS method was developed to quantify anserine and carnosine levels and their ratios to distinguish the geographical origin of red seabream (Pagrus major) from Japan and Korea. Comprehensive optimization of column types, mobile phase pH, organic solvent ratios, and internal standards identified the optimal conditions: an HILIC column at pH 5 with 75 % acetonitrile and PEH as the internal standard. The method exhibited excellent sensitivity, linearity, accuracy, and precision, establishing anserine as the most reliable biomarker for origin discrimination. Statistical analysis revealed significantly higher anserine concentrations in Japanese red seabream across all seasons (p < 0.0001), with a threshold of 227 mg/100 g. In contrast, carnosine levels and the anserine/carnosine ratio showed limited discriminatory power. This analytical technique offers a robust solution to address seafood mislabeling and has the potential for broader application in verifying the origin of marine species.

β-Alanine and l-histidine supplementation associated with combined training increased functional capacity and maximum strength in heart failure rats

NEW FINDINGS

What is the central question of the study? Does β-alanine with l-histidine supplementation associated with endurance and strength training improve echocardiographic parameters, functional capacity, and maximum strength in rats with chronic heart failure? What is the main finding and its importance? β-Alanine with l-histidine supplementation associated with endurance and strength training increased functional capacity and maximum strength through increasing exercise capacity peripherally but did not affect echocardiographic parameters in rats with chronic heart failure. Combined training (CT) has been associated with positive responses in the clinical status of patients with chronic heart failure (CHF). Other non-pharmacological tools, such as amino acid supplementation, may further enhance its adaptation. However, the effects of β-alanine and l-histidine supplementation in CHF remain unclear. In the present study, the aim was to test whether supplementing carnosine precursors with CT could give improved responses in the functional capacity and echocardiographic variables of rats with CHF. Twenty-four Wistar rats, were submitted to myocardial infarction and allocated to three groups: animals with CHF kept in sedentary conditions (SED, n = 8), animals with CHF submitted to CT in strength and aerobic exercise supplemented with placebo (CT-P, n = 8) and animals with CHF submitted to CT in strength and aerobic exercise supplemented with β-alanine and l-histidine (CT-S, n = 8). The trained animals were submitted to a strength protocol three times per week with intensity of 65-75% of one repetition maximum test. Aerobic training was conducted two times per week (50 min, 15 m min^-1 ). The supplemented group received β-alanine and l-histidine orally (each 250 mg kg^-1  day^-1 ). No changes in echocardiographic and morphological parameters were found among the groups (P > 0.05). Functional capacity, Δ V ̇ O 2 max and maximum strength were higher in CT-P than in SED and even higher in CT-S than in CT-P (P < 0.01). The CT was able to improve functional capacity, but the supplementation was shown to enhance these parameters even further in the CHF rats. We conclude that the increase in functional capacity and strength gained through CT and supplementation were associated with the improvement in peripheral parameters with no changes in cardiac variables.