Effects of Green Wheat (Triticum turgidum) and Common Wheat (Triticum aestivum) on the Metabolic Profile of Wistar Rats

Metabolic-Associated Fatty Liver Disease: The Influence of Oxidative Stress, Inflammation, Mitochondrial Dysfunctions, and the Role of Polyphenols

Metabolic-Associated Fatty Liver Disease (MAFLD) is a clinical-pathological scenario that occurs due to the accumulation of triglycerides in hepatocytes which is considered a significant cause of liver conditions and contributes to an increased risk of death worldwide. Even though the possible causes of MAFLD can involve the interaction of genetics, hormones, and nutrition, lifestyle (diet and sedentary lifestyle) is the most influential factor in developing this condition. Polyphenols comprise many natural chemical compounds that can be helpful in managing metabolic diseases. Therefore, the aim of this review was to investigate the impact of oxidative stress, inflammation, mitochondrial dysfunction, and the role of polyphenols in managing MAFLD. Some polyphenols can reverse part of the liver damage related to inflammation, oxidative stress, or mitochondrial dysfunction, and among them are anthocyanin, baicalin, catechin, curcumin, chlorogenic acid, didymin, epigallocatechin-3-gallate, luteolin, mangiferin, puerarin, punicalagin, resveratrol, and silymarin. These compounds have actions in reducing plasma liver enzymes, body mass index, waist circumference, adipose visceral indices, lipids, glycated hemoglobin, insulin resistance, and the HOMA index. They also reduce nuclear factor-KB (NF-KB), interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), blood pressure, liver fat content, steatosis index, and fibrosis. On the other hand, they can improve HDL-c, adiponectin levels, and fibrogenesis markers. These results show that polyphenols are promising in the prevention and treatment of MAFLD.

Effect of Maturity Stage on Cereal and Leguminous Seeds' Metabolome as Analyzed Using Gas Chromatography Mass-Spectrometry (GC-MS) and Chemometric Tools

Cereal and leguminous seeds are considered as major generic dietary source of energy, carbohydrates as well as proteins in the Mediterranean diet and are frequently consumed in their immature form in several regions including the Middle East. Hence, the current study aimed to assess metabolites' heterogeneity amongst five major cereal and leguminous seeds of different species, and cultivars, i.e., Triticum aestivum L. (two cultivars), Hordeum vulgare L., Vicia faba L. and Cicer arietinum L., at different maturity stages. Gas chromatography mass-spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis using multivariate data analyses was employed for nutrient profiling and sample segregation assessed using chemometric tools, respectively. A total of 70 peaks belonging to sugars, fatty acids/esters, steroids, amino acids and organic acids were identified including sucrose, melibiose, glucose and fructose as major sugars, with butyl caprylate, hydroxybutanoic acid and malic acid contributing to the discrimination between seed species at different maturity stages. The investigation of total protein content revealed comparable protein levels amongst all examined seeds with the highest level detected at 20.1% w/w in mature fava bean. Results of this study provide a novel insight on cereal and leguminous seeds' metabolomics in the context of their maturity stages for the first time in literature.

Effects of Consumption of Coconut and Cow's Milk on the Metabolic Profile of Wistar Rats Fed a Hyperprotein Diet

The intake of milk has decreased over the past few decades in Western populations and has been replaced by drinks of plant origin. Substitution of cow's milk by vegetable drinks occurs for some reasons, such as the presence of lactose intolerance, reduced calorie intake, prevention of obesity, vegan diets, and concern about the use of hormone therapy and its possible residues in bovine milk. For these reasons, the objective of this study was to evaluate the biochemical and anthropometric profile of animals subjected to a diet supplemented with coconut milk. Animals were divided into six groups (G1-G6), treated, respectively, regular diet and coconut milk or cow's milk, and with a high-protein content diet and coconut milk or cow's milk. Our results showed that the animals treated with coconut milk reduced body weight and visceral fat, and also showed that the use of a high-protein diet in association with coconut milk is a good combination in reducing visceral fat, percentage of weight gain, food intake, cholesterol, and triglycerides. Our results do not show substantial metabolic changes when comparing the use of coconut milk with the use of cow's milk (we cannot say that the coconut milk itself can be better than cow's milk in the evaluated metabolic parameters).