Colourful staples on your table: Unus ex genere suo

The positive health benefits of colored staples have led to a significant increase in interest in them as healthy food ingredients. Numerous in vitro and in vivo studies have demonstrated that colored cereals are rich in antioxidants, carotenoids, and xanthophylls, which are widely used as natural additives in the food industry. Additionally, shifts in consumer preferences have led to a preference for nutritionally balanced diets over traditional high-energy ones. Thus, colored cereals offer additional nutritional value that has been previously untapped. Besides providing essential nutrients, these natural pigments also have the potential to replace synthetic colors and food additives. This review aims to provide insights into the nutritional value of various colored staples compared to conventional starchy staples and their associated health benefits. Colored staples can be incorporated into daily diets, offering a nutritious and healthful addition to the table.

Mouthwash Formulation Co-Delivering Quercetin and Mint Oil in Liposomes Improved with Glycol and Ethanol and Tailored for Protecting and Tackling Oral Cavity

The aim of this work was the simultaneous loading of quercetin and mint essential oil (mint oil) in phospholipid vesicles specifically tailored to obtain an antibacterial and antioxidant mouthwash. The vesicles were prepared using soy lecithin and Tween 80 as bilayer components, and a mixture of phosphate buffer solution (33%), propylene glycol (33%) and ethanol (33%) as dispersing phase. The formation of regularly shaped, spherical and unilamellar vesicles was confirmed by cryogenic transmission electron microscopy analyses. Similarly, light scattering results disclosed that the size of the vesicles increased by increasing the concentration of mint oil, but at the same time the high amount of mint oil ensured high stability, as the size of these vesicles remained unchanged during 12 months of storage. All tested formulations were highly biocompatible towards epithelial cells and capable of counteracting oxidative cell damages caused by hydrogen peroxide. Moreover, the vesicles prepared with the highest concentration of mint oil inhibited the proliferation of the cariogenic Streptococcus mutans (S. mutans) and Lactobacillus acidophilus (L. acidophilus).

The effects of vitamin C and methionine hydroxy analog supplementation on performance, blood parameters, liver enzymes, thyroid hormones, antioxidant activity of blood plasma, intestine morphology, and HSP70 gene expression of broilers under heat stress

This experiment was performed to evaluate the effect of vitamin C and methionine hydroxy analog (MHA) on performance, blood parameters, liver enzymes, activity of selected hormones, antioxidant activity of blood plasma, intestine morphology, and HSP70 gene expression in broilers under heat stress. Four hundred 1-day-old male chickens of commercial Ross 308 strain were used in a completely randomized design with 4 treatments and 5 replicates of 20 chickens each. The experimental treatments were as follows: (1) base diet based on maize soybean (the control), (2) base diet with 0.2% vitamin C, (3) base diet with 0.46, 0.36, and, 0.32% methionine hydroxy analog, in the starter, grower, and finisher periods, respectively, and (4) base diet with a mixture of 0.2% vitamin C and 0.46, 0.36, and 0.32% of methionine hydroxy analog in the starter, grower, and finisher periods respectively. Although numerically higher than control, the effect of the experimental diets on performance was not significant across the experimental period (P>0.05). Glucose and LDL concentrations under all experimental treatments were significantly reduced compared to the control (P<0.05). The concentrations of liver enzymes (AST and ALT) and antioxidant activity (SOD, GPx, and MDA) of broilers were significantly different from the control under combined MHA and vitamin C supplementation (P<0.05). All experimental diets led to significantly increased T4 concentrations, compared to control (P<0.05). The length and width of intestinal villi of broilers were significantly increased in all of the experimental treatments compared to the control (P<0.05). The difference in HSP70 gene expression was significantly reduced in all of the treatments compared to the control (P<0.05). The results of this experiment showed that the use of vitamin C and methionine hydroxy analog (MHA) can be effective in reducing the negative effects of heat stress.