Nutritional Interventions and Considerations for the Development of Low Calorie or Sugar Free Foods

Diabetes is a globally prevalent chronic metabolic disease characterized by blood glucose levels higher than the normal levels. Sugar, a common constituent of diet, is also a major factor often responsible for elevating the glucose level in diabetic patients. However, diabetic patients are more prone to eat sweets amongst the human population. Therefore, we find a popular consumption of zero or low-calorie sweeteners, both natural and artificial. But, the uses of these sweeteners have proved to be controversial. Thus, the purpose of this review was to critically analyze and highlight the considerations needed for the development of sugar-free or low-calorie products for diabetic patients. For this purpose, various measures are taken such as avoiding sugary foods, using natural nectar, artificial sweeteners, etc. It cannot be ignored that many health hazards are associated with the overconsumption of artificial sweeteners only. These sweeteners are high-risk compounds and a properly balanced consideration needs to be given while making a diet plan for diabetic patients.

Indigenous Products of the Indian Subcontinent Containing Cereals and Dairy: From Tradition to Commercialization

Background:

Traditional cereal based indigenous foods play a vital role in contributing to the livelihoods and diet of the population in the Indian subcontinent. A comprehensive account of these products and their traditional and mechanized production is however lacking. The current review aims to integrate this information in a systematic manner.

Methods:

The socioeconomic importance, traditional production methods, their mechanization and industrial production in India are documented. Their standards and regulations are depicted and potential research areas are identified.

Results:

Numerous cereal based milk products are consumed in India and are also becoming increasingly popular in the global market. These traditional products are nutritionally rich, and given proper exposure, are capable of countering global malnutrition problems. Challenges in their shelf life have now been taken care of with the help of novel technologies and these indigenous traditional products seem ready to overcome the international trade barriers.

Conclusion:

Extensive research on process standardization and optimization has been carried out on cereal based milk products such as kheer, dalia, Payasam and phirni in addition to their variants in the past decade. Novel products with modern technologies mimicking the traditional products have been developed to satisfy the nutritional and medical requirements and even the taste buds of the consumers. Wide scope in research applications still exists and still needs to be explored.

Antioxidant and antimicrobial potential of selected varieties of Piper betle L. (Betel leaf)

Piper betle L., is an evergreen perennial creeper belonging to family Piperaceae and is known to possess numerous medicinal properties. Current study focuses on evaluating antioxidant and antimicrobial potential of betel leaf. For the present study, distilled water, hexane, acetone and ethanolic extracts of two varieties of betel leaves: Meetha paan and Banarasi paan were used. Biochemical tests such as proximate analysis (moisture, ash, protein, lipids, minerals viz., sodium and potassium), antioxidant activity tests (DPPH radical scavenging activity, total phenolics, ascorbic acid, reducing power) and antimicrobial test (antibacterial and antifungal susceptibility test) against four pathogens viz., B. subtilis, E. coli, A. niger and S. cerevisiae were determined. Ethanolic extract had the highest antioxidant activity (89.46% inhibition), while the aqueous extract exhibited lowest antioxidant activity (62.03% inhibition). With increasing concentration (5, 10, 25 and 50 µg/mL), the reducing power of leaf extracts also increased. The ascorbic acid was not significant in Banarasi paan (5.21mg/100 g) and Meetha paan (5.20mg/100 g). The highest antibacterial activity of ethanolic extract (Banarasi paan) may be attributed to the presence of phytosterols in the leaf varieties. Antioxidant and antimicrobial potential study will help to build a database and promote the utilization of betel leaf as a medicinal herb.

Interferon-gamma suppresses B cell stimulation factor (BSF-1) induction of class II MHC determinants on B cells

The data presented in this manuscript extend our previous observations that recombinant interferon-gamma (reIFN-gamma) can suppress anti-immunoglobulin (anti-Ig)-stimulated B cell proliferation, and demonstrate that reIFN-gamma can also suppress B cell stimulation factor type 1 (BSF-1)-stimulated increases in expression of MHC class II molecules (Ia) on B cells. This suppression is most effective when relatively low concentrations of BSF-1 are employed, but is still very substantial even when optimal concentrations of BSF-1 were used. This suppression is also observed when size-separated small B cells which are devoid of detectable macrophages or NK cells are cultured with BSF-1 and reIFN-gamma, thus suggesting that IFN-gamma-mediated inhibition is a consequence of a direct effect on the B cells. Incubation of B cells with reIFN-gamma for 24 hr before their culture with BSF-1 did not prevent BSF-1-stimulated increases in sIa. This finding supports the contention that the effect of IFN-gamma is not mediated via the stimulation of "suppressor" influences in these cell cultures. The inhibition of B cell activation by IFN-gamma occurs within the first 3 hr after the onset of culture, as demonstrated by the inability of antibody to IFN-gamma to totally reverse the IFN-gamma-mediated suppressive effects on B cell proliferation if it is added later than 3 hr after the onset of culture. These results suggest a role for IFN-gamma in down-regulating the ability of B cells to function as antigen-presenting cells in non-cognate T cell-dependent responses.

Interferon-gamma suppresses B cell stimulation factor (BSF-1) induction of class II MHC determinants on B cells

The data presented in this manuscript extend our previous observations that recombinant interferon-gamma (reIFN-gamma) can suppress anti-immunoglobulin (anti-Ig)-stimulated B cell proliferation, and demonstrate that reIFN-gamma can also suppress B cell stimulation factor type 1 (BSF-1)-stimulated increases in expression of MHC class II molecules (Ia) on B cells. This suppression is most effective when relatively low concentrations of BSF-1 are employed, but is still very substantial even when optimal concentrations of BSF-1 were used. This suppression is also observed when size-separated small B cells which are devoid of detectable macrophages or NK cells are cultured with BSF-1 and reIFN-gamma, thus suggesting that IFN-gamma-mediated inhibition is a consequence of a direct effect on the B cells. Incubation of B cells with reIFN-gamma for 24 hr before their culture with BSF-1 did not prevent BSF-1-stimulated increases in sIa. This finding supports the contention that the effect of IFN-gamma is not mediated via the stimulation of "suppressor" influences in these cell cultures. The inhibition of B cell activation by IFN-gamma occurs within the first 3 hr after the onset of culture, as demonstrated by the inability of antibody to IFN-gamma to totally reverse the IFN-gamma-mediated suppressive effects on B cell proliferation if it is added later than 3 hr after the onset of culture. These results suggest a role for IFN-gamma in down-regulating the ability of B cells to function as antigen-presenting cells in non-cognate T cell-dependent responses.

Recombinant interferon-gamma inhibits the B cell proliferative response stimulated by soluble but not by Sepharose-bound anti-immunoglobulin antibody

Recombinant-derived interferon-gamma (reIFN-gamma) was found to inhibit B cell proliferation that was stimulated by soluble goat anti-mouse IgD or goat anti-mouse IgM antibodies, but not that stimulated by Sepharose-bound anti-Ig antibodies. Recombinant IFN-gamma also inhibited the BSF-1-enhanced soluble anti-Ig B cell proliferation but did not block BSF-1 enhancement of Sepharose anti-Ig-stimulated B cell DNA synthesis. Recombinant IFN-gamma concentrations as low as 0.001 U/ml were effective in suppressing the soluble anti-Ig-stimulated B cell proliferative response, and this inhibitory effect could be partially reversed by co-culture with a hybridoma anti-IFN-gamma antibody. Recombinant IFN-gamma appeared not to inhibit action of resting B cells from G0 to early G1, because it did not inhibit the increases in cell size that were stimulated by anti-delta antibody. However, it was effective in partially suppressing the anti-delta-induced increases in expression of B cell surface Ia. For reIFN-gamma to exert its maximum suppressive effect, it had to be added within the first 7 hr after the onset of culture with anti-Ig. Because reIFN-gamma is a lymphokine that can be detected in vivo, we suggest that it may play a key role in influencing physiologic B cell activation that is induced by antigens or immune complex-mediated cross-linking of surface Ig.

Recombinant interferon-gamma inhibits the B cell proliferative response stimulated by soluble but not by Sepharose-bound anti-immunoglobulin antibody

Recombinant-derived interferon-gamma (reIFN-gamma) was found to inhibit B cell proliferation that was stimulated by soluble goat anti-mouse IgD or goat anti-mouse IgM antibodies, but not that stimulated by Sepharose-bound anti-Ig antibodies. Recombinant IFN-gamma also inhibited the BSF-1-enhanced soluble anti-Ig B cell proliferation but did not block BSF-1 enhancement of Sepharose anti-Ig-stimulated B cell DNA synthesis. Recombinant IFN-gamma concentrations as low as 0.001 U/ml were effective in suppressing the soluble anti-Ig-stimulated B cell proliferative response, and this inhibitory effect could be partially reversed by co-culture with a hybridoma anti-IFN-gamma antibody. Recombinant IFN-gamma appeared not to inhibit action of resting B cells from G0 to early G1, because it did not inhibit the increases in cell size that were stimulated by anti-delta antibody. However, it was effective in partially suppressing the anti-delta-induced increases in expression of B cell surface Ia. For reIFN-gamma to exert its maximum suppressive effect, it had to be added within the first 7 hr after the onset of culture with anti-Ig. Because reIFN-gamma is a lymphokine that can be detected in vivo, we suggest that it may play a key role in influencing physiologic B cell activation that is induced by antigens or immune complex-mediated cross-linking of surface Ig.

Non-specific cytotoxic cells generated in vitro in response to a weakly immunogenic murine adenocarcinoma. In vivo correlations

Tumor 85 adenocarcinoma cells, which are very weakly immunogenic for C3H/HeN (C3H) mice, provide a model tumor system for studying the parameters of induction of a cell-mediated immune response which does not appear to be a traditional cytotoxic T-cell or NK-cell response. Mice pre-immunized with irradiated tumor 85 cells are protected about 50% of the time from a challenge of viable tumor 85 cells although it is never possible to protect 100% of the immunized mice. Optimal protection is observed in mice immunized with 10(6) irradiated tumor 85 cells 14 days prior to challenge. Protection is also observed if mice are immunized with Protection is also observed if mice are immunized with 3H or C3HfeB/HeN (C3Hf) tumors originally induced by the same carcinogen as that used to induce tumor 85. The injection of carrageenan 1 h before challenge completely reverses the protection observed in immunized mice and and tumors grow faster in carrageenan-treated immunized mice than in normal mice. Two populations of cells obtained from cultures of spleen cells stimulated by tumor 85 cells appear to prevent tumor growth in vivo. One population, which is cytotoxic for tumor 85 cells in vitro, is nylon-wool-adherent and expresses Thy 1.2. The second population, which is not observed to be cytotoxic in a 51Cr release assay, is phagocytic.