Bioactive Compounds, Antioxidant Activities, and HPLC Analysis of Nine Edible Sprouts in Cambodia

The non-nutritional health benefits of sprouts are unconfirmed. Thus, nine sprout methanolic extracts were tested for phytoconstituents and antioxidant activity. The TPC, TCC, TFC, TAC, and TALC were measured. ABTS and DPPH radical scavenging and ferric-reducing antioxidant power assays were used to assess the antioxidant activity. HPLC detected gallic acid, vanillin, syringic acid, chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid, and rutin in the extracts. The sprout extracts contained six compounds, with caffeic acid being the most abundant. Gallic acid, syringic acid, chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid, vanillin, and rutin were highest in soybean, black sesame, mustard, sunflower, white radish, and black sesame sprouts, respectively. Sunflower sprouts had the highest level of TCC while soybean sprouts had the highest level of TFC, Taiwanese morning glory had the highest level of TPC, mustard sprouts had the highest level of TALC, and black sesame sprouts had the highest level of TAC. Taiwanese morning glories scavenged the most DPPH and ABTS radicals. Colored and white radish sprouts had similar ferric-reducing antioxidant power. Antioxidation mechanisms varied by compound. Our findings demonstrated that sprouts have biological effects, and their short time for mass production offers an alternative food source for health benefits, and that they are useful for future research development of natural products and dietary supplements.

Treatment practices and implementation of guidelines for hyperbilirubinemia and rebound hyperbilirubinemia

BACKGROUND

Hyperbilirubinemia (HB), defined as elevated total serum bilirubin (TSB) levels, commonly affects neonates and requires prompt treatment to prevent neurological complications. Up to 10%of neonates experience rebound hyperbilirubinemia (RHB), requiring re-initiation of treatment. Unfortunately, treatment guidelines lack practical recommendations surrounding subthreshold phototherapy, treatment termination, and RHB investigations. We examined local management practices for HB and RHB treatment in a well newborn nursery. As a secondary aim, we investigated the association between treatment practices and RHB rates.

METHODS

Retrospective chart review identified neonates treated for hyperbilirubinemia between January 2015 and December 2019 during their birth hospitalization at a tertiary care centre. Standardized data collection sheets were used to record treatment parameters.

RESULTS

Over the 5-year period, there were 9683 births and 305 (3.15%) neonates received phototherapy. Of the treated cases, 20-25%were subthreshold to practice guideline values. Upon treatment termination 25-55%of cases had TSB levels within 3 mg/dL, which may increase the risk of RHB. In our cohort, 20.3%of treated cases experienced one episode of RHB and 3.9%experienced two episodes of RHB. Although clinicians evaluated neonates for RHB 0-12 hours following treatment termination prior to discharge, many cases were identified in outpatient settings and required re-admission for phototherapy.

CONCLUSION

When managing HB and RHB, treatment practices such as when to terminate treatment in relation to threshold values, and timing of RHB investigations, are largely inconsistent amongst clinicians. Future studies are required to better understand the landscape of hyperbilirubinemia treatment beyond initiation of phototherapy.

Spatial learning induces neurotrophin receptor and synapsin I in the hippocampus

We report that rats learning a spatial memory task in the Morris water maze show elevated expression of the signal transduction receptor for BDNF and the synaptic associated protein synapsin I in the hippocampus. Nuclease protection assays showed maximal levels of TrkB and synapsin I mRNAs in the hippocampus by the time that asymptotic learning performance had been reached (Day 6). Increases in synapsin I mRNA were matched by changes in synapsin I protein as revealed by western blot analysis. Synapsin I is a downstream effector for the BDNF tyrosine kinase cascade pathway which has important roles in synaptic remodeling and function. Therefore, parallel changes in TrkB and synapsin I mRNAs suggest a role of the BDNF system in synaptic function or adaptation. Levels of TrkB mRNA in the hippocampus were attenuated after learning acquisition (Day 20), but synapsin I mRNA was still elevated, suggesting that the BDNF system may participate in events secondary to learning, such as strengthening of neural circuits. TrkB and synapsin I mRNAs showed an increasing trend in the cerebellum of learning rats and no changes were observed in the caudal cerebral cortex. The selectivity of the changes in trkB and synapsin I, affecting the hippocampus, is in agreement with the role of this structure in processing of spatial information. Behavioral regulation of neurotrophins may provide a molecular basis for the enhanced cognitive function associated with active lifestyles, and guide development of strategies to promote neural healing after CNS injury or disease.

Learning upregulates brain-derived neurotrophic factor messenger ribonucleic acid: a mechanism to facilitate encoding and circuit maintenance?

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) promotes neuron survival, enhances sprouting, protects neurons against insult, and may be involved in several aspects of learning and memory. In this study, rats trained to locate a submerged platform in a water maze had elevated levels of BDNF messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) in the hippocampus (p < .05), a structure associated with spatial memory. BDNF mRNA expression increased after 3 and 6 days but not after 1 day of training in the water maze. A yoked control group that swam without the platform present, to control for physical activity, showed a trend for elevated BDNF mRNA at an intermediate level between the learning and sedentary groups. Other cortical and subcortical areas did not show a significant increase in BDNF mRNA after learning or activity (p > .05). These findings suggest that learning can impact BDNF mRNA expression localized to the brain areas involved in the processing of spatial information. Furthermore, behaviors such as physical activity and learning may help maintain and protect neurons at risk in aging and neurodegenerative disease via increased BDNF expression.

Spatial learning and physical activity contribute to the induction of fibroblast growth factor: neural substrates for increased cognition associated with exercise

New evidence indicates that neural activity regulates the expression of trophic factors in the brain but regulation of these molecules by select aspects of behaviour remains solely a fascinating possibility. We report that following training in the Morris water maze, a spatial memory task, the hippocampus and cerebellum of learning rats exhibited an increase in basic fibroblast growth factor messenger RNA. Basic fibroblast growth factor messenger RNA levels were higher during the learning of the task and decreased once asymptotic performance was reached, suggesting an involvement of basic fibroblast growth factor in learning/memory. An active control group, which exercised for the same time as the learning group but the spatial learning component of the task was minimized, exhibited a minor increase in basic fibroblast growth factor messenger RNA. The intensification of the physical activity component of the task by massed or intensive training resulted in greater increases in basic fibroblast growth factor messenger RNA for both learning and yoked groups, but levels of basic fibroblast growth factor messenger RNA in the learning group remained higher than yoked only in the cerebellum. Changes in basic fibroblast growth factor were accompanied by an increase in astrocyte density in the hippocampus in agreement with described roles of basic fibroblast growth factor in astrocyte proliferation/reactivity. Results suggest that learning potentiates the effects of physical activity on trophic factor induction in select brain regions. Trophic factor involvement in behaviour may provide a molecular basis for the enhanced cognitive function associated with active lifestyles, and guide development of strategies to improve rehabilitation and successful ageing.

Physical exercise induces FGF-2 and its mRNA in the hippocampus

Clinical and experimental evidence indicate that physical activity has a positive impact on brain function; however, the molecular bases for how exercise affects the structure and function of the brain are largely unknown. We have investigated the influences of variable periods of voluntary wheel-running on the expression of basic fibroblast growth factor and its mRNA in various brain regions. Nuclease protection assays revealed that the hippocampus was the only region examined exhibiting changes in FGF-2 mRNA as a result of exercise. FGF-2 mRNA increased to reach a peak by the 4th night of wheel-running. FGF-2 immunoreactivity, normally located in the perinuclear area of astrocytes, following exercise became stronger and appeared to spread to the cytoplasm and processes of astrocytes. Quantification of the FGF-2-immunoreactive astrocytes showed an increase in density between 2 and 4 nights of running in discrete regions of the hippocampus. These results demonstrate that exercise regulates FGF-2 expression and suggest that growth factors are likely mediators of the positive effects of exercise on the brain.

Solubilization of autoclaved feathers and wool by myxobacteria

Of the 50 strains of myxobacteria (mainly cytophagas) tested most were able to solubilize autoclaved feathers but none attacked unmodified feathers. The strain studied most extensively rapidly solubilized up to 80% of the substrate leaving only the resistant shafts. In the absence of a readily assimilable energy source, such as glucose, about 70% of the protein nitrogen solubilized appeared as ammonia which the organism could not use. Glucose exhibited an amino acid sparing effect.