Chronic stress can lead to serious health problems, including elevated blood glucose, intestinal dysbiosis, villous shortening, decreased enzyme activity and hepatic steatosis. Here, we investigate the protective effects of the magnesium-L-theanine (Mg-T) combination on chronic variable stress (CVS)-induced liver and intestinal damage. Fifty-six rats were divided into two groups: normal and stressed, and supplemented with different doses of Mg-T (0, 100, 200 and 400 mg/kg). The results showed that CVS-treated rats had reduced body weight, serum insulin levels, magnesium levels, intestinal barrier proteins and nutrient transporters. However, Mg-T supplementation improved these parameters in a dose-dependent manner. Mg-T treatment reduced CVS-induced glucose, corticosterone and triglyceride levels while alleviating liver and intestinal damage. Histological analysis revealed that Mg-T alleviated CVS-induced intestinal damage, characterised by villus shortening, reduced crypt depth and inflammation. CVS-induced increases in hepatic triglycerides and lipogenic markers (SREBF1, FASN) were attenuated by Mg-T supplementation, while metabolic regulators such as PPARγ and SIRT-1 were upregulated. Moreover, Mg-T restored the expression of intestinal barrier proteins (Claudin-1, Occludin, ZO-1) and mucosal protein (MUC-2). CVS treatment reduced the expression of nutrient transporters (SGLT1, GLUT2) and amino acid carriers; however, Mg-T supplementation increased the protein levels of these markers. Our data demonstrate that Mg-T has significant protective effects against CVS-induced metabolic, hepatic and intestinal disturbances, highlighting its potential as a therapeutic intervention for managing chronic stress-related health problems.

To explore molecular targets for regulating glucose metabolism in carnivorous fish, the glucose tolerance test was carried out on the Paralichthys olivaceus. The concentration of glucose and insulin in serum was measured at 0, 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 12, 24 and 48 h after intraperitoneal (IP) injection. The concentration of insulin was the lowest after 3 h of glucose injection, and that of glucose reached the highest after 5 h. Therefore, 0 h (IP0) was chosen as control group, and 3 h (IP3) and 5 h (IP5) were selected as experimental groups, for which the liver samples at three time points were used for high-throughput sequencing. Although there were no significant Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes and Gene Ontology functional enrichment, the differential genes, including mitogen-activated protein kinase binding protein 1, glycosyltransferase, suppressor of cytokine signalling 3 (SOCS3) and CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein α, were closely related to glucose metabolism. The open reading frame of SOCS3 encoded 225 amino acids, including conserved domains SH2 and SOCS3-box. The SOCS3 was knocked down by specific siRNA in the primary hepatocyte of P. olivaceus. Results showed that the gene expression of insulin receptor substrate 1, protease B1, GLUT2, pyruvate kinase and glucokinase increased significantly after knocking down SOCS3. Meanwhile, the phosphatidylinositol-3-hydroxykinase and glucose-6-phosphatase decreased significantly. The results of this study indicated that siSOSC3 enhanced the sensitivity of the insulin signalling pathway to promote glucose transport, thereby affecting gluconeogenesis and glycolysis to maintain glucose homeostasis.

This study has investigated the relationship between the gut microbiota composition and the growth performance in pigs from birth to the finishing stage, focusing on nutrient metabolism. Of fifty-nine crossbred pigs [(Landrace × Large Yorkshire) × Duroc] from seven sows, individuals with high and low daily gain (DG) were assigned to high DG (HDG, n 11) and low DG (LDG, n 8) groups. Faecal samples collected at weaning (21 d), growing (95–106 d) and finishing (136–152 d) stages were analysed for amino acids, SCFA and microbial composition using 16S rRNA sequencing. Although birth and weaning weights were similar in both groups, the HDG group had significantly higher weights in the growing and finishing stages (P < 0·01). The microbial composition of the LDG group revealed a higher abundance of f_Lachnospiraceae;__ at weaning (P < 0·05), whereas the HDG group contained a higher abundance of g_Streptococcus and g_Prevotella 7 at the finishing stage (P < 0·05). Functional analysis revealed increased amino acid metabolism in the HDG group at the finishing stage (P < 0·05). During the growing stage, total free faecal amino acid content was low in the HDG group (P < 0·05); at weaning, levels of isobutyric and isovaleric acids, key amino acid fermentation products (P < 0·05, P < 0·01), were higher. These findings indicate growth stage-specific differences in the gut microbiota and metabolic profiles between groups with different growth performance, suggesting that microbial and metabolic characteristics may influence growth performance.

There is a lack of knowledge available on how cats adjust their macronutrient partitioning due to the consumption of single-macronutrient meals. The objective of this study was to evaluate consumption of a single meal of ingredients that contained foods of strictly carbohydrates (CHO), fat (FAT) or protein (PRO), on energy expenditure (EE) and macronutrient metabolism in cats. Ten domestic shorthair adult cats (1·9 years; 4·12 kg) were fed 22–24 g of chicken fat (FAT), 56–62 g of whey protein solution (PRO) or 54–56 g of cornstarch solution (CHO) for a single day in a randomised complete block design. Indirect calorimetry was conducted for 24 h post-feeding. Mean average EE over 24 h was highest in cats fed PRO (44 kcal/kg BW) and FAT (43 kcal/kg BW) compared with that in cats fed CHO (42 kcal/kg BW; P < 0·01). During 0 to 4 h, cats fed FAT had greater EE (49 kcal/kg BW), suggesting that cats respond to oxidising more dietary fat over protein in the early postprandial stage. Mean 24 h respiratory quotient (RQ) was greatest for cats fed CHO (0·76) followed by PRO (0·75) and FAT (0·74; P < 0·05). During 4 to 8 h, the RQ of cats fed PRO was the greatest (0·77), suggesting that cats initially increase gluconeogenesis from amino acids for subsequent glucose oxidation. In comparison to omnivores and herbivores, obligate carnivores have unique responses to single macronutrient intake, where they apparently generate energy from carbohydrate metabolism and rely more on gluconeogenic precursors.

This study aimed to investigate the effects of caffeic acid (CA) on the inflammatory response induced by hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) in porcine small intestinal epithelial cells (IPEC-J2 cells) and to elucidate the potential molecular mechanisms involved. Firstly, we treated IPEC-J2 cells with different concentrations of H2O2 to establish the inflammation model caused by oxidative stress. Subsequently, we treated IPEC-J2 cells with CA and/or H2O2 to investigate the effect of CA on the inflammatory response of IPEC-J2 cells induced by H2O2. In addition, IPEC-J2 cells were treated with a nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB) inhibitor and a Nucleotide-binding Oligomerization Domain (NOD)-like receptor thermal protein domain associated protein 3 (NLRP3) inhibitor, so as to investigate the molecular mechanism by which CA alleviates H2O2-induced damage in porcine intestinal epithelial cells. The changes in cell morphology, intestinal epithelial cell damage and the expression of genes related to the NF-κB/NLRP3 signalling axis were examined. The results showed that CA attenuated H2O2-induced intestinal epithelial cell injury, and the mechanism may be related to the inhibition of NF-κB-mediated NLRP3 inflammasome activation. These findings were expected to provide a theoretical basis for more reasonable and effective application of CA, and provide new ideas for nutritional regulation measures to alleviate intestinal inflammation in piglets.

This study examined the efficacy of a probiotic in reducing depressive symptom severity in people with subthreshold depression. In a double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled trial, a probiotic (1 × 10^9 live cells per strain: Limosilactobacillus fermentum LF16 (DSM26956), Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus LR06 (DSM21981), Lactiplantibacillus plantarum LP01 (LMG P-21021) and Bifidobacterium longum 04 (DSM23233)) or placebo was taken daily for 12 weeks. Data were collected at baseline, 6 and 12 weeks including psychological symptom severity (Beck Depression Inventory, BDI; Patient Health Questionnaire, PHQ; Hospital Anxiety Depression Scale, HADS; and Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale, DASS). Biomarkers of glycaemia, inflammation (high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, hs-CRP), antioxidant status (total glutathione (GSH)) and stress (cortisol awakening response, CAR) were also measured. Thirty-nine participants (nineteen probiotic; twenty placebo) were enrolled. There were no significant between-group differences in the examined psychological symptom severity scores, despite certain significant within-group changes observed in both groups from baseline to 6 and/or 12 weeks of follow-up. Regarding biomarkers, the probiotic group showed reduced hs-CRP (–1520; 95 % CI –273·7, −2766·2 ng/dl) and CAR (–0·28; 95 % CI −0·05, −0·51 μg/dl) at 12 weeks, but increased total GSH (3·9; 95 % CI 0·1, 7·5 ng/dl) at 6 weeks, compared with the placebo. The current study reported favourable decreases in depressive symptoms in both groups. Although the within-group changes observed in the probiotic group were supported by favourable inflammatory, antioxidant status and stress biomarker changes compared with the placebo, further research is required to shed more light on the role of gut microbiota modulation on emotional regulation.

While there is evidence that long-chain n-3 PUFA supplementation benefits mood, the extent to which a single high dose of n-3 PUFA can induce acute mood effects has not been examined. The present study investigated whether a single dose of a DHA-rich powder affects self-reported mood in middle-aged males during elevated cognitive demand. In a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial with a balanced crossover design, twenty-nine healthy males (age M = 52.8 years, sd = 5.3) were administered a powder (in a meal) containing 4·74 g n-3 PUFA (DHA 4020 mg; EPA 720 mg) or placebo in random order on two different testing days separated by a washout period of 7 ± 3 d. Participants completed mood assessments before and after completing two cognitive test batteries at baseline and again 3·5–4·0 h following the consumption of the active treatment or placebo. While completion of the cognitive test batteries increased negative mood, differential effects for alertness (P = 0·008) and stress (P = 0·04) followed consumption of the DHA-rich powder compared with placebo. Although alertness declined when completing the cognitive batteries, it was higher following consumption of the DHA-rich powder compared with placebo (P = 0·006). Conversely, stress was lower following consumption of the DHA-rich powder relative to placebo, though this difference only approached significance (P = 0·05). Overall, results from this pilot study demonstrate that a single high dose of n-3 PUFA may deliver acute mood benefits following elevated cognitive demand in healthy middle-aged males.

High-amylose maize starch (HAMS) can lead to succinate accumulation in the rat colon depending on the colonic microbiota. Since succinate is primarily produced via the vitamin B12 (VB12)-dependent succinate pathway, limited VB12 availability in the colon may impair fermentation. While a portion of dietary VB12 may reach the colon, most of it is absorbed in the upper gastrointestinal tract, potentially resulting in an insufficient supply for colonic bacteria. This study aimed to determine the minimum caecal VB12 concentration required to prevent succinate accumulation and to assess whether dietary cobalt (Co), a structural component of VB12 and its analogues, promotes microbial VB12 analogue synthesis. Sprague-Dawley male rats were used in three experiments. In Experiment 1, HAMS-fed rats were given diets with increasing VB12 doses. Caecal succinate concentrations decreased dose-dependently, with a predicted threshold of 74 pmol/g VB12 required to prevent accumulation. In Experiment 2, rats were fed HAMS diets with varying Co levels. Co supplementation significantly increased VB12-equivalent concentrations, measured by microbiological assay, from 27 to 915 pmol/g without altering cobalamin concentrations, suggesting enhanced microbial synthesis of VB12 analogues. Caecal succinate levels decreased with increasing Co intake, mimicking the effects of dietary VB12. In Experiment 3, rats were fed HAMS diets with or without high-dose Co to confirm these effects and assess microbiota changes. Co supplementation restored the abundance of Akkermansia, which utilises VB12 and its analogues. These findings suggest that maintaining sufficient colonic VB12 – through direct supplementation or Co-stimulated microbial production – may help mitigate HAMS-induced succinate accumulation and support balanced colonic fermentation.

There is limited research on the association between soda consumption and the risk of metabolic syndrome (MetS), particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study investigated the relationship between soda consumption and MetS in Korean adults, stratified by sex, and compared differences before and after the pandemic using data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2017–2021). A total of 13 051 adults aged 19–64 years were included. Soda consumption was assessed using 24-h recall and categorised into five groups (non-drinkers and four quartiles). Multivariable logistic regression models were used to estimate OR and 95 % CI for MetS and its components. After adjusting for multiple covariates, no significant association was found between soda consumption and MetS overall. However, adults in the highest quartile of soda consumption (≥ 373 g/d) had higher risks of abdominal obesity (P-trend = 0·006) and hypertriglyceridaemia (P-trend = 0·003), compared with non-drinkers. When analysed by gender, women in the highest quartile of soda consumption (≥ 315 g/d) had significantly higher risk of MetS (OR = 1·70; 95 % CI: 1·08, 2·68), and multiple MetS components, whereas no significant associations were obserbed in men. Post-pandemic analysis revealed a significant association between high soda consumption (≥ 416 g/d) and MetS (OR = 1·56; 95 % CI: 1·04, 2·34), which was NS in the pre-pandemic period (P–interaction = 0·031). These findings suggest that high soda consumption may increase the risk of MetS, particularly among Korean women.

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common hormonal disorder in women of reproductive age, associated with increased risks of metabolic disorders, depression and reduced quality of life. This study examined the impact of the Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay (MIND) diet on mental health, PCOS-related quality of life (PCOSQ), anthropometric indices, hirsutism, and metabolic/hormonal parameters in women with PCOS. Total of 52 women with PCOS, aged between 18 and 45 years, were randomly assigned to either the low calorie MIND diet group or the control group. Anthropometric data, depression and anxiety scores, serum levels of gonadotropins (luteinizing hormone [LH], follicle-stimulating hormone [FSH]), PCOSQ, and Ferriman-Gallwey score were evaluated before and after the intervention. Outcomes were assessed at baseline and at the end of the 8-week follow-up period. After 8 weeks, the MIND diet significantly reduced depression (β –3·03; 95 % CI: [–5·36, –0·70]; P = 0·011) and anxiety (β –3·54; 95 % CI: [–6·60, –0·49]; P = 0·024) scores compared with the control group. The MIND diet group exhibited significant increases in the emotion (β 0·63; 95 % CI: [0·18, 1·08]; P = 0·007) and body hair (β 0·65; 95 % CI: [0·03, 1·28]; P = 0·04) domains of the PCOSQ compared to the control group. The changes in other parameters did not show significant differences between the two groups. Both the MIND diet and control groups showed improvements in weight and BMI, with a slight advantage for the MIND diet group. These findings suggest that the MIND diet may be beneficial for improving mental health and some aspects of PCOSQ in women with PCOS.

Research on nutraceutical and dietary interventions in psychiatry has grown substantially, but progress is hindered by methodological inconsistencies and limited reporting standards. To address this, the International Society for Nutritional Psychiatry Research presents the first guidelines on clinical trial design, conduct, and reporting for future clinical trials in this area. Recommendations were developed using a Delphi process including eighteen researchers with considerable clinical trial expertise and experience in either methodology, nutraceutical, or dietary interventions in psychiatry. These guidelines provide forty-nine recommendations for clinical trial design and outcomes, five for trial reporting, and seven for future research priorities. The recommendations included in these guidelines are designed to inform both nutraceutical and dietary clinical trial interventions in Nutritional Psychiatry. Common themes include an emphasis on the importance of a multidisciplinary research team and integration of co-design processes into the conduct and design of clinical research, methods to improve transparency and replicability of trial outcomes, and measures to address common biases in nutrition trials. Furthermore, we provide recommendations for future research including examining a greater variety of nutraceutical and dietary interventions, scalable delivery models, effectiveness and implementation studies, and the need to investigate these interventions in the prevention and management of less studied psychiatric conditions (e.g. schizophrenia and bipolar disorder). Recommendations included within these guidelines are intended to improve the rigor and clinical relevance of ongoing and future clinical trials in Nutritional Psychiatry.

Coconut oil, extracted from coconut kernels, is a rich source of medium-chain fatty acids, including lauric acid, capric acid and caprylic acid. This experiment aimed to investigate the protective effect of coconut oil against intestinal injury induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) challenge in piglets. A total of twenty-four piglets were used in a 2 × 2 factorial experiment with dietary treatment (3 % soybean oil v. 3 % coconut oil) and LPS challenge (saline v. LPS). After 28 d of the experiment, piglets were injected intraperitoneally with LPS (100 μg/kg body weight (BW)) or saline. Piglets were slaughtered and sampled for testing. Pigs fed coconut oil had higher average daily gain and BW during the entire study. Supplementation with coconut oil improved intestinal morphology and barrier function, indicated by increased jejunal villus height, as well as enhanced protein expression of ZO-1 and Occludin. Furthermore, coconut oil supplementation improved plasma antioxidant capacity, indicated by enhanced GSH peroxidase activity and decreased malondialdehyde concentration. Moreover, coconut oil ameliorated the LPS-induced release of pro-inflammatory cytokines, as indicated by decreased IL-1β expression in the jejunum. Coconut oil also alleviated the up-regulation of the expression of necroptosis protein receptor-interacting protein kinase 3 and mixed lineage kinase-like protein in the jejunum of piglets stimulated by LPS. In conclusion, dietary supplementation of coconut oil can improve the growth performance of piglets and alleviate LPS-induced intestinal injury and inflammation by inhibiting necroptosis signalling pathway.

Obesity and depression are highly prevalent diseases that are strongly correlated. At the same time, there is a growing gap in care, and treatment options should be improved and extended. Positive effects of a Mediterranean diet on mental health have already been shown in various studies. In addition to the physiological effects of nutrients, the way food is eaten, such as mindful eating, seems to play a role. The present study investigates the effect of a Mediterranean diet and mindful eating on depression severity in people with clinically diagnosed major depressive disorder and obesity. Participants will be randomised to one of the four intervention groups (Mediterranean diet, mindful eating, their combination and a befriending control group). The factorial design allows investigating individual effects as well as potential synergistic effects of the interventions. The study consists of a 12-week intervention period, where five individual appointments will take place, followed by a 12-week follow-up. The primary outcome is depression severity. Secondary outcomes are remission of depression, assessor-rated depression severity, quality of life, self-efficacy, BMI, waist:hip ratio and body composition; adherence to the Mediterranean diet and mindful eating will also be assessed. Alongside mediator and moderator analysis, a microbiome analysis, a qualitative evaluation and an economic analysis will be conducted. The study investigates an important health issue in a vulnerable target group. It allows to draw valuable conclusions regarding the effectiveness of different interventions and therefore contributes to improving available care options for people suffering from depression and obesity.

Dieting is a global emerging trend in recent years as more people strive to adhere to food restriction plans for weight management in obese people and to achieve desired slim body. This strategy may have unforeseen repercussions in females that may affect reproductive potential. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the impact of dietary stress on reproductive hormone levels, histoarchitecture of the ovary, autophagy and apoptosis markers in the rat ovary. Data suggest that dietary stress caused due to food deprivation decreased body weight and ovary weight, luteinising hormone, follicular-stimulating hormone and estradiol-17β levels. The dietary stress reduced the number of primary follicles, altered the histoarchitecture of the ovary, increased number of fragmented and irregularly shaped oocytes. Dietary stress induced autophagy signalling by inhibiting mammalian target of rapamycin and increasing Lamp-1, LC-3 and Beclin-1 in the ovarian follicles. In addition, dietary stress induced proapoptotic signalling pathway by decreasing Bcl-2 and increasing Bax as well as cytochrome-c expressions in the ovary. Taken together, these findings suggest that dietary stress caused due to food deprivation reduced reproductive hormones levels, induced autophagy and apoptotic signalling pathways that affected histoarchitecture of the ovary, ovarian function, oocyte quality and thereby reproductive potential.

This study investigates how the consumption of interesterified palm oil (IPO) affects the metabolic and morphological features of brown adipose tissue (BAT) in C57BL/6 mice fed a high-fat diet. Mice were divided into four groups: control, high-fat diet (lard), high-fat diet with palm oil (PO; HFP) and high-fat diet with IPO (HFI). The HFP and HFI groups exhibited significant body weight gain, increased fat mass and impaired glucose metabolism. Histological analyses revealed lipid infiltration in BAT, leading to structural remodelling from multilocular to unilocular adipocytes, which are hallmark features of the whitening process. This morphological shift was accompanied by reduced nuclear density and impaired vascularisation. Gene expression analysis indicated downregulation of key thermogenic markers, including Ucp1, Pparγ and Prdm16, especially in the HFI group. Increased expression of endoplasmic reticulum stress markers such as Chop and Atf4 and inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α and IL-6) highlighted the pro-inflammatory and pro-apoptotic microenvironment induced by PO and IPO. These changes culminated in a loss of BAT thermogenic capacity, as evidenced by decreased uncoupling protein 1 levels and impaired adaptive thermogenesis. Our findings underscore the detrimental effects of PO, mainly IPO, on BAT functionality, exacerbating obesity-related metabolic dysfunctions such as insulin resistance and glucose intolerance. The results emphasise the need for caution in the dietary use of these fats, particularly in ultra-processed food formulations, given their potential role in promoting adipose tissue remodelling and metabolic imbalances.