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Health effects of 100% fruit and vegetable juices: evidence from human subject intervention studies
- Irene Rossi, Cristiana Mignogna, Daniele Del Rio, Pedro Mena
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- Journal:
- Nutrition Research Reviews / Volume 37 / Issue 1 / June 2024
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 01 September 2023, pp. 194-238
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The health effects of 100% fruit and vegetable juices (FVJ) represent a controversial topic. FVJ contain notable amounts of free sugars, but also vitamins, minerals, and secondary compounds with proven biological activities like (poly)phenols and carotenoids. The review aimed to shed light on the potential impact of 100% FVJ on human subject health, comprehensively assessing the role each type of juice may have in specific health outcomes for a particular target population, as reported in dietary interventions. The effects of a wide range of FVJ (orange, grapefruit, mandarin, lemon, apple, white, red, and Concord grapes, pomegranate, cranberry, chokeberry, blueberry, other minor berries, sweet and tart cherry, plum, tomato, carrot, beetroot, and watermelon, among others) were evaluated on a series of outcomes (anthropometric parameters, body composition, blood pressure and vascular function, lipid profile, glucose homeostasis, biomarkers of inflammation and oxidative stress, cognitive function, exercise performance, gut microbiota composition and bacterial infections), providing a thorough picture of the contribution of each FVJ to a health outcome. Some juices demonstrated their ability to exert potential preventive effects on some outcomes while others on other health outcomes, emphasising how the differential composition in bioactive compounds defines juice effects. Research gaps and future prospects were discussed. Although 100% FVJ appear to have beneficial effects on some cardiometabolic health outcomes, cognition and exercise performance, or neutral effects on anthropometric parameters and body composition, further efforts are needed to better understand the impact of 100% FVJ on human subject health.
Scipion3: A workflow engine for cryo-electron microscopy image processing and structural biology
- Pablo Conesa, Yunior C. Fonseca, Jorge Jiménez de la Morena, Grigory Sharov, Jose Miguel de la Rosa-Trevín, Ana Cuervo, Alberto García Mena, Borja Rodríguez de Francisco, Daniel del Hoyo, David Herreros, Daniel Marchan, David Strelak, Estrella Fernández-Giménez, Erney Ramírez-Aportela, Federico Pedro de Isidro-Gómez, Irene Sánchez, James Krieger, José Luis Vilas, Laura del Cano, Marcos Gragera, Mikel Iceta, Marta Martínez, Patricia Losana, Roberto Melero, Roberto Marabini, José María Carazo, Carlos Oscar Sánchez Sorzano
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- Journal:
- Biological Imaging / Volume 3 / 2023
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 29 June 2023, e13
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Image-processing pipelines require the design of complex workflows combining many different steps that bring the raw acquired data to a final result with biological meaning. In the image-processing domain of cryo-electron microscopy single-particle analysis (cryo-EM SPA), hundreds of steps must be performed to obtain the three-dimensional structure of a biological macromolecule by integrating data spread over thousands of micrographs containing millions of copies of allegedly the same macromolecule. The execution of such complicated workflows demands a specific tool to keep track of all these steps performed. Additionally, due to the extremely low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), the estimation of any image parameter is heavily affected by noise resulting in a significant fraction of incorrect estimates. Although low SNR and processing millions of images by hundreds of sequential steps requiring substantial computational resources are specific to cryo-EM, these characteristics may be shared by other biological imaging domains. Here, we present Scipion, a Python generic open-source workflow engine specifically adapted for image processing. Its main characteristics are: (a) interoperability, (b) smart object model, (c) gluing operations, (d) comparison operations, (e) wide set of domain-specific operations, (f) execution in streaming, (g) smooth integration in high-performance computing environments, (h) execution with and without graphical capabilities, (i) flexible visualization, (j) user authentication and private access to private data, (k) scripting capabilities, (l) high performance, (m) traceability, (n) reproducibility, (o) self-reporting, (p) reusability, (q) extensibility, (r) software updates, and (s) non-restrictive software licensing.
Dietary intake of energy, nutrients and phenolic compounds in Italian primary school children and their environmental impact
- Alice Rosi, Pedro Mena, Beatrice Biasini, Furio Brighenti, Daniele Del Rio, Francesca Scazzina
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- Journal:
- Proceedings of the Nutrition Society / Volume 79 / Issue OCE2 / 2020
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 10 June 2020, E213
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Data from observational and interventional studies demonstrate the key role of diet on both human health and environmental sustainability. However, there is a lack of studies investigating the environmental impact of children's dietary behavior. In this regard, detailed information on population-level intakes is required to translate these findings into possible recommendations.
The aim of this study was to investigate the nutritional composition of the diet and its related environmental impact in a sample of Italian primary school children (n = 200, 8–11 years, 52% F - 48% M).
Children completed a 3-day food record twice, in winter and spring. Dietary records were processed to obtain mean daily data on food group intakes. Mean daily energy and nutrient intakes were computed applying the Italian food database of the European Institute of Oncology, while (poly)phenolic compound contents were estimated from the Phenol-Explorer or by specific searches in the most up to date scientific literature. The mean daily environmental impact was estimated through the Barilla Center for Food and Nutrition environmental database taking into account the carbon footprint and ecological footprint. Children's BMI was calculated by measuring height and weight at the beginning of each assessment week.
No differences in children's BMI as well as in the consumption of food groups were found between the two seasons. The intra-individual variability was low but a high inter-individual variability was registered. Energy and nutrient intakes were similar between the two seasons and were found to be in line with national data referred to school age children. Adherence to the Italian nutritional recommendations (LARN) was not satisfied for total fats, sugars, and some vitamins and minerals. The main contributors to the phenolic intake were flavonoids and phenolic acids, while the most representative subclasses were flavan-3-ols and hydroxycinnamic acids. Main dietary sources of (poly)phenolic compounds were fruit juices, apples, pears, potatoes, and tomatoes. Carbon and ecological footprints were higher during winter and the main dietary contributors were red meat; milk, yogurt and dairies; pizza and focaccia, for both indexes.
This study provided the first comprehensive analysis of the nutritional composition and the environmental impact of Italian primary school children diet. Further research is needed to evaluate children habitual diet for investigating a possible relationship between health and environmental sustainability. Moreover, school education programs have to be implemented for promoting healthy and sustainable dietary behaviors.
A comprehensive approach to the bioavailability and cardiometabolic effects of the bioactive compounds present in espresso coffee and confectionery-derived coffee
- Pedro Mena, Michele Tassotti, Alice Rosi, Daniela Martini, Laura Righetti, Monica Antonini, Margherita Dall'Asta, Letizia Bresciani, Federica Fantuzzi, Valentina Spigoni, Angel Gil-Izquierdo, Raúl Domínguez-Perles, Pedro Luis Tornel, Soledad Del Pozo-Luengo, Donato Angelino, Cristian Del Bo', Chiara Dall'Asta, Patrizia Riso, Alessandra Dei Cas, Riccardo Bonadonna, Furio Brighenti, Daniele Del Rio
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- Journal:
- Proceedings of the Nutrition Society / Volume 79 / Issue OCE2 / 2020
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 10 June 2020, E123
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Coffee is an important source of bioactive compounds, including caffeine, trigonelline, and phenolic compounds. Several studies have highlighted the preventive effects of coffee consumption on major cardiometabolic diseases, but the impact of coffee dosage on markers of cardiometabolic risk is not well understood. Moreover, the pool of coffee-derived circulating metabolites in real-life settings is unknown. This study evaluated the bioavailability and effects on recognised cardiometabolic markers of coffee bioactives, considering different levels of consumption. An innovative experimental design, including both a chronic and an acute sub-study, and a comprehensive analytical approach were used.
A 3-arm, randomised, crossover trial was conducted in 21 healthy volunteers (age, 23 ± 2 y; BMI, 22.3 ± 2.5 kg/m2) (Mena et al., Trials 2017, 18, 527). Volunteers were assigned to consume 3 treatments for 4 weeks, including 1 cup of espresso coffee/day, 3 cups of espresso coffee/day, and 1 cup of espresso coffee plus 2 cocoa-based confectionary products containing-coffee twice per day. The last day of each treatment, blood and urine samples were collected at specific time points for 24 hours. Dietary intake, body weight, BMI, waist circumference, blood pressure, fasting glucose, insulin, LDL- and HDL-cholesterol, triglycerides, nitric oxide, inflammatory markers (IL-8, TNFα, VEGF), trimethylamine-N-oxide (TMAO), DNA damage, DNA catabolites, and eicosanoids were assessed. The pool of coffee-derived circulating metabolites was also assessed in acute conditions. Untargeted metabolomics was performed.
Energy intake did not change among treatments after 4 weeks, while significant differences were observed in the intake of saturated fatty acids and carbohydrates. The effect of different coffee dosages on the set of cardiometabolic markers assessed was negligible. Plasma and urinary pharmacokinetic profiles were evaluated for 6 caffeine metabolites, 3 trigonelline derivatives, and up to 40 phenolic metabolites. Pharmacokinetics highlighted the different “waves” of circulating metabolites occurring upon repeated coffee consumption. Differences in several pharmacokinetic parameters were observed among treatments, which may support the long-term cardiometabolic benefits of certain patterns of coffee consumption. Multivariate analyses clearly differentiated treatments on the basis of the urinary metabolome.
This work provided a comprehensive picture of the impact of different coffee dosages on the pool of coffee-derived circulating metabolites, the urinary metabolome, and a wide number of cardiometabolic markers. Multivariate analyses focused on inter-individual differences are ongoing to better understand the effect of coffee on cardiometabolic health.