Journal articles on the topic 'Alkaline vegan'

Metabolic acidosis is a severe complication of chronic kidney disease (CKD) which is associated with nefarious impairments such as bone demineralization, muscle wasting, and hormonal alterations, for example, insulin resistance. Whilst it is possible to control this condition with alkali treatment, consisting in the oral administration of sodium citrate or sodium bicarbonate, this type of intervention is not free from side effects. On the contrary, opting for the implementation of a targeted dietetic-nutritional treatment for the control of CKD metabolic acidosis also comes with a range of additional benefits such as lipid profile control, increased vitamins, and antioxidants intake. In our review, we evaluated the main dietary-nutritional regimens useful to counteract metabolic acidosis, such as the Mediterranean diet, the alkaline diet, the low-protein diet, and the vegan low-protein diet, analyzing the potentialities and limits of every dietary-nutritional treatment. Literature data suggest that the Mediterranean and alkaline diets represent a valid nutritional approach in the prevention and correction of metabolic acidosis in CKD early stages, while the low-protein diet and the vegan low-protein diet are more effective in CKD advanced stages. In conclusion, we propose that tailored nutritional approaches should represent a valid therapeutic alternative to counteract metabolic acidosis.

This study aimed to examine some popular diets' nutrient content, dietary antioxidant capacity, diet quality, and dietary inflammatory load. Materials and Method: Literature was reviewed to identify popular diets, and Atkins, vegan, Zone, Dukan, Mediterranean, alkaline, ketogenic, and Paleo diets were included in the study. Nutrient contents, antioxidant capacity, and oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) values of popular diets were determined using the Ebispro for Windows (BeBIS) program. Diet Quality Index-I (DQI-I) and Dietary Inflammatory Index were calculated. Results: When the antioxidant amounts of all dietary models were compared, the diet with the highest antioxidant content was the Paleo diet (6.0 mmol), and the lowest was the classic ketogenic diet (1.9 mmol). When the ORAC values of the dietary patterns were compared, the diet with the highest antioxidant capacity was the Paleo diet (23670), and the diet with the lowest antioxidant capacity was the Dukan cruise diet (1828). The diet with the lowest DII score was the vegan diet (-1.5), and the diet with the highest DII score was the classic ketogenic diet (5.9). According to the DII scores, vegan, Dukan, and Mediterranean diets have anti-inflammatory properties. Vegan diet had the highest DQI-I score (74). Zone (73) and Mediterranean (68) had the highest scoring diets. The diets with the lowest DQI-I scores were the Dukan (attack phase) (43) and the classic ketogenic diet (46). Conclusion: These findings provide valuable information on the nutritional adequacy of popular diets. Plant-based and balanced diets have better quality and nutrient profiles than low-carbohydrate diets.

Both veganism and high dietary acid load are linked to unfavorable bone health. However, the specific role of dietary alkali or acid load for the bone health of vegans is so far unknown. Thus, the renal biomarker for dietary acid or alkali load, i.e., urinary potential renal acid load (uPRAL), was measured in 24 h urine samples of 34 vegans and 35 omnivores (50.7% males). Bone health was assessed via calcaneal quantitative ultrasound. Associations between uPRAL and bone health indices were examined using multivariable general linear models. Compared to omnivores, vegans had a significantly lower uPRAL (mean difference = −34.5 mEq/24 h, p < 0.0001), a lower 24 h urinary phosphate excretion (p = 0.0004), a lower 24 h urinary sulfate excretion (p = 0.01), and a higher urine pH value (p < 0.0001). Broadband ultrasound attenuation (BUA) was lower among vegans versus omnivores (p = 0.037), yet it was not associated with uPRAL irrespective of adjustments. This study confirms different acid-base profiles of vegans and omnivores, with a pronounced alkaline excess among vegans and a rather low acid load among a group of omnivores with moderate protein intake. Within this spectrum of alkaline to low acid load, no association with bone health was found.

Brewer’s spent yeast (BSY) mannoproteins have been reported to possess thickening and emulsifying properties. The commercial interest in yeast mannoproteins might be boosted considering the consolidation of their properties supported by structure/function relationships. This work aimed to attest the use of extracted BSY mannoproteins as a clean label and vegan source of ingredients for the replacement of food additives and protein from animal sources. To achieve this, structure/function relationships were performed by isolating polysaccharides with distinct structural features from BSY, either by using alkaline extraction (mild treatment) or subcritical water extraction (SWE) using microwave technology (hard treatment), and assessment of their emulsifying properties. Alkaline extractions solubilized mostly highly branched mannoproteins (N-linked type; 75%) and glycogen (25%), while SWE solubilized mannoproteins with short mannan chains (O-linked type; 55%) and (1→4)- and (β1→3)-linked glucans, 33 and 12%, respectively. Extracts with high protein content yielded the most stable emulsions obtained by hand shaking, while the extracts composed of short chain mannans and β-glucans yielded the best emulsions by using ultraturrax stirring. β-Glucans and O-linked mannoproteins were found to contribute to emulsion stability by preventing Ostwald ripening. When applied in mayonnaise model emulsions, BSY extracts presented higher stability and yet similar texture properties as the reference emulsifiers. When used in a mayonnaise formulation, the BSY extracts were also able to replace egg yolk and modified starch (E1422) at 1/3 of their concentration. This shows that BSY alkali soluble mannoproteins and subcritical water extracted β-glucans can be used as replacers of animal protein and additives in sauces.

Western diets are characterized by a high dietary acid load (DAL), which has been associated with adverse clinical outcomes, including type-2-diabetes and metabolic syndrome. Effective dietary strategies to lower DAL are urgently warranted. Plant-based diets (PBD), including vegetarian and vegan diets, are an effective measure to reduce DAL. Notably, not every individual wishes to adopt a PBD. Instead, many people rely on special diets promising comparable health benefits. The effects of those diets on DAL have rarely been investigated. Using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys, we aimed to quantify DAL and nutrient intake in the most popular special diets in the United States, including weight-loss, low fat, low salt, low sugar, and diabetic diets. Our analysis included 3552 individuals on a special diet. The most popular diets were the weight-loss diet (n = 1886 individuals) and the diabetic diet (n = 728). Energy intake was below 2000 kcal/d for all diets; however, there were no statistically significant intergroup differences. DAL scores were positive for all special diets (>9 mEq/d), suggesting acidifying properties. Acid load scores of special diets did not differ significantly and were comparable to a standard Western diet. None of the examined diets was associated with alkaline properties.

S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) is essential for methyl transfer reactions. All SAM is produced de novo via the methionine cycle. The demethylation of SAM produces S-adenosylhomocysteine (SAH), an inhibitor of methyltransferases and the precursor of homocysteine (Hcy). The measurement of SAM and SAH in plasma has value in the diagnosis of inborn errors of metabolism (IEM) and in research to assess methyl group homeostasis. The determination of SAM and SAH is complicated by the instability of SAM under neutral and alkaline conditions and the naturally low concentration of both SAM and SAH in plasma (nM range). Herein, we describe an optimised LC-MS/MS method for the determination of SAM and SAH in plasma, urine, and cells. The method is based on isotopic dilution and employs 20 µL of plasma or urine, or 500,000 cells, and has an instrumental running time of 5 min. The reference ranges for plasma SAM and SAH in a cohort of 33 healthy individuals (age: 19–60 years old; mean ± 2 SD) were 120 ± 36 nM and 21.5 ± 6.5 nM, respectively, in accordance with independent studies and diagnostic determinations. The method detected abnormal concentrations of SAM and SAH in patients with inborn errors of methyl group metabolism. Plasma and urinary SAM and SAH concentrations were determined for the first time in a randomised controlled trial of 53 healthy adult omnivores (age: 18–60 years old), before and after a 4 week intervention with a vegan or meat-rich diet, and revealed preserved variations of both metabolites and the SAM/SAH index.

Abstract Background: Vitamin D deficiency is a common entity among the elderly. Low vitamin D levels can lead to poor bone mineralization, in addition to elevations in PTH levels with resultant increases in bone turnover. However, severe Vitamin D deficiency causing osteomalacia has become uncommon in the United States due to increased screening and treatment. Vitamin D supplementation is a mainstay of therapy for osteoporosis, yet its effect on bone density is generally thought to be modest. We present here an extreme case of vitamin D deficiency leading to severe secondary hyperparathyroidism and bone demineralization, with excellent response to supplementation. Clinical Case: Patient was a 73-year-old woman with hypertension who presented to the ER with acute on chronic back and lower extremity pain. She had these pains for about a year, but they had worsened over the last 4 days. She had been homebound for the past 1–2 years due to severe pain while ambulating, reported a five-inch loss of height and 50 pounds weight loss, and maintained a vegan diet. She had not had medical care in 15 years. Imaging studies demonstrated a displaced left femoral neck fracture, a nondisplaced right femoral neck fracture, multilevel thoracolumbar compression fractures, and a nondisplaced right scapular fracture. Blood tests revealed normal renal function, calcium 8.6mg/dL (nl 8.5–10.5), phosphorus 2.6mg/dL (nl 2.5–4.5), and alkaline phosphatase 2,821U/L (nl 45–164). Secondary osteoporosis workup was negative for hypercalciuria or multiple myeloma, but was notable for a PTH level of 2,190 pg/mL (nl 10–65) and 25-OH Vitamin D level of &lt;5ng/mL (nl &gt;30). C-telopeptide was measured at 3,346 pg/mL (nl &lt;1000) and osteocalcin &gt;300ng/mL (nl 8–32). DEXA scan showed T-scores of -4.2 at the lumbar spine and -6.8 at the distal forearm. She was started on high-dose vitamin D supplementation, with serum Vitamin D level rising to 42.1ng/mL after 6 months of treatment. This corresponded to a decrease in PTH to 141.1pg/mL and alkaline phosphatase to 375U/L. Repeat DEXA two years later showed 52.8% increase in bone mineral density at the lumbar spine, and 27.1% increase at the forearm. The patient’s body pains have significantly improved and she is now ambulatory again. Conclusions: Vitamin D deficiency is an uncommon cause of severe bone demineralization in the United States. However, in certain high-risk populations, it can present with debilitating osteomalacia and numerous pathologic fractures. Even in cases of osteoporosis with severe PTH elevation, Vitamin D deficiency must be ruled out as a potential secondary etiology, as it can be easily treated with potentially dramatic response.

Sustainable healthy diets are promoted, and consequently vegetarian diets are currently increasing. However, scientific information on their effects on bone health is scarce. A cross-sectional study was performed in adults (66% women) classified into three groups: omnivores (n = 93), lacto-ovo vegetarians (n = 96), and vegans (n = 112). Nutrient intake, body composition, physical activity, vitamin D status (25-hydroxycholecalciferol, 25-OHD), parathormone (PTH), and bone formation (bone alkaline phosphatase, BAP) and resorption (N-telopeptides of type I collagen, NTx) markers were determined. Lacto-ovo vegetarians and especially vegans showed lower protein, fat, calcium, phosphorous, vitamin D, retinol, iodine, and zinc intakes, and higher carbohydrate, fibre, carotenes, magnesium, and vitamin K intakes compared to omnivores. Body composition was similar in the three groups that performed vigorous physical activity regularly. Body bone mass and muscle mass were positively correlated with BAP, and time performing physical activity with 25-OHD. The prevalence of vitamin D deficiency or insufficiency (25-OHD < 75 nmol/L) was 93.7% in the studied population, and vitamin D deficiency (25-OHD < 25 nmol/L) was significantly higher in vegans. Vegetarians of both groups had increased PTH and NTx with vegans showing significantly higher PTH and NTx than omnivores. Conclusion: Adult vegetarians, especially vegans, should reduce the risk of bone loss by appropriate diet planning and vitamin D supplementation.

Research subject. Acid rock varieties of the Shatak complex were studied. Materials and methods. The reseach object included the previously unknown abundant mineralization represented by rare earth minerals. The concentration of petrogenic oxides was determined by the X-ray fluorescence method at the IG UFRC RAS (Ufa) using a VRA-30 spectrometer (Carl Zeiss, Germany) with an X-ray tube with a W-anode (30 kV, 40 mA). The amount of rare earth elements in the rocks of the studied area was determined by the ICP-MS method at the Central Research Institute of VSEGEI (St. Petersburg). The mineralogy was studied using a Tescan Vega Compact scanning electron microscope equipped with an Xplorer Oxford Instruments energy-dispersive analyzer (IG UFRC RAS, Ufa). Results. The studied rocks were diverse in chemical composition, varying from alkaline varieties (trachydacites) to low-alkaline rhyolites. These rocks belong to a highalumina type characterized by potassium specialization and a low agpaitic coefficient. It is assumed that the felsic varieties are subvolcanic formations, and the term “rhyolites” in this case characterizes the chemical composition of the rocks, but not their genesis. The amount of rare earth elements in the studied rocks is subject to significant fluctuations, varying from 60.81 g/t to 1625.39 g/t; moreover, their distribution is characterized by significant differentiation. In general, the rocks belong to a contrasting basalt-rhyolitic series, and their genesis is due to the differentiation of magma in the intermediate chamber. Numerous rare-earth minerals were found in the rocks, inlcuding allanite-(Ce), monazite-(Ce), monazite-(La), nioboeshinit-(Y), aeschinite-(Y), talena-(Dy), talena-(Nd), synchisite-(Ce) and Ce–La–Fe oxide. Conclusions. The presence of paragenetic associations of rare-earth minerals, such as allanite-(Ce) + aeschinite-(Y) + nioboaeschinite-(Y) and allanite-(Ce) + talena-(Dy) + talena-(Nd), indicate the formation of rare-earth mineralization in the course of a single process. The described type of mineralization has no analogues on the western slope of the Southern Urals, which substantiates the need for further research.

Research subject. This paper presents original findings about textural-structural, mineralogical, petrological, and geochemical features of the garnet-amphibole miaskites (firstes) of the Ilmenogorsky miaskite massif.Materials and methods. The microprobe analysis of mineral composition was performed using Tescan Vega3 sbu and REMMA202M scanning microscopes equipped with microanalyzers. The content of major, trace and rareearth elements (REE) in rock samples was determined by the methods of AAS and ICP-MS.Results. The garnet-amphibole miaskites under study are characterized by a rare mineral paragenesis, i.e. garnet-amphibole-pyroxene-nepheline-plagioclase. The mafic minerals exhibit a high ferruginosity (f = 70–99), while the accessory minerals have high Al, F and low REE contents. The garnetamphibole miaskites contains high concentrations of Al, Fe3+, Ca, Na, Be, Rb, Mo, Tl and low concentrations of LILE, HFSE, REE and transit elements.Conclusions. According to the garnet composition and its ferruginosity (f = 95– 99), high contents of Al and F in accessory minerals, the prevalence of Fe3+, as well as negative Eu/Eu* and positive Ce/ Ce* anomalies, the garnet-amphibole miaskites under study are assumed to be the product of acid-alkaline metasomatism occurring under the oxidizing conditions of petrogenesis. The low ratios of Cr/V and Ni/Co indicate the immobility of transit elements during metasomatism, and their clarke of concentration corresponds to the content in metaterrigenous and metacarbonate rocks, which suggests crustal substratum for garnet–amphibole miaskites. Garnet-amphibole miaskites are the markers of the interaction of crustal material with deep fluids, which occurred during the stage of shear tectonics development (270–240 Ma) due to the broad permeability of the rocks composing the Ilmenogorsky miaskite massif.

Fine chemistry historically relies on the fossil fuel industry, implying oil extraction and refining [1]. The rarefaction of this resource and adverse environmental consequences of its extraction motivate research for alternative sources of chemicals. Low carbon footprint chemicals can be synthesized from nonedible biomass waste [2]; cellulose extracted from biomass can therefore play an important role, being a clean and widely accessible carbon source. One can extract D-Glucose (units that constitute cellulose) from cellulose and obtain numerous chemicals of interest, such as sorbitol [3][4] or gluconic acid [5][6] (gluconate in alkaline media), respectively by selective reduction or oxidation. Searching for high-performance non-enzymatic catalysts to perform such reactions brought us to study the activity and selectivity of gold and nickel in alkaline media. At the anode, results from differential electrochemical mass spectrometry (DEMS) seem to indicate that the glucose oxidation on a gold surface initiates by its dissociative adsorption (dehydrogenation): the dihydrogen (H2) produced likely originates from the formation of metastable H adsorbates (Had) [7] that diffuse onto the surface [8] and recombine into H2. In parallel, the adsorbed glucose oxidizes into value-added products such as gluconic acid, through a mechanism proposed from in situ (Fourier Transform InfraRed spectroscopy, FTIR) and ex situ (products analysis by High Performance Liquid Chromatography, HPLC) observations, and on the evaluation of the number of exchanged electrons using the rotating ring disk electrode (RRDE). Confronting the experimental data to a microkinetics model enables to validate the proposed mechanism and to estimate the kinetics rate constants. At the cathode, the glucose reduction reaction (GRR) into sorbitol competes with the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). The HER activity of nickel strongly depends on its surface oxidation state [9], which can be tuned to search the best selectivity towards sorbitol. Combining high value-added compounds production with H2 as by-product allows to improve the overall energy efficiency of this electrolysis. [1] P. G. Levi and J. M. Cullen, “Mapping global flows of chemicals: from fossil fuel feedstocks to chemical products,” Environ. Sci. Technol., vol. 52, no. 4, pp. 1725–1734, 2018, doi: 10.1021/acs.est.7b04573. [2] D. Saygin, D. J. Gielen, M. Draeck, E. Worrell, and M. K. Patel, “Assessment of the technical and economic potentials of biomass use for the production of steam, chemicals and polymers,” Renew. Sustain. Energy Rev., vol. 40, pp. 1153–1167, 2014, doi: 10.1016/j.rser.2014.07.114. [3] B. García, J. Moreno, G. Morales, J. A. Melero, and J. Iglesias, “Production of sorbitol via catalytic transfer hydrogenation of glucose,” Appl. Sci., vol. 10, no. 5, 2020, doi: 10.3390/app10051843. [4] X. Guo et al., “Selective hydrogenation of D-glucose to D-sorbitol over Ru/ZSM-5 catalysts,” Chinese J. Catal., vol. 35, no. 5, pp. 733–740, May 2014, doi: 10.1016/S1872-2067(14)60077-2. [5] H. S. Isbell, H. L. Frush, and F. J. Bates, “Manufacture of calcium gluconate by electrolytic oxidation of dextrose,” Ind. Eng. Chem., vol. 24, no. 4, pp. 375–378, 1932, doi: 10.1021/ie50268a003. [6] S. Anastassiadis and I. Morgunov, “Gluconic acid production,” Recent Pat. Biotechnol., vol. 1, no. 2, pp. 167–180, May 2007, doi: 10.2174/187220807780809472. [7] M. M. Jaksic, B. Johansen, and R. Tunold, “Electrochemical behaviour of gold in acidic and alkaline solutions of heavy and regular water,” Int. J. Hydrogen Energy, vol. 18, no. 2, pp. 91–110, Feb. 1993, doi: 10.1016/0360-3199(93)90196-H. [8] J. Cornejo-Romero, A. Solis-Garcia, S. M. Vega-Diaz, and J. C. Fierro-Gonzalez, “Reverse hydrogen spillover during ethanol dehydrogenation on TiO2-supported gold catalysts,” Mol. Catal., vol. 433, pp. 391–402, 2017, doi: 10.1016/j.mcat.2017.02.041. [9] A. G. Oshchepkov et al., “Nanostructured nickel nanoparticles supported on vulcan carbon as a highly active catalyst for the hydrogen oxidation reaction in alkaline media,” J. Power Sources, vol. 402, no. June, pp. 447–452, 2018, doi: 10.1016/j.jpowsour.2018.09.051. Figure 1

Anion-exchange membrane fuel cells (AEMFCs) have been attracting significant attention as a promising green and effective technology for energy conversion, suitable for both automotive and stationary applications. AEMFCs operate in an alkaline environment and thus allow the use of non-precious metal electrocatalysts from a wide selection of materials, as well as lower cost anion-exchange membranes (AEMs). In spite of the significant progress recently achieved, the commercial development of AEMFCs is hampered by both AEM degradation and the carbonation processes. The chemical decomposition of the AEMs during fuel cell operation is still considered as the main challenge that needs to be addressed. The combination of high pH environment and high current densities in the AEMFCs results in hydroxide anions with limited solvation, becoming extremely reactive towards positively charged quaternary ammonium (QA) salts. This decomposition leads to detrimental reduction in anion conductivity and therefore in fuel cell performance. Understanding the carbonation process is also critical to allow AEMFCs to operate with ambient air. Hydroxide anions created in the oxygen reduction reaction react with CO2 even at low concentrations, to form bi/carbonates ions. The lower diffusion coefficients and ionic mobility of CO3 -2 and HCO3 - increases resistivity and reduces power output. In this study we experimentally show for the first time the effect of carbonation on the degradation processes of the AEM. The experimental results are compared to modeling by MD. This study provides insights into the carbonation effect on cation stability in alkaline systems, which has significant implications for the final stability of AEMs resulting in long term operation of AEMFCs under real ambient air conditions. References: (1) Ziv, N.; Mustain, W. E.; Dekel, D. R. The Effect of Ambient Carbon Dioxide on Anion-Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells. ChemSusChem 2018, 11 (7), 1136–1150. https://doi.org/10.1002/cssc.201702330. (2) Yassin, K.; Rasin, I. G.; Willdorf-Cohen, S.; Diesendruck, C. E.; Brandon, S.; Dekel, D. R. A Surprising Relation between Operating Temperature and Stability of Anion Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells. J. Power Sources Adv. 2021, 11, 100066. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.powera.2021.100066. (3) Dekel, D. R.; Amar, M.; Willdorf, S.; Kosa, M.; Dhara, S.; Diesendruck, C. E. Effect of Water on the Stability of Quaternary Ammonium Groups for Anion Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell Applications. Chem. Mater. 2017, 29 (10), 4425–4431. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.chemmater.7b00958. (4) Ziv, N.; Mondal, A. N.; Weissbach, T.; Holdcroft, S.; Dekel, D. R. Effect of CO2 on the Properties of Anion Exchange Membranes for Fuel Cell Applications. J. Memb. Sci. 2019, 586 (March), 140–150. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.memsci.2019.05.053. (5) Srebnik, S.; Pusara, S.; Dekel, D. R. Effect of Carbonate Anions on Quaternary Ammonium-Hydroxide Interaction. J. Phys. Chem. C 2019, 123 (26), 15956–15962. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jpcc.9b03131. (6) Vega, J. A.; Mustain, W. E. Effect of CO2, HCO3- and CO3-2 on Oxygen Reduction in Anion Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells. Electrochim. Acta 2010, 55 (5), 1638–1644. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.electacta.2009.10.041. (7) Zelovich, T.; Simari, C.; Nicotera, I.; Dekel, D. R.; Tuckerman, M. E. The Impact of Carbonation on Hydroxide Diffusion in Nano-Confined Anion Exchange Membranes. submitted to J. Materials Chem. A, Jan 29, 2022.

Musculoskeletal system diseases are in the first place in the structure of dogs’ admission to veterinary clinics. Lameness in dogs are diagnosed in about 70% of the cases in the hind limb, whereof about 50% are attributed to the knee joint. One of the most frequently diagnosed pathologies of the knee joint is the patella luxation (PL). The aim of our study is to determine a relation between the development of comorbid pathologies of the knee joint (such as patella luxation, cranial cruciate ligament disease, osteoarthritis) with the degree of dislocation, age, general condition of the animal, changes in hematological and biochemical parameters of blood, and based on this to justify the need for PL surgical treatment at an earlier age. The study was conducted at the facilities of St. Petersburg State University of Veterinary Medicine and VEGA veterinary clinic chain in the city of St. Petersburg, Russia. The study was carried out on 48 dogs with different breeds, gender and age, with varying PL grade, which had not previously undergone knee joint surgical treatment. The animals were allocated into two groups depending on the knee joint concurrent pathologies: 20 dogs with PL only — in group 1, 28 dogs with knee joint polypathologies (PL, cranial cruciate ligament disease, and osteoarthritis) — in group 2. According to the results of statistical analysis using the Mann-Whitney U-test, the average age (3.4 years and 6.9 years, respectively) and the degree of lameness (2.0 and 3.0, respectively) are statistically significantly different in dogs of the 1st and 2nd groups. There are also statistically significant differences in the levels of segmented neutrophils (5.8 and 9.6×10^3/mkl in dogs of the 1st and 2nd groups, respectively) and lymphocytes (7.2 and 9.6×10^3/ mkl, respectively). A statistically significant increase of the serum concentration of bilirubin, ALT, alkaline phosphatase, GGT and triglycerides was detected.The obtained results allow to recommend surgical treatment of PL at an earlier age, since in the absence of timely treatment, comorbid knee joint arthropathies, such as PL, cranial cruciate ligament disease, osteoarthritis, develop, which requires more serious surgical interventions against the background of a more severe general condition of animals.

The impact of agricultural intensification on soil degradation now is occurring in tropical countries. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of long-term tillage and N fertilization on soil properties and crop yields in corn-soybean rotation. This long-term study which initiated since 1987 was carried out on a Typic Fragiudult soil at Politeknik Negeri Lampung, Sumatra (105o13’45.5"-105o13’48.0"E, 05o21’19.6"-05o21’19.7"S) in 2010 and 2011. A factorial experiment was arranged in a randomized block design with four replications. The first factor was tillage system namely intensive tillage (IT) and conservation tillage (CT) which consist of minimum tillage (MT) and no-tillage (NT); while the second factor was N fertilization with rates of 0, 100 and 200 kg N ha-1 applied for corn, and 0, 25, and 50 kg N ha-1 for soybean. The results showed that bulk density and soil strength at upper layer after 24 years of cropping were similar among treatments, but the soil strength under IT at 50-60 cm depth was 28.2% higher (p<0.05) than NT. Soil moisture and temperature under CT at 0-5 cm depth were respectively 38.1% and 4.5% higher (p<0.05) than IT. High N rate decreased soil pH at 0-20 cm depth as much as 10%, but increased total soil N at 0-5 cm depth as much as 19% (p<0.05). At 0-10 cm depth, MT with no N had highest exchangeable K, while IT with medium N rate had the lowest (p<0.05). At 0-5 cm depth, MT with no N had highest exchangeable Ca, but it had the lowest (p<0.05) if combined with higher N rate. Microbial biomass C throughout the growing season for NT was consistently highest and it was 14.4% higher (p<0.05) than IT. Compared to IT, Ap horizon of CT after 24 years of cropping was deeper, with larger soil structure and more abundance macro pores. 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AbstractGlobal population growth poses a threat to sustainable development. Meanwhile, the use of plant proteins as healthy and sustainable alternatives to animal proteins needs further research. Therefore, this investigation was designed to study the nutritive, structural, and thermal properties of isolated protein fractions from different legumes, i.e., faba bean (FPI), soybean (SPI), and lupine (LPI). As a prospective plant-based protein powder, an equal mixture (MPI) of the three prior legume samples was formulated to study its properties compared to each sole sample. The alkaline extraction and isoelectric precipitation (AE-IP) technique was used for protein isolation. Results showed that all protein isolates had reasonable levels of protein with maximum protein content in SPI (96.15%). The MPI sample, however, came out on top in terms of amino acid profile followed by FBI. Compared to SPI and LPI, it had the highest isoleucine content and higher methionine, valine, leucine, phenylalanine, and lysine. Moreover, MPI showed a median particle charge (−37.1 mV) compared to FPI, SPI, and LPI samples. MPI sample peak showed resistance to heat denaturation at a temperature greater than 200 °C when the DSC test was conducted. With respect to its rheological characteristics, it outperformed the other three protein isolates and exhibited the highest values of storage modulus G’ and loss modulus G”. Consequently, our study suggests that pulse-derived protein isolate mixture can be used as a unique type of nutritious dietary protein supplement. It could be a good nutritional alternative to proteins derived from animals.

ABSTRACT Objective The chia seed, an ancient pseudocereal, is rich in omega-3 fatty acids and polyphenols, and has been suggested to possess several health benefits. Although it has gained popularity among nutritionists, little is known about the systemic effects of chia and their interactions. Hence, hepatorenal indicators and plasma vitamin concentrations in chia-supplemented aluminum-exposed rats were investigated. Methods Wistar albino rats were either fed on a chia-rich- or standard-diet for 21 days and exposed to aluminum. Liver function tests (Alanine Aminotransferase, Aspartate Aminotransferase, Alkaline Phosphatase, Lactate Dehydrogenase), kidney function tests (Urea Nitrogen, Creatinine), and vitamin B12 and folic acid measurements were performed by using an automated analyzer. Results Aluminum exposure had no influence on renal function, as did chia supplementation. However, liver function was disturbed with the exposure to Aluminum and chia was of no use against it. Surprisingly, it was found that the animals fed on a chia-rich diet displayed higher concentrations of vitamin B12 which was not the case for folic acid. Conclusion It was deduced that a chia-rich diet has no effect on the renal function and is not able to reverse aluminum-induced hepatotoxicity; however, it may be of benefit against vitamin B12 insufficiency and thus, it may offer a novel treatment option which is particularly important in the vegan diet.

Abstract Rationale and purpose Prevention or attenuation of heart failure (HF) is persistent task in clinic as well as challenge for progress in research. Both, intercellular connexin-43 (Cx43) channels and extracellular matrix (ECM) exert high impact on heart function. Thus, we aimed to explore whether HF due to volume overload (VO) induces alterations in myocardial Cx43, ECM proteins MMP2, SMAD2/3, TGFβ1 and PKC signaling as well as changes that may be revealed by enzyme histochemistry. Moreover, we tested the impact of treatment suppressing RAS on examined targeted proteins. Methods VO-HF was induced in male normotensive Hannover Sprague- Dawley (HSD) and mRen-2 transgenic hypertensive (TGR) rats by creating an aorto-caval fistula (ACF) and heart response was examined 20-weeks later. Sham-rats were compared with non-treated rats with ACF and those treated for 15-weeks with ACEI (trandolapril, 6mg/l, p.o.) or ARB (losartan (200mg/l, p.o.). Left ventricular heart (LV) tissue was analyzed using western blot, zymography and enzyme histochemistry. Key results Echocardiography confirmed an increase in cardiac output and a decrease in ejection fraction in both strains of rats. BW was higher in TGR vs HSD and it was not affected by VO. HW and LVW were higher in TGR vs HSD and VO increased both parameters regardless the strain while ACEI&gt;ARB attenuated it. In parallel, myocardial pro-hypertrophic PKCd expression was higher in TGR vs HSD and increased in both strains due to VO while both drugs prevent it. Glycogen phosphorylase and capillary associated 5-nucleotidase, alkaline phospatase and dipeptidyl peptidase IV activities were reduced due to VO in HSD and TGR and it was attenuated by treatment. Cx43 expression and its functional phosphorylation status were lower in TGR vs HSD and suppressed in both strains due to VO but ACEI&gt;ARB prevented it. Similar trend of changes was observed in PKCe expression, which phosphorylates Cx43. Profibrotic TGFβ1-Smad2/3 pathway was suppressed along with reduced MMP2 activity in TGR comparing to HSD. VO reduced SMAD2/3 in HSD and TGFβ1 in TGR as well as MMP2 expression in both strains, whereby treatment abolished these changes. VO decreased MMP2 (63kDa) activity only in TGR and ARB prevented it. VO did not affect collagen deposition in either strain vs sham rats. Conclusions Hypertrophic and hypofibrotic phenotypes are induced by volume overload in both rat strains. Together with deterioration of Cx43 mediated intercellular coupling it may contribute to heart dysfunction. Inhibition of RAS components attenuates progression of VO and its adverse consequences. Funding Acknowledgement Type of funding sources: Public grant(s) – National budget only. Main funding source(s): Scientific Grant Agency of the Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Sport of the Slovak Republic VEGA 2/0158/19, 2/0002/20