Michel Aliani

Potent Antihypertensive Action of Dietary Flaxseed in Hypertensive Patients

Flaxseed contains &ohgr;-3 fatty acids, lignans, and fiber that together may provide benefits to patients with cardiovascular disease. Animal work identified that patients with peripheral artery disease may particularly benefit from dietary supplementation with flaxseed. Hypertension is commonly associated with peripheral artery disease. The purpose of the study was to examine the effects of daily ingestion of flaxseed on systolic (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) in peripheral artery disease patients. In this prospective, double-blinded, placebo-controlled, randomized trial, patients (110 in total) ingested a variety of foods that contained 30 g of milled flaxseed or placebo each day over 6 months. Plasma levels of the &ohgr;-3 fatty acid &agr;-linolenic acid and enterolignans increased 2- to 50-fold in the flaxseed-fed group but did not increase significantly in the placebo group. Patient body weights were not significantly different between the 2 groups at any time. SBP was ≈10 mm Hg lower, and DBP was ≈7 mm Hg lower in the flaxseed group compared with placebo after 6 months. Patients who entered the trial with a SBP ≥140 mm Hg at baseline obtained a significant reduction of 15 mm Hg in SBP and 7 mm Hg in DBP from flaxseed ingestion. The antihypertensive effect was achieved selectively in hypertensive patients. Circulating &agr;-linolenic acid levels correlated with SBP and DBP, and lignan levels correlated with changes in DBP. In summary, flaxseed induced one of the most potent antihypertensive effects achieved by a dietary intervention.

In vitro antioxidant properties of chicken skin enzymatic protein hydrolysates and membrane fractions

Chicken thigh and breast skin proteins were hydrolysed using alcalase or a combination of pepsin and pancreatin (PP), each at concentrations of 1-4%. The chicken skin protein hydrolysates (CSPHs) were then fractionated by membrane ultrafiltration into different molecular weight peptides (<1, 1-3, 3-5 and 5-10kDa) and analysed for antioxidant properties. Results showed that the CSPHs had a significantly (p<0.05) lower scavenging activity against DPPH radicals when compared to reduced glutathione. The chicken breast skin hydrolysates had significantly higher DPPH scavenging activity than the chicken thigh skin hydrolysates. DPPH scavenging and metal ion chelation increased significantly (p<0.05) from 29-40% to 86-89%, respectively with increasing proteolytic enzyme concentration. In contrast, the antioxidant properties decreased as peptide size increased. We conclude that CSPHs and their peptide fractions may be used as ingredients in the formulation of functional foods and nutraceuticals for the control and management of oxidative stress-related diseases.

The effect of dietary flaxseed on improving symptoms of cardiovascular disease in patients with peripheral artery disease: rationale and design of the FLAX-PAD randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND Flaxseed is an important source of alpha-linolenic acid an essential omega-3 fatty acid. The possibility that a supplementation of the diet with foods rich in alpha-linolenic acid, antioxidants and fiber (like flaxseed) has not been investigated. METHODS/DESIGN The primary objective is to determine whether consumption of a diet rich in FLAXseed over a one year period has any beneficial cardiovascular effects in patients with Peripheral Arterial Disease (FLAX-PAD study). This is a single center, prospective, double blinded, randomized controlled clinical trial aimed at in 110 patients over 40 years old and with peripheral arterial disease. Patients will receive 30 g of milled flaxseed (or placebo) per day. Primary endpoints are incidence of myocardial infarction and stroke. Secondary measures include: requirement for surgical interventions, exercise and cardiopulmonary performance, cardiac arrhythmias, serum lipid profile, arterial sufficiency, blood pressure, inflammatory profile, platelet function, changes in drug dosage levels, as well as nutrigenomic and biomarker profiles in the blood. Recruitment and baseline examinations started in October 2008. Baseline data of the 110 patients is shown. CONCLUSIONS FLAX-PAD will generate data on the safety, tolerability, cardiovascular efficacy and genomic response to a diet rich in flaxseed. It will determine the effects on primary and secondary events (stroke, myocardial infarctions, angina pectoris, cardiac arrhythmias) as well as in secondary endpoints (exercise performance, blood pressure and circulating lipid levels) in patients with PAD.

Effect of Flax Addition on the Flavor Profile and Acceptability of Bagels

UNLABELLED Bakery products containing flaxseed, a rich source of alpha linolenic acid (ALA), may provide health benefits. However, the effect of adding flaxseed, especially in the high amounts required for use as the food supplement in clinical trials (23% by weight of the raw ingredients), may affect the flavor characteristics and consumer acceptability. Sensory attributes of bagels containing 30 g of milled flaxseed were evaluated by a 9 member trained panel using a descriptive test and by 89 participants using a consumer test. Grain/flax aroma and flavor were significantly higher for the flax bagels compared to the nonflax bagels. The cinnamon raisin bagel had significantly lower grain/flax aroma and flavor and significantly higher sweet aroma and taste compared to the plain and sunflower sesame types. Older consumers rated the appearance, color, and flavor of the bagels significantly higher than the younger consumers possibly leading to higher compliance in clinical studies for this age group. Bagels with flax showed a significantly lower mean value for flavor acceptability, overall acceptability, and frequency of eating compared to bagels without flax. Appearance, color, and texture acceptability showed no significant differences. The cinnamon raisin bagel had significantly higher flavor acceptance compared to sunflower sesame and plain bagels. In conclusion, for bagels containing 6 g ALA in the form of milled flaxseed, cinnamon raisin appears to be a promising flavoring alternative for ALA fortification for use in clinical trials or as part of the daily diet. PRACTICAL APPLICATION Consumers are seeking functional foods that contain omega-3 fatty acids. Bagels made with 23% milled flaxseed (approximately 2 times the amount in regular flax baked products) provided 6 g ALA, an amount high enough to test the efficacy of ALA in human subjects without causing gastrointestinal distress. This study showed that flaxseed aroma and flavor were detected in fortified compared to nonfortified bagels but bagels with this high flaxseed amount were still acceptable with the addition of cinnamon raisin flavoring. Commercial bakeries can use these results to formulate healthy, tasty, and convenient products.

Nutrition implications for fetal alcohol spectrum disorder.

Prenatal alcohol exposure produces a multitude of detrimental alcohol-induced defects in children collectively known as fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD). Children with FASD often exhibit delayed or abnormal mental, neural, and physical growth. Socioeconomic status, race, genetics, parity, gravidity, age, smoking, and alcohol consumption patterns are all factors that may influence FASD. Optimal maternal nutritional status is of utmost importance for proper fetal development, yet is often altered with alcohol consumption. It is critical to determine a means to resolve and reduce the physical and neurological malformations that develop in the fetus as a result of prenatal alcohol exposure. Because there is a lack of information on the role of nutrients and prenatal nutrition interventions for FASD, the focus of this review is to provide an overview of nutrients (vitamin A, docosahexaenoic acid, folic acid, zinc, choline, vitamin E, and selenium) that may prevent or alleviate the development of FASD. Results from various nutrient supplementation studies in animal models and FASD-related research conducted in humans provide insight into the plausibility of prenatal nutrition interventions for FASD. Further research is necessary to confirm positive results, to determine optimal amounts of nutrients needed in supplementation, and to investigate the collective effects of multiple-nutrient supplementation.

Fatty Acid Profile and Sensory Characteristics of Table Eggs from Laying Hens Fed Hempseed and Hempseed Oil

UNLABELLED Hempseed (HS) is rich in omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, with approximately 17% of total fatty acids as alpha-linolenic acid. As such, HS and its oil may be used in hen diet formulations to produce eggs enriched in essential fatty acids. Because omega-3 eggs have the potential for unpleasant aromas and flavors, the current study was designed to assess the fatty acid profile and sensory attributes of eggs procured from hens consuming diets containing hempseed oil (HO) or HS. A total of 48 individually caged White Bovan hens received 1 of 6 diets containing 4%, 8%, 12% HO, 10%, 20% HS or 0% hemp (w/w) for 12 wk. Total omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid content was highest in the 12% HO group (15.3 mg/g of yolk) compared to the control (2.4 mg/g of yolk). Trained panellists (n= 8) found no significant differences (P≥ 0.05) in aroma or flavor between cooked eggs from different dietary treatments, with the exception of sweet flavor. The 4% HO group yielded the least sweet eggs compared to the 20% HS group, which was highest. For yolk color, L*, a*, and b* values (Mean ± SEM) for control eggs were 61.2 ± 0.10, 1.1 ± 0.05, and 43.0 ± 0.22, respectively. Addition of hemp led to significant (P < 0.001) reductions in L*, and significant increases in a* and b*, with the largest changes observed in the 20% HS treatment (L*= 58.7 ± 0.10; a*= 5.8 ± 0.05; b*= 60.5 ± 0.22). The results show that hemp use in hen diets leads to increased omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid content and color intensity of egg yolks, but does not have adverse effects on the sensory profiles of the cooked eggs. PRACTICAL APPLICATION This study provides evidence that HS and hempseed oil (HO) can safely be utilized as feed ingredients for laying hens to produce table eggs that are enriched in essential fatty acids. Additionally, the eggs procured from these hens had similar aroma and flavor compared to eggs from hens not fed any hemp. The greater the dietary hemp inclusion, the more pigmented the resulting yolks became in terms of darkness, redness, and yellowness.

Dietary Flaxseed Independently Lowers Circulating Cholesterol and Lowers It beyond the Effects of Cholesterol-Lowering Medications Alone in Patients with Peripheral Artery Disease

BACKGROUND Dietary flaxseed lowers cholesterol in healthy subjects with mild biomarkers of cardiovascular disease (CVD). OBJECTIVE The aim was to investigate the effects of dietary flaxseed on plasma cholesterol in a patient population with clinically significant CVD and in those administered cholesterol-lowering medications (CLMs), primarily statins. METHODS This double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial examined the effects of a diet supplemented for 12 mo with foods that contained either 30 g of milled flaxseed [milled flaxseed treatment (FX) group; n = 58] or 30 g of whole wheat [placebo (PL) group; n = 52] in a patient population with peripheral artery disease (PAD). Plasma lipids were measured at 0, 1, 6, and 12 mo. RESULTS Dietary flaxseed in PAD patients resulted in a 15% reduction in circulating LDL cholesterol as early as 1 mo into the trial (P = 0.05). The concentration in the FX group (2.1 ± 0.10 mmol/L) tended to be less than in the PL group (2.5 ± 0.2 mmol/L) at 6 mo (P = 0.12), but not at 12 mo (P = 0.33). Total cholesterol also tended to be lower in the FX group than in the PL group at 1 mo (11%, P = 0.05) and 6 mo (11%, P = 0.07), but not at 12 mo (P = 0.24). In a subgroup of patients taking flaxseed and CLM (n = 36), LDL-cholesterol concentrations were lowered by 8.5% ± 3.0% compared with baseline after 12 mo. This differed from the PL + CLM subgroup (n = 26), which increased by 3.0% ± 4.4% (P = 0.030) to a final concentration of 2.2 ± 0.1 mmol/L. CONCLUSIONS Milled flaxseed lowers total and LDL cholesterol in patients with PAD and has additional LDL-cholesterol-lowering capabilities when used in conjunction with CLMs. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT00781950.

Maternal obesity characterized by gestational diabetes increases the susceptibility of rat offspring to hepatic steatosis via a disrupted liver metabolome

Gestational diabetes mellitus is a common complication of pregnancy, but its effects on the offspring are poorly understood. We developed a rat model of diet‐induced gestational diabetes mellitus that recapitulates many of the clinical features of the disease, including excessive gestational weight gain, glucose intolerance, hyperinsulinaemia and mild hyperglycaemia. Compared to the offspring of lean dams, exposure to gestational diabetes mellitus during the prenatal period resulted in obesity, hepatic steatosis and insulin resistance in young rat offspring that consumed a postnatal diet that was low in fat. The combination of maternal gestational diabetes mellitus and the postnatal consumption of a high‐fat diet by the offspring caused a more severe metabolic phenotype. Metabolomic profiling of the liver tissues of the offspring of gestational diabetic dams revealed accumulation of lipotoxic lipids and reduced phosphatidylethanolamine levels compared to the offspring of lean dams. The results establish that gestational diabetes mellitus is a driver of hepatic steatosis and insulin resistance in the offspring.

Supported liquid extraction in the quantitation of plasma enterolignans using isotope dilution GC/MS with application to flaxseed consumption in healthy adults

Dietary interventions involving foods that are enriched in lignans, such as flaxseed, are drawing attention due to their beneficial protective effects in various diseases and human conditions. Accurate quantitation of key lignan metabolites such as enterodiol (END) and enterolactone (ENL) is necessary in order to identify factors that may influence overall bioavailability. Here we describe the validation of a novel supported liquid extraction (SLE) method for isolation of plasma enterolignans, END and ENL, using (2)H(6)-labeled isotopes with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry in micro selected ion storage (GC/MS-μSIS) mode. Following enzymatic hydrolysis and SLE extraction with 70:30 diethyl ether:ethyl acetate, enterolignans were rapidly separated within 8min. SLE in combination with GC/MS-μSIS gave high recoveries of 96.4% and 96.0% for END and ENL. Intra-assay precision ranged from 2.5 to 5.9% for both compounds whereas the inter-assay precision was 2.6-6.9%. SLE was also directly compared to liquid liquid extraction (LLE). Both techniques offered high precision and accuracy, however, SLE consistently enabled successful analyte extractions and derivatizations, unlike LLE, which had an ∼4% failure rate. SLE was also tested in a study where dietary milled flaxseed supplementation (30g/day for 1month) and enterolignan bioavailability was examined in a healthy, human population (n=10). Plasma total enterolignan levels significantly increased (P=0.002) at 4weeks relative to baseline. Average concentrations for END and ENL were 209nM and 304nM, respectively.

Wild rice (Zizania palustris L.) prevents atherogenesis in LDL receptor knockout mice

OBJECTIVES Dietary modifications including healthy eating constitute one of the first line strategies for prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors including high cholesterol and atherosclerosis. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the potential cardiovascular benefits of wild rice in male and female LDL-receptor-deficient (LDLr-KO) mice. METHODS Wild rice was used to create a semi-synthetic diet containing approximately 60% of total energy from carbohydrate. Two other experimental diets were similar in macronutrient composition, but containing either white rice or commercial carbohydrate sources. All diets were supplemented with 0.06% (w/w) dietary cholesterol. The mice were divided into six experimental groups and fed with these diets over 24 weeks. RESULTS Consumption of wild rice significantly reduced the size and severity of atherosclerotic lesions in the aortic roots of male and female mice by 71 and 61% respectively, compared to the control group of the same gender. This effect was associated with significant reductions of plasma cholesterol levels by 15 and 40%, low density lipoprotein (LDL) levels by 12 and 42%, and very low density lipoprotein (VLDL) levels by 35 and 75% respectively, in male and female mice compared to the control group of the same gender. Increased fecal cholesterol excretion of up to 34% was also noted, compared to the control group of the same gender. However, the antiatherogenic effect of wild rice was not associated with increased superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) activities. CONCLUSION Current data suggest that cholesterol-lowering effects of wild rice may be the main factor for the prevention of atherogenesis in LDLr-KO mice. Additional studies are needed to understand the mechanism of action.