Effects of chronic and acute fruit and vegetable juice consumption on cardiovascular disease risk factors

Diets low in fruit and vegetables are reportedly responsible for 2.7 million deaths annually from cardiovascular diseases (CVD) and certain cancers. A daily fruit and vegetable intake of five 80 g portions is recommended for chronic disease prevention. However, in the UK, average adult consumption is less than three portions. It is suggested that fruit juice should only count as one portion. However, fruit juices are a beneficial source of phytochemicals. The preliminary results of two randomized, controlled, crossover, dietary intervention studies investigating the effects of chronic and acute consumption of fruit and vegetable puree and juice based drinks (FVPJ) on bioavailability, antioxidant status, vascular reactivity, and risk factors for CVD are reported. In the first study, 39 volunteers consumed 200 ml FVPJ, or fruit-flavoured control, daily for six weeks. In the second study, 24 volunteers consumed 400 mL FVPJ, or sugar-matched control, on the morning of the study day. Blood and urine samples were collected throughout both studies and real-time measurements of vascular tone were performed using laser Doppler imaging with iontophoresis. Overall, the studies showed that the fruit and vegetable puree and juice based drink increased dietary phytochemicals. There was a trend towards increased vasodilation following both acute and chronic fruit juice consumption. Measurements of antioxidant status, oxidative stress and other cardiovascular disease risk factors are currently being determined.

Effects of chronic and acute consumption of fruit- and vegetable-puree-based drinks on vasodilation, risk factors for CVD and the response as a result of the eNOS G298T polymorphism

The average UK adult consumes less than three portions of fruit and vegetables daily, despite evidence to suggest that consuming five portions daily could help prevent chronic diseases. It is recommended that fruit juice should only count as one of these portions, as juicing removes fibre and releases sugars. However, fruit juices contain beneficial compounds such as vitamin C and flavonoids and could be a useful source of dietary phytochemicals. Two randomised controlled cross-over intervention studies investigating the effects of chronic and acute consumption of commercially-available fruit- and vegetable-puree-based drinks (FVPD) on bioavailability, antioxidant status and CVD risk factors are described. Blood and urine samples were collected during both studies and vascular tone was measured using laser Doppler imaging. In the chronic intervention study FVPD consumption was found to significantly increase dietary carotenoids (P = 0.001) and vitamin C (P = 0.003). Plasma carotenoids were increased (P = 0.001), but the increase in plasma vitamin C was not significant. There were no significant effects on oxidative stress, antioxidant status and other CVD risk factors. In the acute intervention study FVPD were found to increase total plasma nitrate and nitrite (P = 0.001) and plasma vitamin C (P = 0.002). There was no effect on plasma lipids or uric acid, but there was a lower glucose and insulin peak concentration after consumption of the FVPD compared with the sugar-matched control. There was a trend towards increased vasodilation following both chronic and acute FVPD consumption. All volunteers were retrospectively genotyped for the eNOS G298T polymorphism and the effect of genotype on the measurements is discussed. Overall, there was a non-significant trend towards increased endothelium-dependent vasodilation following both acute and chronic FVPD consumption. However, there was a significant time x treatment effect (P < 0.05) of acute FVPD consumption in individuals with the GG variant of the eNOS gene.

Influence of fruit ripening process on the natural antioxidant content of Hojiblanca virgin olive oils

The effect of fruit ripeness on the antioxidant content of 'Hojiblanca' virgin olive oils was studied. Seasonal changes were monitored at bi-weekly intervals for three consecutive crop years. Phenolic content, tocopherol composition, bitterness index, carotenoid and chlorophyllic pigments and oxidative stability were analysed. In general, the antioxidants and the related parameters decreased as olive fruit ripened. The phenolics and bitterness, closely related parameters, did not present significant differences among years. Although in general, the tocopherols decreased during olive ripening gamma-tocopherol increased. Differences between crop years were found only for total tocopherols and alpha-tocopherol, which showed higher content in low rainfall year oils. The pigment content decreased during ripening, chlorophyll changing faster. For low rainfall years, the level of pigments was higher, reaching significant differences between yields. Significant differences among years were found for oil oxidative stability; higher values were obtained for drought years. A highly significant prediction model for oxidative stability has been obtained. (C) 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effects of reduced height (Rht) and photoperiod insensitivity (Ppd) alleles on yield of wheat in contrasting production systems

Near isogenic lines (NILs) varying for reduced height (Rht) and photoperiod insensitivity (Ppd-D1) alleles in a cv. Mercia background (rht (tall), Rht-B1b, Rht-D1b, Rht-B1c, Rht8c+Ppd-D1a, Rht-D1c, Rht12) were compared for interception of photosynthetically active radiation (PAR), radiation use efficiency (RUE), above-ground biomass (AGB), harvest index (HI), height, weed prevalence, lodging and grain yield, at one field site but within contrasting (‘organic’ v ‘conventional’) rotational and agronomic contexts, in each of three years. In the final year, further NILs (rht (tall), Rht-B1b, Rht-D1b, Rht-B1c, Rht-B1b+Rht-D1b, Rht-D1b+Rht-B1c) in Maris Huntsman and Maris Widgeon backgrounds were added together with 64 lines of a doubled haploid (DH) population [Savannah (Rht-D1b) × Renesansa (Rht-8c+Ppd-D1a)]. There were highly significant genotype × system interactions for grain yield, mostly because differences were greater in the conventional system than in the organic system. Quadratic fits of NIL grain yield against height were appropriate for both systems when all NILs and years were included. Extreme dwarfing was associated with reduced PAR, RUE, AGB, HI, and increased weed prevalence. Intermediate dwarfing was often associated with improved HI in the conventional system, but not in the organic system. Heights in excess of the optimum for yield were associated particularly with reduced HI and, in the conventional system, lodging. There was no statistical evidence that optimum height for grain yield varied with system although fits peaked at 85cm and 96cm in the conventional and organic systems, respectively. Amongst the DH lines, the marker for Ppd-D1a was associated with earlier flowering, and just in the conventional system also with reduced PAR, AGB and grain yield. The marker for Rht-D1b was associated with reduced height, and again just in the conventional system, with increased HI and grain yield. The marker for Rht8c reduced height, and in the conventional system only, increased HI. When using the System × DH line means as observations grain yield was associated with height and early vegetative growth in the organic system, but not in the conventional system. In the conventional system, PAR interception after anthesis correlated with yield. Savannah was the highest yielding line in the conventional system, producing significantly more grain than several lines that out yielded it in the organic system.

Comment on: Fruit and seed biomineralization and its effect on preservation by E. Messager et al.; in: Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences (2010) 2:25–34. DOI 10.1007/s12520-010-0024-1

This article provides a brief critique of a recent article on biomineralisation and preservation. It gives a summary of the difference between biomineralisation and mineral replacement, and addresses problems with the interpretation of FT-IR data. The lack of contextual information for the samples studied is another problem which is highlighted.

Fruit polyphenols and CVD risk: a review of human intervention studies.

Epidemiological evidence suggests that polyphenols may, in part, explain the cardioprotective properties of fruits. This review aims to summarise the evidence for the effects of fruit polyphenols on four risk factors of CVD: platelet function, blood pressure, vascular function and blood lipids. This review includes human dietary intervention studies investigating fruits and their polyphenols. There was some evidence to suggest that fruits containing relatively high concentrations of flavonols, anthocyanins and procyanindins, such as pomegranate, purple grapes and berries, were effective at reducing CVD risk factors, particularly with respect to anti-hypertensive effects, inhibition of platelet aggregation and increasing endothelial-dependent vasodilation than other fruits investigated. Flavanone-rich fruits, such as oranges and grapefruits, were reported to have hypocholesterolaemic effects, with little impact on other risk factors being examined. However, the evidence was limited, inconsistent and often inconclusive. This is in part due to the heterogeneity in the design of studies, the lack of controls, the relatively short intervention periods and low power in several studies. Details of the polyphenol content of the fruits investigated were also omitted in some studies, negating comparison of data. It is recommended that large, well-powered, long-term human dietary intervention studies investigating a wider range of fruits are required to confirm these observations. Investigations into the potential synergistic effects of polyphenols on a combination of CVD risk markers, dose–response relationships and standardisation in methodology would facilitate the comparison of studies and also provide valuable information on the types of fruits which could confer protection against CVD.

Prebiotic effect of fruit and vegetable shots containing Jerusalem artichoke inulin : a human intervention study

The present study aimed to determine the prebiotic effect of fruit and vegetable shots containing inulin derived from Jerusalem artichoke (JA). A three-arm parallel, placebo-controlled, double-blind study was carried out with sixty-six healthy human volunteers (thirty-three men and thirty-three women, age range: 18–50 years). Subjects were randomised into three groups (n 22) assigned to consume either the test shots, pear-carrot-sea buckthorn (PCS) or plum-pear-beetroot (PPB), containing JA inulin (5 g/d) or the placebo. Fluorescent in situ hybridisation was used to monitor populations of total bacteria, bacteroides, bifidobacteria, Clostridium perfringens/histolyticum subgroup, Eubacterium rectale/Clostridium coccoides group, Lactobacillus/Enterococcus spp., Atopobium spp., Faecalibacterium prausnitzii and propionibacteria. Bifidobacteria levels were significantly higher on consumption of both the PCS and PPB shots (10·0 (sd 0·24) and 9·8 (sd 0·22) log10 cells/g faeces, respectively) compared with placebo (9·3 (sd 0·42) log10 cells/g faeces) (P < 0·0001). A small though significant increase in Lactobacillus/Enterococcus group was also observed for both the PCS and PPB shots (8·3 (sd 0·49) and 8·3 (sd 0·36) log10 cells/g faeces, respectively) compared with placebo (8·1 (sd 0·37) log10 cells/g faeces) (P = 0·042). Other bacterial groups and faecal SCFA concentrations remained unaffected. No extremities were seen in the adverse events, medication or bowel habits. A slight significant increase in flatulence was reported in the subjects consuming the PCS and PPB shots compared with placebo, but overall flatulence levels remained mild. A very high level of compliance (>90 %) to the product was observed. The present study confirms the prebiotic efficacy of fruit and vegetable shots containing JA inulin.

The impact of fruit flavonoids on memory and cognition

There is intense interest in the studies related to the potential of phytochemical-rich foods to prevent age-related neurodegeneration and cognitive decline. Recent evidence has indicated that a group of plant-derived compounds known as flavonoids may exert particularly powerful actions on mammalian cognition and may reverse age-related declines in memory and learning. In particular, evidence suggests that foods rich in three specific flavonoid sub-groups, the flavanols, anthocyanins and/or flavanones, possess the greatest potential to act on the cognitive processes. This review will highlight the evidence for the actions of such flavonoids, found most commonly in fruits, such as apples, berries and citrus, on cognitive behaviour and the underlying cellular architecture. Although the precise mechanisms by which these flavonoids act within the brain remain unresolved, the present review focuses on their ability to protect vulnerable neurons and enhance the function of existing neuronal structures, two processes known to be influenced by flavonoids and also known to underpin neuro-cognitive function. Most notably, we discuss their selective interactions with protein kinase and lipid kinase signalling cascades (i.e. phosphoinositide-3 kinase/Akt and mitogen-activated protein kinase pathways), which regulate transcription factors and gene expression involved in both synaptic plasticity and cerebrovascular blood flow. Overall, the review attempts to provide an initial insight into the potential impact of regular flavonoid-rich fruit consumption on normal or abnormal deteriorations in cognitive performance.

Harvesting fruit of equivalent chronological age and fruit position shows individual effects of UV radiation on aspects of the strawberry ripening process

The effect of UV radiation on fruit secondary compounds of strawberry cv ‘Elsanta’ was recorded taking chronological age and fruit position on the truss into account. When fruit of similar age post-anthesis, and truss position were compared, we found that the concentration of secondary compounds differed according to fruit position on the truss. UV radiation hastened the rate of colour development and resulted in an increase in fruit anthocyanin (14–31%), flavonoid (9–21%) and phenolic (9–20%) contents at harvesting; but it had no effect on fruit soluble solid content, pH and volatile composition. It did, however, increase leaf flavonoid (16%) and phenolic (8%) concentrations. Fruit ripened under a UV transparent film were firmer, smaller but greater in number than fruit ripened under a UV opaque film. Overall, the results indicate that UV radiation does not affect all aspects of strawberry ripening but independently alters rate of colour development and fruit firmness

Fruit and vegetables, and the role they have played in determining the EU’s aggregate measurement of support

In its periodic declarations of domestic support to the WTO, the EU has progressively reduced its amber-box declarations in line with its changing system of farm support. Surprisingly, however, in 2007/08 it managed to more than halve its amber box compared with that of the previous year, easily achieving the reduction targets being touted in the Doha Round. This was largely due to a change in the calculations for fresh fruits and vegetables. These had been linked to the entry price system, which was not affected by the 2008 fruit and vegetables reform. Why the EU chose to make this change during the ongoing Doha Round negotiations remains unclear.

A simplified, high-yield synthesis, and crystal structure of [tris{bis(2,4,6-triisopropylphenyl)tin}]

The species [{Sn(C2H2iPr3-2,4,6)2}3] has been obtained in a simple, essentially quantitative, synthesis from SnCl2 and ArLi in diethyl ether at low temperature. The crystal structure analysis confirms the trimeric nature of the molecular units but reveals some unusual features. The crystal contains the unusual feature of an asymmetric unit that consists of three units of [{SnAr2}3] in P21/c; the molecular unit is a scalene triangle, showing high consistency between the three molecules, in contrast to analogous trimeric species of silicon or germanium. The SnSn bonds are lengthened (average value 2.942 Å) owing to steric crowding.

The synthesis and properties of [Fe3(CO)11(RCN)] derivatives, and a high-yield general route to mono- and di-substituted derivatives of [Fe3(CO)12]; the crystal and molecular structure of [Fe3(CO)11(NCC6H4-2-Me)]

The clusters [Fe3(CO)11(RCN)] (1: R = Me, C3H5, C6H5, or C6H4-2-Me) have been prepared at low temperature from [Fe3(CO)12] and RCN in the presence of Me3NO. Compounds 1 react essentially quantitatively with a wide range of two-electron donors, L, (viz.: CO, PPh3, P(OMe)3, PPh2H, PPh2Me, PF3, CyNC (Cy = cyclohexyl), P(OEt)3, SbPh3, PBu3, AsPh3, or SnR2 (R = CH(SiMe3)2)) to give [Fe3(CO)11L] (2). In some cases (2), on treatment with Me3NO and then L′ (L′ = a second two-electron donor) yields [Fe3(CO)10LL′] in high yield. The crystal and molecular structures of 1 (L = NCC6H4Me-2) have been determined by a full single crystal structure analysis, and shown to have an axial nitrile coordinated at the unique iron atom, with two CO groups bridging the other two metal atoms.

Effect of cutting time, temperature and calcium on curd moisture, whey fat loses and curd yield by response surface methodology

Response surface methodology was used to study the effect of temperature, cutting time, and calcium chloride addition level on curd moisture content, whey fat losses, and curd yield. Coagulation and syneresis were continuously monitored using 2 optical sensors detecting light backscatter. The effect of the factors on the sensors’ response was also examined. Retention of fat during cheese making was found to be a function of cutting time and temperature, whereas curd yield was found to be a function of those 2 factors and the level of calcium chloride addition. The main effect of temperature on curd moisture was to increase the rate at which whey was expelled. Temperature and calcium chloride addition level were also found to affect the light backscatter profile during coagulation whereas the light backscatter profile during syneresis was a function of temperature and cutting time. The results of this study suggest that there is an optimum firmness at which the gel should be cut to achieve maximum retention of fat and an optimum curd moisture content to maximize product yield and quality. It was determined that to maximize curd yield and quality, it is necessary to maximize firmness while avoiding rapid coarsening of the gel network and microsyneresis. These results could contribute to the optimization of the cheese-making process.