Dietary Intake Of Flavonoids And HDL- And LDL- Cholesterol In Two Black Ethnicities With And Without Type 2 Diabetes

Flavonoids are a class of over 6,500 plant metabolites that have been associated with reduced mortality from cardiovascular disease. A cross-sectional analysis of dietary flavonoids and serum cholesterol in 507 Blacks with and without type 2 diabetes (258 Haitian-Americans and 249 African-Americans) showed differences by ethnicity and diabetes status. Haitian-Americans consumed more of most flavonoids as compared to African-Americans. Individuals with type 2 diabetes consumed less of most flavonoids as compared to those without diabetes. Flavonoids were differentially associated with low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL) and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL) by diabetes status. Flavanones were associated with lower LDL for participants without diabetes and higher LDL for those with diabetes, independent of ethnicity and adjusted for age, gender, cholesterol medications, daily energy, dietary fat, body mass index (BMI), and smoking. Flavan-3-ols were positively related to LDL while polyflavonoids (theaflavin and polymers, proanthocyanidins) were inversely related to LDL for the group without diabetes only. Higher anthocyanidins and flavan-3-ols and lower polyflavonoids were associated with higher HDL (same adjustments) for those without diabetes, whereas no flavonoids were associated with HDL for individuals with type 2 diabetes.

Light-activated phytotoxic thiophenes in Flaveria linearis L.

Chromatographic analyses of crude leaf extracts of Flaveria linearis L. revealed the presence of four acetylenic monothiophenes. Three of these metabolites were purified and structurally characterized by UV, NMR, IR, and GC-MS. Germination, growth, and survival/mortality studies with and without UVA, the activating wavelengths of these metabolites, were conducted with the crude leaf extracts and the purified compounds (taken individually and combined) against selected crop species (lettuce, radish, and carrot). Results suggest that acetylenic metabolites are phytotoxic against lettuce, carrot, and radish, but with variability in response among species. These variations in sensitivity and the allelopathic potential of F. linearis is discussed.