Investigation on key molecular targets responsible for antidiabetic properties of Symplocos cochinchinensis (Lour.) S. Moore

Diabetes mellitus is a heterogeneous metabolic disorder characterized by hyperglycemia with disturbances in carbohydrate, protein and lipid metabolism resulting from defects in insulin secretion, insulin action or both. Currently there are 387 million people with diabetes worldwide and is expected to affect 592 million people by 2035. Insulin resistance in peripheral tissues and pancreatic beta cell dysfunction are the major challenges in the pathophysiology of diabetes. Diabetic secondary complications (like liver cirrhosis, retinopathy, microvascular and macrovascular complications) arise from persistent hyperglycemia and dyslipidemia can be disabling or even life threatening. Current medications are effective for control and management of hyperglycemia but undesirable effects, inefficiency against secondary complications and high cost are still serious issues in the present prognosis of this disorder. Hence the search for more effective and safer therapeutic agents of natural origin has been found to be highly demanding and attract attention in the present drug discovery research. The data available from Ayurveda on various medicinal plants for treatment of diabetes can efficiently yield potential new lead as antidiabetic agents. For wider acceptability and popularity of herbal remedies available in Ayurveda scientific validation by the elucidation of mechanism of action is very much essential. Modern biological techniques are available now to elucidate the biochemical basis of the effectiveness of these medicinal plants. Keeping this idea the research programme under this thesis has been planned to evaluate the molecular mechanism responsible for the antidiabetic property of Symplocos cochinchinensis, the main ingredient of Nishakathakadi Kashayam, a wellknown Ayurvedic antidiabetic preparation. A general introduction of diabetes, its pathophysiology, secondary complications and current treatment options, innovative solutions based on phytomedicine etc has been described in Chapter 1. The effect of Symplocos cochinchinensis (SC), on various in vitro biochemical targets relevant to diabetes is depicted in Chapter 2 including the preparation of plant extract. Since diabetes is a multifactorial disease, ethanolic extract of the bark of SC (SCE) and its fractions (hexane, dichloromethane, ethyl acetate and 90 % ethanol) were evaluated by in vitro methods against multiple targets such as control of postprandial hyperglycemia, insulin resistance, oxidative stress, pancreatic beta cell proliferation, inhibition of protein glycation, protein tyrosine phosphatase-1B (PTP-1B) and dipeptidyl peptidase-IV (DPPxxi IV). Among the extracts, SCE exhibited comparatively better activity like alpha glucosidase inhibition, insulin dependent glucose uptake (3 fold increase) in L6 myotubes, pancreatic beta cell regeneration in RIN-m5F and reduced triglyceride accumulation in 3T3-L1 cells, protection from hyperglycemia induced generation of reactive oxygen species in HepG2 cells with moderate antiglycation and PTP-1B inhibition. Chemical characterization by HPLC revealed the superiority of SCE over other extracts due to presence of bioactives (beta-sitosterol, phloretin 2’glucoside, oleanolic acid) in addition to minerals like magnesium, calcium, potassium, sodium, zinc and manganese. So SCE has been subjected to oral sucrose tolerance test (OGTT) to evaluate its antihyperglycemic property in mild diabetic and diabetic animal models. SCE showed significant antihyperglycemic activity in in vivo diabetic models. Chapter 3 highlights the beneficial effects of hydroethanol extract of Symplocos cochinchinensis (SCE) against hyperglycemia associated secondary complications in streptozotocin (60 mg/kg body weight) induced diabetic rat model. Proper sanction had been obtained for all the animal experiments from CSIR-CDRI institutional animal ethics committee. The experimental groups consist of normal control (NC), N + SCE 500 mg/kg bwd, diabetic control (DC), D + metformin 100 mg/kg bwd, D + SCE 250 and D + SCE 500. SCEs and metformin were administered daily for 21 days and sacrificed on day 22. Oral glucose tolerance test, plasma insulin, % HbA1c, urea, creatinine, aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), albumin, total protein etc. were analysed. Aldose reductase (AR) activity in the eye lens was also checked. On day 21, DC rats showed significantly abnormal glucose response, HOMA-IR, % HbA1c, decreased activity of antioxidant enzymes and GSH, elevated AR activity, hepatic and renal oxidative stress markers compared to NC. DC rats also exhibited increased level of plasma urea and creatinine. Treatment with SCE protected from the deleterious alterations of biochemical parameters in a dose dependent manner including histopathological alterations in pancreas. SCE 500 exhibited significant glucose lowering effect and decreased HOMA-IR, % HbA1c, lens AR activity, and hepatic, renal oxidative stress and function markers compared to DC group. Considerable amount of liver and muscle glycogen was replenished by SCE treatment in diabetic animals. Although metformin showed better effect, the activity of SCE was very much comparable with this drug. xxii The possible molecular mechanism behind the protective property of S. cochinchinensis against the insulin resistance in peripheral tissue as well as dyslipidemia in in vivo high fructose saturated fat diet model is described in Chapter 4. Initially animal were fed a high fructose saturated fat (HFS) diet for a period of 8 weeks to develop insulin resistance and dyslipidemia. The normal diet control (ND), ND + SCE 500 mg/kg bwd, high fructose saturated fat diet control (HFS), HFS + metformin 100 mg/kg bwd, HFS + SCE 250 and HFS + SCE 500 were the experimental groups. SCEs and metformin were administered daily for the next 3 weeks and sacrificed at the end of 11th week. At the end of week 11, HFS rats showed significantly abnormal glucose and insulin tolerance, HOMA-IR, % HbA1c, adiponectin, lipid profile, liver glycolytic and gluconeogenic enzyme activities, liver and muscle triglyceride accumulation compared to ND. HFS rats also exhibited increased level of plasma inflammatory cytokines, upregulated mRNA level of gluconeogenic and lipogenic genes in liver. HFS exhibited the increased expression of GLUT-2 in liver and decreased expression of GLUT-4 in muscle and adipose. SCE treatment also preserved the architecture of pancreas, liver, and kidney tissues. Treatment with SCE reversed the alterations of biochemical parameters, improved insulin sensitivity by modifying gene expression in liver, muscle and adipose tissues. Overall results suggest that SC mediates the antidiabetic activity mainly via alpha glucosidase inhibition, improved insulin sensitivity, with antiglycation and antioxidant activities.

Proyecto de viabilidad para la creación de una empresa exportadora de carne de caracol a Francia

Este trabajo es un proyecto de viabilidad en cuanto a la creación de una empresa exportadora de carne de caracol a Francia como mercado objetivo, en el proyecto se explora el sector de la helicicultura, sector que para la mayoría de la población es una palabra desconocida, un sector que podría abrir paso a un mercado muy grande de exportación y también podría llegar a ser una propuesta de negocio muy innovadora tanto nacional como internacionalmente. La helicicultura, tiene como propósito obtener la parte cárnica del caracol, este es un negocio que actualmente se encuentra en crecimiento y lo mas importante de todo es que su desarrollo es a nivel mundial ya que esta carne esta satisfaciendo una demanda alta debido a varias características que posee, como su alto contenido de elementos minerales y su bajo contenido de grasa. La idea principal es poder lograr una excelente producción de carne de caracol, equipados con alta capacidad técnica, infraestructura adecuada y tecnología para así poder generar los más altos estándares de calidad, creando las mejores condiciones del producto para lograr un proceso de producción y comercialización y ser competitivos en el mercado. En Colombia se hallan todas las facilidades para poner en práctica la helicicultura dado que la especie de caracol Hélix Aspersa se cultiva en trece de los treinta y dos departamentos Colombianos, lo que nos da una idea de cuan valiosa seria esta producción y el volumen que se podría producir para su posterior comercialización y su exportación hacia otros continentes.

Culture and food: a model of yoghurt consumption in the EU

The completion of the Single European Market was expected to create a large market that would enable firms to capture economies of scale that would in turn result in lower prices to European consumers. These benefits are only likely to be realised if consumers in the various countries of the EU wish to consume the same products and respond to similar marketing strategies (with respect to promotion, distribution etc). This study examines, through a model of yoghurt consumption, whether cultural differences continue to determine food-related behaviour in the EU. The model is derived from the marketing literature and views the consumption decision as the outcome of a multi-stage process in which yoghurt knowledge, attitudes to different yoghurt attributes (such as bio-bifidus, low-fat, organic) and overall attitude towards yoghurt as a product all feed into the frequency with which yoghurt is consumed at breakfast, as a snack and as a dessert. The model uses data collected from a consumer survey in I I European countries and is estimated using probit and ordinal probit methods. The results suggest that important cultural differences continue to determine food-related behaviour in the I I countries of the study. (c) 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Skeletal muscle fibre plasticity in response to selected environmental and physiological stimuli

Skeletal muscle constitutes a highly adaptable and malleable tissue that responds to environmental and physiological challenges by changing its phenotype in terms of size and composition, outcomes that are brought about by changes in gene expression, biochemical and metabolic properties. Both the short- and long-term effects of nutritional alterations on skeletal muscle homeostasis have been defined as the object of intensive research over the last thirty years. This review focuses predominantly on assimilating our understanding of the changes in muscle fibre phenotype and functional properties induced by either food restriction or alternatively existing on a high fat diet. Firstly, food restriction has been shown in a number of studies to decrease the myofibre cross sectional area and consistently, it has been found that glycolytic type IIB fibres are more prone to atrophy than oxidative fibres. Secondly, in rodents, a high fat diet has been shown to induce an oxidative profile in skeletal muscle, although obese humans usually show higher numbers of glycolytic type IIB fibres. Moreover, attention is paid to the effect of prenatal maternal food restriction on muscle development of the offspring in various species. A key point related to these experiments is the timing of food restriction for the mother. Furthermore, we explore extensively the seemingly species-specific response to maternal malnutrition. Finally, key signalling molecules that play a pivotal role in energy metabolism, fibre type transitions and muscle hypertrophy are discussed in detail.

Effects of schistosoma mansoni worms and eggs on circulating cholesterol and liver lipids in mice

It has previously been shown that experimental infections of the parasitic trematode Schistosoma mansoni, the adult worms of which reside in the blood stream of the mammalian host, significantly reduced atherogenesis in apolipoprotein E gene knockout (apoE(-/-)) mice. These effects occurred in tandem with a lowering of serum total cholesterol levels in both apoE(-/-) and random-bred laboratory mice and a beneficial increase in the proportion of HDL to LDL cholesterol. To better understand how the parasitic infections induce these effects we have here investigated the involvement of adult worms and their eggs on lipids in the host. Our results indicate that the serum cholesterol-lowering effect is mediated by factors released from S. mansoni eggs, while the presence of adult worms seemed to have had little or no effect. It was also observed that high levels of lipids, particularly triacylglycerols and cholesteryl esters, present in the uninfected livers of both random-bred and apoE(-/-) mice fed a high-fat diet were not present in livers of the schistosome-infected mice. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Texture development in ice cream - effects of adding cocoa solids

Dynamic rheological techniques can aid the understanding of the factors contributing to ice cream structure, though the data obtained differs from that deduced from destructive techniques. Studies have shown that ice cream systems are both strain- and frequency-dependent. Chocolate ice cream is normally more viscous than the equivalent vanilla ice cream during mix preparation and has more body on freezing. Ice creams were prepared with and without cocoa solids and frequency sweeps were made from 0.1 to 100 Hz at 0.1% strain. With rapidly frozen ice creams, both G' and G" increased in the presence of cocoa solids. Comparison of mixes made with and without low-fat cocoa powder or non-gelatinizing starch demonstrated a similar relationship, with higher apparent viscosities in those mixes containing either cocoa powder or the starch. The results were consistent with the cocoa particles adding to the effect of the fat globules in increasing viscosity.

The role of monounsaturated fatty acids in the mitigation of insulin resistance

With the rising rate of obesity, there is considerable interest in dietary strategies to reduce insulin resistance, a major characteristic of the metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes. Diets rich in monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) have been suggested as an alternative to low-fat, high-carbohydrate diets to improve glycemic control. However, inconsistent effects have been observed with MUFA-rich diets in both healthy and insulin-resistant individuals. In studies that have reported favorable effects on insulin sensitivity, Mediterranean-style diets have been used that are rich not only in MUFA but also whole-grain foods, fiber, and carbohydrates with a low glycemic index. There is a need for intervention studies to examine the true impact of MUFA-rich oils on glycemic control in both Mediterranean and non-Mediterranean populations. In addition, the metabolic and genotypic status of the participants may also play a role in the inter-individual variability in insulin sensitivity in response to MUFA-rich diets.

Acute effects of meal fatty acid composition on insulin sensitivity in healthy post-menopausal women

Postprandial plasma insulin concentrations after a single high-fat meal may be modified by the presence of specific fatty acids although the effects of sequential meal ingestion are unknown. The aim of the present study was to examine the effects of altering the fatty acid composition in a single mixed fat-carbohydrate meal on glucose metabolism and insulin sensitivity of a second meal eaten 5 h later. Insulin sensitivity was assessed using a minimal model approach. Ten healthy post-menopausal women underwent four two-meal studies in random order. A high-fat breakfast (40 g fat) where the fatty acid composition was predominantly saturated fatty acids (SFA), n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), long-chain n-3 PUFA or monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) was followed 5 h later by a low-fat, high-carbohydrate lunch (5.7 g fat), which was identical in all four studies. The plasma insulin response was significantly higher following the SFA meal than the other meals after both breakfast and lunch (P<0.006) although there was no effect of breakfast fatty acid composition on plasma glucose concentrations. Postprandial insulin sensitivity (SI(Oral)) was assessed for 180 min after each meal. SI(Oral) was significantly lower after lunch than after breakfast for all four test meals (P=0.019) following the same rank order (SFA < n-6 PUFA < n-3 PUFA < MUFA) for each meal. The present study demonstrates that a single meal rich in SFA reduces postprandial insulin sensitivity with 'carry-over' effects for the next meal.

A randomised trial to investigate the effects of acute consumption of a blackcurrant juice drink on markers of vascular reactivity and bioavailability of anthocyanins in human subjects

Objective: To study the bioavailability of anthocyanins and the effects of a 20% blackcurrant juice drink on vascular reactivity, plasma antioxidant status and other CVD risk markers. Subjects/Methods: The study was a randomised, cross over, double blind, placebo controlled acute meal study. Twenty healthy volunteers (11 females 9 males) were recruited, and all subjects completed the study. Fasted volunteers consumed a 20% blackcurrant juice drink (250 ml) or a control drink following a low-flavonoid diet for the previous 72 hours. Vascular reactivity was assessed at baseline and 120 mins after juice consumption by Laser Doppler Imaging (LDI). Plasma and urine samples were collected periodically over an 8 hour period for analysis, with a final urine sample collected at 24h. The cross over was performed after a 4-week washout. Results: There were no significant effects of the 20% blackcurrant juice drink on acute measures of vascular reactivity, biomarkers of endothelial function or lipid risk factors. Consumption of the test juice caused increases in plasma vitamin C (P=0.006), and urinary anthocyanins (P<0.001). Delphinidin-3-rutinoside and cyanidin-3-rutinoside were the main anthocyanins excreted in urine with delphinidin-3-glucoside also detected. The yield of anthocyanins in urine was 0.021 ± 0.003% of the dietary intake of delphinidin glycosides and 0.009 ± 0.002 % of the dietary intake of cyanidin glycosides. Conclusions: The juice consumption did not have a significant effect on vascular reactivity. Anthocyanins were present at low concentrations in the urine, and microbial metabolites of flavonoids were detected in plasma after juice consumption.

A gene variation (rs12691) in the CCAT/enhancer building α modulates glucose metabolism in metabolic syndrome

Background and aims CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein alpha (CEBPA) is a transcription factor involved in adipogenesis and energy homeostasis. Caloric restriction reduces CEBPA protein expression in patients with metabolic syndrome (MetS). A previous report linked rs12691 SNP in CEBPA to altered concentration of fasting triglycerides. Our objective was to assess the effects of rs12691 in glucose metabolism in Metabolic Syndrome (MetS) patients. Methods and results Glucose metabolism was assessed by static (glucose, insulin, adiponectin, leptin and resistin plasma concentrations) and dynamic (disposition index, insulin sensitivity index, HOMA-IR and acute insulin response to glucose) indices, performed at baseline and after 12 weeks of 4 dietary interventions (high saturated fatty acid (SFA), high monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFA), low-fat and low-fat-high-n3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA)) in 486 subjects with MetS. Carriers of the minor A allele of rs12691 had altered disposition index (p = 0.0003), lower acute insulin response (p = 0.005) and a lower insulin sensitivity index (p = 0.025) indicating a lower insulin sensitivity and a lower insulin secretion, at baseline and at the end of the diets. Furthermore, A allele carriers displayed lower HDL concentration. Conclusion The presence of the A allele of rs12691 influences glucose metabolism of MetS patients. Clinical Trials Registry number NCT00429195.

Effect of dairy-based protein sources and temperature on growth, acidification and exopolysaccharide production of Bifidobacterium strains in skim milk

The aim of the present study was to find out the best growing conditions for exopolysaccharide (EPS) producing bifidobacteria, which improve their functionality in yoghurt-like products. Two Bifidobacterium strains were used in this study, Bifidobacterium longum subsp. infantis CCUG 52486 and Bifidobacterium infantis NCIMB 702205. In the first part of the study the effect of casein hydrolysate, lactalbumin hydrolysate, whey protein concentrate and whey protein isolate, added at 1.5% w/v in skim milk, was evaluated in terms of cell growth and EPS production; skim milk supplemented with yeast extract served as the control. Among the various nitrogen sources, casein hydrolysate (CH) showed the highest cell growth and EPS production for both strains after 18 h incubation and therefore it was selected for subsequent work. Based on fermentation experiments using different levels of CH (from 0.5 to 2.5% w/v) it was deduced that 1.5% (w/v) CH resulted in the highest EPS production, yielding 102 and 285 mg L− 1 for B. infantis NCIMB 702205 and B. longum subsp. infantis CCUG 52486, respectively. The influence of temperature on growth and EPS production of both strains was further evaluated at 25, 30, 37 and 42 °C for up to 48 h in milk supplemented with 1.5% (w/v) CH. The temperature had a significant effect on growth, acidification and EPS production. The maximum growth and EPS production were recorded at 37 °C for both strains, whereas no EPS production was observed at 25 °C. Lower EPS production for both strains were observed at 42 °C, which is the common temperature used in yoghurt manufacturing compared to that at 37 °C. The results showed that the culture conditions have a clear effect on the growth, acidification and EPS production, and more specifically, that skim milk supplemented with 1.5% (w/v) CH could be used as a substrate for the growth of EPS-producing bifidobacteria, at 37 °C for 24 h, resulting in the production of a low fat yoghurt-like product with improved functionality.

Food restriction reverses the hyper-muscular phenotype and force generation capacity deficit of the myostatin null mouse

Food restriction has a great impact on skeletal muscle mass by inducing muscle protein breakdown to provide substrates for energy production through gluconeogenesis. Genetic models of hyper-muscularity interfere with the normal balance between protein synthesis and breakdown which eventually results in extreme muscle growth. Mutations or deletions in the myostatin gene result in extreme muscle mass. Here we evaluated the impact of food restriction for a period of 5 weeks on skeletal muscle size (i.e., fibre cross-sectional area), fibre type composition and contractile properties (i.e., tetanic and specific force) in myostatin null mice. We found that this hyper-muscular model was more susceptible to catabolic processes than wild type mice. The mechanism of skeletal muscle mass loss was examined and our data shows that the myostatin null mice placed on a low calorie diet maintained the activity of molecules involved in protein synthesis and did not up-regulate the expression of genes pivotal in ubiquitin-mediated protein degradation. However, we did find an increase in the expression of genes associated with autophagy. Surprisingly, the reduction on muscle size was followed by improved tetanic and specific force in the null mice compared to wild type mice. These data provide evidence that food restriction may revert the hyper-muscular phenotype of the myostatin null mouse restoring muscle function.

Effects of acute consumption of a fruit and vegetable puree-based drink on vasodilation and oxidative status

Epidemiological studies indicate that diets rich in fruits and vegetables (F&V) are protective against cardiovascular diseases (CVD). Pureed F&V products retain many beneficial components, including flavonoids, carotenoids, vitamin C and dietary fibres. This study aimed to establish the physiological effects of acute ingestion of F&V puree-based drink (FVPD) on vasodilation, antioxidant status, phytochemical bioavailability and other CVD risk factors. 24 Subjects, aged 30-70 years, completed the randomised, single-blind, controlled, crossover test meal study. Subjects consumed 400 ml FVPD, or fruit-flavoured sugar-matched control, after following a low-flavonoid diet for 5 days. Blood and urine samples were collected throughout the study day and vascular reactivity was assessed at 90-minute intervals using laser Doppler iontophoresis (LDI). FVPD significantly increased plasma vitamin C (P=0.002) and total nitrate/nitrite (P=0.001) concentrations. There was a near significant time by treatment effect on ex vivo LDL oxidation (P=0.068), with a longer lag phase after consuming FVPD. During the 6 hours after juice consumption the antioxidant capacity of plasma increased significantly (P=0.003) and there was a simultaneous increase in plasma and urinary phenolic metabolites (P<0.05). There were significantly lower glucose and insulin peaks after ingestion of FVPD compared with control (P=0.019 and P=0.003) and a trend towards increased endothelium-dependent vasodilation following FVPD consumption (P=0.061). Overall, FVPD consumption significantly increased plasma vitamin C and total nitrate/nitrite concentrations, with a trend towards increased endothelium-dependent vasodilation. Pureed F&V products are useful vehicles for increasing micronutrient status, plasma antioxidant capacity and in vivo NO generation, which may contribute to CVD risk reduction.

Differential effects of two fermentable carbohydrates on central appetite regulation and body composition

BACKGROUND: Obesity is rising at an alarming rate globally. Different fermentable carbohydrates have been shown to reduce obesity. The aim of the present study was to investigate if two different fermentable carbohydrates (inulin and b-glucan) exert similar effects on body composition and central appetite regulation in high fat fed mice. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Thirty six C57BL/6 male mice were randomized and maintained for 8 weeks on a high fat diet containing 0% (w/w) fermentable carbohydrate, 10% (w/w) inulin or 10% (w/w) b-glucan individually. Fecal and cecal microbial changes were measured using fluorescent in situ hybridization, fecal metabolic profiling was obtained by proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR), colonic short chain fatty acids were measured by gas chromatography, body composition and hypothalamic neuronal activation were measured using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and manganese enhanced MRI (MEMRI), respectively, PYY (peptide YY) concentration was determined by radioimmunoassay, adipocyte cell size and number were also measured. Both inulin and b-glucan fed groups revealed significantly lower cumulative body weight gain compared with high fat controls. Energy intake was significantly lower in b-glucan than inulin fed mice, with the latter having the greatest effect on total adipose tissue content. Both groups also showed an increase in the numbers of Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus-Enterococcus in cecal contents as well as feces. b- glucan appeared to have marked effects on suppressing MEMRI associated neuronal signals in the arcuate nucleus, ventromedial hypothalamus, paraventricular nucleus, periventricular nucleus and the nucleus of the tractus solitarius, suggesting a satiated state. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Although both fermentable carbohydrates are protective against increased body weight gain, the lower body fat content induced by inulin may be metabolically advantageous. b-glucan appears to suppress neuronal activity in the hypothalamic appetite centers. Differential effects of fermentable carbohydrates open new possibilities for nutritionally targeting appetite regulation and body composition.

Influence of SNPs in nutrient-sensitive candidate genes and gene–diet interactions on blood lipids: the DiOGenes study

Blood lipid response to a given dietary intervention could be determined by the effect of diet, gene variants or gene–diet interactions. The objective of the present study was to investigate whether variants in presumed nutrient-sensitive genes involved in lipid metabolism modified lipid profile after weight loss and in response to a given diet, among overweight European adults participating in the Diet Obesity and Genes study. By multiple linear regressions, 240 SNPs in twenty-four candidate genes were investigated for SNP main and SNP–diet interaction effects on total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol and TAG after an 8-week low-energy diet (only main effect), and a 6-month ad libitum weight maintenance diet, with different contents of dietary protein or glycaemic index. After adjusting for multiple testing, a SNP–dietary protein interaction effect on TAG was identified for lipin 1 (LPIN1) rs4315495, with a decrease in TAG of − 0·26 mmol/l per A-allele/protein unit (95 % CI − 0·38, − 0·14, P= 0·000043). In conclusion, we investigated SNP–diet interactions for blood lipid profiles for 240 SNPs in twenty-four candidate genes, selected for their involvement in lipid metabolism pathways, and identified one significant interaction between LPIN1 rs4315495 and dietary protein for TAG concentration.