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Previous findings suggest that performing strength training (ST) in the evening may provide greater benefit for young individuals. However, this may not be optimal for the older population. The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of a 12-week ST program performed in the morning vs. evening on strength, functional capacity, metabolic biomarker and basal hormone concentrations in older women. Thirty-one healthy older women (66 ± 4 years, 162 ± 4 cm, 75 ± 13 kg) completed the study. Participants trained in the morning (M) (07:30, n = 10), in the evening (E) (18:00, n = 10), or acted as a non-training control group (C) (n = 11). Both intervention groups performed whole-body strength training with 3 sets of 10-12 repetitions with 2-3 minutes rest between sets. All groups were measured before and after the 12-week period with; dynamic leg press and seated-row 6-repetition maximum (6-RM) and functional capacity tests (30-second chair stands and arm curl test, Timed Up and Go), as well as whole-body skeletal muscle mass (SMM) (kg) and fat mass (FM-kg, FM%) assessed by bioelectrical impedance (BIA). Basal blood samples (in the intervention groups only) taken before and after the intervention assessed low-density lipoprotein (LDL-C), high-density lipoprotein (HDL-C), blood glucose (GLU), triglycerides (TG), high-sensitive C-reactive protein (hsCRP) concentrations and total antioxidant status (TAS) after a 12 h fast. Hormone analysis included prolactin (PRL), progesterone (P) estradiol (ESTR), testosterone (T), follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), and luteinizing hormone (LH). While C showed no changes in any variable, both M and E significantly improved leg press (+ 46 ± 22% and + 21 ± 12%, respectively; p < 0.001) and seated-row (+ 48 ± 21% and + 42 ± 18%, respectively; p < 0.001) 6-RM, as well as all functional capacity outcomes (p < 0.01) due to training. M were the only group to increase muscle mass (+ 3 ± 2%, p < 0.01). Both M and E group significantly (p < 0.05) decreased GLU (-4 ± 6% and -8 ± 10%, respectively), whereas significantly greater decrease was observed in the E compared to the M group (p < 0.05). Only E group significantly decreased TG (-17 ± 25%, p < 0.01), whereas M group increased (+ 15%, p < 0.01). The difference in TG between the groups favored E compared to M group (p < 0.01). These results suggest that short-term "hypertrophic" ST alone mainly improves strength and functional capacity performance, but it influences metabolic and hormonal profile of healthy older women to a lesser extent. In this group of previously untrained older women, time-of-day did not have a major effect on outcome variables, but some evidence suggests that training in the morning may be more beneficial for muscle hypertrophy (i.e. only M significantly increased muscle mass and had larger effect size (M: g = 2 vs. E: g = 0.5).

This study focused on the identification of bacterial profiles of semen in normozoospermic men and their possible involvement in changes to the sperm structural integrity and functional activity. Furthermore, we studied possible fluctuations of selected cytokines, oxidative markers, and antibacterial proteins as a result of bacterial presence in the ejaculate. Sperm motility was assessed with computer-assisted sperm analysis, while sperm apoptosis, necrosis and acrosome integrity were examined with fluorescent methods. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation was quantified via luminometry, sperm DNA fragmentation was evaluated using the TUNEL protocol and chromatin-dispersion test, while the JC-1 assay was applied to evaluate the mitochondrial membrane potential. Cytokine levels were quantified with the biochip assay, whilst selected antibacterial proteins were quantified using the ELISA method. The predominant species identified by the matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry were Staphylococcus hominis, Staphylococcus capitis and Micrococcus luteus. The results revealed that the sperm quality decreased proportionally to the increasing bacterial load and occurrence of conditionally pathogenic bacteria, including Enterococcus faecalis, Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. Antimicrobial susceptibility tests revealed a substantial resistance of randomly selected bacterial strains to ampicillin, vancomycin, tobramycin, and tetracycline. Furthermore, an increased bacterial quantity in semen was accompanied by elevated levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines, including interleukin-1, interleukin-2, interleukin-6, tumor necrosis factor alpha as well as ROS overproduction and lipid peroxidation of the sperm membranes. Our results suggest that semen quality may be notably affected by the bacterial quantity as well as quality. It seems that bacteriospermia may be associated with inflammatory processes, oxidative stress, sperm structural deterioration, and a subsequent risk for the development of subfertility, even in normozoospermic males.

Amygdalin is one of the most studied secondary metabolites of Prunus genus. It is a cyanogenic glycoside which was initially obtained from the bitter almonds seeds and is a major component of the seeds of plants, such as apricots, almonds, peaches, apples and other rosaceous plants. The views of scientists on the use of amygdalin have

The present study was designed to reveal whether long-term consumption of bitter apricot seeds causes changes in lipid profile and other risk factors for cardiovascular diseases. The study group consisted of 12 healthy adult volunteers (5 females and 7 males). The average age of women was 41.60 ± 11.28 years and the average age of men was 36.71 ± 13.70 years. Volunteers consumed 60 mg kg of body weight of bitter apricot seeds divided into 8-12 doses daily for 12 weeks. Volunteers were recruited from the general population of Slovak Republic. After 12 weeks, mean body weight of the participants increased from 77.34 to 78.22 kg (P > 0.05). The average total cholesterol levels decreased from 4.86 mmol L at the beginning of the study to 4.44 mmol L at the end of the study (P < 0.05). We did not observe any significant increase in high-density cholesterol (from 1.55 to 1.60 mmol L). The average low-density cholesterol levels decreased from 2.93 mmol L at the beginning of the study to 2.31 mmol L at the end of the study (P < 0.001). Concentration of triglycerides increased significantly over the 12-week intervention period from 0.84 to 1.17 mmol L. After the intervention, the high-sensitivity C-reactive protein level decreased from 1.92 to 1.23 mg L, but results were non-significant (P > 0.05). Creatine kinase serum levels increased from 2.31 to 2.77 mg L (P > 0.05) over the 12-week intervention period. The results suggest that regular intake of bitter apricot seeds may be considered potentially useful for prevention of cardiovascular diseases.

HighlightsRabbit spermatozoa parameters after amygdalin and apricot seeds exposure.Evaluation of spermatozoa motility by the CASA system.Decrease of spermatozoa motility after intramuscular AMG application.Oral consumption of apricot seeds had no effect on the spermatozoa motility.Our data suggest the potential impact of AMG and apricot seeds on male reproduction.

The increasing worldwide production of bisphenols has been associated to several human diseases, such as chronic respiratory and kidney diseases, diabetes, breast cancer, prostate cancer, behavioral troubles and reproductive disorders in both sexes. The aim of the present in vitro study was to evaluate the potential impact bisphenols A, B, S and F on the cell viability and testosterone release in TM3 Leydig cell line. Mice Leydig cells were cultured in the presence of different concentrations of bisphenols (0.04-50 µg.ml-1) during 24 h exposure. Quantification of the cell viability was assessed using the metabolic activity assay, while the level of testosterone in cell culture media was determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Within the panel of substances under investigations, the higher experimental concentrations (10; 25 and 50 µg.ml-1) significantly (P<0.001) decreased Leydig cells viability, while the same doses of BPA and BPB also reduced testosterone production significantly (P<0.001). Taken together, the results of our study reported herein is a consistent whit the conclusion that higher experimental doses of bisphenols have a cytotoxic effect and could have a dose-dependent impact on testosterone production.

This study investigated the effect of different concentrations of humic acids (HAs) on the selected serum biochemistry parameters and oxidative status markers in common pheasants (Phasianus colchicus). The control birds were fed a diet with no HA additives, while the birds in the experimental groups were fed diets containing HAs at the level of 0.5% (EG1), 0.75% (EG2) and 1.0% (EG3) from 1 to 90 days of age.  The blood sodium concentration decreased (P &lt; 0.01) in the group fed by 1.00% HAs compared to the control birds. The concentration of potassium in the EG2 group increased (P &lt; 0.05) in comparison to the control group. The EG1 group showed a higher (P &lt; 0.01) serum glucose than the EG2 group. Significant differences (P &lt; 0.05; P &lt; 0.01) were also found between the experimental groups (EG1 vs EG2, and EG2 vs EG3) in the cholesterol concentrations. The birds in the experimental groups showed lower ROS (reactive oxygen species) and MDA (malondialdehyde) production. An opposite effect was observed in the TAC (total antioxidant capacity), where its values significantly increased in the experimental groups. The diet supplementation affected the enzymatic antioxidant system of the fattened pheasants, and so the HAs exhibited an antioxidant potential in these birds.