The prevention and treatment of obesity is primary based on the follow-up of a healthy lifestyle, which includes a healthy diet with an important presence of bioactive compounds such as polyphenols. For many years, the health benefits of polyphenols have been attributed to their anti-oxidant capacity as free radical scavengers. More recently it has been described that polyphenols activate other cell-signaling pathways that are not related to ROS production but rather involved in metabolic regulation. In this review, we have summarized the current knowledge in this field by focusing on the metabolic effects of flavonoids. Flavonoids are widely distributed in the plant kingdom where they are used for growing and defensing. They are structurally characterized by two benzene rings and a heterocyclic pyrone ring and based on the oxidation and saturation status of the heterocyclic ring flavonoids are grouped in seven different subclasses. The present work is focused on describing the molecular mechanisms underlying the metabolic impact of flavonoids in obesity and obesity-related diseases. We described the effects of each group of flavonoids in liver, white and brown adipose tissue and central nervous system and the metabolic and signaling pathways involved on them.

Carnitine palmitoyltransferase (CPT) I is expressed in the intestine of suckling rats; its mRNA increases very rapidly after birth, remains on a plateau until day 18 and decreases until weaning, when basal (adult) values are reached, which remain unchanged thereafter. CPT II mRNA values do not show any appreciable change in this period. CPT I and CPT II are expressed mainly in mucosa and, to a lesser extent, in the muscular part of the intestine. Intestinal expression of CPT I is maximal in duodenum and jejunum, whereas CPT II is expressed in a similar pattern throughout the whole intestine. Dam's milk may influence the intestinal expression of CPT I, since mRNA levels at birth are low but increase after the first lactation. Moreover, rats weaned at either day 18 or 21 decrease their mRNA levels. Apparently, CPT II gene expression is not influenced by the mother's milk. CPT I and CPT II are also expressed in the liver of suckling rats. Hepatic CPT I is maximal at day 3, and levels of CPT II mRNA do not change, in a similar fashion to that in intestine. The profile of expression of CPT I in liver and intestine strongly resembles that previously reported for mitochondrial 3-hydroxy-3-methyl-glutaryl-CoA synthase.

Mitochondrial 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA (HOMeGlt-CoA) synthase regulates ketogenesis in the liver of adult rat and in the intestine and liver of neonatal animals but whose mechanisms of regulation have not been fully defined. To investigate transcriptional control of this gene in intestine and liver of suckling rats a quantitative PCR amplification of the pre-mRNA (heteronuclear RNA), composed of part of the first exon and of the first intron, was carried out. Results show that the intestinal pre-mRNA for mitochondrial HOMeGlt-CoA synthase from suckling rats follows a pattern that is nearly identical to that of mature mRNA, with maximum levels on the ninth postnatal day then decreasing smoothly so that at weaning there is no transcriptional activity. Mitochondria1 HOMeGlt-CoA synthase protein follows a pattern that is identical to the pre-mRNA and mature inRNA, suggesting no translational regulation. The changes in transcriptional activity are not produced by the presence of an alternative promoter, since the transcription-initiation site is identical in several tissues assayed, including intestine and liver. Enterocytes are the only intestinal cells that express this ketogenic enzyme, as deduced from immunolocalization experiments. The mature intestinal protein is located in mitochondria and not in the cytosol, which coincides with what is found in liver. By using analogous techniques we conclude that hepatic pre-mRNA of mitochondrial HOMeGlt-CoA synthase from suckling rats follows a pattern of expression identical to that of mature hepatic mRNA, which also suggests a transcriptional modulation of this gene in the liver of neonatal rats.

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Biochernicai Society Transactions ( 1 995) 23 493sThe effect of fasting and insulin treatment on carnitine palmitoyl transferase I and mitochondrial 3-hydroxy-3-methvlalutarvl coenzyme A svnthase mRNA levels in . " * liverlrom suckling rats Hepatic ketogenesis in adult rats is controlled by two systems: i] entry of fatty acyl-CoA into mitochondria, catalyzed by carnitine palmito 1 transferase [CPT] I and 11; and ii] enzymatic activity o?mitochondrial 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A [HMG-CoA] synthase.Carnitine palmito 1 transferase [CPT] I , is a distinct

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There are many native fruits in Peru containing essential nutrients for health and that have not been fully studied. The objective of this research was to determine the physicochemical, nutritional and morphological characteristics of five varieties of native fruits from the central Andean region and the northern Peruvian jungle: goldenberry (Physalis peruviana), sanky (Corryocactus brevistylus), cocona (Solanum sessiliflorum), yellow pitahaya (Selenicereus megalanthus) and camu camu (Myrciaria dubia). The fruits were washed, peeled, pulped, fleshed, and lyophilized, to determine, using standardized analytical methods, the nutrient content, such as vitamin C, fiber, soluble solids. The goldenberry, sanky and camu camu fruits presented the highest vitamin C content (43.0, 57.1 and 2,780 mg per 100g of fresh weight, respectively), while cocona and pitahaya had 4.54 and 8.0 mg per 100g of fresh weight, respectively. The goldenberry and pitahaya (26.85 and 9.75%) yielded the highest content of reducing sugars. At the same time, goldenberry and cocona reported the highest fiber values (4.9 and 2.5%, respectively). Regarding the content of soluble solids (°Brix), pitahaya and goldenberry showed the highest values (16.2 and 13.3 respectively). In conclusion, the results obtained show that the native fruits studied represent an important source of nutrients that can be beneficial for human health.

The species Passiflora tripartita Kunth (tumbo) is endemic to South America, whose edible fruits are a rich source of antioxidant metabolites. This study aimed to develop a probiotic yogurt with tumbo fruit pulp, consisting of an adequate antioxidant capacity related to its content in phenolic compounds, flavonoids, and carotenoids, and with good acceptability. Antioxidant capacity was determined by radical scavenging capacity test (DPPH●) and cation radical scavenging capacity test (ABTS+●), total phenol content by Folin Ciocalteu method, total flavonoids, and carotenoids by spectrophotometric method, on days 1, 7, 14 and 21 of storage. The surface plate count method quantified Lactic Acid Bacteria (LAB). The results evidenced that at day 21 of the analysis, the antioxidant capacity presented high values (DPPH●: 8.774 mg GAE/g, 3.386 mg TAE/g, 6.159 mg AAE/g; ABTS+●: 11.630 mg GAE/g, 7.018 mg TAE/g, 9.218 mg AAE/g), the content of phenolic compounds presented high values (3746.389 mg TPGAE/g; 2355.933 mg TPTAE/g), as well as total flavonoids (52.421 mg Quercetin/g) and carotenoids (72.109 µg β-carotene/g). Yogurt presents a value of 3.4 x 108 CFU/g of LAB and it is therefore considered a probiotic. High values were determined as the sensory characteristics such as odor (6.89), color (6.97), texture (6.94), flavor (6.97), and acceptability (6.94), thus being analyzed according to the hedonic scale in 200 panelists. The physicochemical and microbiological quality of the yogurt complies with current regulations. In conclusion, the probiotic yogurt developed with tumbo fruit pulp had a high amount of LAB. It presented high antioxidant capacity correlated with its high content of phenolic compounds, flavonoids and carotenoids, which remained high during the 21 days of storage. Furthermore, it showed high acceptability and had adequate physicochemical and microbiological quality.