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The Chilean-MDI can be successfully self-applied to portray the overall diet quality in the Chilean adult population. Additionally, this dietary index describes overall food intake in Chilean adults, showing demographic trends that are comparable to those obtained with similar indexes applied in other populations.

This study formulated and characterized an antioxidant-rich concentrate of berries (BPC-350) produced in Chile, which was used to perform a crossover study aimed at determining the effect of the berries on the modulation of plasma postprandial oxidative stress and antioxidant status. Healthy male volunteers (N = 11) were randomly assigned to three experimental meals: (1) 250 g of ground turkey burger (GTB) + 500 mL of water; (2) 250 g of GTB + 500 mL of 5% BPC-350; (3) 250 g of GTB prepared with 6% BPC-350 + 500 mL of 5% BPC-350. Venous blood samples were collected prior to meal intake and every hour for six hours after intake. Malondialdehyde (MDA), carbonyls in proteins, and DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) antioxidant capacity were quantified in plasma. Significant differences indicated that BPC-350 decreases MDA plasma concentration and protein carbonyls (p < 0.05). Additionally, a significant increase in the DPPH antioxidant capacity was observed in Meals 2 and 3 when compared to Meal 1 (p < 0.05). The results are discussed in terms of oxidative reactions that occur during digestion at the stomach level and the important effect of oxidative reactions that occur during the thermal processing of red meat.

Obesity and metabolic syndrome (MetS) are key risk factors for chronic disease. Dietary patterns are critical in the incidence and persistence of obesity and MetS, yet there is few data linking diet to obesity and MetS in Chile. Our objective was to use a locally validated diet index to evaluate adherence to a Mediterranean dietary pattern and its correlations with overweight/obesity (OW/O) and MetS prevalence in Chilean adults. We conducted a nationwide, cross-sectional online survey of Chilean adults with complete self-reported diet and body mass index data (n = 24,882). A subsample of 4348 users (17.5%) had valid MetS data. An inverse association was observed between adherence to Mediterranean diet and OW/O and MetS prevalence. As diet quality decreased from healthy, to moderately-healthy, to unhealthy, prevalence increased from 44.8, 51.1, to 60.9% for OW/O and from 13.4, 18.5, to 28.9% for MetS (p-values < 0.001). Adjusted odds ratios for OW/O and MetS were significantly higher in moderately-healthy (OR = 1.58 and 1.54) and unhealthy (OR = 2.20 and 2.49, respectively) diet groups in comparison to the healthy diet group. This study represents the first report on the relationship between Mediterranean diet and chronic disease risk in Chile. It suggests that the Mediterranean diet may be applied to manage chronic disease risk beyond the Mediterranean basin.

Irarrázaval, Sebastián, Claudio Allard, Juan Campodónico, Druso Pérez, Pablo Strobel, Luis Vásquez, Inés Urquiaga, Guadalupe Echeverría, and Federico Leighton. Oxidative stress in acute hypobaric hypoxia. High Alt Med Biol. 18:128-134, 2017.-The effects of acute hypobaric hypoxia endured by mountaineers were studied, specifically as evidenced by acute mountain sickness (AMS) and oxidative stress damage. Ten male volunteers were exposed to acute hypobaric hypoxia, and AMS was evaluated through arterial oxygen saturation (SaO), cardiac rate, and the Lake Louise Score (LLS). Oxidative stress was determined through blood profile tests performed 24 hours before and after high-altitude exposure, assessing the oxidative damage and antioxidant profiles. Dietary habits were assessed using the Chilean Mediterranean Diet Index. During ascent (i.e., first 8 hours), all volunteers presented AMS (LLS ≥3 points), as manifested by a median LLS increment of four points, a 15 bpm cardiac rate, and 17% decrease in SaO. Additionally, plasma lipid oxidative damage increased after the expedition, as evaluated through malondialdehyde, which was directly correlated with the LLS (R = 0.720, p = 0.003) and inversely correlated with SaO (R = 0.436; p = 0.035) at a high altitude. Preascent carbonyl levels were inversely correlated to SaO (R = 0.490; p = 0.008) and directly correlated to cardiac rate (R = 0.225, p = 0.016) at a high altitude. Moreover, dietary habits were inversely correlated with increased carbonyls during the expedition (R = 0.436; p = 0.047). In conclusion, acute hypobaric hypoxia induced AMS and an increment in oxidative stress markers 24 hours after altitude exposure in the volunteers. Furthermore, oxidative stress damage was related to AMS severity. Finally, volunteers with closer adherence to a Mediterranean diet presented a lower increase in oxidative damage during ascent, reflecting the potential preventive role of diet against AMS.

Current evidence on health benefits of the mediterranean diet (Rev Med Chile 2016; 144: 1044-1052

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SR-BI is the main receptor for high density lipoproteins (HDL) and mediates the bidirectional transport of lipids, such as cholesterol and vitamin E, between these particles and cells. During early development, SR-BI is expressed in extraembryonic tissueScavenger Receptor Class B type I (SR-BI) is the main receptor for high density lipoproteins (HDL), and numerous studies have described its role in mediating the bidirectional transport of lipids between these lipoproteins and cells 1 . In the liver, SR-BI is involved in the uptake of cholesterol from HDL and its excretion in bile, the final step in reverse cholesterol transport. SR-BI also participates in the uptake of cholesterol in steroidogenic tissues, such as the adrenal glands and ovaries, to be used as a substrate for steroid hormone synthesis 2 . Important information on the roles of SR-BI other than in cholesterol homeostasis and cholesterol provision for steroidogenesis, such as platelet aggregation, erythrocyte maturation and oocyte meiosis, has been generated from the SR-BI knock out (SR-BI −/− ) mouse since it was generated almost two decades ago 3 .In generating SR-BI −/− mice via heterozygous intercrosses, researchers noted that the proportion of weaned homozygous null mice was half that expected by the Mendelian ratio 3 . This evidence, together with the fact that SR-BI is present in murine trophoblasts involved in maternal-foetal nutrient exchange at different stages of gestation 4 , led researchers to postulate that this HDL receptor might be involved in embryonic development. We recently showed that nearly 50% of SR-BI −/− embryos fail to close the anterior neural tube and develop cranial NTD and exencephaly 5 , leading to perinatal death, which explains the deviation from the Mendelian ratio previously reported in weaned SR-BI null mice 3 . Among the spectrum of defective neurulation conditions conferred by abnormal closure at different portions of the neural tube, only cranial NTD is observed in SR-BI −/− embryos.During murine early development, SR-BI is not detected in the embryo itself but rather in trophoblast giant cells (TGC) from the parietal yolk sac 4,5 . TGC play a critical role in embryonic uptake of various nutrients from the maternal blood supply before the establishment of a mature placenta 6 . Despite the prominent role of SR-BI