Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder of an ever-increasing aging population with various pathological features such as β-amyloid (Aβ) aggregation, oxidative stress, an impaired cholinergic system, and neuroinflammation. Several therapeutic drugs have been introduced to slow the progression of AD by targeting the above-mentioned pathways. In addition, emerging evidence suggests that naturally occurring compounds have the potential to serve as adjuvant therapies to alleviate AD symptoms. Carotenoids, a group of natural pigments with antioxidative and anti-inflammatory properties, are proposed to be implicated in neuroprotection. To obtain a comprehensive picture of the effect of carotenoids on AD prevention and development, we critically reviewed and discussed recent evidence from in silico, in vitro, in vivo, and human studies in databases including PubMed, Web of Science, Google Scholar, and Cochrane (CENTRAL). After analyzing the existing evidence, we found that high-quality randomized controlled trials (RCTs) are lacking to explore the neuroprotective role of carotenoids in AD pathogenesis and symptoms, especially carotenoids with solid preclinical evidence such as astaxanthin, fucoxanthin, macular carotenoids, and crocin, in order to develop effective preventive dietary supplements for AD patients to ameliorate the symptoms. This review points out directions for future studies to advance the knowledge in this field.

Seaweeds are traditional food ingredients mainly in seaside regions. Modern food science and nutrition researchers have identified seaweed as a source of functional nutrients, such as dietary soluble and insoluble fibers, proteins, omega-3 fatty acids, prebiotic polysaccharides, polyphenols, and carotenoids. Owing to the rich nutrients, seaweeds and seaweed extract can be used as functional ingredients by modifying the nutrients composition to reduce the proportion of available carbohydrates, delaying the gastric emptying time and the absorption rate of glucose by increasing the digesta viscosity, and attenuating the digesting rate by blocking the activity of digestive enzymes. This review presents the concept of using seaweed as unconventional ingredients that can function synergistically to reduce the glycemic potency of cereal products.

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Scope: Iron deficiency anemia (IDA) in children is one of the most common nutrition-related health conditions worldwide. Prebiotic oligosaccharides, fructo-oligosaccharide (FOS) and galacto-oligosaccharides (GOS), have shown to affect iron absorption in anemic subjects, but the results in previous studies are inconsistent, thus the underlying mechanism and the effective dose of GOS in mitigating anemia remain unclear. Methods and Results: The present study aims to investigate the mechanism of how GOS/FOS affect iron absorption in an iron-deficient growing rat model from the perspectives of protein expression and gut microbiota, and determine the optimum dose of GOS. Iron-deficient models are established by providing young rats diet without iron addition for 14 days. Later, iron-deficient rats are provided with standard rat chows supplemented with 0%, 3%, 5%, 10% GOS, and 10% FOS for 21 days. The results show that ≥5% GOS supplementation in diet improves iron status and significantly impacts iron-binding/transport protein expression. Furthermore, a dose-dependent modulating effect of GOS on gut microbiota is determined. Conclusion: For the first time, the present study provides evidence that GOS supplementation induces a dose-response effect on iron absorption and gut microbiota in the established model, suggesting a positive role of GOS in ameliorating IDA in children.

Aim: To investigate whether skeletal muscle mass is associated with arterial stiffness in Chinese community-dwelling men and women. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 20477 participants (age range: 45-80 years, 68.8% women) were included in the analysis. Brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV), an indicator of arterial stiffness was measured using a waveform device. Total muscle mass and muscle mass of arm, leg and trunk were measured by bioelectrical impedance analysis. Height and weight were measured and appendicular skeletal muscle mass index (ASMI) was calculated as appendicular skeletal muscle mass (sum of arm and leg muscle mass) divided by height square. Results: After adjustment for age, body fat percentage, systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure, ASMI was negatively associated with baPWV [β (SE) for men: -0.208 (0.016), p < 0.0001; for women: -0.245 (0.012), p < 0.0001]. High ASMI was a protective factor for the presence of arterial stiffness (defined as baPWV) [OR (95%CI) for men: 0.730 (0.682, 0.782), p < 0.0001; women: 0.634 (0.593, 0.677), p < 0.0001]. Similar associations were found between quantity of muscle mass (total and appendicular muscle mass, muscle mass of arm, leg and trunk) and arterial stiffness in men and women after further adjustment for height (all p < 0.0001). Conclusion: Low skeletal muscle mass is associated with increased risk of arterial stiffness in Chinese community-dwelling adults.

Background: Evidence suggests that body composition has impact on arterial stiffness. However, evidence in Chinese are limited, and results remain controversial. The aim of our study is to investigate whether skeletal muscle mass is associated with arterial stiffness in Chinese community-dwelling men and women aged 45 years and older. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 20477 participants (age range: 45-80 years, 68.8% women) were included in the analysis. Brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV), an indicator of arterial stiffness was measured using a waveform device. Total muscle mass and muscle mass of arm, leg and trunk were measured by bioelectrical impedance analysis. Height and weight were measured and appendicular skeletal muscle mass index (ASMI) was calculated as appendicular skeletal muscle mass (sum of arm and leg muscle mass) divided by height square. Results: After adjustment for age, body fat percentage, systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure, ASMI was negatively associated with baPWV [β (SE) for men: -0.208 (0.016), p < 0.0001; for women: -0.245 (0.012), p < 0.0001]. High ASMI was a protective factor for the presence of arterial stiffness (defined as baPWV) [OR (95%CI) for men: 0.730 (0.682, 0.782), p < 0.0001; women: 0.634 (0.593, 0.677), p < 0.0001]. Similar associations were found between quantity of muscle mass (total and appendicular muscle mass, muscle mass of arm, leg and trunk) and arterial stiffness in men and women after further adjustment for height (all p < 0.0001). Conclusion: Low skeletal muscle mass is associated with increased risk of arterial stiffness in Chinese community-dwelling adults aged 45 years and older.