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Background/AimThe COVID-19 pandemic has been spreading throughout the world, having a significant impact on people’s lifestyles and health through social isolation and home confinement. The purpose of this study is to look into the impact of COVID-19 on diet and physical activity, as well as the possible influence factors, among ≥ 13-year-olds in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.Materials and methodsIn the present study data were collected from 2,649 participants via an online survey. The Google online questionnaire was available from April 23 to May 6, 2020. During the COVID-19 lockdown, the survey asked respondents about their demographic characteristics (gender, age, education, economic income, and occupation), anthropometric data, physical activity, and diet habits.ResultsThe study included 2,649 respondents, with 23.3% being male and 76.7% female. The majority of them were in good health and ranged in age from 21 to 29 years. 31% of those polled were overweight, and 14.3% were obese. The majority of respondents have a bachelor’s degree, diploma, or the equivalent, and a monthly family income of ≤ 25.000 SR. Those who were following a healthy diet (32.3%) were unable to maintain it during confinement, with males being affected more than females (42.7%, 29.3%, respectively, P = 0.004), and those most impacted were aged 21–29 years (38.0%, P = 0.046). Furthermore, 59.5% of males significantly failed to continue exercising during confinement compared to females who exercised consistently (P = 0.01). In terms of age, females aged less than 40 increased their exercise rate by about 23.4%, while males aged 40 and up decreased their exercise rate by 25.7% (P = 0.000). Moreover, 40.5% of the subjects’ weight increased, according to the findings. However, there was no significant effect on body mass index, despite the fact that 51% of participants were overweight or obese.ConclusionThe data showed that the COVID-19 lockdown had a negative impact on maintaining a healthy diet (p = 0.023*) and physical activity (p = 0.000**).

Given a possible anti-inflammatory role of magnesium in endothelial cells, the aim of this study was to investigate the effects of magnesium on human umbilical vein endothelial cell (HUVEC) viability, gene expression, and the pro-inflammatory response caused by a bacterial endotoxin (LPS). HUVECs were cultured at three different concentrations of magnesium sulphate (0.1mM; control-1mM; 5mM) for 72 hours. Exposing the cells to LPS reduced cell viability in culture with low magnesium, but high magnesium protected the HUVECs from LPS-induced cell death. LPS-treated HUVECs cultured in low magnesium showed up-regulation of mRNA expression for pro-inflammatory factors and the expression of cytokine proteins, including IL-2, IL-3, IL-8, IL-15 and MCP-1. This was associated with greater adhesion of monocytes to the cells. In contrast, high magnesium decreased the expression of inflammatory factors and cytokines. The study found that LPS activation of the expression of many pro-inflammatory factors is exacerbated in the presence of low magnesium concentration whilst a high magnesium concentration partly inhibited the inflammatory response to LPS.

Shrimp is a prevalent food in the Arabian Gulf that is known for its good sensory properties and high nutritional value. The aim of the present work was to assess the effects of diverse processing methods on the nutritional composition of shrimp and the antioxidant activity of shrimp powder. Shrimp ( Penaeus semisulcatus ) flesh was treated using four processes (salting, frying, grilling, and boiling), following which its macronutrient content, fatty acid profile, vitamins and mineral contents were measured. Also, the antioxidant activity of all shrimp powder extracts was assessed using the 2, 2 diphenyl 1 picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), linoleic acid oxidation inhibition, and reducing power methods. The results revealed that the fresh and processed shrimp flesh had significant nutritional value and the fresh and treated shrimp powders have high antioxidant activity, but the cooking processes have significant effects on the nutritional value and antioxidant activity of shrimp flesh. These effects were greater significantly in grilled shrimp followed by boiled shrimp and then fried shrimp. It is concluded that the high nutritional value and antioxidant activity of shrimp flesh make it an important food for nutritional health promotion for the community.

The date fruit, a nourishing food appreciated worldwide, plays an important role in producing countries’ economic and political aspects. Date palms provide numerous products, including date syrup, alcohol, vinegar, date powder, and sugar. This review was undertaken to summarize information about the common date-derived products, the manufacturing methods used, and the leading countries in the date-derived industry. Additionally, the review highlights the future challenges in developing the date industry. The difficulties that accompanied the preparation of this review included the scarcity of modern and reliable information, especially the statistics related to date-derived products from leading countries involved in this industry. This may be due to the incompleteness of such information or the lack of interest in publishing them in reliable scientific sources.

The aims of this study were to determine whether low concentrations of magnesium in vitro exacerbated the human umbilical vein endothelial cell (HUVEC) response to inflammatory challenge, and whether expression of the nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB) through the toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) played a role in this process. HUVECs were incubated with different concentrations of Mg (low-0.1mM, control-1mM, high-5mM) for 72 h before being stimulated with bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) for 4 h. The response of cells to LPS was greater in cells cultured in low Mg, relative to control cells and suppressed in high Mg. Expression of NF-κB was increased in low-Mg and decreased with high Mg. Low Mg increased the expression of TLR4 mRNA, but only in the presence of LPS. Antibody blockade of TLR4 but not TLR2 blunted the reponse of cells to LPS in low Mg, such that they were similar to unblocked 1mM Mg cells. Associations of Mg with cardiovascular disease may therefore relate to inflammatory responses mediated through the TLR4/NF-κB pathway.

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