Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are effective analgesics but cause gastrointestinal injury. Present prophylactic measures are suboptimal and novel therapies are required. Bovine colostrum is a cheap, readily available source of growth factors, which reduces gastrointestinal injury in rats and mice. We therefore examined whether spray-dried, defatted colostrum could reduce the rise in gut permeability (a non-invasive marker of intestinal injury) caused by NSAIDs in volunteers and patients taking NSAIDs for clinical reasons. Healthy male volunteers (n=7) participated in a randomized crossover trial comparing changes in gut permeability (lactulose/rhamnose ratios) before and after 5 days of 50 mg of indomethacin three times daily (tds) per oral with colostrum (125 ml, tds) or whey protein (control) co-administration. A second study examined the effect of colostral and control solutions (125 ml, tds for 7 days) on gut permeability in patients (n=15) taking a substantial, regular dose of an NSAID for clinical reasons. For both studies, there was a 2 week washout period between treatment arms. In volunteers, indomethacin caused a 3-fold increase in gut permeability in the control arm (lactulose/rhamnose ratio 0.36+/-0.07 prior to indomethacin and 1.17+/-0.25 on day 5, P<0.01), whereas no significant increase in permeability was seen when colostrum was co-administered. In patients taking long-term NSAID treatment, initial permeability ratios were low (0.13+/-0.02), despite continuing on the drug, and permeability was not influenced by co-administration of test solutions. These studies provide preliminary evidence that bovine colostrum, which is already currently available as an over-the-counter preparation, may provide a novel approach to the prevention of NSAID-induced gastrointestinal damage in humans.

Although there are limited effective measures to improve functional status, preventive strategies that include smoking cessation and pneumococcal vaccination should be actively pursued. Routine evaluation of swallowing dysfunction and use of pharmacological agents to improve the cough reflex deserve further evaluation in multicenter controlled trials.

The effects of vitamin deficiency on intestinal cancer are unclear, and even less is known about the consequences of excessive intake. We therefore investigated the actions of altered vitamin content on intestinal polyp development, cell proliferation and crypt fission in a mouse model of neoplasia. Ninety multiple intestinal neoplasia (ApcMin/+) mice and 90 wild-type littermates, 4 weeks old, were divided into six groups and fed either a control semi-synthetic diet, or the semi-synthetic diet with the vitamin content lowered to a third of the RDA or the semi-synthetic diet with the vitamin content increased 5-fold (except for retinol and folate, which were doubled). The number and size of polyps in the small and large intestines were scored after 8 weeks on the diets, as was cell proliferation (native mitoses per crypt) and crypt fission. The small intestines of the low and high vitamin groups were heavier than the controls. There were significantly more polyps and the tumour burden was higher in both the low and the high vitamin groups (P < 0.02). Proliferation was slightly reduced by the vitamin alteration and crypt fission was significantly increased in the ApcMin/+ mice when compared with the wild-type (P < 0.001). Fission indices were decreased by vitamin alteration in the small intestine, and increased in the colon, but only in the ApcMin/+ mice. The effects of vitamin alteration on polyp number were most pronounced in the proximal intestine, which is also the site of maximum crypt fission. Both vitamin deficiency and over-supplementation can markedly enhance polyp number and tumour burden.

Recombinant epidermal growth factor (EGF) may be useful to treat severe ulcerative gastrointestinal injury. There is concern, however, that systemic use of this potent mitogen might increase tumour development and/or progression in susceptible subjects. We therefore examined the effect of chronic administration of systemic EGF to multiple intestinal neoplasia (Min ) mice, who have a genetic defect in the adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) gene, leading to increased polyp development. Min mice (n =26) and wild-type littermates (n =26) received saline or EGF (223 microg of EGF/kg per day) for 4 weeks using subcutaneous osmotic mini-pumps. Cell proliferation and crypt fission were analysed using microdissection techniques and the number and size of polyps in the small and large intestines were determined. EGF increased wet weight and crypt cell proliferation rate by approx. 20% (all P <0.01 compared with the relevant control) in the small intestine and colon of both control and Min mice. In both groups, EGF reduced the colonic fission index by approx. 40% (P <0.01), but did not affect crypt fission in the small intestine. In Min mice, administration of EGF did not increase numbers of polyps or degree of dysplasia, but resulted in a 40% increase in the polyp size in the proximal intestine (P <0.02), but not in the remainder of the small intestine or colon. No polyps were found in control mice given EGF. EGF did not initiate polyp formation in control or Min mice. However, as polyp size is an important determinant for subsequent risk of malignant change in human colon cancer, further studies appear justified.

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PurposeThe demand for functional foods has been increasing tremendously throughout the globe and keeping in view the health beneficial properties of apricot fruit. The purpose of this study is to develop wheat flour based cookies enriched with apricot pulp powder in order to improve nutraceutical properties of cookies and dilution of gluten at the same time.Design/methodology/approachCookies were prepared from wheat flour blended with apricot pulp powder at 0, 10, 15, 20 and 25% level and evaluated for proximate, functional, rheological, nutraceutical and sensory properties.FindingsFibre content of apricot powder-incorporated cookies (3.23%) was significantly (p < 0.05) higher at 25% level than control (1.64%). The water absorption and oil absorption capacities decreased significantly (p < 0.05) upon increasing level of apricot pulp powder. The ß-carotene content, antioxidant activity and total phenolic content increased significantly (p < 0.05) upon incorporation of apricot pulp powder. The thickness of cookies increased, however, diameter and spread ratio decreased with increase in the levels of apricot pulp powder. Lightness (L*) value decreased, while redness (a*) and yellowness (b*) increased when incorporated with apricot pulp powder. Cookies having 25% apricot pulp powder showed maximum hardness and overall acceptability.Originality/valueTo the best of our knowledge, the scientific literature on incorporation of apricot pulp powder in bakery products is scanty. As such the present research has a tremendous scope for the food industries to produce functional bakery products with antioxidant properties and diluted the gluten content at the same time.

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