Proanthocyanidins are phytonutrients formed by oligomerization or polymerization of subunits catechin, epicatechin, and their gallic acid esters. Proanthocyanidins are a component of many plants and thus form an integral part of the human diet. Oligomeric proanthocyanidins are currently marketed as medicinal products that target vascular disorders and chronic pathological conditions, many of which are age-associated. Proanthocyanidins are also characterized by their effects on energy homeostasis. Not dissimilar to their chemically synthesized counterparts, naturally extracted proanthocyanidins act via inhibition of lipases, stimulation of energy expenditure, or suppression of appetite. Here we review the current knowledge-base and highlight challenges and future impacts regarding involvement of proanthocyanidins in global lipid metabolism, with a focus on the molecular mechanisms and pathological conditions that progress with aging.

In this paper, an experimental study was conducted on the influence of water pressure on concrete strength. Specimens were put in a self-designed device, applying 0–4 MPa water pressure on concrete, and then taken out for both static and dynamic compressive tests. Results showed that high water pressure caused inevitable damage to concrete, leading to 13.4% reduction in strength under 4 MPa water pressure. Specimens with lower strength grade were damaged more severely while under the same water pressure. Also, as water pressure increased, the moisture content of concrete grew linearly, and the trend for specimens with higher compressive strength was slower. A correlation was established between the water content increment and the reduction rate of strength. Moreover, the dynamic compressive strength decreased as water pressure increased but still higher than the static strength, illustrating an apparent strain rate effect. Meanwhile, water pressure and moisture content increment barely had any influence upon DIF within the testing conditions. Furthermore, equations for calculating both static and dynamic reduction rates of strength were built, based either on water pressure or on moisture content increment caused by that. Equations for strength prediction were also provided.

The incidence of obesity is rising at an alarming rate. Despite its recognition as an urgent healthcare concern, obesity remains largely an unsolved medical problem. A comprehensive screen for functional dietary phytochemicals identified proanthocyanidins as putative targets to ameliorate obesity. A full-scale purification of oligomeric proanthocyanidins (OPCs) derived from grape seed extract yielded pure OPC dimer, trimer, tetramer, and their gallates (pOPCs). Forward chemical screening conducted in suggested that pOPCs reduced the activity of lipase and triglyceride storage capacity Proanthocyanidin trimer gallate in particular modified lipid desaturation in, revealed by hyperspectral coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering microscopy. Exposure to trimer gallate resulted in the transcriptional down-regulation of (an ortholog of the human peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-α), and a key regulator of fat metabolism, and 2 downstream genes: and A combination exposure of 2 or 3 pOPCs (dimer gallate, trimer and/or trimer gallate) suggested the absence of synergistic potential. By using the whole-organism coupled with versatile biochemical, biophysical, and genetic tools, we provide an account of the composition and bioactivity of individual OPCs and more generally highlight the potential of traditional Chinese medicine-derived drug leads.-Nie, Y., Littleton, B., Kavanagh, T., Abbate, V., Bansal, S. S., Richards, D., Hylands, P., Sturzenbaum, S. R. Proanthocyanidin trimer gallate modulates lipid deposition and fatty acid desaturation in .

Different genetic backgrounds can modify the effect of mutated genes. Human α-synuclein (SNCA) gene encodes α-synuclein, and its oligomeric complexes accumulate with age and mediate the disruption of cellular homeostasis, resulting in the neuronal death that is characteristic of Parkinson’s Disease. Polymorphic variants modulate this complex pathologic mechanism. Previously, we constructed five transgenic introgression lines of a Caenorhabditis elegans model of α-synuclein using genetic backgrounds that are genetically diverse from the canonical wild-type Bristol N2. A gene expression analysis revealed that the α-synuclein transgene differentially affects genome-wide transcription due to background modifiers. To further investigate how complex traits are affected in these transgenic lines, we measured the α-synuclein transgene expression, the overall accumulation of the fusion protein of α-synuclein and yellow fluorescent protein (YFP), the lysosome-related organelles, and the body size. By using quantitative PCR (qPCR), we demonstrated stable and similar expression levels of the α-synuclein transgene in different genetic backgrounds. Strikingly, we observed that the levels of the a-synuclein:YFP fusion protein vary in different genetic backgrounds by using the COPAS™ biosorter. The quantification of the Nile Red staining assay demonstrates that α-synuclein also affects lysosome-related organelles and body size. Our results show that the same α-synuclein introgression in different C. elegans backgrounds can produces differing effects on complex traits due to background modifiers.

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