Food synergy concept is suggested to explain observations that isolated antioxidants are less bioactive than real foods containing them. However, mechanisms behind this discrepancy were hardly studied. Here, we demonstrate the profound impact of interactions between two common food flavonoids (individual: aglycones quercetin—Q and naringenin—N− or their glycosides rutin—R and naringin—N+ vs. mixed: QN− and RN+) on their electrochemical properties and redox-related bioactivities. N− and N+ seemed weak antioxidants individually, yet in both chemical and cellular tests (DPPH and CAA, respectively), they increased reducing activity of mixtures synergistically. In-depth measurements (differential pulse voltammetry) pointed to kinetics of oxidation reaction as decisive factor for antioxidant power. In cellular (HT29 cells) tests, the mixtures exhibited properties of a new substance rather than those of components. Pure flavonoids did not influence proliferation; mixtures stimulated cell growth. Individual flavonoids tended to decrease global DNA methylation with growing concentration; this effect was more pronounced for mixtures, but not concentration-dependent. In nutrigenomic studies, expression of gene set affected by QN− differed entirely from common genes modulated by individual components. These results question the current approach of predicting bioactivity of mixtures based on research with isolated antioxidants.
Currently, the nutritional value of food is associated mainly with components such as proteins, carbohydrates, and lipids. However, another important macromolecules present in many foods are dietary nucleic acids (dietNA), i.e., DNA as well as both coding and non-coding RNAs. In the context of food chemistry and nutrition, dietNA are nowadays vastly neglected. In consequence, there are no dedicated methodologies to characterize dietNA. In this study, using raw or processed meat and plant products as model foodstuffs, we developed a toolbox of methods borrowed from other fields (histology, toxicology, molecular biology) that enable the initial characterization of dietNA as a necessary step on the way to systematic evaluation of their nutritional role. The proposed set of methods embraces (i) paraffin embedding of food samples and their staining to visualize the distribution and variety of dietNA in situ; (ii) comet assay to assess integrity of nuclear DNA with possible detection of DNA damage; (iii) dietNA isolation with and without RNAse digestion to determine the content of both DNA and RNA; (iv) electrophoretic separation of isolates to profile dietNA fragments. Such a combined methodological approach revealed clear differences between dietNA derived from raw and processed food products. We believe that the presented set of methods will encourage the broader research on dietNA to understand their role as a nutritionally relevant food component.
Flavonoids are polyphenolic compounds commonly found in plants. As dietary components, they have been shown to exhibit numerous pro-health properties that are believed to be associated with their antioxidant effects. In this study, the antioxidant activity of four flavonoid compounds was determined by cellular antioxidant activity assay using HT29 cells as a model of the alimentary tract. The strongest impact on cellular redox status was observed for aglycones which acted as both antioxidants (quercetin) and prooxidants (naringenin). Interestingly, mixtures of tested compounds displayed only antioxidative properties.
We have been using plastic for almost a century and nowadays a lot of them circulates as pollutants in the environment and still defragmenting to micro and nanoscale. The exposition through the food chain and its precise impact on human health is still not clear. In our study, we tested real food packaging after contact with food products and real thermoinsulation and environmental samples of polystyrene in different model liquids, We used a comet assay, mass spectrometry (MS) of fluids which were in contact with packaging, free styrene measurement by Wijs method according to ISO standard and FTIR of wrap, to get an overview of their possible harmful effects. In the presented study, only low genotoxic effect (5-6% DNA damage) was observed.. In addition, no adverse effects were detected in the mass spectrometry. For analysed coloured polystyrene food packaging materials, we noticed a lower level of free styrene monomers in dairy packages that originally contained products with fruits. Exposure of cells to long-term seasoned polystyrene caused less DNA fragmentation than in the case of samples in saline.. Unfortunately, to this day no one knows how much free styrene and derivatives we eat with our daily food products and from food packaging.Based on our results and knowledge, more attention is needed with regard to polystyrene contamination. In particular, a wider analysis of the impact of interactions with the microbiota and the food matrix, which is in direct contact with the polystyrene packaging, should be carried out.The results of our research show that polystyrene and its derivatives from food packaging can potentially have a negative effect on the DNA of human colon epithelial cells. We recommend seasoning of freshly formed polystyrene products and increasing personal protection in relation to workers of the polystyrene foaming factories This applies primarily to dairy products, readily consumed by children, which are rich in both organic acids and salts, and the presence of these ingredients enhances the genotoxic effects. According to our best knowledge, this is the first study using actual polystyrene food packaging available on the market.
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