Brown adipose tissue (BAT) may have untapped therapeutic potential for treating metabolic disorders including type 2 diabetes and obesity because it not only dissipates energy through the expression of uncoupling protein 1 (Ucp1), but it also plays a role in diet and nonshivering thermogenesis. BAT can emerge from white fat in a process called “browning,” but how this process occurs has remaine...

The effect of different anti-browning agents on partially purified longan polyphenol oxidase (PPO) activity was investigated by spectrophotometry, using catechol as a phenolic substrate. For this purpose, L-cysteine, potassium metabisulfite, ascorbic acid, and citric acid were used to inhibit the activity of longan PPO at different concentrations (0-10 mM). Lcysteine was found to be the most po...

Red muscadine grape (Vitis rotundifolia Michx.) wines are very susceptible to browning and overall loss of color quality during processing and storage. This study examined the effects of three pH levels (2.90, 3.20, 3.80), three sulfur dioxide levels (25, 50, 75 ppm free SO2), three storage temperatures (20°C, 30°C, 40°C), and three storage times (0, 3, 9 months). A higher pH resulted in a loss...

The effects of honey solutions on preventing browning discoloration and maintaining visual appearance in fresh-cut ‘Nam Dok Mai’ mango fruit and the comparison of honey dip and commercially used citric acid and ascorbic acid dips were investigated. The mango cubes were dipped in honey solutions at the concentration of 0, 5, 10, 15, 20 or 25 % (v/v) and the visual appearance and browning intensi...

OBJECTIVE A potential strategy to treat obesity - and the associated metabolic consequences - is to increase energy expenditure. This could be achieved by stimulating thermogenesis through activation of brown adipose tissue (BAT) and/or the induction of browning of white adipose tissue (WAT). Over the last years, it has become clear that several metalloproteinases play an important role in adip...

OBJECTIVE Activation of thermogenesis in brown adipose tissue (BAT) and the ability to increase uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1) levels and mitochondrial biogenesis in white fat (termed 'browning'), has great therapeutic potential to treat obesity and its comorbidities because of the net increase in energy expenditure. β-adrenergic-cAMP-PKA signaling has long been known to regulate these processes. ...

Cachexia is a complex tissue-wasting syndrome characterized by inflammation, hypermetabolism, increased energy expenditure, and anorexia. Browning of white adipose tissue (WAT) is one of the significant factors that contribute to energy wasting in cachexia. By utilizing a cell implantation model, we demonstrate here that the lipid mobilizing factor zinc-α2-glycoprotein (ZAG) induces WAT brownin...

Sulfur-containing amino acids play important roles in good flavor generation in Maillard reaction of non-enzymatic browning, so aqueous model systems of glucosamine and cysteine were studied to investigate the effects of reaction temperature, initial pH, reaction time, and concentration ratio of glucosamine and cysteine. Response surface methodology was applied to optimize the independent react...

The Maillard reaction (nonenzymatic glycation) is a chemical reaction between amino group and carbonyl group; it is the extremely complex reaction that usually takes place during food processing or storage. In the case of milk, lactose reacts with the free amino acid side chains of milk proteins (mainly ε-amino group of lysine residue) to proceed to early, intermediate, and advanced stages of M...

Increases in terrestrially-derived dissolved organic matter (DOM) have led to the browning of inland waters across regions of northeastern North America and Europe. Short-term experimental and comparative studies highlight the important ecological consequences of browning. These range from transparency-induced increases in thermal stratification and oxygen (O2) depletion to changes in pelagic f...