BACKGROUND Albuminuria is a risk factor for not only nephropathy progression but also cardiovascular disease. Oxidative stress may have a role in the positive association between albuminuria and cardiovascular disease. METHODS This cross-sectional study investigated the associations of serum levels of carotenoids, which are dietary antioxidants, with albuminuria among 501 Japanese adults (198...

BACKGROUND Paraoxonase may protect lipoproteins and cell membranes from peroxidation, and alterations in the activity of this enzyme have been associated with some chronic diseases. Serum paraoxonase appears to be mainly under genetic control, but some studies suggest that environmental factors may also modulate its activity. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether diet and life...

Plant carotenoids play essential roles in photosynthesis, photoprotection, and as precursors to apocarotenoids. The plastidlocalized carotenoid biosynthetic pathway is mediated by well-defined nucleus-encoded enzymes. However, there is a major gap in understanding the nature of protein interactions and pathway complexes needed to mediate carotenogenesis. In this study, we focused on carotene ri...

BACKGROUND In Japan, lung cancer is the top cause of cancer death in men and the third leading cause in women. Updated information on risk factors for lung cancer, therefore, is of great importance. The Japan Collaborative Cohort Study, a large prospective study started in 1988, has provided such information. METHODS We reviewed published findings for lung cancer from the study. The endpoint ...

OBJECTIVE This study assessed anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities of E. foetidum leaf extract on LPS-activated murine macrophages. METHODS RAW264.7 cells were pretreated with or without E. foetidum extract for 1 h prior to incubation with LPS for 24 h. Anti-inflammatory activity was evaluated with reference to iNOS, COX-2, TNF-α and IL-6 gene expression. In addition, NO and intracell...

OBJECTIVE To investigate the association of antioxidant intakes from diet and supplements with elevated blood C-reactive protein (CRP) and homocysteine (Hcy) concentrations. DESIGN A cross-sectional study. The main exposures were vitamins C and E, carotene, flavonoid and Se intakes from diet and supplements. Elevated blood CRP and Hcy concentrations were the outcome measures. SETTING The US...

The oil palm, Elaeis guineensis, is the source of palm oil – the ‘tropical golden oil’. Malaysia is the world’s largest exporter of this golden oil. Palm oil is a versatile oil with a wide range of uses in food and nonfood areas. Triglycerides constitute the major component of crude palm oil, with smaller proportions of diglycerides and monoglycerides. The oil also contains other minor constitu...

The circulating levels of β-carotene are modulated not only by sex, but also by autosomal gene variations and fruit intake. The aim of this study was to investigate the interactions between β-carotene metabolism-related gene single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs; genetic factors) and nutrient intake (environmental factors) relating to their effects on circulating β-carotene. The serum concentra...

Winter squash "type butternut" is harvested in physiological ripening for better commercial distribution, when sensory and/or nutritional quality is not optimum for consumption. The objective of this study was to quantify the content of α-carotene, β-carotene, color and dry matter in the pulp of raw and microwave-cooked winter squash "type butternut" (variety CosmoF1) in three states of commerc...

Retrotransposons are ubiquitous in eukaryotic genomes and now proving to be useful genetic tools for genetic diversity and phylogenetic analyses, especially in plants. In order to assess the diversity of Ty1/Copia-like retrotransposons of cassava, we used PCR primers anchored on the conserved domains of reverse transcriptases (RTs) to amplify cassava Ty1/Copia-like RT. The PCR product was clon...