Food and Nutrition Service

Obesity is well-known as a major risk factor for metabolic disorders, and natural compounds are being explored as alternatives to conventional therapies. While Centella asiatica is well known for its medicinal and dietary benefits, the biological activities of Giant Centella asiatica (GCA), especially when extracted with mineral-rich lava seawater, remain poorly characterized. This study aimed to evaluate the anti-adipogenic and lipid-metabolism-regulating effects of a novel GCA extract (GCA-LS-90) and its ability to stimulate GLP-1 secretion in vitro. GCA-LS-90 significantly inhibited lipid accumulation in 3T3-L1 adipocytes by up to 24.3% at 200 µg/mL (p < 0.001). It downregulated adipogenic transcription factors (C/EBPβ, C/EBPα, PPARγ) and lipogenic regulators (SREBP1c, FAS, G6PD, ME), while upregulating KLF2 (all p < 0.001). Western blotting confirmed reduced SREBP1c and SREBP2 protein expression, increased phosphorylation of AMPKα/ACC, and enhanced HSL activity (p < 0.05-0.001). In STC-1 cells, GCA-LS-90 increased GLP-1 secretion (53.5 pmol/L at 90 µg/mL vs. 41.3 pmol/L in control, p < 0.001). The major compounds, 3,5- and 4,5-di-O-caffeoylquinic acids, reproduced these effects. In conclusion, GCA-LS-90 modulated adipogenesis-, lipid-metabolism-, and GLP-1 secretion-related pathways in vitro, suggesting its potential as a functional ingredient for obesity management. Further in vivo studies are needed to confirm efficacy and translational relevance.

Honey, a cherished natural product, is vulnerable to adulteration, posing challenges to food authenticity and safety. Barley malt syrup (BMS) has emerged as a new form of adulterant, complicating detection efforts. This study explores the significance of electronic nose (e-nose) and electronic tongue (e-tongue) technologies for detecting BMS adulteration in honey. Through comprehensive analysis, we assessed the efficacy of sensory evaluation based on human perception, physicochemical properties such as color, rheology, and sensor-based methods in discerning BMS adulteration levels ranging from 5% to 100%. Adulteration with BMS resulted in distinct shifts in sensor responses, with higher percentages of BMS leading to the dominance of BMS’s sensory characteristics over those of the honey. The compounds such as 1-octanol, hexanoic acid, and butanoic acid mainly contribute to fresh floral notes or the aroma profile of honey. Further, ethyl 3-(methylthio) propanoate and 2,4-heptadienal compounds are responsible for in-depth flavor for BMS. The concentration of ethyl 3-(methylthio) propanoate and 2,3-pentanedione have also been increased as the percentages of adulteration increases. The findings reveal that the e-nose and e-tongue demonstrate sensitivity and accuracy in detecting BMS adulteration at levels as low as 5%. Furthermore, the PCA plots provided valuable insights into sensor responses: the e-nose achieved 99.84% discrimination on PC1, while the e-tongue demonstrated 95.94% discrimination on PC1 and 3.27% discrimination on PC2, thereby enhancing the reliability of detection. These studies underscore the potential of e-nose and e-tongue as rapid, nondestructive tools for ensuring honey authenticity.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVESThe illustrated Healthy Eating Practice Questionnaire (HEPQ) was previously developed to assess food preferences, eating behaviors, hand/oral hygiene practices, and nutrition knowledge among Korean preschool children. Nevertheless, the lack of an integrated scoring system has limited its interpretability. This study developed a scoring system and a web-based platform with tailored feedback using a child-parent dyad approach.SUBJECTS/METHODSThe development process consisted of 5 phases: 1) questionnaire preparation for online use, 2) formulation of the scoring system, 3) determination of the cut-off values for three levels of healthy eating practices based on a child-parent survey, 4) technical development of the online platform, and 5) usability evaluation. A scoring system was established by standardizing the domain scores to a 100-point scale. One hundred child–parent pairs participated in the survey to calculate the Healthy Eating Practice Score (HEPS) and determine cut-off values for the HEPS levels. The validity of the cut-off values was examined by a comparison with the Nutrition Quotient for Preschoolers (NQ-P). A web-based platform was developed, and 47 child–parent pairs were used to assess its usability.RESULTSSignificant positive correlations were observed between child and parent HEPS across all domains. The HEPS-based classification showed good discriminative ability because higher HEPS levels were consistently associated with higher NQ-P scores in children and parents. The web-based HEPQ was easy to use and understand, and almost all participants (97.9% of children and 93.6% of parents) reported no difficulties using the platform.CONCLUSIONThe web-based HEPQ platform with an integrated scoring system provides a valid, user-friendly tool for assessing and interpreting healthy eating practices in preschool children. This platform supports parental engagement in children’s healthy eating practices and provides a practical tool for evaluating the effectiveness of nutrition education in early childcare settings.

This research examines the changing dynamics of biodegradable materials for sustainable packaging, highlighting their contribution to the advancement of circular economy principles. Biodegradable polymers, including Polylactic acid (PLA), Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs), natural fiber composites, mycelium-based materials, and algae-derived polysaccharides, present viable alternatives to traditional fossil-based plastics by decomposing into environmentally friendly substances under natural conditions. The analysis incorporates developments in polymer science, biodegradation processes, life-cycle evaluations, and market preparedness, emphasizing innovations such as microbial PHA generation from food and agricultural waste, which enhances the value of residues to mitigate costs and environmental effects. Significant environmental benefits encompass reduce environmental pollution, decreased greenhouse gas emissions, and conformity with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially in the packaging of the predominant plastic consumer industry. Nonetheless, obstacles include elevated manufacturing expenses, variable degradation rates, material constraints, and insufficient waste treatment infrastructure remain. This interdisciplinary assessment highlights the potential of closed-loop systems to alleviate plastic waste accumulation, resource depletion, and environmental damage by comparing biodegradable alternatives with conventional plastics. Future prospects hinge on scalable technology, policy alignment, and improved feedstocks from waste streams to attain economic feasibility and broad acceptance, hence facilitating a shift towards sustainable and circular packaging solutions.

Vasculitis is aninflammatory condition characterizedby immunecell activation and vascular endothelial dysfunction leading to severeclinical complications, including cytokine release syndrome. Despiteexisting treatment strategies such as corticosteroids and NSAIDs,severe cases remain difficult to manage, necessitating improved invitro models for mechanistic studies and drug evaluation. This studyestablished a direct coculture model of human umbilical vein endothelialcells (HUVECs) and peripheral blood mononuclear cells to investigateimmune-endothelial cell interactions under lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-inducedinflammatory conditions. Upon LPS stimulation, the cocultured HUVECsexhibited increased expression of inflammatory cytokines (IL-6 andIL-8) and adhesion molecules (VCAM-1 and ICAM-1), along with reducedCD31 level, indicating endothelial barrier disruption. Vascular permeabilityassays confirmed that the coculture model exacerbated permeabilitychanges beyond those observed in monocultures, highlighting the synergisticinflammatory effects mediated by immune-endothelial cell interactions.Furthermore, cytokine secretion analysis demonstrated that cocultureconditions significantly amplified IL-6, IL-8, and TNF-α expression,mimicking the inflammatory milieu observed in vasculitis. Treatmentwith tocilizumab, an IL-6 receptor antagonist, effectively suppressedcytokine release and restored endothelial integrity, highlightingthe potential of this model for therapeutic screening. This studyprovides a physiologically relevant in vitro platform for investigatingthe mechanisms of drug-induced and immune-mediated vasculitis withpotential applications in preclinical safety assessments of biotherapeutics.

Introduction: Poor dietary practices, unhealthy eating habits, and a lack of awareness about anemia remain significant public health challenges in India, especially among women of the reproductive age group. Sociocultural norms, limited access to information, and poor behavior practices further aggravate the issue. Therefore, addressing these challenges requires community-based interventions that not only disseminate knowledge but also aim to transform attitudes, social norms, and behaviors. Objectives: This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of the community-based intervention in improving knowledge, attitudes, practices, and social norms among adult women in selected blocks of the Gorakhpur district, Uttar Pradesh, India. Methods: The intervention was implemented across 120–150 villages, reaching around 25,000 women and girls from two intervention blocks. Cross-sectional baseline and endline surveys were conducted with randomly selected samples of 412 and 479 women, respectively. Data were collected using similar semi-structured questionnaires at both time points. A multivariate analysis of variance test was conducted to assess changes in key outcomes (knowledge, attitude, norms, and practices) and predictors (baseline or endline, age, ration cards, education, and family type). Data analysis was performed using STATA 16.0, with P &lt; 0.05 considered statistically significant. Results: The mean age of participants was 27 years at the baseline and 32 years at the endline. Significant improvements ( P &lt; 0.0001) were observed in knowledge, attitudes, descriptive norms, intentions, injunctive norms, and perceived behavioral control scores at endline compared to baseline. Conclusions: This study demonstrates that community-based interventions can significantly enhance nutrition-related knowledge and behaviors among women. Future programs should focus on shifting norms and beliefs through long-term interventions to improve sustainability.

Foods, including human milk (HM) and infant formula (IF), can be sources of environmental contaminant exposure for infants, which can impact health and development. This systematic review describes arsenic, cadmium, lead, mercury, and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) concentrations in HM and IF in the United States (PROSPERO #CRD42024528756). We searched CAB Abstracts, CENTRAL, CINAHL, Embase, and MEDLINE for peer-reviewed articles published in English through 2 April, 2025 (no date restrictions). Studies that assessed contaminant concentrations in HM or IF from countries rated as "high" or "very high" on the Human Development Index were eligible. Screening, data extraction, and risk of bias assessments were performed by 2 independent reviewers. We narratively synthesized United States studies and assessed the certainty of evidence with Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE). We developed heat maps for studies from all countries that may help inform evidence gaps in future systematic reviews. From the United States, 14 HM and 16 IF studies were included. For HM, perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) concentrations ranged from undetected to 36.1 pg/mL, and perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) ranged from undetected to 106 pg/mL (GRADE: moderate); evidence was lacking for perfluorononanoic acid and perfluorohexanesulfonic acid. For IF, all PFAS were largely undetected (GRADE: moderate). For HM and IF, studies for arsenic, cadmium, lead, and mercury had small and unrepresentative samples, and most were published before 2000. We identified 317 and 108 articles for HM and IF, respectively, from other countries. In published, peer-reviewed United States studies, PFOA and PFOS were detected in HM; PFAS were largely undetected in IF. There was a paucity of contemporary evidence for arsenic, cadmium, lead, and mercury in HM or IF in the United States, but we identified evidence from other countries that could help inform these knowledge gaps. Public health agencies recommend feeding infants HM given the benefits outweigh potential risks of contaminant exposure. This trial was registered at PROSPERO as CRD42024528756 (https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/view/CRD42024528756).