Search

Abstract: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on the chemical and microbial properties of traditional Iranian fish sauce, mahyaveh. Fish sauce samples used in this study originated from five different locations in the Southern part of Iran. The pH of mahyaveh samples from different locations was in the range of 4.89–7.55 and NaCl concentration was in the range of 7.48–17.1%. The overall mean of TVB-N in all the samples tested was 3098 mg/kg. Histamine, with the overall mean of 2662 mg/kg, was found to be the main biogenic amine in the Iranian fish sauce. The high histamine content can be related to the high levels of bacterial count especially enterobacteriaceae (overall mean of 3.41 log cfu/g) and lactic acid bacteria (overall mean of 4.13 log cfu/g) in this product. Spermidine was the second dominant biogenic amine, while putrescine and tyramine were present at low concentrations in samples from different locations. Consequently, the major problem associated with this product is the very high histamine content. Mahyaveh, therefore, might not be completely safe for human consumption and excessive intake of this product on a regular basis is not recommended. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

To evaluate the efficacy of daily consumption of fortified yogurt with beta-Hydroxy beta-Methyl Butyrate (HMB) and vitamins D and C on measures of sarcopenia, inflammation, and quality of life in sarcopenic older adults. In this 12-week randomized double-blind controlled trial, participants received either yogurt fortified with 3 g HMB, 1000 IU vitamin D, and 500 mg vitamin C in the intervention group (n = 33) or plain yogurt in the control group (n = 33). A total of 66 older adults with sarcopenia recruited from the community in Shiraz, Iran. Body composition, muscle strength, and functionality were measured using Dual-energy-X-ray Absorptiometry (DXA), hydraulic handgrip dynamometer, and usual gait speed, respectively. Serum concentrations of vitamin D, insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), malondialdehyde, and insulin were measured at baseline and after 12 weeks. Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) was also evaluated using SF-12 questionnaire. Consumption of fortified yogurt was associated with improvement in handgrip strength [mean change (95% confidence interval) 4.36 (3.35–5.37) vs. 0.97 (−0.04 to 1.99)] and gait speed [0.10 (0.07–0.13) vs. 0.01 (0.00–0.04)] in the intervention group compared with the control group (P <.001). In addition, the results revealed a significant increase in vitamin D and IGF-1 levels in the intervention group (P <.001). The nutritional intervention significantly prevented any increase in the serum concentration of hs-CRP compared with the control group (P =.033). The results also showed a more significant decrease in the malondialdehyde level in the intervention group compared with the control (P =.008). Moreover, there were significant differences between the 2 groups regarding physical aspects of HRQoL (P =.035). A novel dairy product fortified with HMB, vitamin D, and vitamin C not only could enhance muscle strength and functionality, but also modulate anabolic and inflammatory conditions as well as quality of life. This study suggested that specific nutritional interventions alone could be beneficial, especially for those who are unable to exercise. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel coronavirus related to severe acute respiratory syndrome virus, (SARS-CoV-2) is the causal agent of the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite the genetic mutations across the SARS-CoV-2 genome being recently investigated, its transcriptomic genetic polymorphisms at inter-host level and the viral gene expression level based on each Open Reading Frame (ORF) remains unclear. Using available High Throughput Sequencing (HTS) data and based on SARS-CoV-2 infected human transcriptomic data, this study presents a high-resolution map of SARS-CoV-2 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) hotspots in a viral population at inter-host level. Four throat swab samples from COVID-19 infected patients were pooled, with RNA-Seq read retrieved from SRA NCBI to detect 21 SNPs and a replacement across the SARS-CoV-2 genomic population. Twenty-two RNA modification sites on viral transcripts were identified that may cause inter-host genetic diversity of this virus. In addition, the canonical genomic RNAs of N ORF showed higher expression in transcriptomic data and reverse transcriptase quantitative PCR compared to other SARS-CoV-2 ORFs, indicating the importance of this ORF in virus replication or other major functions in virus cycle. Phylogenetic and ancestral sequence analyses based on the entire genome revealed that SARS-CoV-2 is possibly derived from a recombination event between SARS-CoV and Bat SARS-like CoV. Ancestor analysis of the isolates from different locations including Iran suggest shared Chinese ancestry. These results propose the importance of potential inter-host level genetic variations to the evolution of SARS-COV-2, and the formation of viral quasi-species. The RNA modifications discovered in this study may cause amino acid sequence changes in polyprotein, spike protein, product of ORF8 and nucleocapsid (N) protein, suggesting further insights to understanding the functional impacts of mutations in the life cycle and pathogenicity of SARS-CoV-2. • RdRp, S proteins, ORF8, and nucleoprotein (N) of SARS-CoV-2 have undergone mutations at the inter-host level. • SARS-CoV-2 N gene is expressed abundantly during infection comparing to the 5′ terminal genes. • Single nucleotide polymorphisms in SARS-CoV-2 at Inter-host level cause amino acid changes in the virus genome. • Ancestor analysis of the SARS-CoV-2 isolates from different locations reveals shared Chinese ancestry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: It has been shown that the microflora of the gastrointestinal tract undergoes changes in obese individuals. The present study aimed to investigate the effect of kefir fortified with two strains, Lactobacillus helveticus and Bifidobacterium longum, on depression, appetite, oxidative stress, and inflammatory parameters in overweight and obese elderly individuals., Methods: This study was a double-blind, randomized, and placebo-controlled clinical trial conducted on 67 elderly men aged over 65, who were randomly divided into two groups. One group (n = 35) received one bottle (240 cc) of regular kefir as a placebo, while the intervention group (n = 32) received one bottle of probiotic-fortified kefir for eight weeks. Depression and appetite were evaluated using the Geriatric Depression Scale-15 (GDS-15) and a validated Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), respectively. Oxidative stress parameters were assessed using the standard calorimetric method, and inflammatory parameters were measured via the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay method (ELISA). The differences between the two groups were compared using the independent samples T-test., Results: The median age of participant in both groups was 65 years. A significant difference in depression scores and the mean change between the two groups was observed after eight weeks (p = 0.001 and p = 0.042, respectively). Within-group comparison revealed a significant increase in appetite scores in both groups (p < 0.05 for both). Moreover, a significant difference in the changes in total antioxidant capacity (TAC) was noted (p = 0.009). However, no significant differences were observed in other oxidative and inflammatory parameters between the two groups (p˃0.05 for all)., Conclusions: The results demonstrated the positive impact of two specific strains of Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus on improving depression in the elderly. However, when comparing the two groups, no significant effects were observed on appetite, inflammation, and oxidative stress parameters, except for TAC., Competing Interests: Declarations. Ethics approval: The current research was approved by the Medical Research and Ethics Committee of Baqiyatallah Hospital (IR.BMSU.BAQ.REC.1401.113) and registered at the Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials (IRCT20130227012628N3) at 21/02/2023 and was carried out in accordance with the ethical standards of the Declaration of Helsinki. Consent to participate: The informed consents were completed by all participants. Consent for publication: Not applicable. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests. Conflict of interest: Not applicable., (© 2025. The Author(s).)