Search

This study investigated the biocompounds present in the Scenedesmus obliquus biomass and evaluated the effect of the supplementation in the serum lipid profile and tissues antioxidant status of mice. Male mice were divided into control and microalgae biomass treated groups (T1 = 400 and T2 = 800 mg·kg−1 bw·d−1) for four weeks. Serum and tissues (heart, liver, kidneys, and spleen) were analyzed. The microalgae biomass presented a valuable content of biocompounds. In serum, the T2 treatment promoted an increase in high-density lipoprotein but also triglycerides levels. The T1 increased glutathione peroxidase (kidney) and antioxidant potential of all tissues, while T2 treatment was able to raise the glutathione reductase (liver) and glutathione peroxidase (kidneys) activities, as well as the heart antioxidant potential. The two doses reduced lipid peroxidation in all tissues. Thus, we observed that S. obliquus biomass (T1) exerted a protective influence against tissue lipid peroxidation.

Foods are a primary source of exogenous microorganisms and chemical motifs thereof that act as endotoxins because they trigger systemic inflammation in the body. One of the main accomplishments of food processing has been to prevent spoilage and protect human health by killing pathogenic microorganisms, but secondary consequences compel us to give more importance to the presence of the toxic chemical motifs that remain behind because they can cause systemic inflammation. To test if the type of inactivation affects the amounts of remnants, the concentrations of such toxic compounds were measured after microbial inactivation by classical thermal treatment and high-pressure processing of cow's milk. Three gram-negative bacteria were individually inoculated in reconstituted powder milk: Escherichia coli ATCC 11229, Pseudomonas fluorescens IB 2312 and Enterobacter aerogenes ATCC 13048, and the endotoxic potential estimated by determining the levels of the toxic chemical motifs known as lipopolysaccharides (LPS). The results indicated that the inactivation of these three microorganisms in cow's milk by classical heat treatment or by high pressure have the general tendency to increase the amounts of LPS, but not to a great extent. Additionally, the increases appeared to be a combination of both the type of microbe and the process.

During the past 80 years, a vast volume of science and technological know-how has been assembled to enable food processing to comply with its fundamental commitment of providing food security to society (i.e., food availability, accessibility, safety, and nutritional security). Food processing has additionally been expected to meet society’s demands for palatability, convenience, health benefits beyond nutrition, and sustainability. Such an enormous task has required the participation of professionals from multidisciplinary food science, technology, and engineering, working in cooperation with other sectors such as agriculture, industry, and government. Notwithstanding the integrated approach, feeding the world is an ever-increasing challenge because of such problems as an expanding world population, constraints on agricultural production, and the constant dependence on corporate and personal responsibilities. Striving always for further improvement, food processing will continue to serve present and future societies. A world without processed foods would be as hard to imagine as one that would depend only on natural medicines.

This chapter covers the chemical changes food processing and storage can produce on vitamins. The four fat-soluble vitamins and nine classically recognized water-soluble vitamins have been systematically treated featuring their chemical characteristics, their nutritional and biochemical functions, the human body dependence on these micronutrients, and very importantly, the chemical mechanisms by which they are degraded during food processing and storage. Although one of the main concerns of food processors is to avoid or minimize the destruction of these organic substances so important to human health, losses are still inevitable and one of the purposes of this chapter is to lay down through schemes, figures, and concise explanations the reactions and the influencing factors of the degradative process in an attempt to guide food technologists, food processors, and health scientists.

Chemical changes introduced in foods during processing can modify the roles laid down by nature for amino acids, peptides and proteins when they stop supporting life in the organism that synthesized them to start supporting life in the organism that took them in as food. It first focuses on the chemical uniqueness of the amino-carboxyl system, the peptide bond and the obligatory adoption of spatial configurations and new properties as the molecule increases in size. Protein denaturation is treated in an intuitive manner to emphasize the order that exists within ‘chaos’ and the predictability of the sequence of alterations that a food technologist can expect when manipulating the complex food matrices. While chemical changes, such as the cleavage of peptide bonds and the development of numerous compounds from amino acids during processing are advantageous, many chemical alterations can be detrimental to health. Considering that perhaps the most outstanding advancement of recent times on the role of proteins is that all proteins encode metabolic signals deliverable to the consuming organism upon digestion, this class of nutrients should be studied under the perspective that higher living beings reached high degrees of metabolic sophistication by delegating clerical yet vital metabolic tasks to incoming food proteins. With such biological approach, the chemical changes introduced by millennial techniques as fermentation, maturation and heating, or even modern hydrolytic and non-conventional processes, this chapter draws examples of what processing can do to proteins and what the consumed protein can do for the consumer in terms of functionality and health. Current data continue to support the classical notion that food processing can complement and improve the core metabolic functions of food proteins, but also suggest that research ahead should give special attention to the long-term health effects of undigestible degradation products and the altered sequential order of peptide release as they may have a role in chronic non-communicable diseases.

Upon processing or storage foods almost invariably undergo chemical changes that lead to a dramatic discoloration known as nonenzymatic browning or Maillard browning, along with the development of volatile, soluble, and insoluble products bearing far-reaching consequences on the food sensory properties and the long-term health of consumers. This chapter summarizes the chemistry underlying the complex network of different types of reactions, collectively known as the “Maillard reaction.” It is explained how each type of reaction imparts the changes and affects human health emphasizing the molecular events they promote in the body. An updated evaluation is made of both the positive and negative effects highlighting the possible connection between ingested preformed AGEs and the higher susceptibility of elderly individuals to the SARS-type viral infections. The means to control the reactions are reviewed seeking a balance between the technological gains and the health consequences, rather than the nutritional losses.

Since the early 1960s, a series of potentially mutagenic and carcinogenic xenobiotics have been identified in foods, resulting from chemical changes induced by processing. The toxic effects have been extensively studied and demonstrated in experimental animals and human cells and tissues; human clinical and epidemiological studies, however, are lacking. Chapter 10 features eight types of such potentially harmful substances (i.e., acrylamide, benzene, biogenic amines, ethyl carbamate, furan and methylfurans, heterocyclic aromatic amines, 3–MCPD and 3–MCPD esters, and nitrosamines). For each one, their chemical structures, occurrence in foods, mechanisms of formation, influencing factors, mitigating strategies, and toxicological aspects are discussed. With the exception of certain biogenic amines, which have some health benefits, and furan, which contributes to the typical aroma of certain foodstuffs (e,g., roasted coffee), substances herein addressed are known for their possible detrimental effects on health. Efforts have been made to minimize their formation, principally by improving the processing and home preparation methods. However, care should be taken that mitigation strategies do not undermine microbial safety and desirable sensory properties.

Partially hydrogenated oils are known to cause metabolic stress and dyslipidemia. This paper explores a new dimension about the interaction between dietary trans-fats and the defense heat-shock protein (HSP) system, inflammation, and the gut microbiota of mice consuming a hyperlipidic diet containing partially hydrogenated vegetable oil free of animal fat. Five diet groups were installed: control diet, 2 hyperlipidic-partially hydrogenated-oil diets, each containing either casein or whey-protein hydrolysate (WPH) as protein source, and 2 consuming hyperlipidic-unhydrogenated-oil diets containing either WPH or casein as a protein source. The partially hydrogenated oil inhibited c-Jun NH2 -terminal kinase phosphorylation in the casein diets, but without altering κ-B kinase. Neither the lipid nor the protein had an influence on the proinflammatory toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) pathway, but the combination of the high-lipid content and WPH impaired glucose tolerance without altering insulin or glucose transporter-4 translocation. It was remarkable to observe that, contrary to the case of a common high-fat diet, the lard-free hyperlipidic diets were hardly able to invert the Bacteroidetes:Firmicutes phylum ratio. Our results suggest that, in the absence of lard, the intake of trans-fatty acids is less harmful than expected because it does not trigger TLR4-inflammation or pose great threat to the normal gut microbiota. WPH had the effect of promoting the expression of HSP90, HSP60, and HSP25, but did not prevent dysbiosis, when the diet contained the unhydrogenated oil. The partially hydrogenated oil also seemed to antagonize the ability of WPH to induce the expression of protective HSPs.

Chronic non-communicable diseases such as obesity are preceded by increased macrophage infiltration in adipose tissue and greater secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines. We evaluated the anti-inflammatory potential of Biotransformed extract, and two control extracts: In Natura and Autoclaved. The assays were performed using a cellular model with RAW264.7, 3T3-L1 cells, and RAW264.7 and 3T3-L1 co-culture. The innovation of the study was the use of Biotransformed extract, a unique phenolic extract of a bioprocessed citrus residue. LPS stimulated RAW264.7 cells treated with the Biotransformed extract exhibited lower secretion of TNF-α and NO and lower protein expression of NFκB. In RAW264.7 and 3T3-L1 co-culture, treatment with 1.0 mg/mL of the Biotransformed extract reduced secretion of TNF-α (30.7%) and IL-6 (43.4%). Still, the Biotransformed extract caused higher increase in adiponectin in relation to control extracts. When the co-culture received a LPS stimulus, the Autoclaved extract at 1.0 mg/mL reduced IL-6 and TNF-α concentrations, and raised adiponectin. However, it was noteworthy that the Biotransformed extract was also able to significantly reduce IL-6 concentration while the Natural extract was not. The Biotransformed citrus extract evaluated in this study showed anti-inflammatory activity in macrophages and in co-culture, indicating that bioprocess of citrus residue can contribute to new product development with anti-inflammatory potential.

Aims We have investigated the antihyperalgesic effects of limonene in mice that received intrathecal injection of gp120. Main methods Male Swiss mice received gp120, IL-1β or TNF-α intrathecally or sterile saline as a control. A mechanical sensitivity test was performed at 2 and 3 h after the injection. Spinal cord and blood samples were isolated for protein quantification. Key findings Intrathecal administration of gp120 increased mechanical sensitivity measured with an electronic Von Frey apparatus, at 2 and 3 h after the injections. Limonene administered orally prior to gp120 administration significantly decreased this mechanical sensitivity at 3 h after the gp120 injection. In addition, intrathecal injection of gp120 increased IL-1β and IL-10 in serum, and limonene prevented the ability of gp120 to increase these cytokines. Limonene also inhibited TNF-α and IL-1β-induced mechanical hyperalgesia. Western blot assay demonstrated limonene was capable of increasing SOD expression in the cytoplasm of cells from spinal cord at 4 h after intrathecal IL-1β injection. Significance These results demonstrate that gp120 causes mechanical hyperalgesia and a peripheral increase in IL-1β and IL-10, and that prior administration of limonene inhibits these changes. Also limonene modulates the activation of SOD expression in the spinal cord after spinal IL-1β application. The ability of limonene to inhibit the mechanical hyperalgesia induced by gp120, TNF-α and IL-1β emphasizes the anti-inflammatory action of limonene, specifically its ability to inhibit cytokine production and its consequences.

Ethnopharmacological relevance Alibertia edulis (L.C. Rich.) A.C. Rich is a vegetable species used in Brazilian folk medicine due to it is putative hypoglycemiant effect but has never been pharmacologically investigated. It is popularly used for the control of diabetes, especially in the state of Mato Grosso, Brazil. Following confirmation of the antioxidant activity of A. edulis by Aquino et al. (2017), the aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of leaves of A. edulis aqueous extract (AEAE) on some biochemical parameters in mice fed a high-fat fed. Material and methods Leaves of A. edulis were air-dried in an oven at 40 °C for 10 days and ground into a fine powder by mechanical milling. The AEAE was prepared by decoction (1:10 w/v) at 97 °C for 15 min, and later filtered and lyophilized. Preliminary phytochemical analysis of the AEAE has been already indetified the presence of caffeic acid, quercetin 3-rhamnosyl-(1 → 6)-galactoside and iridois ioxide, ferulic acid and rutin in decocted leaves (Aquino et al., 2017). In one experiment, the acute oral toxicity AEAE was evaluated at 2,000 mg/kg of body weight. The animals were observed periodically for 14 days. In second experiment, the animals were divided into four groups (n = 5): Control, AEAE 200, AEAE 400 mg/kg and positive control (Metformin 100 mg/kg). In a third experiment, animals were divided into: Control RC (standard diet) (n = 24) and Control HFF (high-fat fed) (n = 24) groups for induction of glucose intolerance. After eight weeks, they were further subdivided into six groups (n = 8 each) RC or HFF with or without AEAE at doses of 200 and 400 mg/kg (2-wk) treatments to assess glucose tolerance. Plasma indicators of glucose tolerance and liver damage, skeletal muscle expression of antioxidant enzymes, and expression of the antioxidant proteins of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase, glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and phosphorylated IKK were determined. Results The HF-fed animals developed glucose intolerance which the AEAE failed to revert. Meanwhile, the AEAE treatment did lower the glucose levels in the normolipidic cohorts by virtue of its antioxidant property. It was also observed that the treatment with the AEAE reduced food intake negatively interfering weight accretion. Beyond that, the treatment with AEAE interfered in the SOD and catalase expression and inhibited phosphorylation of IKK thus suggesting that the observed hypoglycemiant power may be related to its known antioxidant potential. No sings of toxicity or hemolysis were detectaed at indicating that, at the concentrations evaluated, the extract was not toxic to normal cells. Conclusion The AEAE showed a hypoglycemiant effect in the normolipidic mice that received the control diet, but not in those that were made glucose-intolerant by consuming a high-fat fed. The extract also exhibited substantial protection against hemolysis and oxidative stress. Moreover, no signs of toxicity were evident at 2000 mg/kg of body weight.

Objetive: Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) with cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) improved symptoms and increased survival and quality of life in patients with coronary artery disease. However, it should be the main cause of a complex organic systemic inflammatory response that greatly contributes to several postoperative adverse effects. Methods: We aimed to evaluate heat-shock protein 70 (HSP 70) expression as a morbimortality predictor in patients with preserved ventricular function undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) with cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) and to determine their association with the lactate as a marker of tissue hypoperfusion and the EuroSCORE risk score. This is a prospective, observational study including 46 patients and occurring between May and July 2016. Patients without ventricular dysfunction undergoing myocardial revascularization with extracorporeal circulation were included. They were divided into (1) complicated and (2) uncomplicated postoperative evolution groups. EuroSCORE, lactate levels, and HSP 70 expression and their correlations were determined. Results: Statistical analysis showed that the group with complicated evolution had higher EuroSCORE values than the other group. HSP 70 protein levels were significantly increased in the group with uncomplicated evolution and showed similar results. According to our results, HSP family proteins may be independent predictors of uncomplicated evolution in patients without ventricular dysfunction undergoing CABG with CPB. Conclusion: HSP 70 should be a good discriminator and protection marker for complications in cardiac surgery.

High-fat diets are used to induce adverse alterations in the intestinal microbiota, or dysbiosis, generalized inflammation and metabolic stress, which ultimately may lead to obesity. The influence of dietary whey proteins, whether intact or hydrolyzed, has been reported to improve glucose homeostasis and reduce stress. Therefore, the purpose of this work was to test if dietary milk-whey proteins, both in the intact form and hydrolyzed, could have an effect on the compositional changes of the cecal microbiota that can be induced in mice when receiving a high-fat diet in combination with the standard casein. Male C57BL/6 mice were fed a control casein diet (AIN 93-G); high-fat-casein (HFCAS); high-fat-whey protein concentrate (HFWPC) and high-fat whey-protein hydrolysate (HFWPH) for 9 weeks. The intestinal microbiota composition was analyzed by 16S-rRNA of the invariant (V1–V3) gene, potentially endotoxemic lipopolysaccharide (LPS) release was determined colorimetrically, and liver fat infiltration assessed by light microscopy. The high-fat diet proved to induce dysbiosis in the animals by inverting the dominance of the phylum Firmicutes over Bacteroidetes, promoted the increase of LPS and resulted in liver fat infiltration. The whey proteins, whether intact or hydrolyzed, resisted the installation of dysbiosis, prevented the surge of circulating LPS and prevented fat infiltration in the liver. It is concluded that dietary whey proteins exert metabolic actions that tend to preserve the normal microbiota profile, while mitigating liver fat deposition in mice consuming a high-fat diet for nine weeks. Such beneficial effects were not seen when casein was the dietary protein. The hydrolyzed whey protein still differed from the normal whey protein by selectively protecting the Bacteroidetes phylum.

Whey protein hydrolysate (WPH) intake has shown to enhance heat shock proteins (HSPs). The presence of bioactive peptides has been suggested to affect the capacity of WPH to induce a HSP response. HSPs are responsible for maintaining normal cellular function and protecting cells from the damage induced by various stressors, including exercise. Bioactive peptides have been considered as food components that could be biofunctionality, however, studies focusing on potential bioactive peptides from WPH are still limited. The purpose of this study was to determine which WPH peptides could modulate the HSP response and other WPH abilities. Fifty-six male Wistar rats were divided into seven groups (n = 8): control, vehicle, Isoleucyl-leucine (lle-Leu), Leucyl-isoleucine (Leu-lle), Valyl-leucine (Val-Leu), Leucyl-valine (Leu-Val) and WPH. Each animal received 3 mmol/kg dose of peptide or WPH dissolved in water by oral gavage. Except for the control group, all groups were subjected to acute exercise for homeostasis alteration. Treadmill exercise has been established as a stimulus for an HSP response. The Leu-Val peptide increased the HSP70 and HSP25 muscle expression and restored the dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) expression. lle-Leu increased the muscle and serum HSP70 levels, but did not change the HSP25. Leu-Val increased and restored the expression of antioxidant system components. All peptides enhanced the lipase expression and reduced the cholesterol and triacylglycerol levels. These results indicated that the Leu-Val peptide is most likely involved in the WPH-induced stimulation of the HSP upregulation and antioxidant response, including the protective mechanism (DHFR) associated with the HSP70 effect. Additionally, the lle-Leu could also contribute to the WPH effect.

Notwithstanding the fact that dietary branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) have been considered to be a cause of insulin resistance (IR), evidence indicates that BCAA-rich whey proteins (WPs) do not lead to IR in animals consuming high-fat (HF) diets and may instead improve glucose homeostasis. To address the role of BCAA-rich WP as dietary protein in IR and inflammatory response, we fed C57BL/6J mice either high-fat (HF) or low-fat (LF) diets formulated with moderate protein levels (13% w/w) of either WP or hydrolyzed WP (WPH) and compared them with casein (CAS) as a reference. The muscle and plasma free amino acid profiles, inflammatory parameters and glycemic homeostasis were examined. While the LF/CAS diet promoted the rise in triglycerides and inflammatory parameters, the HF/CAS induced typical IR responses and impaired biochemical parameters. No differences in plasma BCAAs were detected, but the HF/WPH diet led to a twofold increase in gastrocnemius muscle free amino acids, including BCAAs. In general, ingestion of WPH was effective at averting or attenuating the damage caused by both the LF and HF diets. No high concentrations of BCAAs in the plasma or signs of IR were found in those mice fed an HF diet along with the hydrolyzed whey proteins. It is concluded that consumption of BCAA-rich whey proteins, especially WPH, does not result in the development of IR.

The potentially bioavailable aglyconic isoflavone content of soybeans was increased by a process based on the controlled hydration of whole beans, followed by an incubation step and cooking. For developing the process, the effects of three operation variables: temperature, intermittent soaking and incubation time on the isoflavone profile of the processed soybeans were assessed. By hydrating the whole beans under controlled conditions (54 °C; 15 rpm for a rotating soaking basket) and holding the beans for an appropriate incubation time, it was possible to substantially increase the total aglycone content from (μmol·10−2·g−1) ~5 in the raw, to ~95 in the processed soybean. A conventional thermal treatment (1 kg⋅cm−2, 5 min), necessary to attain the nutritional and sensory characteristics, produced additional hydrolysis of glucosides, accounting for extra 14% of total aglycone yield. The entire process avoided the need to grind the bean and permitted an overall 21.8-fold increase (per-mole basis) conversion of all forms of isoflavone glucosides to aglycones, particularly to the (S)-equol precursor, daidzein, and with minimal back-diffusion or leaching to the outside medium.

Polydextrose (PDX) ingestion may increase the intestinal absorption of iron. This study evaluated the effects of 7.5% polydextrose supplementation on markers of iron uptake, transport and storage in partially gastrectomized rats. Half of a batch of 40 male Wistar rats (250 g) underwent Billroth II partial gastrectomy with anterior truncal vagotomy (GXT), while the other half underwent sham gastrectomy (SHAM). At 7 postoperative days, the animals were subdivided into four groups (n = 10): Sham Control and GXT Control (no polydextrose), Sham PDX and GXT PDX (with 7.5% PDX). The animals were euthanized after 60 day of PDX treatment. Organ weight, cecal pH, the characterization and quantification of short-chain fatty acids (SCFA), hematological parameters, hepatic iron content and the expression of ferroportin (FPT) in the jejunum, cecum, colon and liver were evaluated. PDX caused changes in the cecum of the supplemented animals, where there was a decrease in pH, increase in cecal wall and marked production of SCFA, especially acetic and propionic acids (p &lt, 0.05). Hepatic iron levels were lower in GXT animals. PDX increased hemoglobin (HGB) values by 29.2% and hematocrit (HCT) by 55.8% in the GXT PDX group compared to the GXT Control group. The GXT PDX group had lower hepatic FPT expression (p &lt, 0.05). PDX led to increased SCFA concentration in the supplemented animals. Considering that SCFAs play a central role in the increasing nutrients uptake, this mechanism may be involved in altering the hematology profile observed in these animals but not enough to reverse iron deficiency anemia in post-gastrectomy rats.

The objective of this work was to determine some key nutrients in arugula (or rocket) and the effect of heat treatment on its lipoxidase activity. The protein, lipid, carbohydrate, fibre, ash, fatty acid composition, α-tocopherol and carotenoid contents were determined. Due to its importance in lipid degradation, the lipoxidase activity was measured in the raw and cooked leaves. The composition was (% fresh mass): 2.5 protein, 0.3 lipids, 4.1 carbohydrates, 1.3 fibre and 1.8 ash. The lipid phase contained 6.2 mg of α-tocopherol, 5.3 mg of lutein and 3.2 mg of β-carotene. Arugula was found to be rich in α-linolenic acid (48% of the oil). The heat treatment was not sufficient to totally inactivate the lipoxidase activity.

The consumption of fruits is widely recommended because of their high contents of micronutrients and bioactive compounds. These health-promoting fruit components, however, can be altered or lost during processing and storage and efforts should be taken to ensure their maximum retention. This review focuses on carotenoids, vitamin C, flavonoids, and folates and addresses the effects of both thermal and nonthermal processing. Thermal processing has long been known to provoke significant losses of these compounds, these losses increasing with the severity of the processing conditions. Nonthermal processing is more likely to preserve them, but enzymatic degradation can occur in minimally processed fruits as a consequence of the loss of compartmentalization brought about by the cutting operations. Physical losses during peeling and juicing can also be substantial. Interaction between food components can also be a problem. For example, ascorbic acid indirectly promotes the degradation of anthocyanins, but enhances the stability of folates. Nevertheless, knowledge of the alterations during processing and storage and the influencing factors can lead to measures that can minimize undesirable changes.

Due to the various beneficial effects attributed to propolis, which include anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial infection properties, the objective of the study was to evaluate the effect of propolis supplementation on the composition of the intestinal microbiota and its anti-inflammatory action. Forty male C57BL/6 mice were fed either a standard diet (control), a high-fat (HF) diet, or a high-fat diet supplemented with 0.2% crude propolis (HFP) for 2 or 5 weeks prior to sacrifice. Blood samples were collected for the determination of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and classical biochemical parameters. Expression of the TLR4 pathway in muscle, and DNA sequencing for the 16S rRNA of the gut microbiota were performed. The HF diet increased the proportion of the phylum Firmicutes and inflammatory biomarkers, while supplementation with propolis for five weeks rendered the microbiota profile nearly normal. Consistently with the above, the supplementation reduced levels of circulating LPS and down-regulated the TLR4 pathway and inflammatory cytokine expressions in muscle. Moreover, propolis improved such biochemical parameters as serum triacylglycerols and glucose levels. The data suggest that propolis supplementation reduces inflammatory response and endotoxemia by preventing dysbiosis in mice challenged with a high-fat diet.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of ingestion of probiotic Minas Frescal cheese (PMFC) on hypertension parameters in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs). Twenty-eight animals were divided into four groups fed with different experimental diets: control initial (CI), control final (CF), traditional Minas Frescal cheese (CMFC), and PMFC. The latter two groups were fed with 20g of cheese per day for 15days. All groups were assessed for blood pressure and health parameters. The results show that the group fed with PMFC exhibited significantly lower blood pressure when compared to the group fed with CMFC, CI, and CF. Regarding the other health parameters, an improvement in blood lipids (triglycerides and cholesterol) was observed for the group fed with PMFC as compared with CMFC. No significant differences were observed in renal function parameters. Our findings suggest that consumption of probiotic cheese can be potentially useful to improve the cardiovascular health parameters.

Intense physical activity results in a substantial volume of stress and hence a significant probability of immunosuppression in athletes. Consumption of a probiotic can attenuate immune suppression induced by exhausting exercise in rats. A potential probiotic fermented milk was manufactured from milk treated by dynamic high pressure (P.F. Milk DHP) containing Strep. Salivarius thermophilus ssp. TA 040 and Lactobacillus acidophilus LA14 was fed for 2 weeks to Wistar rats, which then were brought to exhaustion on the treadmill. Two hours after exhaustion, the rats were killed and material was collected for the determination of serum parameter of health and immune system. The immune suppression exercise-induced was observed by alteration in lymphocytes, monocytes, leukocytes and neutrophil counts in all exhausted groups, but it was attenuated by consumption of P.F. Milk DHP. Thus, P.F. Milk DHP was effective in enhancing the immune system and could improve the health status as in Wistar rats.

Omega-3 enriched chocolate milk (O3ECM) has a suitable combination of proteins, electrolytes and carbohydrates for post-workout recovery. Herein, the effects of an O3ECM on biochemical parameters and muscle damage in sedentary rats submitted to a session of intense and acute exhaustive exercise was evaluated. Forty-eight male Wistar rats were divided into the following test groups: (a) sedentary rats fed a chocolate milk; (b) sedentary rats fed an O3ECM; (c) exercised rats fed a chocolate milk; and (d) exercised rats fed an O3ECM. After 15 days, the analysis of muscle damage and health parameters was performed. The results showed that the O3ECM consumption decreased the muscle damage (creatine kinase −20% and lactate dehydrogenase −18.7%), as well as increased the activity of endogenous enzymes (catalase +41%, superoxide dismutase +26.7% and glutathione peroxidase +35.7%) and decreased the total cholesterol (−7.8%) and triacylglycerols (−16.2%). Overall, O3ECM can minimize the deleterious effects of exhaustive exercise.