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Calorie restricted diets are known to improve health and promote healthy aging. This happens because of controlled inflammation and metabolism in the body. This study aims to evaluate the differences in anthropometric and biochemical parameters in Sprague Dawley (SD) rats because of consumption of a calorie restricted diet.

The study divided SD rats (n = 15) into 3 groups consuming high calorie intake (HCI), medium calorie intake and low calorie intake (LCI). Anthropometric parameters were determined through measurement of abdominal circumference (AC), thoracic circumference (TC), body length and body weight (BW). Biochemical parameters analyzed in this study were fasting blood glucose level and full blood lipid profile. Nutritional status was obtained based on food consumption, energy intake (EI) and food efficiency rate. Measurements were taken for a period of four weeks.

Analysis on anthropometric parameters indicates a significant difference in mean BW between HCI (230.44 ± 1.47 g) and LCI (188.54 ± 1.50 g). There is a significant difference in abdominal TC ratio (p < 0.001; F = 13.599) in the LCI group (1.01 ± 0.00714) compared to the HCI group (1.04 ± 0.00858). Post hoc for nutrition parameters indicates a significant difference in mean EI between HCI (9.71 ± 0.006 kJ) and LCI (3.21 ± 0.001 kJ). There is a significant effect (p < 0.0001; F = 3042872.02) of EI on rats in all three groups. HDL levels were significantly higher (p < 0.0001; F = 1536.89) in the LCI group (68.60 ± 0.55 mg/dL) compared to the HCI group (49.40 ± 0.55 mg/dL). The Pearson’s correlation results show a strong positive correlation in EI with BW (p < 0.01; r = 0.988), AC (p < 0.01; r = 0.970) and body mass index (p < 0.01; r = 0.972).

Low calorie diet has been proven to affect anthropometric development and has shown improvements in biochemical parameters of the rats. This may result in healthy aging which could prevent later-life diseases.

The epidemic of obesity is escalating worldwide. This paper aims to focus on feasible and affordable measures to reduce obesity among sedentary persons aged 30 to 50 years, to provide suitable intervention to overcome excess body weight and to prevent further weight gain. To the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to examine such effects in India.

In total, 288 sedentary office going people were motivated to reduce weight and on the basis of their being obese and willingness to participate in the study, 144 of them were selected for the intervention study. They were randomly divided into four groups. Subjects of Group I formed the control, Group II were given a high fiber and low glycemic diet mix, Group III participated in an exercise program and Group IV followed both. Anthropometric measurements were measured initially and at 30 days of interval up to 120 days, and biochemical tests were done before and after the intervention.

The subjects in Groups II, III and IV had 5 per cent reduction in anthropometric measurements. The biochemical tests revealed that the rate of decrease of mean total cholesterol and low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol were greatest in Group II. In Group IV, there was maximum decrease of mean total cholesterol and high density lipoprotein (HDL) ratio, mean LDL and HDL ratio, mean fasting blood glucose and also a favorable increase of HDL cholesterol. In Group III, there was maximum increase of hemoglobin. All the central obesity measures, except body mass index, are highly and positively correlated with the biochemical parameters.

It was observed that, in some individuals, the weight loss was 8 to 10 kg, and for a few, the weight loss was less in the range of 1 to 2 kg. This indicated that the same kind of diet and exercise brought about weight reduction to different extents due to individual response. Because of the individual differences, there is a need to highlight the response of the intervention by examining the individual variability referring to age and gender rather than pooling the mean data.

It was observed that the inclusion of high fiber and low glycemic diet in the intervention had a profound influence in the reduction of weight. Exercise alone may not be very effective when opted as a single measure for reducing obesity, and it can only act as a complementary program along with diet for any weight reduction program.

This study aims to determine the relationship between body mass index (BMI) and Global Registry of Acute Coronary Events (GRACE) risk score in patients diagnosed with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and to evaluate the results in this context.

This was a prospective cohort study of ACS patients admitted to a cardiac care unit in high specialization hospital's cardiology service. The study included 140 men aged >35 years who were diagnosed with ACS.

The mean age of the individuals participating in the study was 61.4 ± 10.9 years old. The mean BMI of the individuals was 25.3 ± 6.6 kg/m², and the mean value of the waist/hip ratio was 0.85 ± 0.01. Individuals were divided into four quarters according to the GRACE score. It was determined that individuals with the highest GRACE score were very underweight or morbidly obese according to their BMI values (p = 0.04).

It has been observed that there is a U-shaped relationship between the GRACE score and the BMI in individuals diagnosed with ACS. The risk of death of ACS patients with very high or very low BMI values was found to be close to each other. Although there is a relationship between BMI and GRACE score, it is concluded that it is insufficient to determine the risk in coronary disease alone, and body fat distribution should be examined together with BMI.

This study aims to elucidate the relationship between nutritional status and various biochemical parameters and migraine symptoms.

The disability of individuals aged 19–64 years old with episodic migraine (n = 80, female n = 64, male n = 16) was assessed with the Migraine Disability Assessment Scale, and migraine severity was evaluated with the visual analog scale. The metabolic risks of individuals were determined by analyzing body composition, various biochemical parameters and anthropometric measurements. Nutrients and energy intake levels were measured using the food consumption recording form.

Body muscle mass percentage was correlated directly with migraine severity and inversely with the attack duration (r = 0.26, p = 0.01 and r = −0.29, p = 0.007, respectively). High bone mass was associated with low attack frequency (r = −0.23, p = 0.03), while high body fat percentage was associated with long attack duration (r = 0.28, p = 0.009). A significant direct correlation was found between total cholesterol level and migraine severity and attack duration (r = 0.25, p = 0.02) and between triglyceride level and attack duration (r = 0.26, p = 0.01). There was a direct correlation between serum thyroxine (T4) level and migraine attack severity (r = 0.23, p = 0.03). There was a significant direct correlation between energy and carbohydrate intake and migraine severity (r = 0.26, p = 0.02 and r = 0.30, p = 0.009, respectively), protein and vitamin B2 intake and attack frequency (r = 0.24, p = 0.03 and r = 0.23, p = 0.04, respectively) and an inverse correlation between monounsaturated fatty acid, fiber and vitamin C intake and migraine severity score (r = −0.35, p = 0.002; r = −0.25, p = 0.02; and r = −0.41, p = 0.001, respectively).

The findings confirm that nutritional status, body composition and some biochemical parameters can affect the course of migraine.

People with intellectual disability are subject to increased health morbidity when compared to the general population. This paper assesses the monitoring of metabolic syndrome in people with an intellectual disability who have been prescribed antipsychotic medication.

A pre‐audit analysis was followed by an audit of 32 patients. The height, weight and body mass index was recorded in 34 per cent prior to initiation, which decreased to 22 per cent at the three monthly follow up. Blood pressure was recorded in 6 per cent of the patients at baseline, but there was no record during treatment. The biochemical parameters including plasma glucose and plasma cholesterol were measured in 40 per cent of the patients on initiation which decreased to 33 per cent at three monthly follow up in the first year. In total, 21 per cent of patients received four monthly monitoring of the biochemical parameters, i.e. their height and weight, 25 per cent of the patients had an annual monitoring of all parameters.

The results indicate inconsistent monitoring of metabolic syndrome in people with intellectual disability being treated with antipsychotic medication. While a proportion of patients may have been monitored in primary care, these data indicate the need for remedial action to improve the standard of metabolic syndrome detection in those people with intellectual disability receiving antipsychotic medication.

This study highlights the inadequate monitoring of biochemical and physical parameters of metabolic syndrome in people with an intellectual disability who are prescribed antipsychotic medication. National criteria for monitoring the prescription of antipsychotic medication in people with intellectual disability who are prescribed antipsychotic medication is proposed.

Examines the thirteenth published year of the ITCRR. Runs the whole gamut of textile innovation, research and testing, some of which investigates hitherto untouched aspects. Subjects discussed include cotton fabric processing, asbestos substitutes, textile adjuncts to cardiovascular surgery, wet textile processes, hand evaluation, nanotechnology, thermoplastic composites, robotic ironing, protective clothing (agricultural and industrial), ecological aspects of fibre properties – to name but a few! There would appear to be no limit to the future potential for textile applications.

Examines the fourteenth published year of the ITCRR. Runs the whole gamut of textile innovation, research and testing, some of which investigates hitherto untouched aspects. Subjects discussed include cotton fabric processing, asbestos substitutes, textile adjuncts to cardiovascular surgery, wet textile processes, hand evaluation, nanotechnology, thermoplastic composites, robotic ironing, protective clothing (agricultural and industrial), ecological aspects of fibre properties – to name but a few! There would appear to be no limit to the future potential for textile applications.

The purpose of this paper is a single-center six-month follow-up study to determine nutritional status of children with maple syrup urine disease (MSUD). Prolonged restriction on essential amino acid could cause malnutrition. By far, there is no study reported in the context of nutritional status among children with maple syrup urine disease (MSUD), who required life-long protein restriction.

A total of 22 children with MSUD, aged from 1 to 12 years (6.54 ± 3.27) undergoing regular treatment in Institute of Pediatrics, Hospital Kuala Lumpur, were recruited. Body height, weight and head circumference were measured for anthropometry, whereas total protein, albumin and plasma branched-chain amino acid were measured for biochemical aspects. Clinical features diagnosed by pediatrician were recorded from children’s medical record. The 24-hour dietary recall was conducted to measure their nutrients intake. All assessments were repeated at six-month interval except clinical profile.

There were no significant differences in all nutritional parameters from baseline to end of the visit. There was a prominence (particular noticeable of) of growth stunting (68; 64 per cent), undernutrition (35; 32 per cent) and microcephalic (57; 57 per cent) among children with MSUD. Nevertheless, children showed no significant improvement of anthropometric variables from baseline and after 6-month follow-up visit. Nearly all biochemical indicators were significantly (p < 0.05) higher than the reference value except valine. Intellectual disability was the most frequently (71 per cent) presenting symptoms among them. The finding also did not show any macro- or micronutrients fail to achieve above recommended nutrient intake in both visits. In conclusion, it is clear that no significant nutritional deficiency was induced by the use of MSUD dietary therapy; however, the findings indicated that MSUD children are at risk of malnutrition and regular nutritional assessment and monitoring should always be emphasized for optimal linear growth without affecting their amino acid profiles.

Multiple 24-hour recalls instead of single 24-hour recall should be used in this study for a better estimate of intake.

Although there are retrospective studies targeted in presenting the clinical and biochemical profile of MSUD children which has been extensively examined, limited research has focused on prospective aspect of nutritional status of these children who are undergoing active and regular diet and medical nutrition therapy because of the absence of comprehensive reliable nutritional assessment data.

Herbal medicine has been used for the management of complications of diabetes. The purpose of this paper is to examine the anti-diabetic effects of Achillea millefolium extract on diabetic rats.

To this aim, 32 male Wistar rats were randomly assigned into four groups in which each group comprised eight rats. The four experimental groups were as follows: control group, diabetic control (DC) group (STZ; 50 mg/kg), diabetic rats, receiving 250 mg/kg hydro-alcoholic extract of the A. millefolium (DAM) and diabetic rats, receiving 5 mg/kg glibenclamide (DG). After 21 days of the treatment course, tissues of the kidney and blood samples were collected for histopathological, biochemical and molecular analysis.

The concentration of malondialdehyde (MDA) and glucose serum were markedly reduced in the DC group while significantly increased in DG and DAM groups (1.11 ± 0.57 to 19.4 ± 3.5 and 17.8 ± 1.2 p = 0.002 and 325 ± 0.18 to 223 ± 0.11 and 211 ± 0.32 p = 0.02, respectively). Also, the activities of glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) were markedly reduced in the DC group while significantly increased in DAM and DG groups (9.1 ± 2.21 to 18.7 ± 3.81 and 14.9 ± 3.1 p = 0.03 and p = 0.02, respectively). The concentrations of creatinine, blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and urea were substantially decreased in DAM and DG groups as compared with the DC group (0.49 ± 0.02 to 0.27 ± 0.01 and 0.25 ± 0.01 p = 0.01, 15.6 ± 2.1 to 7.2 ± 0.68 and 8.6 ± 1.2 p = 0.02 and 114 ± 9.4 to 59.8 ± 5.2 and 64 ± 5.2 p = 0.03, respectively). Also, Bcl-2-associated X protein (BAX) expression was significantly decreased in DAM and DG groups as compared with the DC group (1.3 ± 0.32 to 0.91 ± 0.03 and 0.93 ± 0.02 p = <0.01) and Bcl-2 expression were significantly increased in DAM and DG groups as compared with the DC group (0.42 ± 0.05 to 0.88 ± 0.07 and 0.85 ± 0.06 p = 0.01).

Diabetes led to degenerative damages in the kidney of rats and increased the mRNA level of Bax, while treatment with A. millefolium could protect the kidney tissue against diabetes complications and increased the mRNA expression of Bcl-2. This study indicated that A. millefolium extracts not only improves renal function as a result of anti-oxidant activity but also modulates some biochemical factors in diabetic rats.

Polyphenols possess anti-allergic activities. Catechin is one of the polyphenols that are abundantly present in the Acacia catechu. In this study, the authors investigated the effect of catechin isolated from A. catechu in an experimental mouse model of ovalbumin (OVA)-induced allergic asthma.

Catechin was isolated from A. catechu, and phytochemical analysis was carried out by ultraviolet visible and thin-layer chromatography (TLC), high pressure thin-layer chromatography was used for the determination of an amount of catechin present. In a first set of an experiment, the authors have carried out dose-dependent evaluation of catechin on histamine synthesis in normal rats. In another study, allergic asthma was induced in BALB/c mice by intraperitoneal injection of 50 mg OVA dissolved in 4 mg aluminum hydroxide dissolved in 0.2 ml saline on Days 0 and 14. Catechin was given orally at the dose of 100 mg/kg, once a day from Day 1 to Day 35 and after which various respiratory parameters such as tidal volume, respiratory rate and airflow rate, biochemical parameters such as histamine release from mast cells, bronchoalveolar (BAL) lavage fluid analysis and histopathology of lungs were carried out.

Catechin showed significant (p < 0.05) improvement in respiratory parameters such as tidal volume, respiratory rate and airflow rate, as well as biochemical and hematological parameters such as blood histamine, serum bicarbonate and nitric oxide levels as compared to the disease control group. The treatment also showed inhibitory effects on histamine synthesis in rat peritoneal as well as BAL mast cells. Also, a significant (p < 0.05) improvement in lung histopathology was observed with catechin.

From the present study, the authors can conclude that catechin exhibited potent anti-allergic activity by inhibition of histamine synthesis by inhibition of histidine decarboxylase enzyme. The study suggests that catechin has therapeutic potential for the treatment of allergic inflammatory disease in humans.