Molecular identification of Lactobacillus hilgardii and genetic relatedness with Lactobacillus brevis.
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Conventional phenotypic methods lead to misidentification of the lactic acid bacteria Lactobacillus hilgardii and Lactobacillus brevis. Random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) and repetitive element PCR (REP-PCR) techniques were developed for a molecular study of these two species. The taxonomic relationships were confirmed by analysis of the ribosomal operon. Amplified DNA fragments were chosen to isolate L. hilgardii-specific probes. In addition to rapid molecular methods for identification of L. hilgardii, these results convincingly proved that some strains first identified as L. brevis must be reclassified as L. hilgardii. The data clearly showed that these molecular methods are more efficient than phenotypic or biochemical studies for bacterial identification at the species level. (+info)
Catechin is present as metabolites in human plasma after consumption of red wine.
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Flavonoids are components of fruits, vegetables and wines. An abundance of flavonoids in the diet is correlated with reduced heart disease mortality, suggesting that they act as protective nutrients. However, little is known about the absorption and metabolism of flavonoids after normal foods are consumed. This study measured the levels of one abundant flavonoid, (+)-catechin, and its metabolites in plasma after five male and four female volunteers consumed 120 mL of red wine (RW) one day and de-alcoholized red wine (DRW) on a separate day. Each wine sample contained 35 +/- 1 mg catechin (mean +/- SEM). Plasma levels of catechin and its metabolite 3'-O-methylcatechin (3'MC) were determined by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) of the trimethylsilylated (TMS) derivatives. Glucuronide and sulfate conjugates were determined after enzymatic hydrolysis. Before RW or DRW consumption, plasma levels of catechin, 3'MC and all conjugates were <2 nmol/L. After 1 h, average levels of catechin, 3'MC and all conjugates increased to 91 +/- 14 nmol/L (RW) and 81 +/- 11 nmol/L (DRW). At 1 h, 21 +/- 1% of the metabolites were methylated and <2% of catechin and 3'MC were unconjugated. Catechin was present as both a sulfate conjugate and a conjugate containing both glucuronide and sulfate residues. 3'MC was present primarily as a glucuronide conjugate. At every time point, catechin was present almost exclusively as metabolites, and these levels were independent of ethanol. Therefore, if flavonoids are protective nutrients, the active forms are likely to be metabolites, which are far more abundant in plasma than the forms that exist in foods. (+info)
Patterns of alcohol consumption in the Seychelles Islands (Indian Ocean).
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Self-reported drinking habits were examined in a random sample of 1067 persons aged 25-64 years in the Seychelles, a country in epidemiological transition where consumption of home-brewed, mostly unregistered beverages has been traditionally high. Alcohol consumption was calculated from respondents reporting at least one drink per week ('regular drinkers'). Among men, 51.1% were regular drinkers and had average intake of 112.1 ml alcohol a day. Among women, 5.9% were regular drinkers and had 49.7 ml alcohol a day. Frequency of drinking, but not amount per drinker, was slightly less in the 25-34-year than older-age categories. Home-brews (mostly palm toddy and fermented sugar cane juice) were consumed by 52% of regular drinkers and accounted for 54% of the total alcohol intake reported by all regular drinkers. Based on the reported consumption by regular drinkers only, the average annual alcohol consumption amounted respectively to 20.7 litres and 1.2 litres per man and woman aged 25-64 years, or, using extrapolation, 13.2 litres and 0.8 litres per man and woman respectively of the total population. These values may underestimate the true figures by half, since reported beer consumption accounted for 53% of beer sales. Socio-economic status was associated strongly and inversely with home-brew consumption, but slightly and positively with consumption of commercially marketed beverages. Alcohol intake was associated with smoking, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, carbohydrate-deficient transferrin and blood pressure, but not with age and body mass index. In conclusion, these data show high alcohol consumption in the Seychelles with an important gender difference, a large proportion of alcohol derived from home-brews, and opposite tendencies for the relationships between socio-economic status and home-made or commercially marketed beverages. (+info)
Red wine inhibits monocyte chemotactic protein-1 expression and modestly reduces neointimal hyperplasia after balloon injury in cholesterol-Fed rabbits.
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BACKGROUND: Wine consumption decreases the risk of myocardial infarction. Intimal hyperplasia contributes to restenosis after angioplasty. Local ethanol delivery inhibits intimal hyperplasia after balloon injury in rabbit iliac and pig coronary arteries. The effects of wine consumption on intimal response and monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (MCP-1) expression were studied in cholesterol-fed rabbits. METHODS AND RESULTS: Male rabbits were fed a 2% cholesterol diet together with red wine (12.5% vol, 5 mL/kg body wt per day; n=7), white wine (13.3% vol, 5 mL/kg body wt per day; n=7), or no wine as a control (n=8) for 6 weeks. A balloon injury of the abdominal aorta was performed at the end of the third week. Abdominal aortas were harvested at the end of 6 weeks. Neointimal hyperplasia was measured morphometrically. MCP-1 expression was determined by Northern blot, in situ hybridization, and immunohistochemistry. Rabbits fed red wine had significantly less neointimal hyperplasia than did control rabbits (intima/media area ratio 0.59+/-0.05 [red wine group] versus 0.79+/-0.07 [control group], P<0.05). However, rabbits fed white wine showed a trend (but not significant) toward less intimal response compared with control rabbits (intima/media area ratio 0.65+/-0.04 [white wine group] versus 0.79+/-0.07 [control group], P=0.165). Both red wine and white wine significantly reduced MCP-1 mRNA and protein expression in the aorta. CONCLUSIONS: Long-term consumption of red wine and white wine inhibits MCP-1 expression, and in the small number of animals studied, red wine modestly reduces neointimal hyperplasia. Since red wine exhibits higher antioxidant capacity than does white wine, the decreased intimal response might be partly attributed to its antioxidant effects. (+info)
Does a glass of red wine improve endothelial function?
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AIMS: To examine the acute effect of red wine and de-alcoholized red wine on endothelial function. METHODS AND RESULTS: High frequency ultrasound was used to measure blood flow and percentage brachial artery dilatation after reactive hyperaemia induced by forearm cuff occlusion in 12 healthy subjects, less than 40 years of age, without known cardiovascular risk factors. The subjects drank 250 ml of red wine with or without alcohol over 10 min according to a randomized procedure. Brachial artery dilatation was measured again 30 and 60 min after the subjects had finished drinking. The subjects were studied a second time within a week of the first study in a cross-over design. After the red wine with alcohol the resting brachial artery diameter, resting blood flow, heart rate and plasma-ethanol increased significantly. After the de-alcoholized red wine these parameters were unchanged. Flow-mediated dilatation of the brachial artery was significantly higher (P<0.05) after drinking de-alcoholized red wine (5.6+/-3.2%) than after drinking red wine with alcohol (3.6+/-2.2%) and before drinking (3.9+/-2.5%). CONCLUSION: After ingestion of red wine with alcohol the brachial artery dilated and the blood flow increased. These changes were not observed following the de-alcoholized red wine and were thus attributable to ethanol. These haemodynamic changes may have concealed an effect on flow-mediated brachial artery dilatation which did not increase after drinking red wine with alcohol. Flow-mediated dilatation of the brachial artery increased significantly after de-alcoholized red wine and this finding may support the hypothesis that antioxidant qualities of red wine, rather than ethanol in itself, may protect against cardiovascular disease. (+info)
Ingestion of red wine significantly increases plasma phenolic acid concentrations but does not acutely affect ex vivo lipoprotein oxidizability.
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BACKGROUND: Reduced lipoprotein oxidizability by red wine phenols has been proposed as the basis for a relatively lower incidence of coronary heart disease in red wine drinkers. We showed previously that caffeic and protocatechuic acids isolated from red wine exhibit antioxidant activity in vitro. However, there is no information in the literature on the absorption of these compounds after red wine ingestion. OBJECTIVES: We sought to determine whether certain phenolic acids can be detected in the circulation after red wine consumption and if their presence has an acute effect on serum and LDL oxidation ex vivo. DESIGN: Twelve healthy male nonsmokers consumed red wine, phenol-stripped red wine, dealcoholized red wine, or water, each at a separate visit, in random order and 1 wk apart. Beverages were consumed over 30 min and blood was sampled just before beverage consumption and 1, 2, and 4 h after consumption. Plasma caffeic, protocatechuic, and 4-O-methylgallic acids were measured by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. We also measured copper-induced serum and LDL oxidizability ex vivo and serum uric acid. RESULTS: Caffeic acid and 4-O-methylgallic acid concentrations increased significantly (P < 0.025) after consumption of red wine and dealcoholized red wine compared with water or phenol-stripped red wine. Uric acid increased significantly (P < 0.001) after ingestion of red wine, phenol-stripped red wine, and dealcoholized red wine. There was no effect on ex vivo serum or LDL oxidation after any of the beverages. CONCLUSION: Although red wine and dealcoholized red wine consumption acutely increase plasma phenolic acid and serum uric acid concentrations, the increase is insufficient to influence ex vivo lipoprotein oxidation. (+info)
(+)-Catechin in human plasma after ingestion of a single serving of reconstituted red wine.
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BACKGROUND: Red wine consumption may decrease the risk of coronary heart disease through the actions of its constituent flavonoids. (+)-Catechin is an abundant flavonoid in red wine. OBJECTIVE: The objective was to determine changes in plasma (+)-catechin concentrations after ingestion of a single, moderate serving of dealcoholized red wine reconstituted with either water (DRW) or water and alcohol (ARW). DESIGN: Nine subjects (5 men, 4 women) ingested, in random order, 120 mL DRW on one day and 120 mL ARW on another day. Both the DRW and ARW contained 35 mg (121 micromol) free (+)-catechin. Blood samples were collected at 0, 0.5, 1, 2, 3, 4, and 8 h. Plasma was analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry for (+)-catechin after enzymatic release of sulfate and glucuronide conjugates. RESULTS: Calcium ions were needed to effectively hydrolyze (+)-catechin conjugates in plasma containing EDTA. Neither the ARW or DRW nor sex affected the area under the curve at 8 h, the maximum concentration (c(max)), or the time it took for plasma total (+)-catechin to reach maximum concentration (t(max)). Pooled mean (+/-SEM) values for the ARW and DRW were as follows: area under the curve, 306.1 +/- 29.5 nmol*h/L; c(max), 76.7 +/- 7.5 nmol/L; and t(max), 1.44 +/- 0.13 h. The half-life of (+)-catechin in plasma was significantly less (P = 0.038) after ingestion of the ARW (3.17 h) than after ingestion of the DRW (4.08 h). CONCLUSIONS: Increases in plasma total (+)-catechin concentrations were not significantly different after single moderate servings of either the ARW or DRW. Alcohol in the ARW hastened the elimination of (+)-catechin from the plasma compartment. (+)-Catechin elimination may represent excretion or conversion to methylated derivatives. (+info)
Effect of increased yeast alcohol acetyltransferase activity on flavor profiles of wine and distillates.
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The distinctive flavor of wine, brandy, and other grape-derived alcoholic beverages is affected by many compounds, including esters produced during alcoholic fermentation. The characteristic fruity odors of the fermentation bouquet are primarily due to a mixture of hexyl acetate, ethyl caproate (apple-like aroma), iso-amyl acetate (banana-like aroma), ethyl caprylate (apple-like aroma), and 2-phenylethyl acetate (fruity, flowery flavor with a honey note). The objective of this study was to investigate the feasibility of improving the aroma of wine and distillates by overexpressing one of the endogenous yeast genes that controls acetate ester production during fermentation. The synthesis of acetate esters by the wine yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae during fermentation is ascribed to at least three acetyltransferase activities, namely, alcohol acetyltransferase (AAT), ethanol acetyltransferase, and iso-amyl AAT. To investigate the effect of increased AAT activity on the sensory quality of Chenin blanc wines and distillates from Colombar base wines, we have overexpressed the alcohol acetyltransferase gene (ATF1) of S. cerevisiae. The ATF1 gene, located on chromosome XV, was cloned from a widely used commercial wine yeast strain of S. cerevisiae, VIN13, and placed under the control of the constitutive yeast phosphoglycerate kinase gene (PGK1) promoter and terminator. Chromoblot analysis confirmed the integration of the modified copy of ATF1 into the genome of three commercial wine yeast strains (VIN7, VIN13, and WE228). Northern blot analysis indicated constitutive expression of ATF1 at high levels in these yeast transformants. The levels of ethyl acetate, iso-amyl acetate, and 2-phenylethyl acetate increased 3- to 10-fold, 3.8- to 12-fold, and 2- to 10-fold, respectively, depending on the fermentation temperature, cultivar, and yeast strain used. The concentrations of ethyl caprate, ethyl caprylate, and hexyl acetate only showed minor changes, whereas the acetic acid concentration decreased by more than half. These changes in the wine and distillate composition had a pronounced effect on the solvent or chemical aroma (associated with ethyl acetate and iso-amyl acetate) and the herbaceous and heads-associated aromas of the final distillate and the solvent or chemical and fruity or flowery characters of the Chenin blanc wines. This study establishes the concept that the overexpression of acetyltransferase genes such as ATF1 could profoundly affect the flavor profiles of wines and distillates deficient in aroma, thereby paving the way for the production of products maintaining a fruitier character for longer periods after bottling. (+info)