Nutrition Commons^™

Evaluation Of Effectiveness Of Classroom-Based Nutrition Intervention On Changes In Eating Behavior In African American Parents/Caregivers And Their Children., Nesrine Akil

Wayne State University Theses

Although obesity rate has increased steadily over the past 20 years in the US, a 2006 report showed that the obesity rate is expected to continue to rise, with 13.9% of children between the ages of 2 to 5 years are considered overweight. However, 26.2% were considered at risk of becoming overweight. The parents/caregivers are the key players for developing their children's healthy or unhealthy eating habits since they are the specific determinants of food selection, serving structured meals and being the role models to their children by eating the same food offered themselves. This reflects the parents' significant roles …

Extending Lifespan Using Various Prolongevity Interventions And Their Effects On Enhancing Dna Repair Activity, Sonia Ahmad

Wayne State University Theses

Aging is not a disease; it causes a decrease in the physiological functions of cells, tissues, and organs. Aging has been considered as one of the biggest risk factors for the development of various diseases such as cancer, type-2 diabetes, obesity, atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases, and neurodegeneration. Numerous studies have shown that lifespan can be extended in mice by genetic, dietary, and pharmacological interventions. A few prolongevity interventions currently being studied include: the drug rapamycin, that has been found to inhibit mTOR expression and exhibit anticancer properties; reduced caloric intake, a broadly acting dietary intervention for preventing carcinogenesis, and ultimately extending …

Effect Of Folate Deficiency And Aging On Mtor Signaling Network In The Liver Of Dna Polymerase B Haploinsufficient Mice, Amanda Lynn Arrabi

Wayne State University Theses

EFFECT OF FOLATE DEFICIENCY AND AGING ON mTOR SIGNALING NETWORK IN THE LIVER OF DNA POLYMERASE B HAPLOINSUFFICIENT MICE

by

AMANDA ARRABI

August 2013

Advisor: Dr. Ahmad R. Heydari

Major: Nutrition and Food Science

Degree: Masters of Science

The interaction between the dietary nutrients and the human genome causes some alterations in the molecular pathways that could significantly impact the development of cancer. The main approach to such concerns is to closely observe how the diet modifies the gene expressions that control several cellular processes in the human body. Folate deficiency (FD) has established an important role in modulating the …

Selenium Supplementation Increases Antioxidant Response In Vitro, Yasmin Fakhereddin

Wayne State University Theses

Reactive oxygen species and free radicals are associated with the negative effects of aging. Enzymatic and non-enzymatic mechanisms can defend cell structures from free radical damage. Selenium is an essential trace element necessary for cellular functions in the human body. A positive correlation between low serum selenium levels with the morbidity and mortality of a range of cancers has been illustrated in numerous studies. Glutathione Peroxidase catalyzes a reaction in which H2O2 oxidizes the reduced form of GSH and forms H2O. NADPH further reduces GSSG, the oxidized structure of glutathione, in a reaction catalyzed by glutathione reductase. Tissue culture was …

Nutritional Status In A Cohort Of Hemodialysis Patients Receiving Tocotrienol Supplementation, Rajeev Shahani

Wayne State University Theses

Kidney disease is defined by a loss of kidney function over time [1]. It is expressed in terms of glomerular filtration rate at five stages calculated by the MDRD formula [5]. The fifth stage (<15 mL/min/1.73m2) is designed as end stage renal disease requiring renal replacement therapy in the form of hemodialysis [5]. This requires the use of an artificial kidney (dialyzer) to filter out by-products from the blood for excretion [8]. The issue arises when toxin accumulation due to decreased renal function, dialytic factors such as incompatible dialyzer membranes reacting with blood, and co-morbid conditions such as infection or diabetes mellitus [3]. This increases inflammation within the body, leading to a negative nutrient/energy balance, resulting in a loss of body mass thereby increasing the mortality risk [10]. Tocotrienols (T3), a more potent and underutilized form of Vitamin E, are being administered to attenuate this increase in inflammation via supplementation in addition to food intake. In order to attend to this issue, the nutritional status was assessed utilizing three measures: examining nutrient intake profiles (while supplementation was taken into consideration), obtaining anthropometric findings of body mass index, and analyzing biochemical profiles of serum albumin and pro-inflammatory markers (i.e. IL-6). This data was obtained via a randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled study of 81 dialysis patients. At two times over the course of 16 weeks, blood collection for serum albumin and inflammatory markers was analyzed and dietary intake was assessed using 24-hour diet recalls and Nutritionist Pro software. Statistical analyses of paired t-tests and correlation studies revealed no significant differences between the two groups later showing no noticeable effect of T3 supplementation. Reasoning may be multifactorial such as underestimation of food intake, transcription of diet recalls may not be truly representative, or T3 supplements may not have had an effect on the nutritional statuses. It may be beneficial for patients to receive more extensive nutritional counseling as opposed to nutritional supplementation to ensure compliancy with recommended intakes.

Impact Of Folate Depletion On Expression Of Folate Metabolizing Enzymes, Yizhen Wu

Wayne State University Theses

Folate is a water-soluble vitamin B that plays a critical roles in the de novo nucleotide synthesis, DNA repair, DNA methylation, and cellular growth. By involved in the one-carbon metabolic pathways, folate influences the thymidine monophosphate (dTMP) and the purine nucleotides synthesis, consequently affect the DNA synthesis and repair. Through the one-carbon pathway, the folate level also influences the DNA methylation, consequently affect the gene expression.

In this study, we inspected the change of gene expression of 14 genes which are related to the folate metabolism in two different cell lines. One is MEF cell line and the other one …

Effect Of Garcinol On Change In Gene Expression In Pancreatic Cancer Mouse Model, Nurul Huda Razalli

Wayne State University Theses

Pancreatic cancer is currently ranked as the fourth leading cause of cancer-related deaths in The United States making it so important to develop new approaches in order to improve the prognosis of this lethal disease. Chemotherapy drugs as treatment for pancreatic cancer are known to have adverse toxic reactions. Thus, development of treatments for pancreatic cancer that are relatively nontoxic is warranted. This thesis reports the potential anticancer effect of garcinol, a compound extracted from Garcinia indica fruit rind which may have promise for treating this lethal malignancy. Using KPC mouse-model for pancreatic cancer, this study has evaluated the mRNA …

Effects Of Tocotrienol Rich Fractions On Lipid Profiles In Hemodialysis Patients, Rami Hanna

Wayne State University Theses

Chronic hemodialysis (HD) patients have an increased risk of cardio vascular diseases (CVD) driven by dyslipidemia, oxidative stress and inflammation. Vitamin E isomers (tochopherols and tocotrienols) are fat-soluble anti oxidants. Tocotrienol isomers (T3) are fewer studies than tochopherol isomers, but they have multifaceted effects on oxidative stress, inflammation and lipid metabolism. We investigated the lipid modifying effects of tocotrienol rich fractions (TRF) on CKD patients receiving HD in a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind parallel trial on 81 patients (43M, 38F). Subjects (n=41) were given 220 mg/day of either TRF (180mg TRF, comprising of 34% áT3, 3%âT3, 50% ãT3, 13%äT3 and 40 …

The Effect Of Alpha-Cyclodextrin On Acute Blood Lipid And Glycemic Responses To A Fat Containg Meal, Evan Neil Fletcher

Wayne State University Theses

Obesity and hyperlipidemia have become major concerns in the United States over the past 30 years. Alpha-Cyclodextrin (á-CD), a naturally occurring soluble dietary fiber, has been shown to reduce dietary fat absorption and improve blood lipid levels in an animal model (mouse and rat) and in human studies. In the current double blind study, 34 healthy male and female participants were recruited to test if á-CD had any acute effect on blood lipid and glycemic responses to a fat containing meal. The participants received the á-CD on one occasion and a placebo the other to determine if there was any …

Antioxidant Properties Of Goji Berries, Jie Zhang

Wayne State University Theses

Antioxidants properties have been discussed for many years. Their benefits, especially for human health, have been more and more recommended and supported by nutritionists. It is necessary to obtain sufficient amounts of these compounds from dietary sources. Goji berries are particularly rich in antioxidants. Due to the roles they play in protecting the human body from oxidative damage, studies of the antioxidant absorption are more and more popular in recent years. In this study, the stability of antioxidant properties of goji berries was investigated. Sample of goji berry was tested for antioxidant properties via total phenolic content (TPC) assay, oxygen …