Identification of regulated proteins by resveratrol in glutamate-induced cortical injury of newborn rats

Glutamate induces neuronal damage by generating oxidative stress and neurotoxicities. The neurological damage caused by glutamate is more severe during brain development in newborns than in adults. Resveratrol is naturally present in a variety of fruits and medicinal plants and exerts a neuroprotective effect against brain damage. The goal of this study was to evaluate the neuroprotective effects of resveratrol and to identify changed proteins in response to resveratrol treatment during glutamate-induced neonatal cortical damage. Sprague-Dawley rat pups (7 days old) were randomly divided into vehicle, resveratrol, glutamate, and glutamate and resveratrol groups. The animals were intraperitoneally injected with glutamate (10 mg/kg) and/or resveratrol (20 mg/kg) and their brain tissue was collected 4 hr after drug administration. Glutamate exposure caused severe histopathological changes, while resveratrol attenuated this damage. We identified regulated proteins by resveratrol in glutamate-induced cortical damaged tissue using two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and mass spectrometry. Among identified proteins, we focused on eukaryotic initiation factor 4A2, γ-enolase, protein phosphatase 2A subunit B, and isocitrate dehydrogenase. These proteins decreased in the glutamate-treated group, whereas the combination treatment of glutamate and resveratrol attenuated these protein reductions. These proteins are anti-oxidant proteins and anti-apoptotic proteins. These results suggest that glutamate induces brain cortical damage in newborns; resveratrol exerts a neuroprotective effect by controlling expression of various proteins with anti-oxidant and anti-apoptotic functions.     

A Comparison of the Effects of Objective and Perceived Land Use on Travel Behavior

Planning and medical studies have independently evaluated the effects of land use on travel behavior. Focusing on actual land use, planning studies have measured the impacts of land use. This study analyzes the effects of two land use factors—objective and perceived land use. It develops a structural equation model in which the land use factors have multiple relationships with travel behavior, and then modifies the model to consider different travel behaviors reflecting varying travel purposes: commuting, shopping, and leisure. The three purpose‐specific models are tested in Seoul, Korea, using recent geographic information system and travel survey data. The results indicate that the strongest variable is the same as reported in planning, but at the factor level, the relative strengths of the factors differ according to travel purposes. The findings are explained by qualitative aspects of land use that affect shopping and leisure travel, including perceived land use.     

Comparison of the Chemical Composition and Nutritional Value of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Amaranthus cruentus</Emphasis> Flour and Its Protein Concentrate

Plants constitute an alternative source of proteins in the human diet, with advantages over animal proteins because of their low content of saturated fats and absence of cholesterol. Within the framework of a wider research project on the role of Amaranthus cruentus (Ac) in lipid metabolism, in this work the chemical composition and biological value of the Ac flour and its protein concentrate were compared. Proximate chemical composition, amino acid and fatty acid profiles, some antinutrient factors, and biological values were determined for Ac seed flour and its protein concentrate obtained by extraction at pH 11 and precipitation at pH 4.5. The flour protein content was 16.6 g% while that of the concentrate was 52.56 g%. The content of the soluble dietary fiber with a hypolipemic function was notably higher in the protein concentrate (12.90 g%) than in the seed flour (4.29 g%). The protein concentrate also exhibited a higher content of insoluble dietary fiber. The Ac flour and the concentrate contain 75.44 and 56.95% unsaturated fatty acids, respectively. Squalene, which affects the biosynthesis of cholesterol, was detected both in the flour and the concentrate oils, with a higher content in the concentrate (9.53%) as compared to the flour (6.23%). Comparison of the amino acid composition with the FAO pattern protein indicated that the concentrate does not have limiting amino acids, while the flour has leucine, threonine, and valine. The content of lysine was high in both the flour and the concentrate, making these products particularly useful as a complement for cereal flour, which is deficient in this amino acid. The biological quality analysis demonstrated an improvement in the quality of the concentrate. The presence of saponins, phytic acid, and trypsin inhibitors in the concentrate, which favor the metabolism of lipids, suggests that consumption of the concentrate might reduce the risk of heart disease.