Urolithins Are the Main Urinary Microbial-Derived Phenolic Metabolites Discriminating a Moderate Consumption of Nuts in Free-Living Subjects with Diagnosed Metabolic Syndrome

Walnuts ( Juglans regia L.), hazelnuts ( Corylus avellana L.), and almonds ( Prunus dulcis Mill.) are rich sources of ellagitannins and proanthocyanidins. Gut microbiota plays a crucial role in modulating the bioavailability of these high molecular weight polyphenols. However, to date there are no studies evaluating the capacity to produce nut phenolic metabolites in subjects with metabolic syndrome (MetS), a pathology associated with an altered gut bacterial diversity. This study applied a LC-MS targeted approach to analyze the urinary excretion of nut phenolic metabolites in MetS subjects following 12 weeks of nut consumption, compared to sex- and age-matched individuals given a nut-free control diet. Metabolites were targeted in both hydrolyzed and nonhydrolyzed urine by LC-PDA-QqQ-MS/MS analysis, and identification of metabolites lacking available standards was confirmed by LC-ESI-ITD-FT-MS. Ellagitannin-derived urolithins A and B significantly increased after the nut-enriched-diet, urolithins C and D were also detected, and a complex combination of urolithin-conjugated forms was observed in nonhydrolyzed urine, confirming an extensive phase II metabolism after absorption. In contrast, no significant increases in proanthocyanidin microbial metabolites were observed in urine following nut consumption. Because the intestinal microbiota of the subjects in this study could catabolize ellagitannins into a wide range of urolithins, further research is strongly warranted on the in vivo potential of these microbial metabolites in reducing cardiometabolic risk.     

Effect of water deficit irrigation and inoculation with Botrytis cinerea on strawberry (Fragaria x ananassa) fruit quality

Deficit irrigation (DI) detrimentally affected berry size but had a profound effect on fruit physiology and biochemistry. Strawberry cv. Elsanta fruit from DI-treated plants had higher levels of abscisic acid (ABA). Dry matter content as a proportion of fresh weight was increased by a quarter in fruit from water-stressed plants as compared to fruit harvested from plants held at or near field capacity. Concomitant to this, the concentration of some taste-related (viz. monosaccharides and sugar/acid ratios) and health-related compounds/parameters (viz. antioxidant capacity and total phenolics) were generally much greater in DI-treated fruit. The effect of inoculation with Botrytis cinerea on fruit quality was also tested. Fruit derived from inoculated plants displayed symptoms of gray mold postharvest disease earlier than noninoculated fruit and had double the concentration of ABA. Inoculation had no significant effects on all other target analytes measured. There was no interaction between water treatment and inoculation. The possible mechanisms for increased synthesis of ABA and the different effects of pathogen-induced stress versus drought stress on fruit quality are discussed.     

Effects of high hydrostatic pressure treatments on biogenic amine contents in goat cheeses during ripening

The application of high-pressure treatment to accelerate cheese ripening may influence the occurrence and profile of biogenic amines. In some cases, high-pressure treatment could yield high amine content, whereas in others the amine concentrations were comparable with those in nontreated ones. Tyramine was the most affected amine. However, the influence of high pressure depended on the treatment applied. The highest amine concentrations were observed when 50 MPa for 72 h was applied, and in which, the content of tyramine was almost three times higher than in the untreated samples. On the contrary, when 400 MPa for 5 min or 400 MPa for 5 min plus 50 MPa for 72 h were applied contents of this amine were similar or lower than those found in control cheeses showing similar degrees of proteolysis. The higher proteolysis, induced by the pressurization treatments, was not correlated with the higher amine production.     

A noninvasive optical system for the measurement of xylem and phloem sap flow in woody plants of small stem size

Over the past 70 years, heat has been widely used as a tracer for estimating the flow of water in woody and herbaceous plants. However, most commercially available techniques for monitoring whole plant water use are invasive and the measurements are potentially flawed because of wounding of the xylem tissue. The study of photosynthate transport in the phloem remains in its infancy, and little information about phloem transport rates is available owing to the fragility of the vascular tissue. The aim of our study was to develop a compact, stand-alone non-invasive system allowing for direct detection of phloem and xylem sap movement. The proposed method uses a heat pulse as a tracer for sap flow. Heat is applied to the surface of the stem with a near-infrared laser source, and heat propagation is monitored externally by means of an infrared camera. Heat pulse velocities are determined from the thermometric data and related to the more useful quantity, mass flow rate. Simulation experiments on the xylem tissue of severed silver birch (Betula pendula Roth.) branch segments were performed to assess the feasibility of the proposed approach, highlight the characteristics of the technique and outline calibration strategies. Good agreement between imposed and measured flow rates was achieved leading to experimentation with live silver birch and oak (Quercus robur L.) saplings. It was demonstrated that water flow through xylem vessels can be monitored non-invasively on an intact stem with satisfactory accuracy despite simultaneous sugar transport in the phloem. In addition, it was demonstrated that the technique allows for unequivocal detection of phloem flow velocities.     

Pierolapithecus catalaunicus, a new Middle Miocene great ape from Spain

We describe a partial skeleton with facial cranium of Pierolapithecus catalaunicus gen. et sp. nov., a new Middle Miocene (12.5 to 13 million years ago) ape from Barranc de Can Vila 1 (Barcelona, Spain). It is the first known individual of this age that combines well-preserved cranial, dental, and postcranial material. The thorax, lumbar region, and wrist provide evidence of modern ape-like orthograde body design, and the facial morphology includes the basic derived great ape features. The new skeleton reveals that early great apes retained primitive monkeylike characters associated with a derived body structure that permits upright postures of the trunk. Pierolapithecus, hence, does not fit the theoretical model that predicts that all characters shared by extant great apes were present in their last common ancestor, but instead points to a large amount of homoplasy in ape evolution. The overall pattern suggests that Pierolapithecus is probably close to the last common ancestor of great apes and humans.