University of Abertay

Metabolic syndrome (MetS)-related diseases, such as type 2 diabetes (T2D) and obesity, are among the leading causes of liver damage, and their prevalence poses an increasing clinical challenge. The Mediterranean diet (MD) has shown promising effects in managing MetS, reducing mortality and morbidity. However, the precise biochemical and molecular mechanisms underlying the MD efficacy remain unclear. This study evaluated the effects of a lab-designed balanced food mix, simulating the 1960s MD, on hepatic metabolic dysfunction in obese and diabetic db/db mice. The MD cocktail, naturally rich in polyphenols, fructose, and monounsaturated fatty acids, prevented hyperlipidemia while not reversing diabetes and obesity. Gene expression, protein representation, and metabolomic analyses of liver tissues from MD-fed db/db mice revealed reduced oxidative damage, preserved mitochondrial quality control, enhanced autophagy markers, and reduced fibrosis markers. The MD cocktail also enhanced liver mitochondrial mass and stimulated the OXPHOS system. It also preserved the hepatic pool of acylated carnitine derivatives and chenodeoxycholic acid, suggesting protective effects on mitochondrial β-oxidation and bile acid biosynthesis, with an overall improvement of metabolite profiles. The experimental MD cocktail exerted significant hepatoprotective effects, mitigating several diabetes- and obesity-induced hepatic disturbances and beneficially affecting metabolic fluxes and tissue texture.

The rising demand for minimally processed nutritious food has led to advancements in non-thermal food processing technologies.This study evaluated the effects of combined ultrasound (US) and high-pressure processing (HPP) on the quality of Navel orange juice.Fresh juice was treated with US at 40 W/mL (K1), HPP at 450 MPa for 3 min (CP), or both US and HPP (UH).This study found that none of the treatments significantly altered the pH, total soluble solids, color attributes, or total phenolic content compared to the untreated control (K0).HPP effectively eliminated microorganisms, reducing microbial counts below detection limits.US showed greater effectiveness than HPP in deactivating pectin methylesterase (PME) and maintaining cloud stability for up to 7 days at 4 °C.PME activity decreased from 6.5 x 10^-4 unit/mL in K0 to 4.6 x 10^-4 unit/mL with US, 5.3 x 10^-4 unit/mL with HPP, and 3.8 x 10^-4 unit/mL with the combined treatment, extending cloud stability to 14 days.Sensory evaluations indicated that US-HPP-treated juice was rated significantly better than CP and K0 samples.However, both treatments increased polyphenol oxidase and peroxidase activities by 22 % and 17 %, resp.Further research is needed to optimize conditions to reduce these browning enzymes while preserving freshness.