Swallowing function can deteriorate with age, leading to a risk of dysphagia. Swallowing evaluation by surface electromyography (sEMG) can be easily and extensively applied for an elderly population. This study evaluated the temporal events observed by sEMG to clarify how aging affects the coordination among the masticatory and suprahyoid muscles. We recruited elderly individuals (over 65 years old) who denied dysphagia. The sEMG activities of anterior temporalis, masseter, and suprahyoid muscles were recorded during 3, 15, and 30 ml water swallowing tests (WST). We calculated the time interval between anterior temporalis and suprahyoid peak activity (T-SH interval) and masseter and suprahyoid peak activity (M-SH interval) and analyzed their correlation with age. The subjects who could and could not swallow 30 ml of water in one gulp were further assigned into the one-gulp and piecemeal groups, respectively, for subgroup analysis. We recruited 101 subjects, among whom 75 (26 males and 49 females) were analyzed after excluding those with suspected dysphagia or low-quality sEMG recordings. Age was significantly correlated with the bilateral T-SH (left: r = 0.249, p = 0.031; right: r = 0.412, p < 0.01) and right M-SH (r = 0.242, p = 0.037) intervals in the 30 ml WST. The correlation between intervals and age were observed in both subgroups. sEMG can be used to investigate the effect of aging on the temporal coordination between masticatory and suprahyoid contraction. Further studies are needed to verify the validity of screening subclinical dysphagia in the elderly.

Astragalus membranaceus (AM) is classified as a high-class traditional herbal medicine, which has strengthened vitality and multifunctional pharmacological activities, but limited empirical evidence is available to support its effects in muscular hypertrophy. It evokes skeletal muscle hypertrophy by increasing anabolic pathway, which is essential to prevent sarcopenia in elderly population. In this study, we examined the effects of AM on skeletal muscle hypertrophy by focusing on the molecular mechanism. We employed an in vitro model to investigate whether AM-treated skeletal muscle, as represented by myotube C2C12 cells, was hypertrophic, and to further investigate the efficacy of AM-activated phosphorylation of PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling that must occur prior to myotube hypertrophy. The results showed that the myotubes formed larger multinucleated myotubes with increased diameter and thickness (1.16-fold relative to control group, p < 0.05). Administration of PI3K and mTOR inhibitors abolished AM-induced muscular hypertrophy. Moreover, AM-induced PI3K-mediated myotube hypertrophy was accompanied by the activation of Akt and mTOR signaling. We concluded that the AM is a nutritional activator to enhance muscular hypertrophy by increasing PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling phosphorylation. As the AM is effective in myotube hypertrophy, AM and its derivatives may be promising candidates for ergogenic aid to prevent sarcopenia.

Objective: This study examined the effects of dietary and exercise interventions on weight loss and body composition in overweight/obese peri- and postmenopausal women. Methods: Medline, Central, Embase, and Google Scholar databases were searched for relevant trials conducted until December 31, 2016. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and prospective studies of overweight/obese peri- or postmenopausal women that examined the effects of dietary or exercise interventions, alone or combined, on weight loss were included. The primary outcome was percentage reduction in body weight. Results: From 292 studies initially identified, 11 studies with 12 sets of participants were included. Both dietary and exercise intervention groups had significantly greater weight loss than control groups (diet vs control: difference in means = −6.55, 95% CI, −9.51 to −3.59, P < 0.001; exercise vs control: difference in means = −3.49, 95% CI, −6.96 to −0.02, P = 0.049). Combined dietary and exercise interventions resulted in greater weight loss than dietary interventions alone (diet plus exercise vs diet: difference in means = −1.22, 95% CI, −2.14 to −0.29, P = 0.010). Diet plus exercise resulted in greater fat loss (difference in means = −0.44, 95% CI, −0.67 to −0.20, P < 0.001) and greater lean mass loss (difference in means = −0.84, 95% CI, −1.13 to −0.55, P < 0.001) than diet alone. Conclusions: Dietary interventions reduced body weight and body composition profile parameters in peri- and postmenopausal women more than exercise alone. The addition of exercise reinforced the effect of dietary interventions on changing body weight and composition.

Almonds can decrease glycemic index of co-consumed foods and are a rich source for oleic acid and α-tocopherol. The aim of the randomized, crossover, controlled feeding trial was to examine whether as compared to NCEP step II diet as control (CON), ~60 g/d almonds (ALM) added to CON would improve glucoregulation and cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors in 33 Chinese T2DM patients.

Almonds have shown to improve glucose control and lipid profile and ameliorate oxidative stress and inflammation in Chinese patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D). The main objective of this study is to further substantiate health benefits of average 60 g/d almond consumption on cardiovascular risk factors in the same population. We hypothesize that consumption of ~60 g/d almonds for 3 mo will improve glucoregulation, adipokine regulation, inflammation, endothelial function, lipid profile, and oxidative stress. We design a randomized, cross‐over, placebo controlled clinical trial with all meals being provided to all subjects. During the 2‐wk run‐in period, subjects will receive a control diet resembling typical Taiwanese diets, prepared based on the NCEP Step 2 guidelines. Subsequently, subjects will be randomized to receive either the control diet or the control diet with whole almonds incorporated to replace 20% calories. After a 2‐wk washout, subjects will receive the alternate diet for the other 3 mo. Biochemical biomarkers will include lipid profile, HbA1c, glucose, insulin, nitric oxide, e‐selectin, endothelial‐1, and intracellular adhesion molecule‐1, adiponectin, leptin, and resistin, hsCRP, IL‐6, IL‐10, retinol binding protein‐4, TNF‐α, oxidized LDL, and protein carbonyls in fasting serum, oral glucose tolerance test, brachial artery flow mediated dilation, and urinary isoprostanes.Grant Funding Source: Supported by Almond Board of California and USDA

Background Angelica Sinensis (AS), a folk medicine, has long been used in ergogenic aids for athletes, but there is little scientific evidence supporting its effects. We investigated whether AS induces hypertrophy in myotubes through the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt (also termed PKB)/mammalian target of the rapamycin (mTOR) pathway. Methods An in vitro experiment investigating the induction of hypertrophy in myotubes was conducted. To investigate whether AS promoted the hypertrophy of myotubes, an established in vitro model of myotube hypertrophy with and without AS was used and examined using microscopic images. The role of the PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway in AS-induced myotube hypertrophy was evaluated. Two inhibitors, wortmannin (an inhibitor of PI3K) and rapamycin (an inhibitor of mTOR), were used. Result The results revealed that the myotube diameters in the AS-treated group were significantly larger than those in the untreated control group ( P < 0.05). Wortmannin and rapamycin inhibited AS-induced hypertrophy. Furthermore, AS increased Akt and mTOR phosphorylation through the PI3K pathway and induced myotube hypertrophy. Conclusion The results confirmed that AS induces hypertrophy in myotubes through the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway.

Bioactives in Ipomoea batatas L. (sweet potatoes) have shown to exhibit radical‐scavenging activity, antimutagenicity, potential chemopreventive properties, and antidiabetic effects. However, bioactions of constituents in the Simon No. 1 (S1) and Tainong 66 (T66) sweet potatoes have not been fully elucidated. Thus, the objective of this study was to investigate the immunomodulatory effect of bioactives extracted from the S1 and T66 tubers harvested from the Chiayi Agricultural Experiment Station, Agricultural Research Institute, Taiwan. Bioactives in the tubers were first extracted with ethanol. After solvent removal with lyophilization, the resulting powder was further fractionated using liquid‐liquid partition to yield ethyl acetate (EAF) and water (WF) fraction. Mice splenocytes were harvested and treated with EAF or WF at concentrations ranging 0–200 μg/mL (w/v) for 24–48 h. EAF of the S1 and T66 increased cell proliferation in a dose‐dependent manner, but not WF. EAF of the T66 and S1 at 200 μg/mL enhanced cytotoxic activity of splenocyte NK cell by 24 and 41%, respectively, compared to control group at an effector cells/target cells ratio of 100. In conclusion, our results showed that bioactives in sweet potatoes exhibit immunomodulatory activities in a cultivar dependent manner. Further studies are warranted to examine underlying mechanism(s) for the modulations and characterize bioactives.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of low-glycemic index (GI) sweet potato starch on adipocytokines, pro-inflammatory status, and insulin signaling in the high-fructose diet-induced insulin-resistant rat. We randomly divided 24 insulin-resistant rats and 16 normal rats into two groups fed a diet containing 575 g/kg of starch: a low-GI sweet potato starch (S) or a high-GI potato starch (P). The four experimental groups were labeled as follows: insulin-resistant P (IR-P), insulin-resistant S (IR-S), normal P (N-P) and normal S (N-S). After 4 wk on the experimental diets, an intraperitoneal glucose tolerance test (IPGTT) was conducted, and the homeostasis model assessment (HOMA), adipocytokines, pro-inflammatory cytokines levels, and insulin signaling-related protein expression were measured. The homeostasis model assessment values were significantly lower in the IR-S than in the IR-P group, suggesting that insulin sensitivity was improved among sweet potato starch-fed rats. Levels of tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin-6, resistin, and retinol binding protein-4 were significantly lower in the IR-S versus the IR-P group, indicating an improvement of pro-inflammatory status in sweet potato starch-fed rats. The sweet potato starch diet also significantly enhanced the protein expression of phospho-Tyr-insulin receptor substrate-1 and improved the translocation of glucose transporter 4 in the skeletal muscle. Our results illustrated that sweet potato starch feeding for 4 wk can improve insulin sensitivity in insulin-resistant rats, possibly by improving the adipocytokine levels, pro-inflammatory status, and insulin signaling.

This study was to evaluate the effects of lower-GI starch on the insulin signaling in STZ/nicotinamide-induced hyperglycemic rats. We divided 13 hyperglycemic rats and 6 normal rats randomly into two groups respectively and fed a diet containing 575 g/kg as either low-GI sweet potato starch (designed as "S") or high-GI potato starch (designed as We labeled these four groups as HG-R HG-S (hyperglycemic rats), N-P and N-S (normal rats). After consuming the diets for 4 weeks, the skeletal muscle was collected to measure the protein expression of the insulin receptor (IR), IR substrate (IRS)-1, and glucose transporter (GLUT)4. Two intraperitoneal glucose tolerance tests (IPGTTs) were also performed at 0th and 4th week to evaluate the postprandial glycemic response. The results showed that the area under the curve (AUC) for blood glucose at 4th week was significantly lower than that at 0th week in the HG-S group. The protein expression of IRS-1 and GLUT4 in the skeletal muscle was significantly upregulated in the HG-S group compared to the HG-P group. We concluded that starch with lower-GI improved the postprandial glycemic response of hyperglycemic rats and may associate with the up regulating the proteins involved in insulin signaling.

Almond consumption is associated with ameliorations in obesity, hyperlipidemia, hypertension, and hyperglycemia. The hypothesis of this 12-week randomized, crossover, controlled feeding trial was that almond consumption would ameliorate inflammation and oxidative stress in Chinese patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) (9 M, 11 F; 58 years; BMI: 26 kg/m2) with mild hyperlipidemia.

Almond consumption is associated with ameliorations in obesity, hyperlipidemia, hypertension, and hyperglycemia. The hypothesis of this 12-week randomized crossover clinical trial was that almond consumption would improve glycemic control and decrease the risk for cardiovascular disease in 20 Chinese patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) (9 male, 11 female; 58 years old; body mass index, 26 kg/m²) with mild hyperlipidemia. After a 2-week run-in period, patients were assigned to either a control National Cholesterol Education Program step II diet (control diet) or an almond diet for 4 weeks, with a 2-week washout period between alternative diets. Almonds were added to the control diet to replace 20% of total daily calorie intake. Addition of approximately 60 g almonds per day increased dietary intakes of fiber, magnesium, polyunsaturated fatty acid, monounsaturated fatty acid, and vitamin E. Body fat determined with bioelectrical impedance analysis was significantly lower in patients consuming almonds (almonds vs control: 29.6% vs 30.4%). The almond diet enhanced plasma α-tocopherol level by a median 26.8% (95% confidence intervals, 15.1-36.6) compared with control diet. Furthermore, almond intake decreased total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and the ratio of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol by 6.0% (1.6-9.4), 11.6% (2.8-19.1), and 9.7% (0.3-20.9), respectively. Plasma apolipoprotein (apo) B levels, apo B/apo A-1 ratio, and nonesterified fatty acid also decreased significantly by 15.6% (5.1-25.4), 17.4% (2.8-19.9), and 5.5% (3.0-14.4), respectively. Compared with subjects in the control diet, those in the almond diet had 4.1% (0.9-12.5), 0.8% (0.4-6.3), and 9.2% (4.4-13.2) lower levels of fasting insulin, fasting glucose, and homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance index, respectively. Our results suggested that incorporation of almonds into a healthy diet has beneficial effects on adiposity, glycemic control, and the lipid profile, thereby potentially decreasing the risk for cardiovascular disease in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.