Betaine

NaAsO2 is known as a harmful pollutant all over the world, and many chronic heart diseases can be attributed to its prolonged exposure in NaAsO2 -contaminated water. Therefore, considering the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects of betaine (BET), in this study, our team investigated the cardioprotective effects of this phytochemical agent on sodium arsenite (NaAsO2 )-induced cardiotoxicity. Forty male mice were randomly divided into 4 groups: (I) Control; (II) BET (500 mg/kg); (III) NaAsO2 (50 ppm); and (IV) NaAsO2  + BET...

Betaine has important roles in preimplantation mouse embryos, including as an organic osmolyte that functions in cell volume regulation in the early preimplantation stages and as a donor to the methyl pool in blastocysts. The origin of betaine in oocytes and embryos was largely unknown. Here, we found that betaine was present from the earliest stage of growing oocytes. Neither growing oocytes nor early preantral follicles could take up betaine, but antral follicles were able to transport betaine and supply the enclosed oocyte...

The principal mechanisms surrounding gastrointestinal (GI) side effects due to chemotherapy are unclear, whereas the information regarding symptom management of patients with esophageal cancer post-esophagectomy is lacking. Esophagectomy patients are left with significant anatomical changes to the GI tract, including the cutting of the vagus nerve, which regulates gastric secretions, gastric acid pH, and motility. A 76-year-old male patient self-referred himself to the clinical dietitian for nutritional management of chronic nausea, fatigue, weight loss, and dumping syndrome 9 months post-esophagectomy, which was not responsive to medications...

Bacteria utilize various strategies to prevent internal dehydration during hypertonic stress. A common approach to countering the effects of the stress is to import compatible solutes such as glycine betaine, leading to simultaneous passive water fluxes following the osmotic gradient. OpuA from Lactococcus lactis is a type I ABC-importer that uses two substrate-binding domains (SBDs) to capture extracellular glycine betaine and deliver the substrate to the transmembrane domains for subsequent transport. OpuA senses osmotic stress via changes in the internal ionic strength and is furthermore regulated by the 2nd messenger cyclic-di-AMP...

Glial cells constitute nearly half of the mammalian nervous system's cellular composition. The glia in C. elegans perform majority of tasks comparable to those conducted by their mammalian equivalents. The cephalic sheath (CEPsh) glia, which are known to be the counterparts of mammalian astrocytes, are enriched with two nuclear hormone receptors (NHRs)-NHR-210 and NHR-231. This unique enrichment makes the CEPsh glia and these NHRs intriguing subjects of study concerning neuronal health. We endeavored to assess the role of these NHRs in neurodegenerative diseases and related functional processes, using transgenic C...

BACKGROUND: Sex disparities exist in cardiometabolic diseases. Metabolomic profiling offers insight into disease mechanisms, as the metabolome is influenced by environmental and genetic factors. We identified metabolites associated with sex and determined if sex-associated metabolites are associated with incident stoke, incident coronary heart disease, prevalent hypertension, and prevalent chronic kidney disease. METHODS AND RESULTS: Targeted metabolomics was conducted for 357 metabolites in the REGARDS (Reasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke) case-cohort substudy for incident stroke...

Deep eutectic solvents (DESs) have emerged as promising tools for crafting polymeric materials across diverse domains. This study delves into the impact of a series of DESs on the phase behavior of poly( N -isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) in aqueous environments, presenting compelling insights into their performance. Specifically, we explore the conformational phase behavior of PNIPAM in the presence of four distinct lactic acid (LA)-based DESs: LA-betaine (LA-BET), LA-proline (LA-PRO), LA-choline chloride (LA-CC), and LA-urea (LA-U)...

OBJECTIVE: Burn injuries pose a heightened risk of infection, which is primarily responsible for increased morbidity and mortality. Factors such as extensive skin damage and compromised immunity exacerbate this vulnerability. Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus are frequently identified in burns, with Gram-negative Pseudomonas aeruginosa often resistant to antibacterial agents. While Flaminal, an alginate-based wound dressing (Flen Health, Belgium), aids wound healing, its antibacterial effects are limited compared with 1% silver sulfadiazine (1% SSD)...

Salinity stress is a critical challenge in crop production and requires innovative strategies to enhance the salt tolerance of plants. Insights from mangrove species, which are renowned for their adaptability to high-salinity environments, provides valuable genetic targets and resources for improving crops. A significant hurdle in salinity stress is the excessive uptake of sodium ions (Na+ ) by plant roots, causing disruptions in cellular balance, nutrient deficiencies, and hampered growth. Specific ion transporters and channels play crucial roles in maintaining a low Na+ /K+ ratio in root cells which is pivotal for salt tolerance...

The rapid growth of flexible quasi-solid-state thermocells (TECs) provides a fresh way forward for wearable electronics. However, their insufficient mechanical strength and power output still hinder their further applications. This work demonstrates a one-stone-two-birds strategy to synergistically enhance the mechanical and thermoelectrochemical properties of the [Fe(CN)6]3-/4--based TECs. By introducing multiple non-covalent interactions via betaine zwitterions, the mechanical strength of the conventional brittle gelatin hydrogel electrolytes is substantially improved from 50 to 440 kPa, with a high stretchability approaching 250%...

Betaine-homocysteine methyltransferase (BHMT) regulates protein methylation and is correlated with tumorigenesis; however, the effects and regulation of BHMT in hepatocarcinogenesis remain largely unexplored. Here, we determined the clinical significance of BHMT in the occurrence and progression of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) using tissue samples from 198 patients. BHMT was to be frequently found (86.6%) expressed at relatively low levels in HCC tissues and was positively correlated with the overall survival of patients with HCC...

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the association between trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO) and related metabolites with adverse cardiovascular events in a multiethnic urban primary prevention population. METHODS: We performed a case-control study of 361 participants of the Dallas Heart Study, including 88 participants with an incident atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) event and 273 controls matched for age, sex, and body mass index without an ASCVD event during 12 years of follow-up (January 1, 2000, through December 31, 2015)...

BACKGROUND: Considering consumer trends toward the use of "clean" personal care products and increasing recognition of childhood allergic contact dermatitis, we sought to characterize the allergen profile of such children's products. METHODS: Ingredients of baby washes/shampoos, bubble baths, and moisturizers identified using the "Clean Baby" filter on Target®'s online marketplace were analyzed for relevant pediatric contact allergens. RESULTS: Product compositions declared fragrance in 82% of products, Compositae in 46%, cocamidopropyl betaine in 45%, glucosides in 37%, propylene glycol in 12%, lanolin in 1%, and no allergens in 9%-methylisothiazolinone and formaldehyde were not found...

In this study, a series of four surface-active compounds- N -alkyl betaine ethyl ester chlorides, C n BetC2 Cl-were synthesized and characterized in aqueous solutions. As with other alkyl betaines, these amphiphiles can be practically used, for example, as co-surfactants and/or solubility enhancers acting according to hydrotropic or micellar mechanisms, depending on the alkyl chain length in the amine. We focused on the representatives of the medium alkyl chain length (C6 -C12 ) to find the dependence between the alkyl chain length in N -alkyl betaine ethyl ester chlorides and the surface, volumetric, acoustic, and viscometric properties of their solutions...

We aimed to investigate the associations between maternal intake of folate, vitamin B12, B6, B2, methionine, choline, phosphatidylcholine and betaine during the period surrounding pregnancy and offspring weight outcomes from birth to early adulthood. These associations were examined among 2454 mother-child pairs from the Nurses' Health Study II and Growing Up Today Study. Maternal energy-adjusted nutrient intakes were derived from food frequency questionnaires. Birth weight, body size at age 5 and repeated BMI measurements were considered...

The role of biocides in the spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has been addressed but only a few studies focus on the impact of surfactants on microbial diversity and AMR, although they are common constituents of cleaners, disinfectants, and personal care products and are thus released into the environment in large quantities. In this study, we used a static ex situ biofilm model to examine the development of four biofilms exposed to surfactants and analyzed the biofilms for their prevalence of class I integrons as a proxy for the overall abundance of AMR in a sample...

The application of natural polymer-based coatings presents a viable approach to prolong the longevity of fruits and tissue damage. This study investigates the impact of treatments involving glycine betaine (GB), chitosan (CTS), and chitosan-coated glycine betaine nanoparticles (CTS-GB NPs) on preserving the quality and reducing decay in strawberry fruits. The fruits were subjected to treatments with GB (1 mM), CTS (0.1%), CTS-GB NPs (0.1%), or distilled water at 20 °C for 5 min, followed by storage at 4 °C for 12 days...

Plant-parasitic nematodes (PPNs) are among the most serious phytopathogens and cause widespread and serious damage in major crops. In this study, using a genome mining method, we identified nonribosomal peptide synthetase (NRPS)-like enzymes in genomes of plant-parasitic nematodes, which are conserved with two consecutive reducing domains at the N-terminus (A-T-R1 -R2 ) and homologous to fungal NRPS-like ATRR. We experimentally investigated the roles of the NRPS-like enzyme (MiATRR) in nematode ( Meloidogyne incognita ) parasitism...

Heart failure (HF) is a significant health concern; early detection and prevention are crucial. Recent studies suggest that the gut microbiota and its metabolites may influence HF development and risk factors. We explored this relationship by examining changes in gut microbiota composition and metabolite levels in HF patients. HF patients often exhibit decreased alpha and beta diversity compared to controls, suggesting lower bacterial richness and community variation. Changes in specific bacterial phyla were observed, with decreases in Firmicutes (e...

Alginate-based hydrogels are widely utilized for various applications, including enzyme immobilization and the development of drug delivery systems, owing to their advantageous characteristics, such as low toxicity, high availability and cost-effectiveness. However, the broad applicability of alginate hydrogels is hindered by their limited mechanical and chemical stability, as well as their poor permeability to hydrophobic molecules. In this study, we addressed the mechanical properties and chemical resistance of alginate hydrogels in a high-pKa environment by the copolymerization of alginate with polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)...