Researchers Crack the Cocoa Code

A team of international researchers has successfully sequenced the DNA of the Criollo variety of Theobroma cacao. The team's work identified a variety of gene families that may help improve cacao trees and fruit by enhancing their attributes or providing protection from fungal diseases and insects that affect cacao trees. As such, the sequencing and assembly of the chocolate tree genome will benefit the farmers who grow it, as well as the producers of high-quality chocolate.

"Our analysis of the Criollo genome has uncovered the genetic basis of pathways leading to the most important quality traits of chocolate—oil, flavonoid and terpene biosynthesis," said Siela Maximova, associate professor of horticulture, Penn State, and a member of the research team. "It has also led to the discovery of hundreds of genes potentially involved in pathogen resistance, all of which can be used to accelerate the development of elite varieties of cacao in the future."

The researchers identified two types of disease resistance genes in the Criollo genome. They compared these to previously identified regions on the chromosomes that correlate with disease resistance—QTLs—and found that there was a correlation between many the resistance genes' QTL locations. The team suggests that a functional genomics approach, one that looks at what the genes do, is needed to confirm potential disease resistant genes in the Criollo genome.

Hidden in the genome the researchers also found genes that code for the production of cocoa butter. Most cocoa beans are already about 50 percent fat, but these 84 genes control not only the amount but also quality of the cocoa butter.

Other genes were found that influence the production of flavonoids, natural antioxidants and terpenoids, hormones, pigments and aromas. Altering the genes for these chemicals might produce chocolate that is healthier, and has better flavors and aromas.

Fried Fish Increases Stroke Risk

Individuals who eat fried fish dramatically increase their risk of stroke, according to a new study published online in the journal Neurology. The findings also concluded people living in the "Stroke Belt" states of Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee are 10 times more likely to have a stroke
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The study, part of the long-running REGARDS (Reasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke) trial, surveyed 21,675 people over the age of 45 between January 2003 and October 2007 and found that residents of these states are 30 percent more likely to eat two or more servings of fried fish each week.Fewer than one in four participants consumed two or more servings of non-fried fish per week; people in the stroke buckle were 17 percent less likely to meet the recommendations than those in the rest of the country
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The study found that blacks were more than 3.5 times more likely to eat fried fish per week than Caucasian, with an overall average of about one serving per week of fried fish for blacks compared to half of a serving for Caucasians
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"These differences in fish consumption may be one of the potential reasons for the racial and geographic differences in stroke incidence and mortality," said the researchers
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Studies have shown that the omega-3 fatty acids in fish, especially fatty fish, may reduce the risk of stroke, but other research has shown that frying food reduces the amount of these fats and replaces them with artery-clogging saturated fats.

Sources:

• University of Alabama at Birmingham: America’s “stroke belt” partially fueled by fried fish, say UAB researchers

‘Starvation Hormone’ Levels May Predict Disease Risk

Researchers at the UT Southwestern Medical Center have discovered how the “starvation hormone" adiponectin works, which ultimately could lead to new treatments for a conditions such as cancer, diabetes, heart disease and obesity.


Researchers used models of inducible cell suicide in both pancreatic beta cells, which produce insulin, and cardiomyocytes, which are specific muscle cells located in a part of the heart known as the myocardium, to determine how the single hormone could exert different influences.

“Until now, there wasn’t really an obvious connection between all these different phenomena," said senior author Dr. Philipp Scherer. “This paper shows that the common theme among all these different activities relies on adiponectin’s interaction with a specific subset of lipids known as ceramides."

Ceramides are known to promote cell suicide, or apoptosis. High levels of ceramides have been shown to promote diabetes by sabotaging signaling pathways induced by insulin and killing beta cells. When the researchers introduced adiponectin into cells, they found that the hormone triggers the conversion of ceramides from a destructive force into one that helps cells survive and inhibits cell death.

Adiponectin controls sensitivity to insulin and is known to play an integral role in metabolism and obesity. Prior research has shown that when adiponectin levels are high, the body stores excess fat in adipocytes, or fat cells, to protect against possible starvation during lean times. These fat deposits lie primarily in the subcutaneous tissue.

However, adiponectin levels decline as a person accumulates more fat. Once adiponectin levels start dropping, the body begins storing fat in dangerous places such as the heart, liver and muscle tissues where it can cause inflammation and pave the way for heart disease. Researchers think adiponectin levels could be a good predictor of whether someone is at risk of developing diabetes, heart disease or cancer.

Oranges Pack Powerful Antioxidant Punch

New research from Brigham Young University suggest eating oranges or drinking orange juice is the best way to squeeze all the antioxidants and nutrients from the tasty fruit. The best health-promoting combinations of those natural antioxidants were published in a recent issue of the Journal of Food Science.


“There’s something about an orange that’s better than taking a vitamin C capsule, and that’s really what we’re trying to figure out," said Tory Parker, BYU assistant professor of nutrition, dietetics and food science. “We think it’s the particular mixture of antioxidants in an orange that makes it so good for you."

Parker said every time we eat carbohydrates and fat, we increase the amount of free radicals in our blood. Over time, that increases our chance for hardened arteries and heart disease; however, eating fruit protects us from that effect for a few hours after every meal.

The team tested dozens of combinations of the antioxidants found in an orange at the same proportions they occur naturally. They identified several combinations of antioxidants that were the most synergistic—the compounds hesperidin and naringenin, in particular, appeared to contribute the most punch in the combinations.

Sources:

• Brigham Young University: Squeezing maximum health benefits out of the orange in your stocking