The use of legumes as functional foods has gained increasing attention for the prevention and treatment of the so called non-communicable diseases that are highly prevalent worldwide. In this regard, biotechnological approaches for the enhancement of legumes’ nutritional and functional value have been extensively employed. In the present study, the process of germination increased several parameters of mung bean (Vigna radiata L.) functionality, including extract yield, total phenolic content and in vitro antioxidant capacity. In addition, 3-day-germinated mung bean proved to be an interesting source of dietary essential minerals and exhibited a greater variety of polyphenolic compounds compared to raw mung bean. These properties resulted in enhanced cytoprotective features of the 3-day mung bean extracts against radical oxygen species in human colorectal (HT29) and monocyte (U937) cell lines. Moreover, the antiproliferative effects were tested in different colon cancer cell lines, T84 and drug-resistant HCT-18, as well as in a non-tumor colon CCD-18 line. Altogether, our results demonstrate that the germination process improves the mung bean’s nutritional value and its potential as a functional food.

The application of metallic nanoparticles (materials with size at least in one dimension ranging from 1 to 100 nm) as a new therapeutic tool will improve the diagnosis and treatment of diseases. The mitochondria could be a therapeutic target to treat pathologies whose origin lies in mitochondrial dysfunctions or whose progression is dependent on mitochondrial function. We aimed to study the subcellular distribution of 2–4 nm iron nanoparticles and its effect on mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), mitochondrial function, and autophagy in colorectal cell lines (HT-29). Results showed that when cells were exposed to ultra-small iron nanoparticles, their subcellular fate was mainly mitochondria, affecting its respiratory and glycolytic parameters, inducing the migration of the cellular state towards quiescence, and promoting and triggering the autophagic process. These effects support the potential use of nanoparticles as therapeutic agents using mitochondria as a target for cancer and other treatments for mitochondria-dependent pathologies.

Objective: The aim of the study was to identify factors associated with obesity, and their influence on plasma lipid profile in an adult Mediterranean population. Design: The data were obtained from a cross-sectional epidemiological survey. Setting: The study population resided in Andalusia, a western Mediterranean region in southern Spain. Subjects: The survey was carried out with a random sample of 3421 subjects (1747 men, 1674 women) between 25 and 60 years of age. Blood samples were obtained for biochemical assays in a random subsample of 340 subjects (167 men, 173 women). Interventions: Food consumption was assessed by 48-h recall. Height, weight, triceps, biceps, subscapular and suprailiac skinfolds, mid-upper arm, waist (WC) and hip circumferences, glucose, total cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol and triglycerides were measured. Information about lifestyles was obtained with a questionnaire. Results: Of the adult population we studied, 18.9% were obese (body mass index [BMI] ≥ 30 kg/m²). A larger proportion of men than women were overweight, but the opposite was found for obesity. Mean plasma lipid values were not modified significantly by obesity or lifestyle factors, and were within the normal range. Sex, age, physical exercise and lower educational level were associated directly with the risk of obesity, and smoking was associated inversely with the risk of obesity. In obese smokers WC and waist-hip ratio were larger, and levels of HDL-cholesterol were lower (p < 0.05) than in obese nonsmokers. Glucemia was higher in obese persons who consumed alcohol (p < 0.05) than in obese persons who did not consume alcohol. The risk of hypercholesterolemia and high levels of LDL-cholesterol was associated only with age, and the risk of low levels of HDL-cholesterol was associated only with high WC. Conclusion: Our results provide an estimate of the prevalence of obesity in the adult population in southern Spain, and of the associated factors. Sex, age, leisure-time physical exercise and educational level appear to influence obesity. Only age and WC but not BMI were associated with a risk of dyslipidemia. No dietary associations were observed between energy or macronutrient intake and plasma lipid concentrations in overweight or obese persons.

The aim of the present study was to assess the nutritional status for thiamin (vitamin B₁) and riboflavin (vitamin B₂) in an adult Mediterranean population, in order to identify patterns of intake, groups at risk for deficiency and factors that might influence this risk. A cross-sectional survey was carried out in Andalusia, a western Mediterranean region in southern Spain. Nutrient intakes were studied in a random sample of 3390 subjects (1746 men, 1644 women) who were between 25 and 60 years of age. Blood samples were obtained for biochemical assays in a random subsample of 372 subjects (181 men, 191 women). Food consumption was assessed by 48 h recall. Vitamin B₁and B₂were measured as erythrocyte transketolase and as erythrocyte glutathione reductase activation coefficients, respectively. Energy and vitamin intakes were significantly higher in men than in women. Intakes were below two-thirds of the recommended dietary allowance for vitamin B₁in 7·80% of the men and 4·50% of the woman, and were below this level for vitamin B₂in 18·00% of the men and 11·70 % of the women. Age, educational level, alcohol use and smoking were also associated with differences in the intake of these nutrients. Biochemical analyses showed that vitamin B₁and B₂status was deficient in 6·40 and 5·30% of the population, respectively. Although factors such as gender, age, level of education, drinking and smoking can have an effect on the risk of inadequate intake of these nutrients, these factors did not affect biochemical indices of nutritional status in the present study.