No abstract

The study evaluated the uses of food additives in commercial cocoa beverages, and examined the effects of the food additives on their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. The food additive lists of the cocoa beverage items on the shelves and chillers of ten randomly selected local supermarkets were recorded. The total flavonoid, polyphenol contents, and radical scavenging activity of the beverages were determined using the modified Dowd, Folin-Ciocalteu, and 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging assays, respectively. Cellular experiments examined the inhibition of F2-isoprostanes, lipid hydroperoxides, leukotriene B4 productions, and myeloperoxidase activity by freshly isolated human neutrophils. The effects of food additives on the measured outcomes were evaluated. Food additives were added to 72% of the twenty five cocoa beverage products. Flavorings (60%), antioxidants (56%), pH regulators (40%), emulsifiers (36%), and colorings (4%) were added into these beverages. The cocoa beverages contained significant amounts of flavonoids, polyphenols, and radical-scavenging antioxidants. Their ethanolic extracts inhibited F2-isoprostanes, lipid hydroperoxides, leukotriene B4 productions, and myeloperoxidase activity from freshly isolated human neutrophils. After stratification by different food additive groups, the flavonoids, polyphenols contents, radical scavenging capacity, cellular inhibitions of F2-isoprostanes, lipid hydroperoxides, leukotriene B4, and myeloperoxidase activity were significantly increased by the beverages containing added antioxidants compared to those without. The other additive types did not influence the measured antioxidant and anti-inflammatory outcomes. Commercial cocoa beverages were shown to exert potential nutraceutical properties, such as antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. Selective food additives may exert profound effects on these properties by modulating the availability of flavonoids and polyphenols.

Limited data are available on the effectiveness of the school-based structured fitness and wellness program to influence dietary quality and physical activity levels in Singaporean adolescents. The study examined if a 20-h (over 10 weeks) school-based structured fitness and wellness module affects the diet quality indices, energy intakes, physical activity levels and the associated energy expenditures in a group of healthy, male adolescents with low diet quality and physical activity levels. Participant demography, anthropometry, dietary intake and daily physical activity were obtained at the beginning, mid-point and end of the 10-week program. Physical activity levels were assessed accelerometrically over a 1-weekday period. Dietary intake were taken using a structured 7-day food diary, and diet quality assessed using the Diet Quality Index-International (DQI-I). The 31 enrolled participants (age 19.8 ± 0.6 years) with body mass index (BMI) (19.8 ± 0.6 kg/m2) followed diets of low diet quality scores (48.3 ± 9.6 out of 100) and engaged in 3.87 ± 2.00 h of physical activity daily before the start of the intervention. Their dietary quality and physical activity levels did not change significantly throughout the intervention period. They scored poorly in the moderation and overall balance components of the diet quality assessment. The physical activity duration correlated inversely to the diet quality scores. Our results suggest that the prescribed school-based fitness and wellness module was ineffective in influencing the diet quality and physical activity levels of Singaporean male adolescents with low diet quality and physical activity levels.

The concentrations of sugar, vitamin C, and polyphenols, as well as antioxidant and anti-inflammatory capacity of commercial apple beverage products in Singapore, were not known. The concentrations of vitamin C, total polyphenol content, and specific polyphenols, quercetin, and catechin of commercial apple beverages were determined using their respective high-performance liquid chromatography – ultraviolet detection methods. 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl assay and in vitro studies were conducted to examine the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory capacity. The apple beverages (n=17) exhibited significant antioxidant (DPPH radical scavenging assay, inhibition of cellular F2-isoprostanes and lipid hydroperoxide formation) and anti-inflammatory (inhibition of cellular leukotriene B4 formation and myeloperoxidase activity) capacity, which were found to be associated with vitamin C (10.35±1.18g/ 100g), total polyphenols (9.9±1.2mg GAE/ 100g), catechin (1.60±0.10mg/ 100g), and quercetin (0.46±0.09mg/ 100g) concentrations in the beverages. A separate simulation experiment demonstrated that antioxidant and anti-inflammatory capacity were augmented by increasing vitamin C, total and specific polyphenol concentrations.

Unhealthy lifestyle behaviors may set youths on the path to developing non-communicable diseases. Singapore schooling youths (n = 235, 67.2% female, age 17.5 (mean) ± 1.0 (SD) years) were recruited to examine the dietary, alcohol use, physical activity, and sedentary behaviors of the Singapore schooling youths. Demographic, anthropometric, and sedentary hours information were collected using structured questionnaires. Physical activity levels and dietary intakes, including alcohol use, were assessed using the validated International Physical Activity Questionnaire - long-form and localized food frequency questionnaire, respectively. The surveyed youths consumed significantly larger daily amounts of energy, sugar, saturated fat, and sodium than the levels recommended by the Singapore Health Promotion Board. They did not achieve the daily amounts of dietary fiber, fruits, and vegetables, and derived unhealthy proportions of daily energy from sugar and saturated fat. They did not exceed the recommended maximum daily alcohol allowance. Close to all the youths (91.2%) failed to adhere to more than five of the nine recommended healthy eating habits. Majority of these youths (73.4%) partook less than 600 MET-minute/ week. A significant number of the youths (38.1%) spent more than eight sedentary hours daily. Physical activity correlated significantly with sedentary behavior levels, but not the dietary scores. Most surveyed youths engaged in low physical activity and high sedentary behavior, and did not comply with most of the healthy eating guidelines proposed by the Singapore Health Promotion Board, specifically on daily energy, sugar, dietary fibers, saturated fat, sodium, and fruit and vegetable intakes.