Mitochondria are important for providing cellular energy ATP through the oxidative phosphorylation pathway. They are also critical in regulating many cellular functions including the fatty acid oxidation, the metabolism of glutamate and urea, the anti-oxidant defense, and the apoptosis pathway. Mitochondria are an important source of reactive oxygen species leaked from the electron transport chain while they are susceptible to oxidative damage, leading to mitochondrial dysfunction and tissue injury. In fact, impaired mitochondrial function is commonly observed in many types of neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’s disease, alcoholic dementia, brain ischemia-reperfusion related injury, and others, although many of these neurological disorders have unique etiological factors. Mitochondrial dysfunction under many pathological conditions is likely to be promoted by increased nitroxidative stress, which can stimulate post-translational modifications (PTMs) of mitochondrial proteins and/or oxidative damage to mitochondrial DNA and lipids. Furthermore, recent studies have demonstrated that various antioxidants, including naturally occurring flavonoids and polyphenols as well as synthetic compounds, can block the formation of reactive oxygen and/or nitrogen species, and thus ultimately prevent the PTMs of many proteins with improved disease conditions. Therefore, the present review is aimed to describe the recent research developments in the molecular mechanisms for mitochondrial dysfunction and tissue injury in neurodegenerative diseases and discuss translational research opportunities.

The results showed that zinc deficiency is common among type 2 diabetic patients due to hyperglycemia and polyurea. Periodic serum zinc measurement is recommended for type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Background: In Arab countries particularly in Qatar, nutrition transition in food choices and dietary habits have been changed from healthy diet pattern to unhealthy fast food pattern. As a result overweight and obesity rates are increasing to alarming figures. The aim of this study is to assess the prevalence of obesity and overweight among adolescents in Qatar and its relation with their eating pattern. Methods: A cross-sectional study of 1225 adolescents (51% male and 49% female), aged 15 to 18 years, were randomly selected from 21 secondary schools in Doha-the capital of Qatar during October 2012 and Feb 2013. Data was collected by using self-reporting questionnaire that included questions on their eating / drinking habits and anthropometric measurements, Statistical analysis were performed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences software (SPSS, Version 15.0). The level of significance was set at P< 0.05. Results: This study showed that the overall prevalence of overweight and obesity were (18.5 % and 19.1 %) respectively. The prevalence of obesity among males (25.3%) was significantly higher than among females (12.6%) p<0.0001, while overweight prevalence of female (21.0%) was significantly higher than among males (16.3%). When the prevalence of obesity and overweight was combined together it was significantly higher among males (25.6%) than in females (23.7%). Waist circumference was significantly higher in males (77.82 ± 17.3) than in females (73.06 ± 10.2). Eating habits of the students showed that Frequency of foods intake (fruits, milk and energy drinks per week) was significantly higher among males than females, while intake of (sweets, French fries and cake/doughnuts) was higher among females than among males. Results shows there was no significance difference in frequency of other food items between males and females. Conclusion: Overweight and obesity is prevalent, unhealthy food habits are common among adolescents. Nutrition and health educational programs are required to reduce the tendency of overweight and obesity and to improve their eating habits. J o u rna l of N u tr it io na l Dis o rd e r s & T hera p y

The elderly population is increasing worldwide and it has been suggested that senior citizens will continue to constitute the bulk of the population in many countries. Nutritional status of senior citizens are adversely affected by their frailty, chronic condition and declining cognitive functioning. Conversely, malnourished elderly further deteriorate their frailty, chronic disease and cognitive functioning. The aim of this review article is to recognize the importance of nutritional assessment of elderly population particularly those with cognitive impairment. First part is to highlight characteristic cognitive impairment among senior citizens and the second one highlight t he background in which malnutrition is a factor that leads to increased risk of morbidity and mortality in the elderly. This review also highlight salgorithms for safeguarding nutritional status among senior citizen and focuses on importance of nutritional screening, assessment and early intervention for safeguarding further deterioration of elderly who are likely to prone to cognitive impairment.

Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) has been considered as a serious public health problem. Each year, traumatic brain injuries are contributing to a substantial number of cases of permanent disability and deaths and it can be classified according to the severity into penetrating and closed head injury. Symptoms, beside to be unconscious can be defined as vomiting, nausea, headache, dizziness, lack of motor coordination, difficulty in balancing, blurred vision and lightheadedness, bad taste in the mouth, ringing in the ears, fatigue and lethargy as well as changes in sleep patterns. The brain is known to be the functional regulator for all the metabolic activities inside the body and TBI patients mostly have a complex metabolic alterations including aberrant cellular metabolism, abnormal metabolic processes, changes in hormones functions and inflammatory cascade. The TBI patient's status needed to be assessed medically and nutritionally since the medical status of the patients can affect the nutrition part. Data from the four assessment tools are needed to be correctly used and interpreted in order to make a proper nutritional diagnosis, clinical assessment, biochemistry as well as anthropometric measurements. Regardless the methods used for assessing TBI patients, having adequate intake and medical care can lead to a reduction in hospital costs, numbers of day hospitalized, numbers of hours of mechanical ventilation and in the overall infection rates.