These results suggest that PJ protects against the effects of a high-fat diet in body weight, and cholesterol levels.

High-density lipoproteins (HDL) comprise a heterogeneous family of lipoprotein particles divided into subclasses that are determined by density, size and surface charge as well as protein composition. Epidemiological studies have suggested an inverse correlation between High-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C) levels and the risk of cardiovascular diseases and atherosclerosis. HDLs promote reverse cholesterol transport (RCT) and have several atheroprotective functions such as anti-inflammation, anti-thrombosis, and anti-oxidation. HDLs are considered to be atheroprotective because they are associated in serum with paraoxonases (PONs) which protect HDL from oxidation. Polyphenol consumption reduces the risk of chronic diseases in humans. Polyphenols increase the binding of HDL to PON1, increasing the catalytic activity of PON1. This review summarizes the evidence currently available regarding pharmacological and alternative treatments aimed at improving the functionality of HDL-C. Information on the effectiveness of the treatments has contributed to the understanding of the molecular mechanisms that regulate plasma levels of HDL-C, thereby promoting the development of more effective treatment of cardiovascular diseases. For that purpose, Scopus and Medline databases were searched to identify the publications investigating the impact of current therapies focused on high-density lipoproteins.

Spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.) seed germination can be inhibited by high temperatures. An understanding of thermoinhibition in spinach is critical in predicting germination and emergence events. The purpose of this study was 3-fold: 1) to determine seed germination percentage and rate of spinach genotypes—`Cascade', `ACX 5044', `Fall Green', and `ARK 88-354'—exposed to constant and alternating temperatures; 2) to determine the nature and extent of inhibition imposed by the pericarp; and 3) to investigate leachate and oligosaccharide involvement in thermoinhibition. Germination inhibition began at >20 °C constant temperature and was totally suppressed at 35 °C. Alternating temperatures at 30/15 °C (12-hour day/12-hour night) resulted in greater germination than a constant 30 °C. The genotype sensitivity to supraoptimal temperatures was in the order of `ARK 88-354' ≤ `Fall Green' < `ACX 5044' < `Cascade', but the highly thermoinhibited `Cascade' seeds retained the ability to germinate when shifted to lower incubation temperatures. The pericarp inhibited germination, since seeds deprived of the pericarp had ≈90% germination at 30 °C. `ACX 5044' and `Cascade' had higher ABA content in the pericarp than `ARK 88-354' and `Fall Green'. Before imbibition at 30 °C, raffinose levels in each genotype were in the order of `ARK 88-354' > `Fall Green' > `Cascade'. After 48 hours of imbibition, sucrose and glucose levels were highest and raffinose levels were lowest in `ARK 88-354' and `Fall Green' seeds, while `Cascade' seeds remained less active metabolically. These data suggest that the pericarp apparently acts as a physical barrier as well as a source of inhibitors during thermoinhibition.

Because of the inconsistency and unpredictability of naturally occurring straighthead, arsenical herbicides are sometimes used to induce straighthead-like symptoms to study this sterility disorder. In 2005, an outbreak of naturally occurring (nonchemically induced) straighthead in rice (Oryza sativa L.) study fields in Stuttgart, AR provided an opportunity to examine the role of minerals in this generally unpredictable disorder. The outbreak affected areas of yield and N rate tests thus permitting examination of the effect of N levels on straighthead. It was found that at the higher N levels, straighthead symptoms were reduced. Since several minerals, including As, have been associated with straighthead, samples of the soil and plants from three of the affected cultivars were analyzed for their levels of several minerals. Straighthead-affected and nonstraighthead-affected plants of each cultivar were separated into roots, stems, leaves, and seeds. Each plant part was analyzed for its level of macro-and micronutrients plus As, from which a relative (straighthead/nonstraighthead) mineral level for each cultivar was calculated. Relative levels of As did not show a consistent pattern among the plant parts. Magnesium may play a role in natural straighthead; only its relative concentrations were consistent across the three cultivars in the soil, stems (and its subsection, stem internodes), leaves, seeds (and its subsection, seed hulls); though not in the roots, brown rice, or stem nodes. The data provide a description of nutrient levels in the rice plant from a rare occurrence and so may provide comparisons for other studies of natural and induced straighthead.

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