Browsing by Subject "Alkohol"

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Development of a genetically defined diploid yeast strain for the application in spirit production
(2005) Schehl, Beatus; Heinisch, Jürgen
Yeast strains of the species Saccharomyces cerevisiae currently in use for the production of consumable alcohols such as beer, wine and spirits are genetically largely undefined. This prevents the use of standard genetic manipulations, such as crossings and tetrad analysis, for strain improvement. Furthermore, it complicates the application of the majority of modern methods developed in yeast molecular biology. In this work two haploid laboratory strains with suitable auxotrophic markers were used for the construction of a genetically well defined, prototrophic diploid production strain. This strain was tested for its fermentative and sensory performances in comparison to commercially available yeasts. Different fruit mashes were fermented, subjected to distillation and analysed for fermentation parameters including growth, sugar utilization, ethanol production and generation of volatile compounds, higher alcohols, uretahne and glycerol. All spirits produced were tested for their sensory performances and the data obtained statistically consolidated. Our results clearly demonstrate that this laboratory strain does not display any disadvantage compared with commercial yeasts in spirit production for any of the parameters tested, yet it offers the potential to apply both classical breeding and modern molecular genetic techniques adjusting yeast physiology to special production schemes.
Einfluss der Ernährung und von Genussmitteln auf Risikofaktoren für das Auftreten von ischämischem Herzinfarkt und Schlaganfall
(2005) Eckoldt, Joachim; Bode, Christiane
Background and aims of the study: Arteriosclerotic changes of blood vessels which contribute to coronary heart disease (CHD) and ischemic stroke are influenced by risk factors like cigarette smoking, overweight, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, missing physical exercise and nutritional factors, such as alcohol consumption. Beyond this, the concentrations of serum lipids, antioxidants, coagulation factors or other risk factors, such as C-reactive protein, and homocysteine are considered to be additional factors that indicate an enhanced or lowered risk of atherosclerosis. In this study we examined the effect of nutritional factors, in particular alcohol consumption, on various plasma components that are believed to play a role in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. Multiple epidemiologic studies suggest that moderate alcohol consumption reduces the mortality from cardiovascular diseases and that this effect is chiefly mediated by elevation of high-density lipoprotein (HDL). This cross-sectional study assessed the effect of moderate alcohol consumption and other life-style factors on the composition of HDL in healthy working males. An additional goal of the present study was to find out whether there is an association between alcohol consumption and the concentration of vitamins and cardio-protective substances. Methods: We included a collective of healthy men (n = 284, age 23-66 years), investigated with respect to cardiovascular risk factors. The average daily alcohol consumption, nutrient intake, smoking and other life-style factors was assessed by a computer based questionnaire. Group 1 (n = 62) comprised subjects with an average daily alcohol consumption of 0-5g, group 2 (n = 175): 5-30g, and group 3 (n = 47): 30-70g. In addition, the study design made it possible to subdivide groups 2 and 3 in a so called ?beer drinker group 2+3? (> 80 % beer), a ?wine drinker group 2+3? (> 80 % wine) and persons without preference of a certain alcoholic beverage. Results: The alcohol groups showed no significant differences in the nutritional profile (nutrients, energy intake, and metabolic rate). The markers for regular, higher alcohol consumption (g-GT and MCV) were positive correlated to the amount of alcohol consumption. There was no correlation between the great number of clinical laboratory parameters and the amount or kind of alcohol consumption. Thereby the groups are comparable in view of these laboratory parameters. Besides, there were no indications for the existence of diseases, which might influence blood lipid and vitamin concentrations. Antioxidative substances in the blood: Dietary assessment: The intake of vitamin B2, B6, B12, folic acid, retinol, ß-carotene and other carotenoids, as assessed by the computer interview was comparable in groups 1-3. The subjects in group 1 had a higher supply of the vitamins C, B1 and a-tocopherol, ?beer drinker Gr. 2+3? had a higher intake of vitamin B2, B6 and folic acid. Blood measurements: Antioxidative vitamins: The vitamin B2 status in erythrocytes (EGRAC) was lower in group 3 (vs. group 1 and 2). The plasma level of ß-carotene and ß-cryptoxanthin was lower in group 3 than in group 1. Vitamins that influence homocysteine metabolism (including homocysteine): Influence of beer and wine: The status of vitamin B6 and the concentration of free plasma pydridoxal phosphate in group 3 was significantly higher than in group 1. These results cannot explain the postulated positive influence of moderate or higher alcohol consumption through improvements of the vitamin status and the concentration of vitamins in the blood. The vitamins in beer improved the vitamin status only in case of vitamin B6, no effect was calculated in case of vitamin B2 and folic acid. Higher alcohol consumption (group 3) made the vitamin status respectively the plasma concentration of vitamin B2, ß-carotene and ß-cryptoxanthin lower compared with group 1 ? in spite of comparable supply. Coagulation factors, markers of inflammation: The coagulation factors prothrombin time and fibrinogen as well as the ?newer? risk factors C-reactive protein and homocysteine were not correlated to the amount or the kind of alcohol. Lipoproteins: The serum concentration of total cholesterol, cholesterol ester, phospholipids, apolipoprotein A-1 and A-2 was higher in group 3. Moderate and higher alcohol consumption raises the concentration of cholesterol in the high-density lipoproteins (HDL) (including subfractions) ? independent of the sort of alcoholic beverage. The concentration of cholesterol in the low- (LDL) (including subfractions), very-low (VLDL) and intermediate-density lipoproteins (IDL) in the blood was not influenced by alcohol consumption. Composition of HDL: The induced increase of HDL cholesterol was lower in the subfraction HDL3 as in the subfractions HDL2b und HDL2a. Besides we found qualitative changes of the HDL-components: the phospholipid component increased more than the other HDL-components. This phenomenon might play a beneficial role in the mechanism of atherosclerosis. Conclusions: Vitamins: The changes of antioxidative vitamins and vitamins influencing homocysteine metabolism observed in persons with moderate and increased alcohol consumption do not explain the antiatherogenic effect of alcohol. On the other hand, our study confirmed a positive association of moderate alcohol consumption with HDL plasma levels ? independent of other nutritional factors. In addition, alcohol might induce qualitative alterations of HDL composition (more pronounced increased of HDL2 relative increase of the phospholipid component). The pathophysiological significance of this phenomenon remains unclear.
Geschlechtsspezifische Unterschiede in der Entstehung von alkoholbedingten Lebererkrankungen
(2010) Wagnerberger, Sabine; Bode, Christiane
Women are assumed to have a higher susceptibility to alcohol-induced liver disease (ALD) than men. Gender-related differences in food preference were described in previous studies for several populations. As certain micronutrients are reported to take influence on the development of ALD in animal experiments, the hypothesis of the present retrospective cross-sectional study was that gender-dependent (micro-) nutrient intake in patients with ALD may cause the higher susceptibility of women to this disease. In 210 patients (male: 158, female: 52) with different stages of ALD (ALD1: mild stage of liver damage; ALD2: moderately severe changes of the liver with signs of hepatic inflammation; ALD3: severely impaired liver function) and in 336 controls (male: 208, female: 128), nutrient intake was determined by a computer-guided diet history and related to the severity of ALD in dependence on the sex of the patients. No significant differences between males and females with ALD were calculated for the intake (per kg body/day) of protein, carbohydrates, fat, and the intake (per kg body/day) of most micronutrients. In females with ALD, higher intake was found for vitamin C (ALD3), calcium (ALD2), iron (ALD1 and ALD2), and zinc (ALD1), but the consumption of none of these micronutrients seems to contribute to a higher susceptibility to ALD in females. In the present study, a higher activity of ?liver-specific? enzymes and a higher DeRitis quotient was measured in female patients with ALD despite equal or lower amounts of consumed alcohol. This may indicate a higher susceptibility to the development of ALD in women. However, the data of calculated daily macro- and micronutrient intake do not suggest any explicit influence of gender-specific nutrition in the development of ALD. In a chronic setting of alcohol intake, women and female rodents are more susceptible to alcohol-induced liver disease than men and male mice. Starting from this background, the purpose of the present study was to determine if female mice are also more susceptible to acute alcohol-induced steatosis than male mice and to investigate whether this is due to alterations in hepatic lipid export. Male and female C57/Bl6-mice received one single dose of ethanol (6 g/kg) or isocaloric maltose-dextrin solution (control) intragastrically. Hepatic triglycerides, lipid accumulation, mRNA expression of microsomal triglyceride transfer protein (MTP) and apolipoprotein (Apo) B, as well as MTP activity were measured 12, 24, and 48 h after alcohol intake. In both genders, acute alcohol ingestion markedly increased hepatic lipid and triglyceride levels; however, total lipid accumulation was ~2-fold higher and more persistent in livers of female than in male mice. Fourty-eight h after ethanol treatment hepatic triglyceride concentrations in male and female ethanol-treated mice were similar to those of controls. MTP activity was significantly increased only in male mice 12 h after ethanol ingestion; whereas expression of MTP mRNA was significantly reduced in female alcohol-treated animals compared to controls at this timepoint. Expression of ApoB was also reduced only in livers of female mice after 12 h; however, differences did not reach level of significance. The results of the present study suggest that the markedly more pronounced and more prolonged susceptibility to acute alcohol-induced liver steatosis of female mice results at least partly from a gender-specific regulation of hepatic lipid export. In our experiments, the selective estrogen recepor modulator (SERM) toremifen did not protect against alcohol-induced hepatic lipid accumulation. The liver plays an important role not only in the metabolism of ethanol but also in the immune system. Lymphatic NK cells are present at an unusually high frequency among liver-resident lymphocytes (30-50 %). By producing the pro-inflammatoric and anti-fibrotic cytokine IFN-g NK cells are involved in the development of liver diseases. Results of studies of our own working group indicate a decrease of IL-12-induced IFN-g production in NK-92 cells after treatment with ethanol for 6 h. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether male (testosterone) or female (estrogen, progesterone, FSH, LH) sex hormones influence the ethanol-induced immunosuppression in NK-92 cells. Therefore, NK-92 cells were incubated with different sex hormones for 19 h and were subsequently treated with ethanol (1-3 ?) and sex hormones for 18 h. Concentrations of IFN-g were determined by ELISA. According to previous studies ethanol treatment resulted in a significant decrease of released IFN-g in comparison to NK-92 cells that were not incubated with ethanol. However, treatment with male and female sex hormones did not affect IFN-g release in NK-92 cells. The results of the present study suggest that solely ethanol treatment but not incubation with sex hormones has an immun modulating effect on NK-92 cells.