Our Institute’s scientists involved in three projects with funding awarded for science-business collaboration under the 1st NUTRITECH competition – Nutrition in light of the challenges of improving societal wellbeing and climate change.
The main objective of the NUTRITECH programme is to increase the availability of products and solutions for proper nutrition with a view to 2030 through the implementation of R&D results, taking into account the principles of sustainable development.
Support in developing the capacity to create and use solutions based on the results of scientific research in order to give a developmental impetus to the economy and for the benefit of society has been granted to three projects involving scientists from our Institute.
Development of innovative fruit and vegetable health-promoting products in the mousse category, enriched with bioactive ingredients with antioxidant and microbiome-supporting properties.
Partners: TYMBARK–MWS Sp. z o.o., Prolab Sp. z o.o. Sp. Komandytowa, IARFR PAS
Coordinator on behalf of the Institute: Lidia Markiewicz, Ph.D.
Funds awarded: PLN 4 816 729,48
Development of local honeys with enhanced functional properties, enriched with targeted additions of antioxidants of natural origin in the prevention of civilization diseases
Partners: Mazurskie Miody Bogdan Piasecki, IARFR PAS
Coordinator on behalf of the Institute: Małgorzata Starowicz, Ph.D.
Funds awarded: PLN 5 556 913,12
Development and implementation of innovative functional foods targeting the prevention of diet-related diseases
Partners: Laboratorium Galenowe Olsztyn Sp. z o. o., IARFR PAS
Coordinators on behalf of the Institute: Bartosz Fotschki, Ph.D., Wiesław Wiczkowski, Ph.D., D.Sc.
Scientists at the Institute of Animal Reproduction and Food Research of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Olsztyn are investigating the mechanism of long-term infection of the fetus with cytomegalovirus. The virus is usually harmless for healthy people. The problem arises in immunocompromised patients and pregnant women, as it crosses the placenta and can cause serious congenital diseases.
– We are investigating the molecular basis for establishing long-term cytomegalovirus infection in neural cells. We hope to find out the factors responsible for the persistence of the virus in neural cells, and thus identify the causes of the observed damage to the nervous system associated with cytomegalovirus-induced congenital disease – emphasises Dr Magdalena Weidner-Glunde, leader of the research project and head of the Molecular Microbiology and Virology Laboratory of the IARFR PAS in Olsztyn.
THE DORMANT VIRUS
Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infection is very common, with more than 80 % of the Polish population infected. The primary infection in healthy people is usually asymptomatic or shows the symptoms of a slight cold, but in immunocompromised patients, e.g. after transplantation (when immunity is deliberately lowered to prevent transplant rejection) or those with AIDS, it can cause serious illness.
– HCMV is also a cause of congenital disease, as the virus is able to pass from the bloodstream of the infected mother through the placenta to the fetus. The disease resulting from congenital cytomegalovirus infection is associated with infection of the central nervous system and consequent sensory-nervous damage. Symptoms associated with HCMV congenital disease can include hearing loss, visual impairment or even intellectual disability, explains the researcher.
The herpesviruses (such as herpes virus and chickenpox virus), once they enter our body, remain in our body for the rest of our lives. The response of our immune system to their presence – i.e. antibodies – can be detected by laboratory blood tests. They also allow us to determine whether a person has an active or latent infection.
In fact, the life cycle of herpesviruses comprises two phases: a latent (dormant) phase, from which the virus occasionally 'wakes up’ to enter the active (lytic) phase. – In the lytic phase, the virus actively multiplies by producing a large number of new viral particles. In contrast, in latency, viral protein synthesis is reduced to a minimum and there is no production of new viral particles, which prevents our immune system from effectively detecting the infection – explains Magdalena Weidner-Glunde.
HCMV has a circular genome (episome) that, during latent infection, has the ability to attach to host chromosomes and thus ensure the persistence of infection. – In other herpesviruses, it is known which protein is responsible for this binding of the viral genome to chromosomes. In the case of cytomegalovirus, we do not yet know this. In our research, we are investigating whether the viral protein IE1 is involved in the binding of the genome to the chromosomes and thus – determines the survival of the virus. Analysing the function of this protein will allow us to learn and understand how it is possible for the cytomegalovirus genome to survive in the cell for such a long time – points out Magdalena Weidner-Glunde.
LEARN THE DIFFERENCES IN CELL TYPES
Cytomegalovirus particles have different properties in terms of infection and multiplication in different cell types. So far, cytomegalovirus has been studied in its latent phase mainly in haematopoietic stem cells (from which, for example, red blood cells can arise). Recently, it has been shown that long-term HCMV infection can also take place in neural precursor cells (from which, for example, neurons are later formed). Long-term infection in these cells may be responsible for the sensory-neural damage that is symptomatic of HCMV-induced congenital disease.
Scientists from Olsztyn are also looking into comparing the mechanism of long-term virus infection in the two cell types in order to understand the differences and how cytomegalovirus disrupts the functioning of different cell types.
– For the active phase of virus infection, drugs are given to inhibit viral replication. However, there are still no drugs for the latent phase to help simply get rid of it. The results of our study will therefore be able to contribute not only to the understanding of the pathogenesis of congenital cytomegalovirus infections, but also to help develop new therapies – concludes the scientist. The research – led by Magdalena Weidner-Glunde, PhD – is being conducted as part of a project entitled “Exploring mechanisms of congenital human cytomegalovirus infection: replication, spread and latency establishment”, funded by more than PLN 3 million from the National Science Centre. The project is expected to end in May 2024.
It is with deep sadness that we received the news about prof. Leslie Paul Kozak, outstanding biochemist, employee of our Institute in 2011-2016, passing away on July 13, 2023.
Born in Canada, Prof. Leslie Kozak came to Poland after 45 years of research work in the United States. He received his PhD in biochemistry from the University of Notre Dame in Indiana. As the Assistant Professor at the Jackson Laboratory in Bar Harbor Maine, he began his independent research into obesity, thermogenesis, and brown adipose tissue. At the Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge, he continued research on the role of thermogenesis in the treatment of diet-related diseases, including type 2 diabetes and obesity.
Prof. Kozak was employed at our Institute as an outstanding specialist under the REFRESH project, funded in the Widening action of the 7th EU Framework Programme. As a laureate of the WELCOME grant of the Foundation for Polish Science, he created a new laboratory at the Institute and established a scientific group to study thermogenesis in the aspect of genetic mechanisms regulating the formation of brown adipose tissue. He authored over 200 publications in world journals, including Nature, Nature Medicine.
For his research achievements while working at the Institute, in 2015, he received the Medal of Merit for the Institute of Animal Reproduction and Food Research of the Polish Academy of Sciences.
Prof. Leslie Kozak will remain in our memory as an outstanding scientist, a devoted mentor to the young generation of researchers and a kind-hearted colleague.
Lentils are a valuable source of phenolic compounds, which act as natural antioxidants in the human body. A scientist from the Institute of Animal Reproduction and Food Research of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Olsztyn reminds us that their highest content is in sprouts.
– The content of phenolic compounds in sprouts obtained from lentil seeds is clearly higher than that found in the seeds. It is also worth remembering that thermal processes may reduce the phenolic content in lentils, so the seeds should not be cooked for too long – says Professor Ryszard Amarowicz, head of the Department of Chemical and Physical Properties of Food at the Institute of Animal Reproduction and Food Research of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Olsztyn.
Professor Ryszard Amarowicz (together with Professor Ronald Pegg of the University of Athens, Georgia, USA) published a review article in the journal Current Pharmaceutical Design, bringing together the latest scientific knowledge on lentils as a source of phenolic compounds.
VALUABLE LEGUME
Lentils are a valuable source of protein with a balanced amino acid composition that is superior to cereals. – Lentil seeds in the human diet provide a high supply of some B vitamins and dietary fibre. They also contain oligosaccharides, which show prebiotic properties, i.e. have a beneficial effect on the microflora of the human digestive tract. Lentil seeds are also an important source of phenolic compounds for us, explains Professor Ryszard Amarowicz, who studies the content of nutrients and biologically active compounds in plant raw materials and food.
Phenolic compounds demonstrate antioxidant activity and the ability to inhibit microbial growth. – In the human body, they act as natural antioxidants – they are able to inactivate free radicals (associated with the aetiology of many lifestyle diseases), as well as inhibit the oxidation of cholesterol in low-density lipoproteins (LDL), and can therefore „defend” us against atherosclerosis. Phenols also inhibit the activity of digestive enzymes, amylase and lipase; we can therefore speak of their anti-diabetic activity and point to the possibility of using them in the prevention/treatment of obesity – the scientist points out.
THE LESS COOKING THE BETTER
The aforementioned review article presents lentils as a rich source of phenolic compounds, the chemical side of these compounds, their biological properties and the impact that processing can have on them.
The researchers recalled that the phenolic content is affected by the processing of raw lentils in the form of cooking, sprouting and fermentation.
– The thermal processes reduce the compactness of the phenolic compounds in the lentils (these compounds can either be oxidised or pass into water when the seeds are soaked or cooked). Hence the practical advice: let’s not cook the seeds for too long. Let’s also try to use the water after cooking them, as it certainly contains phenolic compounds – says Professor Ryszard Amarowicz.
The phenolic content of lentils is also influenced by their varietal characteristics, agronomic treatments e.g. amount of fertilisation, climatic conditions in the country where the plant originates. – In my research, for example, we found that green and red lentils differ in their phenolic compound profile and antioxidant potential. Green lentil extract, compared to red lentil extract, was richer in phenolic compounds and had higher antioxidant activity – the researcher points out.
CYTOTOXIC EFFECT
The publication also describes several positive biological effects of lentil extracts on cell culture and in animal studies.
– Using cell line studies, it was found that extracts rich in phenolic compounds obtained from lentil seeds have a cytotoxic effect on a number of cancer cells. These include colon, stomach, liver and kidney cancer cells – the researcher reports.
The protective effect of black lentil extract against DNA was also experimentally demonstrated, and the anti-inflammatory effect of phenolic compounds present in lentil seed extracts was confirmed. In turn, red lentil extract administered to rats counteracted oxidative stress in the animals’ bodies, which was confirmed by the results of analysis of several biochemical parameters.
– The inclusion of lentils in the diet has a beneficial effect on our diet and thus has a health-promoting effect on a number of issues, concludes Professor Ryszard Amarowicz.
What is the ketogenic diet and is it worth following it? We were looking for an answer to this question during the first educational meeting carried out as part of the ERA Chairs WELCOME2 project. Scientists from our Institute invited to a joint discussion representatives of the academic community, education, local politics, innovation, health care, as well as private individuals interested in the ketogenic diet in the context of health benefits.
Dr. Natalia Drabińska from the Department of Food Chemistry and Biodynamics of the IRZiBŻ PAS explained all the key aspects of this currently very popular diet and presented the NCN project she runs: „KETO-MINOX: The impact of an isocaloric, reducing ketogenic diet on metabolism, inflammation, selected nutritional parameters and stress of overweight and obese women. View the presentation
Dr. Piotr Kaczyński from the Department of Hormonal Action Mechanisms of the IAR&FR PAS presented facts and the latest research on the effect of ketogenic diet on human reproductive processes, especially in relation to fertility problems. View the presentation
Dr. Aleksandra Kocot from the University of Gdańsk gave a lecture on the impact of the ketogenic diet on sports performance.
Oliwia Czerniewska from BeKeto company talked about the products developed to diversify the keto diet, and explained in detail how (if necessary and recommended) to supplement while using the ketogenic menu. View the presentation
Dr. Marianna Raczyk from the WELCOME2 team introduced us to the concept of nutrigenomics and spoke about how our diet may affect various processes in the body. View the presentation
The meeting ended with a discussion panel, during which the participants of the meeting could share their questions and doubts. The experts were joined by dr hab. n. med. Elżbieta Jarocka-Cyrta, prof. UWM.
Building a network of contacts, developing leadership competences, planning and managing change, self-awareness and agency – these are just some of the topics raised by the participants of the EIT Food #WELead Polska workshop.
„We invited over 30 talented, creative and active women from our region to the #WELeadFood workshops. Women who carry out scientific research, manage their own business, create and implement regional policy, support the development of innovation, work in the education sector and non-governmental organizations or head departments in large corporations, especially in the agri-food industry. They are the leaders who manage, build R&D strategies, set goals for themselves and their teams, organize resources and take care of relations with partners”, say Iwona Kieda and Justyna Banasiak, organizers of the event from the Institute of Animal Reproduction and Food Research of the Polish Academy of Sciences.
Is change a fundamental factor in achieving key leadership positions? Do contacts help break the glass ceiling? Should organizations invest in mentoring? How to run #impact #business? How to increase the participation of women in science? And finally, how to find a balance in an active professional life that will „ground” us at the moment when we need it most?
We answered these and other questions during a panel discussion with Anna Borys, Impact Director at McDonald’s Poland; Dr. Magdalena Weidner-Glunde, head of the Microbiology and Molecular Virology Laboratory at our Institute and Matilda Szyrle, CEO of Future Friendly Farm startup.
The training part of the workshop was about discovering our own resources, setting goals and planning their achievement with the trainers: Marzena Radzka-Wiśniewska and Lidia Willan.
The finale of the meeting was a networking session in the form of culinary workshops with elements of molecular gastronomy, led by scientists from our Institute, Dr. Marta Kopcewicz and Dr. Sylwia Machcińska-Zielińska.
The workshop took place on May 31 in Kuźnia Społeczna.
We are proud to announce the newest CiteScore of Polish Journal of Food and Nutrition Sciences provided by SCOPUS: CiteScore2022 = 4.7 and SNIP2022 = 0.849.
We greatly appreciate the support of all Editors, Advisory Board Members, Reviewers, Authors, and Readers in contributing to this great success!
The journal publishes original works in the field of food science and nutrition, promoting the achievements of Polish scientific centres in the world and supporting international cooperation by publishing works by non-Polish authors.
The scientific level of the journal is supervised by a group of outstanding national and international scientists with the editor-in-chief Dr. Magdalena Karamać and Joanna Molga, the Executive Editor.
The liver is an organ highly vulnerable to the effects of a high-fat diet. Research by scientists at the Institute of Animal Reproduction and Food Research of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Olsztyn has shown that the best way to improve its functioning is to switch to an easy-to-digest diet together with chromium supplementation.
– All of us who eat very unhealthily will sooner or later suffer the negative consequences of our irresponsible eating behaviour, for example in the form of liver problems. The best way to improve your health is to change to a low-fat diet. In combination with new eating habits, the therapy should be supplemented with chromium supplementation, which, among other things, helps reduce fat and inflammation of the liver, emphasises Professor Jerzy Juśkiewicz from the Department of Biological Functions of Food at our Institute.
Chromium (trivalent) is a key micronutrient associated with carbohydrate, protein and fat metabolism in humans and animals. Because of its ability to regulate carbohydrate and lipid metabolism and reduce body weight, this dietary micronutrient is a popular booster for diabetes therapy and an ingredient in supplements used for weight loss. – This is a well-known relationship, but there are still disputes among scientists about the effectiveness of therapy with such supplementation alone. Indeed, some scientific studies have indicated that chromium should be treated with caution as an anti-obesity supplement, as some experiments have reported a deterioration in the functioning of some internal organs,’ points out Professor Jerzy Juśkiewicz.
Currently, the most popular form of chromium used in dietary supplements is organic chromium picolinate (Cr-Pic). Its intake can help, among other things, to reduce body weight without loss of muscle mass. – However, due to the relatively low bioavailability (i.e. absorption from the gastrointestinal tract) of Cr-Pic, the search is on for other forms of chromium that will be better utilised in the body. For these reasons, scientists have become interested in chromium complexes with amino acids and the inorganic form of chromium in the form of nanoparticles; the possibility of their application in humans, however, still requires in-depth research, which is currently being conducted on animal models, explains the researcher.
Over the past few years, Prof. Juśkiewicz’s team, together with scientists from the University of Life Sciences in Lublin (Prof. Katarzyna Ognik’s team), have been researching the biological activity of various nanoparticles that enter the digestive tract with the diet. Their most recent research project, funded by the National Science Centre, focused on chromium.
– We wanted to test whether the negative effects associated with long-term consumption of a high-fat diet, observed at the intestinal, vascular and hepatic levels, could be sequentially alleviated by dietary supplementation with different forms of chromium and/or a change in eating habits by switching to a 'normal’ – low-fat diet, says the researcher.
An excerpt from the results of the study, which was published in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences, focuses on liver function.
– The liver is the organ most exposed to the effects of eating a 'fatty’ diet and the presence of new dietary elements, namely chromium nanoparticles. Studies have clearly shown that the liver of rats fed a high-fat diet for long periods of time is simply unhealthy – fatty, 'stressed’ by free radicals and in a permanent state of inflammation. We have shown that abandoning a fatty diet in favour of a lower fat, higher fibre diet is the best solution to improve liver function. Our findings were supported by a range of assayed parameters, biochemical and molecular. Interestingly, the addition of chromium supported the therapy of changing to a 'healthier’ diet, and the chromium nanoparticles themselves were more 'helpful’ than chromium in picolinate form, says the researcher.
In the next stages of the project, the researchers will, among other things, focus on in-depth studies of chromium nanoparticles in other organs, in the context of their safety for future human consumption.
The research project entitled „Alleviation of adverse effects associated with high-fat diet through dietary patterns changes and/or supplementation of various forms of chromium” (2020/39/B/NZ9/00674) is funded by the National Science Centre (NCN). It is conducted by the Institute of Animal Reproduction and Food Research of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Olsztyn in collaboration with the University of Life Sciences in Lublin.
The asparagus season is underway. After eating them, most people’s urine has a characteristic, strongly cabbage-like smell. Scientist from the Institute of Animal Reproduction and Food Research of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Olsztyn reassures that this is only the effect of metabolism of the substance contained in asparagus.
The main factor is aspartic acid (so-called asparagic acid). – This is a harmless substance from the group of organic acids containing sulphur atoms. The effect of transformations of this acid in our digestive system is the formation of metabolites, which are easily expelled from our organism in urine, and it is their presence that is attributed to the characteristic smell of urine, explains Dr. Małgorzata Starowicz of the Department of Chemistry and Biodynamics of Food of the IARFR PAS in Olsztyn.
The smell of urine after eating asparagus can resemble the smell of boiled cabbage. – This is due to compounds that are formed in the metabolic pathway after asparagus consumption. So far, four compounds have been identified that could potentially be responsible for the peculiar urine odour: methanethiol, dimethyl sulphide, dimethyl sulfoxide and dimethylsulfone (all of which contain sulphur atoms in their structure). But there is nothing to be worried about – this is a natural process that occurs in every organism, adds the scientist.
Aspartic acid is only found in this concentration in asparagus – hence its name. The urine odour itself appears quite quickly, sometimes even 15-20 minutes after eating these vegetables.
Interestingly, not all people can smell the odour. This has to do with a single nucleotide polymorphism in the olfactory receptor genes – in other words: some people may have this gene and others not. In addition, there is a group of people who do not produce volatile metabolites of this acid, the consequence of which is the absence of the characteristic urine odour after eating asparagus. This phenomenon has not yet been explained.
The study of urine odour can be helpful in diagnosing metabolic diseases, and its unpleasant smell could indicate disease symptoms, hence the interest of scientists in the subject of compounds released from urine. The literature mentions that the content of methanethiol in urine (formed by metabolic changes after asparagus consumption) was determined by Marceli Nencki, a Polish scientist, physician and chemist who lived in the second half of the 19th century. – No abnormalities in the metabolism of the constituents contained in asparagus have been demonstrated, i.e. it is completely safe to eat asparagus, the scientist recalls. Both green and white asparagus are a good source of vitamins A, B1, B2, C and E and the minerals Mg, P, Ca and Fe. Other key valuable components of asparagus are essential oils, asparagine, arginine, tyrosine, flavonoids (kempferol, quercetin and rutin) and tannins. – The above-mentioned compounds have strong antioxidant, immunostimulating, anti-inflammatory or antimicrobial properties, highlights Małgorzata Starowicz.
Up to one in five people may suffer from irritable bowel syndrome. Symptoms can be mitigated through a diet that eliminates certain compounds found in food. A scientist from the Institute of Animal Reproduction and Food Research of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Olsztyn proposes methods for making bakery products in such a way that they retain their nutritional value while being tolerated by people suffering from this digestive disorder.
– The healthiest bakery products recommended by nutritionists are often the least beneficial for people with irritable bowel syndrome. An example is whole-grain rye bread, rich in dietary fiber, which, however, is not recommended for people with the disorder. Fortunately, nowadays, thanks to acquired knowledge and appropriate technological processes, it is possible to produce nutritionally valuable bread that will not exacerbate gastrointestinal symptoms in people with this disease,” emphasizes Dr. Marianna Raczyk of the Nutrigenomics Scientific Group at the Institute of Animal Reproduction and Food Research of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Olsztyn.
The conclusions are presented in a review article outlining the world’s most current reports on the subject, which appeared in “Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition”. The authors are Dr. Marianna Raczyk and Dr. Marcus Schmidt of the Federal Research Institute of Nutrition and Food at the Department of Safety and Quality of Cereals in Germany.
WHAT ABOUT BREAD?
Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is one of the most common gastrointestinal disorders for which a proper diet is crucial. Among other things, a group of carbohydrates called FODMAP – fermentable oligo-, di-, monosaccharides and polyols – are responsible for exacerbating the symptoms of this chronic disease. This is a group of fermentable sugars and alcohols that the body is unable to break down and absorb in the small and large intestines. These are the ones that produce gases, causing, among other things, bloating, diarrhoea, abdominal pain and other discomforts in people with IBS.
One of the main sources of FODMAPs in the diet includes bakery products, particularly whole-grain bread. – Cereals high in fructans, such as wheat, barley and rye, should be significantly reduced in a low FODMAP diet, hence it is difficult to choose the right bread for IBS patients – says Marianna Raczyk.
People with IBS are thus faced with the question: whether to eat whole-grain bread and thereby worsen their well-being, or choose light bread, which, however, is less nutritious.
– In order to improve the quality of life for IBS patients, it is therefore necessary to provide alternative products low in FODMAPs while maintaining nutritional values, the scientist points out, adding that it is not possible to completely eliminate FODMAP compounds from food, but they can be limited to so-called minimum threshold values
TAILORED PRODUCTION – THE KEY TO SUCCESS
The authors of the publication focused on bakery products. Collecting the most up-to-date world reports on the subject, they propose the following methods to reduce the FODMAP content in products: the use of yeast fermentation and fermentation with lactic acid bacteria, appropriate selection of raw materials, suitably modified dough fermentation process or the use of additional enzymes or microorganisms that eliminate unfavourable compounds.
– These technologies are mostly known to bakery product manufacturers, but it is necessary to improve them and use them in a controlled manner to preserve the maximum amount of nutritional value, the researcher points out.
You can also control the FODMAP content yourself – in the production of home baked goods by choosing the right raw materials and the right dough kneading or fermentation process. For details, see the article
THE FUTURE OF LOW FODMAP FOODS
The range of low-FODMAP foods on the food market is expanding. – Manufacturers are working all the time to improve and expand them, as there is growing interest by consumers themselves but also by catering companies offering boxed diets just for people with IBS – the researcher says.
Today, these products are slightly more expensive than the conventional ones. – However, I would compare this to gluten-free products – just a few decades ago they were a novelty, and today they are very popular and often at a price comparable to conventional ones. I suppose it will be similar with low FODMAP products – the scientist concludes. – Irritable bowel syndrome affects about 10-20 percent of the population. The number of people diagnosed with the condition is growing every year. Patients with IBS need the support of dietitians to work off the right diet for them, so it is estimated that the demand for low FODMAP products will increase – Marianna Raczyk summarizes.
