Haunting seedy connections
Celia Lury, Rachel Fensham, Alexandra Heller-Nicholas, Sybille Lammes, Angela Last, Mike Michael, Emma Uprichard in Routledge Handbook of Interdisciplinary Research Methods, 2018
The sisal agave (Agave sisalana) is a member of the Agavoideae subfamily and known for its leaf fibre, which is valued as cordage and has been widely used in marine, agricultural, shipping and industrial settings. Sisal fibre can also be found in carpets, musical instruments, tea bags, paper pulp and alcohol. The plant’s thick and spiny leaves can reach a length of almost two metres and, within four to eight years after planting, a central flower stalk will appear. This can reach a height of six metres and bears yellow flowers emitting an unpleasant odour. The sisal agave is native to Central America, where it has been cultivated since Mayan times (1800 BCE–900 CE). Until the early twentieth century it was at the centre of the henequen industry, based in the Yucatán region of Mexico, which sustained a monopoly on farming sisal in concert with North American rope manufacturers. In 1893 Dr Richard Hindorf, a German agronomist working in German East Africa (Tanzania), smuggled 1,000 young plants (some speak of 2,000) out of Yucatán in the belly of a stuffed crocodile or in the folds of a large coloured umbrella. Only 62 (or 66 or 72) plants survived the journey that took them first to Hamburg and then to Tanga, a port town in Tanzania.
Substance Use Disorder, Intentional Self-Harm, Gun Violence, and HIV/AIDS
Amy J. Litterini, Christopher M. Wilson in Physical Activity and Rehabilitation in Life-threatening Illness, 2021
According to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, the most common substance misused in the United States is alcohol.1 Alcohol is produced by the chemical process of fermentation, where grains, fruit, and other sugar sources are broken down into ethyl alcohol. Alcohol is consumed in the form of fermented beverages such as beer and wine, malt liquor including beverages made with malt barley with 5% or more alcohol by volume (ABV), or distilled spirits, such as whiskey and vodka (40% ABV). Sparkling wines such as French champagne and Italian Prosecco are created through a process of secondary fermentation. Other alcoholic drinks consumed around the world include cider (made from fruit juices), fermented tea (e.g. kombucha), mead (made from honey), moonshine (distilled alcohol, often illegally produced), rice wine (e.g. saké), and pulque (e.g. tequila and mescal made from the Agave Americana plant).18 Regionally, alcohol consumption is highest in the countries of France and Australia, while the lowest rates of consumption are in Northern Africa in the Middle East, due to the widely held ban on consumption of alcohol in the Muslim culture.19
Impact of Lifestyle Medicine on Dysglycemia-Based Chronic Disease
James M. Rippe in Lifestyle Medicine, 2019
Fructose exists within food as monosaccharides, (e.g., high-fructose corn syrup [HFCS]), products of hydrolyzed sucrose, or less commonly, fructose multimers that are hydrolyzed during digestion (e.g., agave nectar). Other “natural” sweeteners such as honey or maple syrup also contain relatively large amounts of fructose. Fructose is also present within fruits, though generally at low quantities having near negligible metabolic effects. In contrast, the high fructose content of industrially produced natural sweeteners (e.g., HFCS, sucrose, and agave nectar), as well as locally produced honey and maple syrup, can confer relatively greater detriment.
Hecogenin and fluticasone combination attenuates TNBS-induced ulcerative colitis in rats via downregulation of pro-inflammatory mediators and oxidative stress
Published in Immunopharmacology and Immunotoxicology, 2021
Deepa K. Ingawale, Satish K. Mandlik, Snehal S. Patel
Hecogenin (HG) (Figure 1) is a steroidal sapogenin derived from the leaves of Agave genus species namely Agave sisalana, Agave cantala, Agave aurea [7]. HG has been reported to be successful against wide spectrum pharmacological activities like cardioactive, larvicidal [8] hypotensive, antifungal, anti-inflammatory [9], anti-proliferative action in human osteosarcoma cells [10] and anti-ulcer activity [11]. Also, its anti-inflammatory potential was observed in many pre-clinical studies [12,13]. To date, the effects of HG on ulcerative colitis in rats have not been reported. Fluticasone (FC) propionate is a topically active corticosteroid molecule [14]. Many physicians and health care providers had a problem with the long-term FC treatment because of their harmful consequences like metabolic disorders, diabetes, hypertension, gastrointestinal irritation, ulcers, glaucoma and bone marrow suppression associated with high doses [15].
Anti-inflammatory potential of hecogenin on atopic dermatitis and airway hyper-responsiveness by regulation of pro-inflammatory cytokines
Published in Immunopharmacology and Immunotoxicology, 2019
Deepa K. Ingawale, Satish K. Mandlik, Snehal S. Patel
Hecogenin (HG) (Figure 1) is obtained from the leaves of species such as Agave genus, including A. cantala, A. sisalana, A. avellanidens, A. cerulata, A. cocui, A. goldmaniana, and A. aurea [10]. It is used as a principal raw material for the synthesis of steroidal drugs. The extracts obtained from above plants have been used for their cardioactive, larvicidal [11], hypotensive, antifungal [12], and anti-ulcer activity [13]. Cerqueira et al. have studied the effect of HG on lipid peroxidation, oxidative stress, and myeloperoxidase (MPO) an important biomarker of inflammation. Their protective effects have been confirmed by histopathological analysis and COX-2 immunohistochemistry studies of rat gastric mucosa [14]. The commonly used anti-dermatitis and anti-asthmatic therapy is glucocorticosteroids (GCs). However, these drugs are frequently linked to severe adverse effects [15,16]. Many physicians and health care providers have reported that long-term GC treatment leads to adverse effects and is dose dependent. The long-term use of low dose GCs can be a feasible therapeutic alternative for treatment of patients of inflammatory disorders [17,18].
Consumption patterns of nonnutritive sweeteners among university students at a Caribbean institution
Published in Journal of American College Health, 2021
Marquitta C. Webb, Dana Chong, Sa’eed Bawa
Nonnutritive sweeteners (NNS) are substances that are incorporated into foods and beverages, as well as other products, such as oral health care products and some medications as an alternative to sugars or nutritive sweeteners, including sucrose, corn sirup, honey, agave nectar. The use of NNS has escalated worldwide due to an increased demand for lower calorie, sugar free, and reduced calorie food and beverage products.1–3 Over the last several years, the food and beverage industry has been assessing ways to decrease the levels of added/free sugars within their products to less than 10% of total energy to comply with guidelines and regulations outlined by the World Health Organization.4 A further reduction to below 5% or roughly 25 grams (6 teaspoons) per day would provide additional health benefits.4
Related Knowledge Centers
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