This cross-sectional study investigated the main sources of variation in key blood metabolites related to energy, protein, and hepatic-muscular profiles, in lactating Italian Mediterranean buffaloes, focusing on the effects of parity, days in milk (DIM), season, and energy-corrected milk (ECM). Blood samples were collected from 855 clinically healthy lactating buffaloes for serum analysis. Metabolites were grouped into 3 functional profiles: energy profile, including glucose (GLU), cholesterol (CHOL), triglycerides (TRI), nonesterified fatty acids (NEFA), and β-hydroxybutyrate (BHB); protein profile, including total protein (TP), albumin (ALB), globulin (GLO), urea, creatinine (CREA), and albumin-to-globulin ratio (A/G); and hepatic-muscular profile, including alanine aminotransferase (GPT), aspartate aminotransferase (GOT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), γ-glutamyltransferase (GGT), creatine kinase (CK), total bilirubin (TBIL), high-density lipoproteins (HDL), and low-density lipoproteins (LDL). Mixed linear models were used to assess metabolites variation, with parity, DIM, season, and ECM classes as fixed effects and herd-sampling-day as a random effect. Overall, most metabolites showed limited variability and remained within physiological ranges, confirming the metabolic stability of the species. Parity significantly affected several indicators. CHOL exhibited a nonlinear pattern, peaking in third-parity animals (126 mg/dL). TP and GLO increased progressively with parity (from 6.69 to 6.95 g/dL and from 3.44 to 3.80 g/dL, respectively), whereas ALB and A/G were lowest in animals with parity ≥ 5 (3.16 g/dL and 0.82 respectively). Several hepatic-muscular biomarkers, including GOT, LDH, CK, and HDL, generally decreased with increasing parity. DIM were significantly associated with metabolic variation. NEFA and BHB peaked during early lactation (≤75 DIM) and decreased thereafter (0.39-0.25 mmol/L, 0.40-0.35 mmol/L, respectively), reflecting progressive restoration of energy balance. CHOL increased after 50 DIM, whereas TRI reached the lowest concentrations between 51 and 75 DIM before increasing in late lactation. TP, ALB and GLO were lowest at 116-140 DIM and subsequently increased, while CREA and urea rose progressively in late lactation. GOT peaked within the first 50 DIM (136 U/L) and decreased thereafter, whereas GPT and LDL increased after 75 and 50 DIM, respectively. Season significantly influenced only CREA, which was slightly higher during the cold season than the hot season (1.65 vs. 1.61 mg/dL). However, significant DIM × season interactions were observed for CHOL, NEFA and GGT, while parity × season interactions affected urea and LDL, indicating context-dependent metabolic modulation. Increasing ECM was associated with coordinated metabolic upregulation, including increases in CHOL (from 118 to 126 mg/dL), BHB (0.37 to 0.40 mmol/L), GOT (120 to 126 U/L), GGT (27.5 to 30.2 U/L), and CK (185 to 210 U/L). In conclusion, buffaloes in the present study exhibited a stable and well-regulated metabolic profile, with most variation reflecting physiological adaptations to parity, DIM, and productive performance. These findings provide valuable information for clinical interpretation and herd management, although further studies under different environmental conditions are needed to confirm broader applicability.

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a metabolic disorder characterised by impaired insulin signalling, chronic hyperglycaemia, and associated metabolic dysfunction. Plant-derived bioactive compounds are increasingly explored as potential therapeutic agents for its management. To investigate the anti-diabetic effect and underlying mechanism of Myrcene, in streptozotocin (STZ) + high-fat diet (HFD) induced diabetes in mice, male C57BL/6 mice were administered HFD for eight consecutive weeks, followed by low-dose STZ injections (60 mg/kg) during the succeeding week to develop diabetes. After diabetes was established, the mice received a daily oral dose of Myrcene (50 mg/kg) for 15 days. The research evaluated changes in physiological parameters, blood biomarkers (such as glucose, lipoprotein, etc.), and tissue structure. Furthermore, molecular docking and western blot analyses were performed to examine the expression of oxidative stress markers regulated by the Nrf2 pathway in diabetic pancreatic tissue from mice. We found that Myrcene restored insulin levels by ~ 4-fold (4.01 ± 0.32) with reference to diabetic control, along with body weight, and reduced blood glucose levels by ~ 0.5-fold (11.53 ± 1.62). The administration of Myrcene increased high-density lipoprotein (HDL) (46.77 ± 3.90) and decreased many lipid profile markers compared with diabetic control, suggesting its hypolipidemic action. Later, docking results indicated that myrcene exhibits a higher binding affinity for Nrf2 than for other molecular targets, and western blot data showed that myrcene enhanced Nrf2 protein production. Myrcene exhibited antidiabetic, hypolipidemic, and antioxidative properties in HFD-STZ-induced diabetic mice, supporting its potential use as an antidiabetic supplement.

Background: The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of two months of exergaming, conventional resistance exercise training, and no exercise on body composition and cardiometabolic risk factors in physically inactive older adults. Methods: For the preliminary study, twenty-four physically inactive adults aged 60-74 yrs. were allocated to an active video game training group (AVG n = 8), a conventional exercise group (CEG n = 7), or a non-exercising control group (CON n = 9). The AVG and CEG completed 24 supervised exercise training sessions over two months (three sessions per week) at self-selected, predominantly moderate-to-vigorous intensity, while the CON maintained usual daily activities. Body weight, skeletal muscle mass, body fat percentage, phase angle, and fasting blood biomarkers (glucose, total cholesterol, LDL, HDL, VLDL, and triglycerides) were assessed before and after the intervention. Results: No significant interactions were observed for body composition variables. Body weight decreased significantly following exercise training in both the AVG and CEG (p < 0.05). Significant interactions were found for total cholesterol (p = 0.001) and LDL cholesterol (p = 0.009). The AVG demonstrated significant reductions in fasting glucose, total cholesterol, and LDL cholesterol (p < 0.05), whereas the CEG showed a significant reduction only in total cholesterol. In contrast, the CON exhibited a significant increase in total cholesterol over the same period (p < 0.05). Conclusions: Two months of exergaming-based exercise training may lead to greater improvements in lipid-related cardiometabolic risk factors compared with conventional resistance exercise training in physically inactive older adults. These findings suggest that exergaming could be a promising exercise modality for supporting cardiometabolic health in aging populations.

This study evaluated the protective effects of green coffee (Coffea arabica L.) extract (GCE) against metabolic and endocrine disturbances induced by fipronil (FIP) in male rats. Animals were randomly allocated into four groups (n = 6): control, GCE (100 mg/kg), FIP (4.85 mg/kg), and combined FIP + GCE, and treated orally for 90 days. FIP exposure significantly impaired glucose homeostasis, as indicated by a 14.8% increase in the oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) response and a 2.4-fold increase in the homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR). It also disrupted lipid metabolism, with marked elevations in triglycerides (74.10%) and total cholesterol (57.55%). Endocrine imbalance was evident, including increased resistin levels (113.86%) and reduced triiodothyronine (T3; -37.5%), adiponectin (-42.73%), and high-density lipoprotein (HDL; -9.31%). Oxidative stress and inflammation were significantly enhanced, as demonstrated by elevated malondialdehyde (MDA; +93.56%) and pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-1β: +246.56%; IL-6: +275%), alongside a reduction in total antioxidant capacity (TAC; -45.24%). Additionally, serum albumin levels decreased markedly (-54%). Co-administration of GCE significantly improved metabolic, hormonal, and inflammatory parameters, including insulin resistance (HOMA-IR). Histopathological analysis further confirmed its protective effects on hepatic and renal tissues. Overall, GCE mitigates FIP-induced metabolic and endocrine dysfunction, likely through its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.

Background/Objectives: Evidence-based nutritional recommendations for obesity management require understanding of sex-specific and age-specific body composition patterns and their associations with metabolic biomarkers, habitual dietary intake and chronic low-grade inflammation. This study aimed to characterize body composition phenotypes in a large clinical cohort of adults with obesity, to evaluate associated metabolic and inflammatory biomarker patterns, to contextualise these patterns against habitual nutrient intake assessed in a dietary subcohort, and to derive age- and sex-specific nutritional recommendations based on the identified patterns. Methods: We performed a cross-sectional analysis of 29,544 adults with obesity (BMI ≥ 30; 21,374 women, 8170 men; age 30-69) who underwent multi-frequency bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA; InBody 770). Biochemical assessments (fasting glucose, lipid profile, uric acid, HbA1c, insulin) were available for 2019 hospitalized patients from the same population. Habitual dietary intake was quantitatively assessed in a dietary subcohort of 423 patients using the validated Russian software-based questionnaire "Scientific Nutrition Analysis Tool". Inflammatory biomarkers (high-sensitivity CRP, IL-6) and adipokines (leptin, adiponectin) together with serum 25(OH)D were measured in an inflammation/adipokine subcohort of 116 patients. A body composition phenotype with low relative muscle mass and high visceral fat (VFA ≥ 100 cm[2]) was defined using FNIH criteria (ALM/BMI < 0.789 men, <0.512 women). Benjamini-Hochberg FDR correction (q < 0.05) was applied for multiple comparisons. Results: The body composition phenotype prevalence increased progressively with age: men 24.6% (30-39) to 42.0% (60-69); women 10.3% (30-39) to 31.8% (60-69). Skeletal muscle mass (SMM) was positively associated with uric acid (r = +0.347, p < 0.001, FDR q < 0.05) and inversely associated with HDL-cholesterol (r = -0.321, p < 0.001, FDR q < 0.05)-both associations with direct nutritional implications. BMI was associated with fasting insulin (r = +0.233, p < 0.001, FDR q < 0.05). Women showed significant age-related metabolic differences between the 30-39 and 60-69 age groups: fasting glucose +12.9%, triglycerides +34.8%, uric acid +15.0% (all p < 0.001); in men, significant differences were observed for fasting glucose (+7.0%) and HbA1c (+5.2%) (both p < 0.001), while lipid parameters did not reach significance. In the dietary subcohort, habitual saturated-fat intake exceeded recommended values in 70-72% of patients of both sexes, dietary fibre intake was below recommended levels in 73-85%, and habitual calcium intake decreased significantly with age in women (1022 → 746 mg/day, p = 0.028). Serum CRP was elevated (median 5.59 mg/L, n = 59). In a separate extended laboratory subcohort, serum oestradiol declined markedly with age in women (55.0 → 16.8 pmol/L between 30-39 and 50-59 years, p < 0.001), consistent with the menopausal transition; serum testosterone in men remained stable across age groups; and 25(OH)D insufficiency (<30 ng/mL) was prevalent in 49.7-55.8% of patients. Conclusions: The identified sex-specific and age-specific body composition patterns provide a rationale, supported by observed dietary and inflammatory patterns, for targeted nutritional intervention: increased dietary protein, omega-3 fatty acids supplementation, low-glycemic-index dietary patterns, and purine restriction with hyperuricemia. Routine BIA-based nutritional screening combined with quantitative dietary assessment should begin at age 30, with preventive monitoring at age 40 and intensification of control at age 50, to guide personalized dietary planning in obesity.

In this paper, we review the literature regarding metformin's action on blood lipid concentrations in metformin-treated diabetic patients. Published data indicate that metformin reduces serum total cholesterol (T-C), LDL-cholesterol (LDL-C) and triacylglycerol (TAG) concentrations and raises serum HDL-cholesterol (HDL-C) concentrations in diabetic patients. The beneficial effect of metformin on serum lipid profiles in diabetic patients can result from (a) its action on AMP-activated protein kinase, which inhibits lipogenesis and cholesterol synthesis and stimulates fatty acid oxidation; (b) decreased plasma TAG concentrations, via promoting VLDL-TAG clearance by brown adipose tissue; (c) the inhibition of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) gene expression, affecting lipid profile in diabetic patients; (d) the inhibition of the expression of genes encoding proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin 9 (PCSK9) and lipogenic enzymes; (e) the downregulation of carbohydrate-response element-binding protein (ChREBP), which affects liver TAG and cholesterol synthesis from acetate formed by gut microbiota; (f) the inhibition of angiopoietin-like 3 protein (ANGPTL3) gene expression, and consequent effects on plasma TAG concentrations; (g) the activation of AMPK, which inhibits LXRα activity; and (h) reverse cholesterol transport. In conclusion, one can assume that beyond its primary antihyperglycemic effect, metformin exerts pleiotropic effects that modulate lipid metabolism and blood lipid profile in T2D patients. These beneficial effects of metformin on blood lipid profile may play a role in the reduction in cardiovascular risk in diabetic patients.