Rats were fed diets with and without 0.5% L-cysteine supplement for 14 d or shorter periods to clarify the mechanism by which dietary cysteine elicits its hypohomocysteinemic effect. Cysteine supplementation significantly decreased plasma homocysteine concentration with an increase in plasma cysteine concentration in rats fed 10% casein diet (10C) or 15% soybean protein diet (15S) but not in ra...

Moffatt oxidation of 2',3'-O-isopropylidene-L-adenosine and treatment of the resulting crude 5'-aldehyde with hydroxylamine followed by deprotection gave L-adenosine 5'-carboxaldehyde oximes, whose enantiomers are known to be potent inhibitors of S-adenosyl-L-homocysteine (AdoHcy) hydrolase. The L-adenosine and its 5'-aldehyde oxime derivatives were found to be inactive as inhibitors of AdoHcy ...

Betaine supplementation in humans has been shown to lower plasma homocysteine concentrations in modestly hyperhomocysteinemic patients. Betaine treatment is associated with increased plasma low-density-lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, suggesting that although betaine supplementation lowers homocysteine, a risk factor for cardiovascular disease, changes in blood lipids may have a counterbalancing ...

Rats were fed 25% casein (25C) diets differing in choline levels (0-0.5%) with and without 0.5% guanidinoacetic acid (GAA) or 0.75% L-methionine for 7 d to determine the effects of dietary choline level on experimental hyperhomocysteinemia. The effects of dietary choline (0.30%) and betaine (0.34%) on GAA- and methionine-induced hyperhomocysteinemia were also compared. Dietary choline suppresse...

Ecological evidence suggests that niacin (nicotinamide and nicotinic acid) fortification may be involved in the increased prevalence of obesity and type 2 diabetes, both of which are associated with insulin resistance and epigenetic changes. The purpose of the present study was to investigate nicotinamide-induced metabolic changes and their relationship with possible epigenetic changes. Male ra...

Attack or defend! A smart polymer surface has two reversibly switchable equilibrium states, a cationic N,N-dimethyl-2-morpholinone (CB-Ring) and a zwitterionic carboxy betaine (CB-OH). CB-Ring will kill bacteria upon contact under dry conditions, whereas CB-OH will release the previously attached and dead bacteria and further resist adhesion of bacteria under wet conditions.

BACKGROUND Betaine (trimethylglycine) is found in several tissues in humans. It is involved in homocysteine metabolism as an alternative methyl donor and is used in the treatment of homocystinuria in humans. In pigs, betaine decreases the amount of adipose tissue. OBJECTIVE The aim of the study was to examine the effect of betaine supplementation on body weight, body composition, plasma homoc...

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Introduction Betaine (trimethylglycine), the trimethylated compound of the amino acid glycine, is an essential biochemical component of the methionine/homocysteine cycle. Betaine acts as a donor of methyl (CH 3 ) groups and, as such, is often used as a nutritional supplement to lower plasma homocysteine levels, and as a lipotropic; i.e., a substance that improves liver function. Betaine also he...

Glycine betaine is a compatible solute, which is able to restore and maintain osmotic balance of living cells. It is synthesized and accumulated in response to abiotic stress. Betaine acts also as a methyl group donor and has a number of important applications including its use as a feed additive. The known biosynthetic pathways of betaine are universal and very well characterized. A number of ...