Induction of beige cells causes the browning of white fat and improves energy metabolism. However, the central mechanism that controls adipose tissue browning and its physiological relevance are largely unknown. Here, we demonstrate that fasting and chemical-genetic activation of orexigenic AgRP neurons in the hypothalamus suppress the browning of white fat. O-linked β-N-acetylglucosamine (O-Gl...

The primary task of white adipose tissue (WAT) is the storage of lipids. However, "beige" adipocytes also exist in WAT. Beige adipocytes burn fat and dissipate the energy as heat, but their abundance is diminished in obesity. Stimulating beige adipocyte development, or WAT browning, increases energy expenditure and holds potential for combating metabolic disease and obesity. Here, we report tha...

Browning reactions in foods are of widespread occurrence, and become evident when food materials subjected to processing or to mechanical injury. They are important in terms of the alteration of appearance, flavour, and nutritive value. Browning is considered to be desirable if it enhances the appearance and flavour of a food product in terms of tradition and consumer acceptance like in the cas...

A method for characterization of butter cookie quality by assessing the surface browning and water content using multispectral images is presented. Based on evaluations of the browning of butter cookies, cookies were manually divided into groups. From this categorization, reference values were calculated for a statistical prediction model correlating multispectral images with a browning score. ...

The global epidemic in obesity and metabolic syndrome requires novel approaches to tackle. White adipose tissue, traditionally seen as a passive energy-storage organ, can be induced to take on certain characteristics of brown fat in a process called browning. The "browned" white adipose tissue, or beige fat, is a potential anti-obesity target. Various signaling pathways can enhance browning. Wn...

Freeze-dried systems containing sucrose and organic acids were found to undergo rapid nonenzymatic browning, even at low relative humidities. Addition of protein reduced the rate of browning, especially at low humidities. It was determined that the browning was due to reducing sugars produced by acid-catalyzed hydrolysis of sucrose. This hydrolysis occurred even when water content was well belo...

Many factors related to the occurrence of browning disorder in ‘Braeburn’ apple were investigated, including harvest maturity, cumulative temperature in growing season, and different orchard locations. The incidence of browning disorder was related to the harvest time of fruit and the activity of superoxide dismutase. Superoxide dismutase activity was lower in late harvested ‘Braeburn’ apple fr...

Enzymatic browning in avocado puree and guacamole was evaluated by reflectance measurements for several varieties of avocado with varying amounts of chemical additives. Paste from Booth 8 had a greater tendency to brown than that from Lula. Browning at 75°F was effectively retarded without flavor change by 30 mg percent of sodium bisulfite or 200 mg percent ascorbic acid. Lemon juice or citric ...

Estrogen, via estrogen receptor alpha (ERα), exerts several beneficial effects on metabolism and energy homeostasis by controlling size, enzymatic activity and hormonal content of adipose tissue. The actions of estrogen on sympathetic ganglia, which are key players in the browning process, are less well known. In the present study we show that ERβ influences browning of subcutaneous adipose tis...

The quality of potatoes from organic and conventional farming was investigated in this study. Tubers of eight potato varieties, organically and conventionally produced at one or two geographical sites in controlled field trials, were collected in four consecutive harvests from 1996-1999. The parameters analysed included nitrate, trace elements (As, Cd, Co, Cu, Fe, Hg, Mn, Ni, Pb, Se, Zn), vitam...