Psychoactive Plant Database - Neuroactive Phytochemical Collection

1. Front Nutr. 2024 Oct 11;11:1369700. doi: 10.3389/fnut.2024.1369700.
eCollection  2024.

Feasibility and assessment of self-reported dietary recalls among newly 
diagnosed multiple sclerosis: a quasi-experimental pilot study.

Saxby SM(1)(2), Ehlinger MA(1), Brooks L(1), Titcomb TJ(1), Ten Eyck P(3), 
Rubenstein LM(4), Bisht B(1), Shemirani F(1), Gill C(5), Kamholtz J(5), 
Snetselaar LG(4), Wahls TL(1).

Author information:
(1)Department of Internal Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, United 
States.
(2)Department of Community and Family Medicine, Dartmouth Health, Lebanon, NH, 
United States.
(3)Institute for Clinical and Translational Science, University of Iowa, Iowa 
City, IA, United States.
(4)Department of Epidemiology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, United States.
(5)Department of Neurology, University of Iowa Hospital and Clinics, Iowa City, 
IA, United States.

BACKGROUND: Individuals who are newly diagnosed with clinically isolated 
syndrome (CIS) or relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) may choose not 
to undergo disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) due to concerns about expenses or 
potential adverse effects. Thus, many individuals will opt for alternative 
therapies, such as dietary modifications. Among these dietary approaches, the 
modified Paleolithic elimination diet has shown promise for improving MS-related 
symptoms; however, restriction of certain food groups can lead to inadequate 
intake of nutrients.
METHODS: Three-day self-reported 24-h dietary recalls using the Automated 
Self-Administered 24-h (ASA24) Dietary Assessment Tool were assessed during a 
12-month quasi-experimental (i.e., non-randomized) trial among individuals who 
either voluntarily declined DMTs and received health behavior (HB) intervention, 
(n = 29) or included DMTs and opted for the standard of care (SOC; n = 15). 
Participants in the HB group received a multimodal intervention that included 
dietary modifications, a walking program, and breathing exercises. Usual intake 
of each micronutrient was estimated and then evaluated with the estimated 
average requirement (EAR)-cut point method.
RESULTS: At 12 months, >80% of both HB and SOC groups completed 3 days of the 
self-reported 24-h recalls, indicating the potential feasibility of ASA24. From 
baseline to 12 months, the HB group had a decreased mean ratio in total grains 
(0.64; 95% CI 0.43-0.93; p = 0.02) and added sugars (0.52; 95% CI 0.35-0.75; 
p ≤ 0.001), and an increased mean ratio intake of cured meats (1.74; 95% CI 
1.05-2.90; p = 0.04); whereas, the SOC group had a decreased mean ratio intake 
for beef, veal, pork, lamb, and game meat (0.60; 95% CI 0.40-0.90; p = 0.01). At 
baseline, both groups had high proportions with inadequate intake of vitamin E 
and calcium. The SOC group also had a high proportion with inadequate intake of 
vitamin D. By 12-months, the HB group exhibited severe proportions of nutrient 
inadequacies (>20% of the group) for vitamin D (43.5%), vitamin E (29.1%), 
calcium (69.9%), and copper (27.8%). The SOC group, following their own diet, 
had inadequacies for all the same micronutrients, except for copper, as the HB 
group. The SOC group also had additional inadequacies: vitamin A (21.3%), 
thiamin (26.3%), riboflavin (24.2%), folate (24.8%), vitamin B12 (27.8%), and 
zinc (28.2%).
CONCLUSION: Compared to the usual diet, adhering to the modified Paleolithic 
elimination diet, as a component of a 12-month multimodal intervention, may lead 
to reduced consumption of specific food groups, such as added sugars, as well as 
decreased risk of severe proportions of inadequacy for certain nutrients. The 
utilization of the ASA24 for acquiring dietary recalls from participants with MS 
may be feasible for future studies.
CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: clinicaltrials.gov identifier NCT04009005.

Copyright © 2024 Saxby, Ehlinger, Brooks, Titcomb, Ten Eyck, Rubenstein, Bisht, 
Shemirani, Gill, Kamholtz, Snetselaar and Wahls.

DOI: 10.3389/fnut.2024.1369700
PMCID: PMC11502390
PMID: 39464680

Conflict of interest statement: TW personally follows and promotes the Wahls™ 
diet. She has equity interest in the following companies: Terry Wahls LLC; TZ 
Press LLC; The Wahls Institute, PLC; FBB Biomed Inc.; Levels Health Inc., Foogal 
Inc. and the website http://www.terrywahls.com. She also owns the copyright to 
the books Minding My Mitochondria (2nd Edition) and The Wahls Protocol, The 
Wahls Protocol Cooking for Life, and the trademarks The Wahls Protocol® and 
Wahls™ diet, Wahls Paleo™ diet, and Wahls Paleo Plus™ diets, and Wahls Behavior 
Change™. She has completed grant funding from the National Multiple Sclerosis 
Society for the Dietary Approaches to Treating Multiple Sclerosis Related 
Fatigue Study. She has financial relationships with Vibrant America LLC, 
Standard Process Inc., MasterHealth Technologies Inc., Foogal Inc., and the 
Institute for Functional Medicine Inc. She receives royalty payments from 
Penguin Random House. TW has conflict of interest management plans in place with 
the University of Iowa and the Iowa City Veteran’s Affairs Medical Center. The 
remaining authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any 
commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential 
conflict of interest. The handling editor SP declared a past co-authorship with 
the authors TT and TW.


2. Ecol Evol. 2024 Oct 25;14(10):e70478. doi: 10.1002/ece3.70478. eCollection
2024  Oct.

The Implications of Atlantic Salmon (Salmo salar L.) Fatty Acid Profiles for 
Their Thiamine Status.

Todisco V(1), Hauber MM(1), Brett MT(2), Axén C(3), Hindar K(4), Tibblin P(1), 
Hylander S(1).

Author information:
(1)Centre for Ecology and Evolution in Microbial Model Systems (EEMiS) Linnaeus 
University Kalmar Sweden.
(2)Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE) University of 
Washington Seattle Washington USA.
(3)Swedish Veterinary Agency (SVA) Uppsala Sweden.
(4)Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA) Trondheim Norway.

Thiamine deficiency is an ongoing issue across the Northern Hemisphere, causing 
reproductive failure in multiple salmonid populations. In the Baltic Sea, a 
large brackish water system in northern Europe, previous research has suggested 
that this deficiency is associated with lipid-rich diets with a high proportion 
of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 22:6n-3). The mechanism proposed is that a diet 
abundant in highly unsaturated fatty acids, such as DHA, depletes thiamine as an 
antioxidant defense in adult salmonids, rather than allocating thiamine to the 
offspring. In light of this existing hypothesis, we here explore the 
relationship between diet history and the related fatty acid (FA), profiles, and 
thiamine status of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.) in three systems: the Baltic 
Sea, the North Atlantic Ocean, and Lake Vänern. Atlantic salmon inhabiting each 
system is known to have unique feeding histories and thiamine status. Our 
results showed that despite extensive sampling effort and distinct FA profiles, 
indicative of their diverse diets, there were no correlations between any FAs, 
including DHA, and the thiamine status of these populations. This finding does 
not support the above-mentioned hypothesis that diets rich in easily oxidized 
FAs would lead to lower thiamine concentrations in salmon tissues. Additionally, 
we found that changes in the salmon FA profiles throughout their life cycle are 
consistent for both low-thiamine populations from the Baltic Sea and 
medium-thiamine populations from North Atlantic Ocean, suggesting that these 
changes might not be involved in thiamine deficiency development.

© 2024 The Author(s). Ecology and Evolution published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

DOI: 10.1002/ece3.70478
PMCID: PMC11511624
PMID: 39463742

Conflict of interest statement: The authors declare no conflicts of interest.


3. Commun Biol. 2024 Oct 17;7(1):1345. doi: 10.1038/s42003-024-07008-5.

Insights into the cotranscriptional and translational control mechanisms of the 
Escherichia coli tbpA thiamin pyrophosphate riboswitch.

Grondin JP(1)(2), Geffroy M(1)(3)(4), Simoneau-Roy M(1)(3)(5), Chauvier A(1)(6), 
Turcotte P(1)(7), St-Pierre P(1), Dubé A(1)(8), Moreau J(1), Massé E(3), Penedo 
JC(9)(10), Lafontaine DA(11).

Author information:
(1)Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Université de Sherbrooke, 
Sherbrooke, QC, Canada.
(2)Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Ottawa, ON, Canada.
(3)Department of Biochemistry and Functional Genomics, Université de Sherbrooke, 
Sherbrooke, QC, Canada.
(4)Delpharm Boucherville, Boucherville, QC, Canada.
(5)Cégep de Saint-Hyacinthe, Saint-Hyacinthe, QC, Canada.
(6)Single Molecule Analysis Group, Department of Chemistry, University of 
Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA.
(7)Unité de recherche clinique et épidémiologique, CIUSSS de l'Estrie, 
Sherbrooke, QC, Canada.
(8)Département de médecine de famille et de médecine d'urgence, Université de 
Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada.
(9)Centre of Biophotonics, Laboratory for Biophysics and Biomolecular Dynamics, 
SUPA School of Physics and Astronomy, University of St. Andrews, St Andrews, UK.
(10)Centre of Biophotonics, Laboratory for Biophysics and Biomolecular Dynamics, 
Biomedical Sciences Research Complex, School of Biology, University of St. 
Andrews, St. Andrews, UK.
(11)Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Université de Sherbrooke, 
Sherbrooke, QC, Canada. daniel.lafontaine@usherbrooke.ca.

Riboswitches regulate gene expression by modulating their structure upon 
metabolite binding. These RNA orchestrate several layers of regulation to 
achieve genetic control. Although Escherichia coli riboswitches modulate 
translation initiation, several cases have been reported where riboswitches also 
modulate mRNA levels. Here, we characterize the regulation mechanisms of the 
thiamin pyrophosphate (TPP) tbpA riboswitch in E. coli. Our results indicate 
that the tbpA riboswitch modulates both levels of translation and transcription 
and that TPP sensing is achieved more efficiently cotranscriptionally than 
post-transcriptionally. The preference for cotranscriptional binding is also 
observed when monitoring the TPP-dependent inhibition of translation initiation. 
Using single-molecule approaches, we observe that the aptamer domain freely 
fluctuates between two main structures involved in TPP recognition. Our results 
suggest that translation initiation is controlled through the ligand-dependent 
stabilization of the riboswitch structure. This study demonstrates that 
riboswitch cotranscriptional sensing is the primary determinant in controlling 
translation and mRNA levels.

© 2024. The Author(s).

DOI: 10.1038/s42003-024-07008-5
PMCID: PMC11487190
PMID: 39420148 [Indexed for MEDLINE]

Conflict of interest statement: The authors declare no competing interests.


4. Anim Biotechnol. 2024 Nov;35(1):2414299. doi: 10.1080/10495398.2024.2414299. 
Epub 2024 Oct 16.

Full-length 16S rRNA gene amplicon analysis of gut microbiota in pigs fed with 
different diets in growing and finishing stages.

Wang HS(1), Shih SY(2), Huang YL(1), Chang CC(1), Tsai H(3).

Author information:
(1)Eastern Region Branch, Taiwan Livestock Research Institute, Ministry of 
Agriculture, Taitung City, Taiwan.
(2)Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
(3)Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University, Denmark.

The present study utilized full-length 16S rRNA gene sequencing to investigate 
the impact of dietary protein content on the composition and function of gut 
microbiota, and to analyze the gut microbiota of pigs in the growing (30 kg) and 
finishing (120 kg) stages under different feeding conditions. The results 
indicated that the gut microbiota was significantly different between pigs fed 
high- and low-protein diets. Comparing fecal samples from pigs at 30 and 120 kg, 
pigs at 30 kg showed a significant increase in the relative abundance of 
Clostridium butyricum, whereas at 120 kg, the abundance of Lactobacillus reuteri 
and Lactobacillus johnsonii decreased. To access the functional profiles and 
metabolic pathways based on amplicon sequence variants (ASVs), the microbiome of 
the 120 kg exhibited significant enrichments in Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and 
Genomes (KEGG) pathways related to metabolism-related category, including 
Alanine, aspartate and glutamate metabolism, Tyrosine and Thiamin metabolism, 
and Inositol phosphate metabolism. Meanwhile, analysis using the MetaCyc 
database showed that the metabolic pathways of the 30 kg group were 
significantly distinct when compared to the 120 kg of fecal samples. Overall, 
the findings indicated that the gut microbiota composition and function in the 
30 and 120 kg fecal samples were markedly shaped by different dietary protein 
levels.

DOI: 10.1080/10495398.2024.2414299
PMID: 39412349 [Indexed for MEDLINE]


5. Am J Physiol Cell Physiol. 2024 Oct 14. doi: 10.1152/ajpcell.00484.2024.
Online  ahead of print.

IQGAP-2: A novel interacting partner for the Human Colonic Thiamin Pyrophosphate 
Transporter (hcTPPT).

Ramamoorthy K(1), Sabui S(2), Kim G(3), Fleckenstein JM(4), Sheikh A(4), Said 
HM(1).

Author information:
(1)Physiology and Biophysics, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, 
United States.
(2)Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of California, Irvine, 
Irvine, CA, United States.
(3)University of California, Irvine, United States.
(4)Department of Medicine, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, 
United States.

The human colonic thiamin pyrophosphate transporter (hcTPPT) mediates the uptake 
of the microbiota-generated and phosphorylated form of vitamin B1 (i. e., 
thiamin pyrophosphate) in the large intestine. Expression of hcTPPT along the 
absorptive tract is restricted to the large intestine and the transporter is 
exclusively localized at the apical membrane domain of the polarized epithelial 
cells/colonocytes. Previous studies have characterized different 
physiological/pathophysiological aspects of the hcTPPT system, but nothing is 
currently known on whether the transporter has interacting partner(s) that 
affects its physiology/biology. We addressed this issue using a Y2H to screen a 
human colonic cDNA library, and have identified 3 putative interactors, namely 
IQGAP-2, SNX-6 and DMXL-1. Focusing on IQGAP-2 (whose expression in human 
colonocytes is the highest), we found (using fluorescent microscopy imaging and 
co-immunoprecipitation approaches) the putative interactor to co-localize with 
hcTPPT, and to directly interact with the transporter. Also, over-expressing 
IQGAP-2 in NCM460 cells and in human primary differentiated colonoid monolayers 
was found to lead to significant (P < 0.01) induction in TPP uptake, while it's 
knocking down (using gene-specific siRNAs) caused significant (P < 0.01 & < 
0.05) decrease in uptake. Furthermore, over-expressing IQGAP-2 in NCM460 cells 
was found to lead to a significant enhancement in hcTPPT protein stability. 
Finally, we found the expression of IQGAP-2 to be markedly suppressed in 
conditions/factors that negatively impact colonic TPP uptake. These results 
identify the IQGAP-2 as an interacting partner with the hcTPPT in human 
colonocytes and show that this interaction has physiological and biological 
consequences.

DOI: 10.1152/ajpcell.00484.2024
PMID: 39401425