Dietary flaxseed protects against ventricular arrhythmias and left ventricular dilation after a myocardial infarction

Oxidative stability and nutritional quality of stored Linum usitatissmium L. and Argania spinosa L., oil blends: Chemical compositions, properties and nutritional value

Identification of the chemical compositions of fatty acids and tocopherols shows the high content of linum usitatissimum oil (LO) by linolenic acid 55.3735% and γ-tocopherol 570.927 mg/kg, while argania spinosa oil (AO) is known by the dominance of oleic acid 47.77% followed by linoleic acid 31.08% as well as tocopherols by γ-tocopherols 687.485 mg/kg and δ-tocopherols 51.035 mg/kg. This difference in compositions enables us to enrich the low-stability oil and monitor its behavior during storage at a specific time and under specific conditions. In this study, pure linum usitatissimum and argania spinosa oils extracted by cold pressing as well as their formulations at proportions of (LO: AO) respectively: (80:20; 60:40, 50:50; 40:60; 20: 80) were oxidized at 60 °C for 28 days of storage, during which time the pure oils and blends were assessed for oxidative stability by studying their different fatty acid and tocopherol profiles and physicochemical characteristics such as acidity, peroxide value and chlorophyll and carotenoid pigments, as well as nutritional indexes such as the atherogenic index (AI), the thrombogenic index (TI), and the hypocholesterolemic: hypercholesterolemic ratio (HH), ω3:ω6 ratio, also the oxidative susceptibility (OS), and oxidazability value (Cox), and total phenolic compounds (TPC).

Efficacy of Flaxseed Compared to ACE Inhibition in Treating Anthracycline- and Trastuzumab-Induced Cardiotoxicity

Background

Although the current combination of surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy is used in the breast-cancer setting, the administration of the anticancer drugs doxorubicin and trastuzumab is associated with an increased risk of developing heart failure. The aim of this study is to determine whether dietary flaxseed is comparable and/or synergistic with the angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor perindopril in the treatment of doxorubicin- and trastuzumab-mediated cardiotoxicity.

Methods

In a chronic in vivo murine model (n = 110), doxorubicin and trastuzumab (8 mg/kg and 3 mg/kg, respectively) were administered weekly for 3 weeks. Following this period, the mice were randomized to daily consumption of a 10% flaxseed supplemented diet, administration of perindopril (3 mg/kg) via oral gavage, or a combination of both flaxseed and perindopril for an additional 3 weeks.

Results

In mice treated with doxorubicin and trastuzumab, the left ventricular ejection fraction decreased from 74% ± 4% at baseline to 30% ± 2% at week 6. Treatment with either flaxseed or perindopril, or with flaxseed and perindopril improved left ventricular ejection fraction to 52% ± 4%, 54% ± 4%, and 55% ± 3%, respectively (P < 0.05). Although histologic analyses confirmed significant loss of sarcomere integrity and vacuolization in the doxorubicin- and trastuzumab-treated mice, treatment with flaxseed or perindopril, or with flaxseed and perindopril improved myocyte integrity. Finally, the level of Bcl-2 interacting protein 3, high-mobility group box 1 protein expression, and the levels of select oxylipins, were significantly elevated in mice receiving doxorubicin and trastuzumab; these markers were attenuated by treatment with either flaxseed or perindopril, or with flaxseed and perindopril.

Conclusions

Flaxseed was equivalent to perindopril at improving cardiovascular remodelling by reducing biomarkers of inflammation, mitochondrial damage, and cell death.

Beneficial Effects of Dietary Flaxseed on Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), a significant cause of chronic liver disease, presents a considerable public health concern. Despite this, there is currently no treatment available. This study aimed to investigate dietary flaxseed in the JCR:LA-corpulent rat strain model of NAFLD. Both obese male and female rats were studied along with their lean counterparts after 12 weeks of ingestion of a control diet, or control diet with flaxseed, or high fat, high sucrose (HFHS), or HFHS plus flaxseed. Obese rats showed higher liver weight and increased levels of cholesterol, triglyceride, and saturated fatty acid, which were further elevated in rats on the HFHS diet. The HFHS diet induced a significant two-fold elevation in the plasma levels of both aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase in the obese male and female rats. Including flaxseed in the HFHS diet significantly lowered liver weight, depressed the plasma levels of both enzymes in the obese male rats, and reduced hepatic cholesterol and triglyceride content as well as improving the fatty acid profile. In summary, including flaxseed in the diet of male and female obese rats led to an improved lipid composition in the liver and significantly reduced biomarkers of tissue injury despite consuming a HFHS chow.

The Role of Omega-3 in Attenuating Cardiac Remodeling and Heart Failure through the Oxidative Stress and Inflammation Pathways

Cardiac remodeling is defined as molecular, cellular, and interstitial changes that manifest clinically as alterations in the size, shape, and function of the heart. Despite the pharmacological approaches, cardiac remodeling-related mortality rates remain high. Therefore, other therapeutic options are being increasingly studied. This review highlights the role of omega-3 as an adjunctive therapy to attenuate cardiac remodeling, with an emphasis on its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory actions.

On the Path towards a "Greener" EU: A Mini Review on Flax (Linum usitatissimum L.) as a Case Study

Due to the pressures imposed by climate change, the European Union (EU) has been forced to design several initiatives (the Common Agricultural Policy, the European Green Deal, Farm to Fork) to tackle the climate crisis and ensure food security. Through these initiatives, the EU aspires to mitigate the adverse effects of the climate crisis and achieve collective prosperity for humans, animals, and the environment. The adoption or promotion of crops that would facilitate the attaining of these objectives is naturally of high importance. Flax (Linum usitatissimum L.) is a multipurpose crop with many applications in the industrial, health, and agri-food sectors. This crop is mainly grown for its fibers or its seed and has recently gained increasing attention. The literature suggests that flax can be grown in several parts of the EU, and potentially has a relatively low environmental impact. The aim of the present review is to: (i) briefly present the uses, needs, and utility of this crop and, (ii) assess its potential within the EU by taking into account the sustainability goals the EU has set via its current policies.

Exosomes derived from human placental mesenchymal stem cells ameliorate myocardial infarction via anti-inflammation and restoring gut dysbiosis

BACKGROUND

Myocardial infarction (MI) represents a severe cardiovascular disease with limited therapeutic agents. This study was aimed to elucidate the role of the exosomes derived from human placental mesenchymal stem cells (PMSCs-Exos) in MI.

METHODS

PMSCs were isolated and cultured in vitro, with identification by both transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and nanoparticle tracking analysis (NTA). To further investigate the effects of PMSC-Exos on MI, C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into Sham group, MI group, and PMSC-Exos group. After 4 weeks of the intervention, cardiac function was assessed by cardiac echocardiography, electrocardiogram and masson trichrome staining; lipid indicators were determined by automatic biochemical instrument; inflammatory cytokines were measured by cytometric bead array (CBA); gut microbiota, microbial metabolites short chain fatty acids (SCFAs) as well as lipopolysaccharide (LPS) were separately investigated by 16S rRNA high throughput sequencing, gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and tachypleus amebocyte lysate kit; transcriptome analysis was used to test the transcriptional components (mRNA\miRNA\cirRNA\lncRNA) of PMSC-Exos.

RESULTS

We found that human PMSC-Exos were obtained and identified with high purity and uniformity. MI model was successfully established. Compared to MI group, PMSC-Exos treatment ameliorated myocardial fibrosis and left ventricular (LV) remodeling (P < 0.05). Moreover, PMSC-Exos treatment obviously decreased MI molecular markers (AST/BNP/MYO/Tn-I/TC), pro-inflammatory indicators (IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α, MCP-1), as well as increased HDL in comparison with MI group (all P < 0.05). Intriguingly, PMSC-Exos intervention notably modulated gut microbial community via increasing the relative abundances of Bacteroidetes, Proteobacteria, Verrucomicrobia, Actinobacteria, Akkermansia, Bacteroides, Bifidobacterium, Thauera and Ruminiclostridium, as well as decreasing Firmicutes (all P < 0.05), compared with MI group. Furthermore, PMSC-Exos supplementation increased gut microbiota metabolites SCFAs (butyric acid, isobutyric acid and valeric acid) and decreased LPS in comparison with MI group (all P < 0.05). Correlation analysis indicated close correlations among gut microbiota, microbial SCFAs and inflammation in MI.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study highlighted that PMSC-Exos intervention alleviated MI via modulating gut microbiota and suppressing inflammation.

α-Linolenic Acid and Risk of Heart Failure: A Meta-Analysis

Background: The α-linolenic acid is a plant origin n-3 fatty acid that may reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. However, the effect of α-linolenic acid (ALA) on the risk of heart failure (HF) remains unclear. In this meta-analysis, we aimed to determine the role of ALA in the risk of incident HF.

Methods: Electronic databases were searched for studies up to August 10, 2021. Studies were included for meta-analysis if the adjusted risk of HF in different dietary intake or circulating levels of ALA was reported. We used the random-effects model to calculate the estimated hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% CI for higher ALA.

Results: A total of 6 studies (7 cohorts) comprising 135,270 participants were included for meta-analysis. After a median follow-up duration of 10 years, 5,905 cases of HF were recorded. No significant heterogeneity was observed among all the included studies. Random-effects model analyses showed that there was no significant association between ALA and the risk of incident HF, either assessed as quintiles (highest quintile vs. lowest quintile: HR = 0.95, 95% CI = 0.86–1.06) or per 1 SD increment (HR = 0.99, 95% CI = 0.95–1.01). Furthermore, we did not observe any association between ALA and the risk of HF in subgroup analyses performed according to age, sex, follow-up duration, and measuring method of ALA.

Conclusions: We found no association between ALA and the risk of incident HF, suggesting that ALA might not be effective in the prevention of HF.

Essential Fatty Acids as Biomedicines in Cardiac Health

The destructive impact of cardiovascular diseases on health, including heart failure, peripheral artery disease, atherosclerosis, stroke, and other cardiac pathological conditions, positions these health conditions as leading causes of increased global mortality rates, thereby impacting the human quality of life. The considerable changes in modern lifestyles, including the increase in food intake and the change in eating habits, will unavoidably lead to an unbalanced consumption of essential fatty acids, with a direct effect on cardiovascular health problems. In the last decade, essential fatty acids have become the main focus of scientific research in medical fields aiming to establish their impact for preventing cardiovascular diseases and the associated risk factors. Specifically, polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), such as omega 3 fatty acids, and monounsaturated fatty acids from various sources are mentioned in the literature as having a cardio-protective role, due to various biological mechanisms that are still to be clarified. This review aims to describe the major biological mechanisms of how diets rich in essential fatty acids, or simply essential fatty acid administration, could have anti-inflammatory, vasodilatory, anti-arrhythmic, antithrombotic, antioxidant, and anti-atherogenic effects. This review describes findings originating from clinical studies in which dietary sources of FAs were tested for their role in mitigating the impact of heart disorders in human health.

Forsythiaside B inhibits myocardial fibrosis via down regulating TGF-β1/Smad signaling pathway

Forsythiaside B is the major ingredient of Callicarpa kwangtungensis Chun, and has been proven to protect myocardium from ischemia-reperfusion injury to achieve myocardial protection. However, the effect of forsythiaside B on adverse myocardial fibrosis remains unclear. In the present study, the myocardial fibrosis animal models were established induced by isoproterenol (ISO) to investigate whether forsythiaside B exhibited antifibrotic actions. Forsythiaside B was found to significantly improve the cardiac ejection fraction and fractional shortening rate of myocardial fibrosis mice compared with the normal saline group. In addition, forsythiaside B could lower the level of TGF-β1, the expression of α-SMA and collagen III. Forsythiaside B down-regulated the expression of Smad4 and the phosphorylation level of Smad3, which indicates that forsythiaside B could suppress myocardial fibrosis by inhibiting the TGF-β1/Smad signaling pathway. These results demonstrated that forsythiaside B could prevent myocardial fibrosis in ISO-induced mice, and may be a potentially rational therapeutic approach for the treatment of myocardial fibrosis.

Dietary flaxseed reduces Myocardial Ischemic Lesions, improves cardiac function and lowers cholesterol levels despite the presence of severe obesity in JCR:LA-cp Rats

Previous work has shown that dietary flaxseed can significantly reduce cardiac damage from a coronary artery ligation-induced myocardial infarction. However, this model uses healthy animals and the ligation creates the infarct in an artificial manner. The purpose of this study was to determine if dietary flaxseed can protect the hearts of JCR:LA-cp rats, a model of genetic obesity and metabolic syndrome, from naturally occurring myocardial ischemic lesions. Male and female obese rats were randomized into four groups (n = 8 each) to receive, for 12 weeks, either a) control diet (Con), b) control diet supplemented with 10% ground flaxseed (CFlax), c) a high-fat, high sucrose (HFHS) diet, or d) HFHS supplemented with 10% ground flaxseed (HFlax). Male and female JCR:LA-cp lean rats served as genetic controls and received similar dietary interventions. In male obese rats, serum total cholesterol and LDL-C were significantly lower in CFlax compared to Con.  Obese rats on HFHS exhibited increased myocardial ischemic lesions and diastolic dysfunction regardless of sex. HFlax significantly lowered the frequency of cardiac lesions and improved diastolic function in male and female obese rats compared to HFHS. Blood pressures were similar in obese and lean rats. No aortic atherosclerotic lesions were detectable in any group. Collectively, this study shows that a HFHS diet increased myocardial ischemic lesion frequency and abolished the protective effect of female sex on cardiac function. More importantly, the data demonstrates dietary flaxseed protected against the development of small spontaneous cardiac infarcts despite the ingestion of a HFHS diet and the presence of morbid obesity.

A Brief Review on the Biology and Effects of Cellular and Circulating microRNAs on Cardiac Remodeling after Infarction

Despite advances in diagnostic, prognostic, and treatment modalities, myocardial infarction (MI) remains a leading cause of morbidity and mortality. Impaired cellular signaling after an MI causes maladaptive changes resulting in cardiac remodeling. MicroRNAs (miRNAs/miR) along with other molecular components have been investigated for their involvement in cellular signaling in the pathogenesis of various cardiac conditions like MI. miRNAs are small non-coding RNAs that negatively regulate gene expression. They bind to complementary mRNAs and regulate the rate of protein synthesis by altering the stability of their targeted mRNAs. A single miRNA can modulate several cellular signaling pathways by targeting hundreds of mRNAs. This review focuses on the biogenesis and beneficial effects of cellular and circulating (exosomal) miRNAs on cardiac remodeling after an MI. Particularly, miR-1, -133, 135, and -29 that play an essential role in cardiac remodeling after an MI are described in detail. The limitations that will need to be addressed in the future for the further development of miRNA-based therapeutics for cardiovascular conditions will also be discussed.

Unexpected challenges for the translation of research on food interventions to applications in the food industry: using flaxseed research as an example

One of the primary purposes of the studies that life science researchers carry out is to translate their findings into demonstrable impacts in the lives of the general population. If we study the mechanism of heart disease, for example, it is our hope that new therapies or preventative strategies can be created from these mechanistic data. In the field of nutrition, it is the ultimate goal to translate research findings on the health benefits of functional foods and nutraceuticals into products consumed by the public that will benefit their health, improve quality of life, prevent disease, and prolong life. However, the pathway from research on the health benefits of specific foods or food products into industry applications is often a pathway with multiple, unexpected roadblocks for the unsuspecting scientist. The purpose of this article, therefore, is to identify these obstacles that have confronted industry translation in the past by using flaxseed research as an example. The ultimate goal of the review is to alert those in research and in the food industry of these translational hindrances to avoid them in the future and promote a more rapid and effective translation of food/health research into marketing success.

Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids focusing on eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid in the prevention of cardiovascular diseases: a review of the state-of-the-art

INTRODUCTION

: An epidemiological study of Greenlandic Inuit suggested the importance of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) in preventing ischemic heart disease. After this landmark study, large-scale epidemiological studies have examined the benefits of omega-3 PUFAs in the prevention of cardiovascular diseases.

AREAS COVERED

: This article reviews studies on omega-3 PUFAs, and identifies issues relevant to cardiovascular risk.

EXPERT OPINION

: Recent studies have focused on the anti-inflammatory effects of omega-3 PUFAs and specialized pro-resolving mediators. High-purity eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) ethyl ester and EPA/docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) preparations have been developed primarily for the treatment of hypertriglyceridemia. Various trials on the cardiovascular protective effects of omega-3 PUFAs have been reported, but the results have not been consistent. Some issues of the trials have been suggested, such as using low-dose omega-3 PUFAs and not including hypertriglyceridemia in subject selection criteria. REDUCE-IT study that used a high dose of high-purity EPA preparation showed a relative reduction in cardiovascular events, but, the STRENGTH study that used a high dose of EPA/DHA preparation did not support this benefit. This article reviews the roles of omega-3 PUFAs in cardiovascular diseases, including progress in understanding the molecular mechanisms and recent large-scale clinical trials.

Cardioprotective Effects of Dietary Flaxseed Post-Infarction Are Associated with Changes in MicroRNA Expression

MicroRNAs (miRNAs/miRs) such as miR-1, miR-133a, miR-133b, miR-135a, and miR-29b play a key role in many cardiac pathological remodeling processes, including apoptosis, fibrosis, and arrhythmias, after a myocardial infarction (MI). Dietary flaxseed has demonstrated a protective effect against an MI. The present study was carried out to test the hypothesis that dietary flaxseed supplementation before and after an MI regulates the expression of above-mentioned miRNAs to produce its cardioprotective effect. Animals were randomized after inducing MI by coronary artery ligation into: (a) sham MI with normal chow, (b) MI with normal chow, and (c–e) MI supplemented with either 10% milled flaxseed, or 4.4% flax oil enriched in alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), or 0.44% flax lignan secoisolariciresinol diglucoside. The feeding protocol consisted of 2 weeks before and 8 weeks after the surgery. Dietary flax oil supplementation selectively upregulated the cardiac expression of miR-133a, miR-135a, and miR-29b. The levels of collagen I expression were reduced in the flax oil group. We conclude that miR-133a, miR-135a, and miR-29b are sensitive to dietary flax oil, likely due to its rich ALA content. The cardioprotective effect of flaxseed in an MI could be due to modulation of these miRNAs.

Secoisolariciresinol Diglucoside Exerts Anti-Inflammatory and Antiapoptotic Effects through Inhibiting the Akt/IκB/NF-κB Pathway on Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells

Inflammation is a key regulator in the progression of atherosclerosis (AS) which extremely affects people's health. Secoisolariciresinol diglucoside (SDG), a plant lignan, is relevant to angiogenesis and cardioprotection against ischemia-reperfusion injury and improves vascular disorders. However, the effect of SDG on cardiovascular disorder is not clear. In the present study, we aimed to investigate the effects of SDG on lipopolysaccharide- (LPS-) stimulated Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells (HUVECs) and elucidate the underlying mechanism. The LPS-stimulated HUVEC cellular model was established. The cell viability, the cell tube formation activity, the nitric oxide (NO) release, the levels of inflammatory cytokine interleukin-1β (IL-1β), interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), the activation of nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB) pathway, and the expression of protein kinase B (Akt) were determined using Cell Counting Kit-8, cell tube-formation assay, western blotting, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Our results revealed that SDG reduces the angiogenic capacity of HUVECs and inhibited LPS-mediated HUVEC injury and apoptosis. In addition, SDG increased NO release and decreased the levels of IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α in LPS-treated HUVECs. Meanwhile, SDG inhibited the NF-κB pathway and downregulated Akt expression in LPS-induced HUVECs. Our results indicated that SDG relieves LPS-mediated HUVEC injury by inhibiting the NF-κB pathway which is partly dependent on the disruption of Akt activation. Therefore, SDG exerts its cytoprotective effects in the context of LPS-treated HUVECs via regulation of the Akt/IκB/NF-κB pathway and may be a potential treatment drug for cardiovascular disease.

The effect of nutraceuticals on multiple signaling pathways in cardiac fibrosis injury and repair

Cardiac fibrosis is one of the most common pathological conditions caused by different heart diseases, including myocardial infarction and diabetic cardiomyopathy. Cardiovascular disease is one of the major causes of mortality worldwide. Cardiac fibrosis is caused by different processes, including inflammatory reactions and oxidative stress. The process of fibrosis begins by changing the balance between production and destruction of extracellular matrix components and stimulating the proliferation and differentiation of cardiac fibroblasts. Many studies have focused on finding drugs with less adverse effects for the treatment of cardiovascular disease. Some studies show that nutraceuticals are effective in preventing and treating diseases, including cardiovascular disease, and that they can reduce the risk. However, big clinical studies to prove the therapeutic properties of all these substances and their adverse effects are lacking so far. Therefore, in this review, we tried to summarize the knowledge on pathways and mechanisms of several nutraceuticals which have shown their usefulness in the prevention of cardiac fibrosis.

Butyrate improves cardiac function and sympathetic neural remodeling following myocardial infarction in rats

Increased inflammation is found in cardiac sympathetic neural remodeling with malignant ventricular arrhythmia (VA) following myocardial infarction (MI). Butyrate, as a microbiota-derived short-chain fatty acid, can inhibit inflammation and myocardial hypertrophy. However, the role of butyrate in sympathetic neural remodeling after MI is unknown. This study aimed to investigate whether butyrate could improve cardiac dysfunction and VA following MI by regulating inflammation and sympathetic neural remodeling. MI rats were randomized to administrate the butyrate or vehicle through intraperitoneal injection to undergo the study. Our data demonstrated that butyrate treatment preserved the partial cardiac function at 7 days post-MI. Butyrate downregulated the expression of essential for inflammatory response in the infarct border zone at 3 days post-MI. Particularly, butyrate promoted expression of M2 macrophage markers. Increased expressions of nerve growth factor and norephinephrine at 7 days after MI were inhibited in butyrate-treated rats. Furthermore, butyrate significantly decreased the density of nerve fibers for growth-associated protein-43 and tyrosine hydroxylase and resulted in fewer episodes of inducible VA. In conclusion, butyrate administration ameliorated cardiac function and VA after MI possibly through promoting M2 macrophage polarization to suppress inflammatory responses and inhibit sympathetic neural remodeling and may present an effective pharmacological strategy for the prevention of MI-related remodeling.

The role of nutraceuticals in prevention and treatment of hypertension: An updated review of the literature

Hypertension (HTN) is a worldwide epidemic in both developed and developing countries. It is one of the leading causes of major health problems such as cardiovascular disease, stroke, and heart attack. In recent years, several studies have reported associations between specific dietary ingredients and improving HTN. Nutraceuticals are natural food components with pharmacological properties. Reports suggest that functional foods and nutraceutical ingredients might support patients to obtain the desired therapeutic blood pressure (BP) goals and reduce cardiovascular risks by modulating various risk factors such as oxidative stress, renin-angiotensin system hyperactivity, inflammation, hyperlipidemia, and vascular resistance. We review the recent clinical experiments that have evaluated the biological and pharmacological activities of several types of nutraceuticals, including sour tea, cocoa, common spices, vitamin C, vitamin E, lycopene, flavonoids, coenzyme Q10, milk's tripeptides, calcium, magnesium, polyunsaturated fatty acids, and prebiotics in preventing and treating HTN. This review summarizes recent knowledge about the impact of common nutraceuticals for the regulation of BP.

STUDY OF THE INFLUENCE OF BUCKWHEAT FLOUR AND FLAX SEEDS ON CONSUMPTION PROPERTIES OF LONG-STORED BAKERY PRODUCTS

Rusk and ring-shaped bakery products relate to the group of long-stored ones. For today it is urgent to use ingredients that give products functional properties in food technologies. The important source of food fibers, full-value protein, unsaturated fatty acids, mineral substances and vitamins are grain and oil-bearing crops. Buckwheat and flax seeds are separated among them due to the valuable chemical composition and positive effect on the human organism. The aim of the work was to establish the influence of buckwheat flour and flax seeds on the technological process course and quality of long-stored bakery products. Buckwheat flour of green and dark buckwheat of TM “Organic-Eco-Product” (Ukraine) is used in the rusk technology. For producing ring-shaped products (ring-shaped crackers), gold flax seeds were used. Research results testify that good quality parameters of bread for producing rusks from it, were achieved at dosing green buckwheat seeds as 20 % and dark ones as 15 % instead of the flour mass. It has been established, that rusks with adding green buckwheat flour have quality parameters, corresponding to requirements of normative documents. It has been proven, that it is not expedient to use dark buckwheat flour in the rusk technology, because ready products have the increased water share and soaking index. It is connected with the influence of the operation of hydrothermal processing of grains that dark buckwheat flour is produced of, its high water-absorbing and water-retaining capacities. For the technology of ring-shaped crackers, enriched with flax seeds, it is recommended to dose flax seeds as 15 % of the flour mass. At such dosage bakery products got the highest number of points by the complex quality parameter and corresponded to requirements of normative documents.

Dietary Flaxseed as a Strategy for Improving Human Health

Flaxseed is a rich source of the omega-3 fatty acid, alpha linolenic acid, the lignan secoisolariciresinol diglucoside and fiber. These compounds provide bioactivity of value to the health of animals and humans through their anti-inflammatory action, anti-oxidative capacity and lipid modulating properties. The characteristics of ingesting flaxseed or its bioactive components are discussed in this article. The benefits of administering flaxseed or the individual bioactive components on health and disease are also discussed in this review. Specifically, the current evidence on the benefits or limitations of dietary flaxseed in a variety of cardiovascular diseases, cancer, gastro-intestinal health and brain development and function, as well as hormonal status in menopausal women, are comprehensive topics for discussion.