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Biomedical subjects

J F Morton

Publications and source records attributed to J F Morton.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2000

Food sources of added sweeteners in the diets of Americans.

OBJECTIVE: To identify food sources of added sweeteners in the US diet. DESIGN: A descriptive study using data from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) 1994-1996 Continuing Survey of Food Intakes by Individuals. Each subject provided one 24-hour dietary recall. Intake of added sweeteners was calculated using the USDA Food Guide Pyramid servings database. SUBJECTS/SETTING: A national sample of noninstitutionalized persons aged 2 years and older (N = 15,010). STATISTICAL ANALYSES: Mean intakes of added sweeteners from all food sources and from specific food categories; percentage contribution of added sweeteners to total energy intake; and percentage contribution of each food category to total intake of added sweeteners. All analyses were conducted for the total sample and for 12 age-gender groups. RESULTS: During 1994 to 1996, Americans aged 2 years and older consumed the equivalent of 82 g carbohydrate per day from added sweeteners, which accounted for 16% of total energy intake. In absolute terms, adolescent males consumed the most; as a percentage of energy, male and female adolescents had the highest intakes (averaging 20% of total energy from added sweeteners). The largest source of added sweeteners was regular soft drinks, which accounted for one third of intake. Other sources were table sugars, syrups, and sweets; sweetened grains; regular fruitades/drinks; and milk products. APPLICATIONS/CONCLUSIONS: Intakes of added sweeteners exceed levels compatible with meeting current dietary recommendations. Knowing food sources of added sweeteners for the overall population and for specific age-gender groups can help dietitians provide appropriate nutrition education.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1992

Widespread tannin intake via stimulants and masticatories, especially guarana, kola nut, betel vine, and accessories.

Tannins are increasingly recognized as dietary carcinogens and as antinutrients interfering with the system's full use of protein. Nevertheless, certain tannin-rich beverages, masticatories, and folk remedies, long utilized in African, Asiatic, Pacific, and Latin American countries, are now appearing in North American sundry shops and grocery stores. These include guarana (Paullinia cupana HBK.) from Brazil, kola nut (Cola nitida Schott & Endl. and C. acuminata Schott & Endl.) from West Africa, and betel nut (Areca catechu L.) from Malaya. The betel nut, or arecanut, has long been associated with oral and esophageal cancer because of its tannin content and the tannin contributed by the highly astringent cutch from Acacia catechu L. and Uncaria gambir Roxb. and the aromatic, astringent 'pan' (leaves of Piper betel L.) chewed with it. In addition to the constant recreational/social ingestion of these plant materials, they are much consumed as aphrodisiacs and medications. Guarana and kola nut enjoy great popularity in their native lands because they are also rich in caffeine, which serves as a stimulant. Research and popular education on the deleterious effects of excessive tannin intake could do much to reduce the heavy burden of early mortality and health care, especially in developing countries.

Animals↗
PubMed1990

Mucilaginous plants and their uses in medicine.

Throughout the world but especially in the tropical and subtropical zones, there are succulent and non-succulent plants which harbor readily releasable mucilage in their tissues, on the surface of their seeds or in their bark. This mucilage may have diverse practical uses. Among these, it functions as a healing agent, casually or in the practice of traditional-folk or conventional medicine. The mucilage of some of these plants is well known to science and has been studied by pharmacologists and found to possess biologically active principles. However, they all have in common a beneficial effect on burns, wounds, ulcers, external and internal inflammations and irritations, diarrhea and dysentery. This paper presents examples of such plants belonging to 19 botanical families, with a view to calling attention to the similar uses of easily extracted plant mucilages and, particularly, their ability to provide protection from fire, a feature which has already been demonstrated in Australia.

Adhesives↗
PubMed1983

Multistage tumor development in the human esophagus - the first identification of cocarcinogens of the tumor promoter type as principal carcinogenic risk factors in a local life style cancer.

An experimental analysis is described which demonstrates that the epidemiologically established high rate of esophageal cancer among blacks and creoles in Curacao most likely is the result of a multistage process involving initiators and promoters. As part of local lifestyle, the group at risk utilizes for various purposes plant parts of an indigenous bush Croton flavens L. ("Welensali"). Moreover they consume, as an everyday beverage, a "bush tea" made from the leaves of the bush. The roots, leaves and tea are shown to contain a multitude of irritant croton factors which are characterized as diterpene esters of the tigliane type. In mouse skin these exhibit strong promoting activity comparable to that of TPA. As the latter, also the croton factors isolated, show no solitary carcinogenic activity. One cup of Welensali tea contains the equivalent of about 12-times the irritant dose of croton factor F1; in addition, the equivalent of about 1.4-times the irritant dose 50 of the corresponding "cryptic" promoter F1-20-decanoate is present. These amounts are considered sufficient to maintain chronic irritation of the esophagus as an important element of co-carcinogenesis, especially of tumor promotion. Also, persons at risk in Curacao have been exposed at times previously to certain initiators. Mice treated by an initiation/promotion protocol with DMBA (or other initiators) and TPA develop tumors of the forestomach. Therefore, esophageal cancer on Curacao may be considered the first case for cocarcinogens of the tumor promoter type being principal risk factors in a life style cancer.

Animals↗
PubMed1981

Biological and phytochemical investigation of plants XVI: Strumpfia maritima (Rubiaceae).

An aqueous extract of the flowering tops of Strumpfia maritima exhibited antifertility activity in female rats. The extract also contained the flavonol glycoside narcissin. This article represents the first reported isolation of this flavonoid from the Rubiaceae, as well as the first reported phytochemical and pharmacological investigation of the genus Strumpfia.

Animals↗
PubMed1979

Tea with milk.

Explore the source record for details and available documents.

Animals↗
PubMed1978

Carcinogenicity of some folk medicinal herbs in rats.

Twelve medicinal herbs were bioassayed to correlate a high incidence of esophageal carcinoma in natives of different places with their habitual consumption of these products. Outbred NIH Black rats were given 72 weekly sc injections of the total aqueous extracts of the plant materials. The tanninrich plant extracts from Areca catechu and Rhus copallina produced local tumors in 100 and 33%, respectively, of the experimental animals. Other materials included Diospyros virginiana and extracts from plants not rich in tannins. Diospyros and extracts of Sassafras albidum and Chenopodium ambrosiodes were tumorigenic in over 50% of the treated animals.

Animals↗
PubMed1975

Hypercalcemia and calcinosis in Florida horses: implication of the shrub, Cestrum diurnum, as the causative agent.

A chronic debilitating disease is described in Florida horses. There is progress weight loss and lameness of increasing severity. Plasma calcium is elevated to moderate or severe degree. Anatomical changes include dystrophic calcinosis of elastic tissues, viz. major arteries, tendons and ligaments. A generalized osteopetrosis is present and may be related to hypoparathyroidsim and hypercalcitoninism. The presence of Cestrum diurnum (day-blooming jessamine, day cestrum, wild jasmin) in areas accessible to affected animals, the observation that leaves of the plant were stripped in these areas, and the finding of a potent, active vitamin D-like substance in this plant constitute strong evidence that Cestrum diurnum is the agent causing the abnormalities of mineral metabolism.

Animals↗