Biomedicine & Preventive Nutrition最新文献

In vitro antioxidant potential and metal chelating activity of various solvent fractions of Gelidiella acerosa were evaluated by different antioxidant assays, like ferric reducing antioxidative power (FRAP) assay and scavenging activities for hydrogen peroxide, hydroxyl radical and nitric oxide. Among all the fractions, benzene showed the highest 1,1-diphenyl,2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical, nitric oxide and hydrogen peroxide scavenging activity when compared to standard BHT with IC₅₀ values of 306.50 ± 3.04, 328.79 ± 14.25 and 275.43 ± 72.99 μg/mL, respectively. Total antioxidative capacity and reducing power was found to be significantly higher in the dichloromethane fraction. Highest ferrous ion chelating activity was observed in ethyl acetate and benzene fractions. Dimethylsulfoxide fraction exerted the highest hydroxyl radical scavenging effect. Moreover, benzene and dichloromethane fraction showed the highest total polyphenolic content of 18.86 ± 0.27 and 17.69 ± 0.353 μg/mg of dry extract, respectively. Preliminary cytotoxic studies suggest that benzene and dichloromethane fraction has no cytotoxic effect, hence, they can be used as effective antioxidant for treating reactive oxygen species (ROS) mediated diseases.

Many spices are often added to foods as additives to enhance organoleptic qualities, such as flavor, aroma and color. Sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) family of Lamiaceae is widely used in cooking for its culinary attributes. In this study, we aimed at the investigation of the hypocholesterolemic and hypotriglyceridemic activities of the basil phenolic acid-rich extract in high fat diet-induced hyperlipemic mice. Hyperlipemia was developed by a high fat diet containing cholesterol, lard and cholic acid. At the beginning of the experiment, animals were divided into three groups, one of them served as normolipidemic control group (NCG), the second hyperlipidemic control group (HCG) and the third basil-treated group (BTG). After 5 weeks of treatment, basil phenolic acid-rich extract significantly decreased plasma total cholesterol, triglycerides and LDL-cholesterol (−42%,−42% and −86%, respectively, P < 0.001). However, HDL-cholesterol was increased (+79%, P < 0.001). The extract reduced the atherogenic index and LDL/HDL-C ratio (−88% and −94%, respectively, P < 0.001). The reductions of liver total cholesterol and triglycerides were of −50% (P < 0.01) and −58% (P < 0.01), respectively. The hypolipemic effect of the phenolic acid-rich extract is comparable to that exerted by fenofibrate. This drug significantly reduced plasma total cholesterol, triglycerides and LDL-cholesterol (−25.5%, −51%, and −83.5%, respectively, P < 0.001) and increased plasma HDL-cholesterol (+136%, P < 0.001). On the other hand, fenofibrate significantly decreased atherogenic index and LDL/HDL-cholesterol ratio (−91% and −93%, respectively, P < 0.001). The fenofibrate decreased hepatic total cholesterol by 59.5% and triglycerides by 72%, respectively (P < 0.01). HPLC analysis led to identify four major compounds: caftaric acid, cafeic acid, chicoric acid and rosmarinic acid. In conclusion, the Sweet basil contains phenolic products that are able to lower hyperlipidemia and prevent atherosclerosis.

In this study, we investigated the effect of 7-O-galloyl-d-sedoheptulose (GS) on adipocyte differentiation in 3T3-L1 cells. GS significantly suppressed 3T3-L1 differentiation. The activation of adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) was demonstrated by measuring phosphorylation. In addition, GS down-regulated the adipogenesis-related protein expression of the sterol regulatory element-binding protein 1c. GS significantly reduced the protein expression of the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ and of the CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein α, two key transcription factors in adipogenesis. These findings indicate that GS exerts anti-adipogenic activity via AMPK activation and may act to prevent obesity.

FCA induced arthritis was used to assess the antiarthritic activity of Lactobacillus casei and Lactobacillus acidophilus administered orally as preventive and therapeutic treatments as alone or in combination. Development of paw edema in the right hind limb was measured with a vernier caliper at the end of each week for 21 days. Animals were sacrificed on 22nd day and serum was taken to study various biochemical parameters. Knee joints were also taken for histopathology. Preventive and therapeutic Lactobacillus treatments significantly increased the serum albumin, total protein, alkaline and acid phosphatase and calcium levels of arthritic animals but decreased the (elevated) titers of rheumatoid factor, ceruloplasmin and serum phosphorous levels. Paw inflammation was also decreased by Lactobacillus in both preventive and therapeutic doses. The knee joint histopathologies of arthritic rats treated with Lactobacillus were also normalized. Lactobacillus exhibits protective properties in both preventive and therapeutic approaches.

The action of the peptide YPVQPFTE, isolated from the tryptic hydrolysate of γ-casein, displays a bradykinin potentiating activity, characterized by the arterial blood pressure recording analysis. The intravenous injection of bradykinin (0.5 μg) pre-treated with this peptide (30 μg) was performed by chronic assay in conscious spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) and also by acute assay in normotensive Wistar rats, anaesthetized by three currently used anaesthetic drugs: sodium pentobarbitone (68 mg/kg, i.p.); ketamine hydrochloride (25 mg/kg, i.p.) associated with xylazine hydrochloride (10 mg/kg, i.p.) and atropine (0,05 mg/Kg, i.p.); and chloral hydrate (160 mg/kg, i.p.). The peptide displayed bradykinin potentiating activity, by means that was not related to angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibition. The hypotensive areas were compared by two parameters, namely magnitude decrease (mmHg) and time course (min) to recover the pressure baseline values. In the first parameter, conscious SHR presented a greater decrease of the arterial blood pressure, followed by chloral hydrate and sodium pentobarbitone, ketamine–xylazine, which presented a small decrease. For the time parameter, the two depressants of the CNS presented the higher time to recover from the hypotension and ketamine–xylazine association resulted similar to conscious SHR group. The results demonstrated that the magnitude of the hypotension (mmHg) caused by the action of the vasoactive compounds was not directly altered by anaesthetic drugs even with compounds not related to ACE but the time to recover from this hypotension was significantly different depending on pharmacological mechanism proprieties of the anaesthetic agent used, suggesting that the main effects observed in this case is the failure to recover basal Mean Arterial Pressure (MAP) in the presence of depressant of the central nervous system.

The coating of hesperidin, a traditional Chinese medicine ingredient, was immobilized to the surface of stainless steel (SS) which was often used in the cardiovascular implant materials and evaluated for its blood compatibility in vitro. The immobilized coating showed prolonged activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), prothrombin time (PT) and thrombin time (TT) values compared with stainless steel control. The platelet adhesion and activation test on the hesperidin coating also showed significantly less data compared with the control. The test on conformational change of fibrinogen (fgn) demonstrated the hesperidin coating could reduce this parameter compared with the bare SS. It can be summarized that the hesperidin coating can effectively improve the blood compatibility of the SS surface. We envisage that this coating will provide a potential and effective selection for blood contact devices.

Atherosclerosis is characterized by the deposition of lipids in the artery wall and the infiltration of inflammatory cells, such as monocytes and lymphocytes. Hyperlipidemia is a major risk factor for the premature development of atherosclerosis and it has been shown to increase the incidence of myocardial ischemia and cardiac events. The aim of the present study is to evaluate the hypolipidemic and cardioprotective effect of CoQ₁₀, riboflavin, niacin, selenium (CoRNS), and Emblica officinalis (Amla) in male wistar albino rats fed with high cholesterol diet (HCD) comprising of the normal chow supplemented with 4% cholesterol, 1% cholic acid for 30 days to develop atherosclerosis. After 30 days, Group IV animals were treated with Simvastatin as standard drug and Group V animals were treated with CoRNS and Amla. All the drugs were given by oral gavage for 30 days. Group III animals were served as drug control. Atherosclerosis was confirmed by disturbances in plasma and cardiac marker enzymes such as lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), aspartate transaminase (AST), alanine transaminase (ALT), and alkaline phosphatase (ALP), increased levels of plasma lipoproteins like VLDL, LDL and decrease in HDL and increased levels of plasma lipids like triglycerides (TG), phospholipids (PL), free fatty acids (FFA) and cholesterol (CHO). There was significant increase in lipid peroxidation (LPO) and decreased activity of antioxidant enzymes such as SOD, CAT and GPx and also diminished levels of vitamin C, vitamin E and GSH. Treatment with CoRNS and Amla maintained the levels of marker enzymes, lipoproteins, lipids and also the antioxidants to near normal thereby proving its hypolipidemic and cardioprotective properties.

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of diosgenin a proven antioxidant on chronic renal failure (CRF) induced abnormalities linked with oxidative stress in heart. CRF was induced in male Wistar rats by feeding the animals with 0.75% adenine-containing diet and diosgenin was given orally (everyday at the dose of 40 mg/kg). Effect of diosgenin on cardiac tissue lipids, trace elements (iron, zinc, magnesium, copper and manganese) and activity of cardiac mitochondrial enzymes were assayed. Expression of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) was also assessed. The Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis was employed to indicate the oxidative stress related molecular changes in heart tissue. The outcomes of the study indicated that, diosgenin reduces the tissue lipid abnormalities induced by CRF. Cardiac elemental concentration was not changed in all groups but the plasma zinc was altered and diosgenin have no effect on it. Cardiac mitochondrial enzymes abnormalities and proinflammatory cytokines expression was also significantly reduced by diosgenin. Finally, the molecular and structural changes of proteins were also reduced by diosgenin treatment. The overall study shows that diosgenin with antioxidant function have enough potential to improve cardiac tissue abnormalities.