Biomedicine & Preventive Nutrition最新文献

Brown seaweeds are rich in sulfated polysaccharides that could potentially be exploited as functional ingredients for human health. Over the years, sulfated polysaccharides with potential pharmacological, nutraceutical and functional food properties have been isolated from brown seaweeds. This study was designed to characterise and evaluate the antioxidant activity of a sulfated polysaccharide ascophyllan isolated from marine brown algae Padina tetrastromatica. Four polysaccharide fractions were purified from crude ascophyllan. Antioxidant activities of the polysaccharide fractions were evaluated by various in vitro assay systems, including 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), superoxide anion, hydroxyl radical-scavenging activity, lipid peroxidation and reducing power assay. The results showed that the ascophyllan fraction AF3 showed stronger free-radical-scavenging abilities and had good antioxidant effect. Available data obtained by in vitro models suggest that there is a correlation between the sulfate content and antioxidant activity.

The focus of the study is to investigate whether the long-term (90 days) oral administration of aspartame (75 mg/kg) has an effect in the anxiety, locomotor activity and emotionality behavior of Wistar strain male Albino rats. Aspartame releases methanol as one of its metabolites during metabolism. To mimic the human methanol metabolism, the methotrexate (MTX)-treated folate-deficient rats were used. Aspartame was administered orally to the MTX-treated animals and was studied along with controls and MTX-treated controls. The locomotor activity and emotionality behavior in the MTX-treated animals did not differ from the controls. However, the aspartame-treated MTX animals showed a marked increase in the immobilization, fecal bolus with a marked decrease in ambulation (peripheral square and central square), rearing, grooming from the control as well the MTX-treated animals. The anxiety state behavior in the MTX-treated animals did not differ from the controls. However, the aspartame-treated MTX animals showed a marked decrease in the number of open arm entry, percentage of open arm entry, time spent in open arm, percentage of time spent in open arm and number of head dips from the control as well the MTX-treated animals. It is relevant to point out that methanol released by aspartame may add an effect in the brain and that could be the additional contributing factor for the observed changes in the locomotor and their anxiety levels. This study intends to substantiate that long-term aspartame consumption can alter the behavior.

The aim of the present study was to predict the anticancer drug from the members of the cyanobacteria. In silico molecular docking was carried out between the cyanobacterial drug, cryptophycin-F and different types of cancer target proteins. Molecular docking also helped to compare the commercial drug, cabazitaxel with cyanobacterial drug, cryptophycin-F. The energy values produced by the cryptophycin-F with various cancer receptor molecules were ranging from − 259.14 to − 330.01 while, cabazitaxel showed − 228.18 to − 385.32. From the above results, it is concluded that cabazitaxel and cryptophycin-F produced more or less similar docking energy with cancer receptor molecules. Therefore, cryptophycin-F, a cyanobacterial drug can be employed as an alternative drug for treating various cancers without any side effects.

The present study was to evaluate the effect of iridoid glucoside on the levels of blood glucose, plasma insulin, serum total protein, albumin, thyroid hormone (T3, T4), TSH, LPO and activities of both enzymic and non-enzymic antioxidants in streptozocin-induced diabetic rats. The levels of blood glucose, TBARS and hydroperoxide were significantly increased whereas the levels of plasma insulin and activities of enzymic antioxidants (SOD, CAT, GPx and GST) and the levels of non-enzymic antioxidants (vitamin C, vitamin E) and reduced glutathione were decreased in the liver and kidney tissues of diabetic rats. In addition, serum levels of total protein, albumin, T3, T4 and TSH were also decreased in diabetic rats when compared to control rats. Oral administration of iridoid glucoside to diabetic rats showed significant ameliorative effects on all the biochemical parameters studied. Moreover, the iridoid glucoside showed free radical scavenging activity assessed by the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) in vitro which may have responsible for these hypoglycemic and improved antioxidant statuses in vivo. The effect produced by iridoid glucoside on various parameters was comparable to that of glibenclamide. These results indicated that iridoid glucoside possesses antidiabetic and antioxidant potential in addition to synthesis and/or secretion of circulating thyroid hormone.

Earthworm powder (EWP), a natural boon for medicine, has showed a wide variety of biological activities, which make it a good candidate for the treatment of many oxidative stress-mediated diseases. The present study is aimed to evaluate its therapeutic potential by estimating the levels of lipid peroxidation and assaying activities for various antioxidants in ISO-induced myocardial infarction bearing rats. Subcutaneous injection of ISO (85 mg/kg body weight administered subcutaneously) to Wistar male rats for 2 consecutive days caused myocardial damage in rat heart, which was determined by the increased activity of lipid peroxidation (LPO). The heart tissue antioxidant enzymes, such as glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD), glutathione reductase (GR), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) and the non-enzymatic antioxidant, like reduced glutathione (GSH), vitamin C and vitamin E levels were altered in MI rats. Further, EWP (200 mg/kg body weight suspended in saline) administration attenuated the antioxidant mechanism from lipid peroxidation. Thus, the modulatory effects of EWP on attenuating the lipid peroxidation, upregulation of both enzymic and non-enzymic antioxidants, and DNA fragmentation afford an assurance for the treatment of myocardial infarction in the future.

Paeonol, an active component extracted from Chinese herbs, Moutan cortex and Cynanchum paniculatum, has been characterized for its various biological activities, including sedation, hypnosis, anti-inflammatory, anti-allergic, and immunoregulation. Recently, paeonol was investigated to regulate the signalling pathways, including NF-κB, PI3K/PTEN/AKT and ERK/JNK/P38/MAPKs activations, which have been proposed to inhibit apoptosis and induce proliferation in human cancer. In this review, we summarized the literature documenting the involvement of the relationship between anti-tumor effect of paeonol and those signalling pathways.

Recent scientific investigation has supported the important role of probiotics as a part of healthy diet for human as well as animals and may be an avenue to provide a safe, cost effective, and natural approach that adds a barrier against microbial infection. The immunomodulatory property of probiotics is the main base of designing clinical studies in various diseased conditions. Diarrhea is one of the most common symptoms in patients with HIV infection and the risk of diarrhea is increased with advanced immunodeficiency and in patients taking antiretroviral therapy. Probiotic supplements proved to be effective in shortening the duration of diarrhea and to enhance humoral responses in children and adults too. Furthermore, it is suggested that genetically bioengineered lactobacilli can significantly decrease the infectivity of HIV. Current clinical studies suggest that expanding the use of probiotics in immunocompromised patients appears promising; however, it is difficult to extrapolate results from these studies to the expected effects on human health due to very limited testing on immune function effects in humans.

The present study was designed to study aluminum chloride which caused marked alterations in biochemical parameters such as glutathione peroxidase, catalase, superoxide dismutase, and TBARS in brain tissues of mice. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy spectra reflect the alterations on major biochemical constituents in brain tissues of mice such as proteins, lipids and nucleic acids due to the overproduction of ROS. Furthermore, administration of deferiprone and deferoxamine significantly improved the level of protein and shifted back the peak positions of amide I and II to near control values indicating tau protein, β-amyloid, amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles decreased, consequently protected from Alzheimer's disease and other major risk factor of many neuronal dysfunctions in brain tissues. Therefore, aluminum toxicity is a widespread crisis to all living organisms, including both flora and fauna. Furthermore, it causes widespread degradation of the environment and health. Therefore, the present investigation suggested that DFO and DFP are efficient chelators for aluminum poisoning and they reduced the aluminum concentration.

The utility of natural products with therapeutic properties is as ancient as human civilization. For a prolonged time, the plant, animal and mineral products were the major sources of drugs. Plant source is the primeval source of drugs as most of the medicines (http://howmed.net/pharmacology/drug/) in earliest times were discovered from plants. Almost all parts of the plants are used i.e. flowers, leaves, stem, bark, fruits and roots, rhizomes, blubs etc. in drug discovery. Flowers are the gift of nature and God kingdom to beautify the atmosphere around the globe throughout all the times. They proliferate fragrance all around along with wind and also have medicinal values. In this review, an attempt has been done to emphasize the phytopharmacological status of several medicinally important flowers such as pharmacological profile like anti-anxiety, anticancer, anti-diabetic, anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, aphrodisiac, anti-arthritic, diuretic, anthelmintic, immunomodulatory, anti-microbial along with its effective dosage. We have also summarized the presence chemical constituents and extracts, which were used for the pharmacological evaluations. Flowers are beautiful creature of spiritual power and phytopharmacological review pave a way of inspiration for drug discovery from their lap of flora.