Journal of medicinal food最新文献

Caffeine is a key component of beverages such as coffee and tea and has effects on the cardiovascular and respiratory systems, prompting a variety of physiological changes. In our previous study, intravenously administered caffeine at high concentrations significantly influenced respiratory rates. However, comparative research on the potential adverse effects of caffeine consumption on the respiratory system is limited. To address this issue, in this study, we focused on evaluating the effects of orally administered caffeine (0, 2, 6, and 20 mg/kg) on the respiratory system of 6-week-old male Sprague-Dawley rats. We measured the respiratory rate, tidal volume, and minute volume following the guidelines set forth by the International Council for Harmonization of Technical Requirements for Pharmaceuticals for Human Use, specifically adhering to Harmonized Tripartite Guideline S7A for Safety Pharmacology Studies for Human Pharmaceuticals. Caffeine administration led to a notable increase in both the respiratory rate and the tidal volume. Conversely, a marked reduction in minute volume was recorded between 0.5 and 2 h following caffeine administration in doses exceeding 6 mg/kg.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa, an opportunistic pathogen, commonly causes hospital-acquired pneumonia. Royal jelly fatty acids (RJFAs), a mixture of various fatty acids extracted from royal jelly, exhibit antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties in treating many infectious diseases. Nevertheless, the therapeutic mechanisms of RJFAs in treatment of acute P. aeruginosa pulmonary infection are still unclear. Herein, we initially extracted the fatty acids from royal jelly and characterized their chemical constituents using headspace gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Furthermore, we examined the antibacterial effect of RJFAs in vitro and explored its therapeutic effect and molecular mechanisms in treating acute P. aeruginosa pulmonary infection in vivo. The in vitro antibacterial studies revealed that RJFAs significantly inhibited P. aeruginosa growth. Moreover, the in vivo studies showed that the RJFAs effectively mitigated the lung damage and inflammation induced by P. aeruginosa through impairing neutrophil infiltration, reducing the bacterial load in lung and diminishing the production of proinflammatory cytokines, including tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α), interleukin (IL-1β), IL-6, and macrophage inflammatory protein-2 (MIP-2). In addition, the mice treated with RJFAs exhibited reduced phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), p38, c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), c-Jun, and nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) p65 in the lung tissues in comparison with that of the mice without drug treatment. These findings demonstrated that RJFAs exhibited significant antibacterial and anti-inflammatory effects in treating the P. aeruginosa-induced acute pneumonia, and the anti-inflammatory effects were exerted through suppressing the mitogen-activated protein kinase/activator protein-1 (MAPK/AP-1) pathway and NF-κB activation, suggesting a promising therapeutic potential of RJFAs against acute bacterial pneumonia.

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a multifaceted metabolic condition, mainly defined by elevated blood glucose levels. A feature of type 2 DM includes insulin resistance (IR), which involves impairments within the insulin signaling pathways. Avenanthramides (AVNs) are phenolic alkaloids found in Avena sativa L. The major AVNs are AVN A, AVN B, and AVN C. They have been reported to offer benefits in preventing inflammation, cancer, and cardiovascular diseases. However, the effects of AVNs on the liver glucose metabolism pathways remain unknown. This study examined the effects and underlying mechanisms through which AVNs alleviate IR induced by free fatty acid (FFA) in HepG2 cells. The results indicated that FFA treatment significantly decreased glucose consumption by 34.54% compared to the control. However, treatments with AVN A, B, and C at 100 μM increased glucose uptake by 57.93%, 58.28%, and 53.10%, respectively, compared to FFA treatment alone. This effect occurs through the increased expression of glucose transporter 4. Furthermore, AVNs significantly enhanced the glycogen content. AVNs induced increased phosphorylation of insulin receptor substrate-1 (IRS-1), phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3K), and protein kinase B (Akt). AVNs treatment decreased the levels of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase and glucose-6-phosphatase in HepG2 cells. This effect was attributed to AMP-activated protein kinase activation and inhibition of forkhead box protein O1. Collectively, these results suggest that AVNs regulate glucose metabolism by activating the IRS-1/PI3K/Akt pathway, which is related to glycogen synthesis, and by inhibiting key molecules that promote gluconeogenesis.

Hypericum perforatum (HP) has been widely used as an alternative medicine due to its active pharmacological properties. While the antiproliferative effects of components such as hypericin and hyperforin have been demonstrated in malignant cell lines, most studies have focused on the pharmacological properties of the HP extract itself. Recent research has indicated that HP and its active substances possess anticancer activities; however, there is a lack of studies examining its effects on osteosarcoma. In addition, HP has demonstrated the ability to mitigate the toxicity of several drugs, including chemotherapeutic agents. Hence, the primary objective of this study was to explore the potential anticancer properties of HP in relation to osteosarcoma cells. MG-63 human osteosarcoma cells were cultured and treated with HP extract. Apoptotic factors were analyzed using ELISA, while cell viability was assessed using the MTT test. The results revealed a significant increase in the activities of proapoptotic proteins GRP78, Wee1, apoptosis-inducing factor (AIF), GADD153, Bax, and cleaved caspase-3 in MG-63 osteosarcoma cells after 48 hours of treatment with HP at a concentration of 0.8%. Conversely, the activity of Bcl-2, an antiapoptotic protein, significantly decreased. Moreover, HP extract demonstrated a dose-dependent reduction in cell viability in MG-63 cells. In conclusion, HP extract induces apoptosis in MG-63 osteosarcoma cells by upregulating the expressions of proapoptotic proteins GRP78, Wee1, AIF, GADD153, Bax, and cleaved caspase-3. This study will assist researchers in understanding the importance of alternative treatments using HP in the context of human osteosarcoma therapy, which many researchers are currently unaware of.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a developmental disability that can create significant challenges in behavior and communication. The prevalence of ASD is over 2% among 8-year-old children and the prevalence is similar across the globe. We suggest there are multiple critical periods during the fetal period and early post-natal years that set conditions for neurotypical development or for autism, via mechanisms that impact immunity. One critical period requires folate, a key methyl donor, with insufficient folate conditioning for ASD. Another critical period is altered by oxidative stress or inflammation, possibly linked to insufficient taurine to support microglial immunity, causing inflammatory-triggered alterations of neurotypical development, or by excessive oxidation related to low cysteine availability. We propose that supplementing reduced folate and taurine early in development, including both fetal and post-natal periods, may be most effective in reducing the severity of ASD symptoms by facilitating neurotypical passage through critical neurodevelopmental periods.

Stingless bee honey is a natural product consisting of sugars, organic acids, proteins, minerals, vitamins, phenolic compounds, and flavonoids. Due to its healing properties, honey is often used in phytotherapy and for homemade syrups. The search for natural therapeutic alternatives has been an increasing trend in recent years, mainly due to the side effects of artificial drugs and increasing antibiotic resistance. Therefore, the aim of this study was to characterize physicochemical properties and the antimicrobial activity of honey from different species of stingless bees against the pathogenicity of the bacteria Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus and to determine the minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) and minimum bactericidal concentrations (MBCs). Honey samples from 15 different species of stingless bees from different regions of Brazil were used, and the analysis was performed by the broth microdilution method. We found a large variation in the physicochemical features among all the samples and no correlation to the MIC or MBC. It was also found that honey produced by Melipona rufiventris and Scaptotrigona tubiba were the most effective in combating pathogenic microorganisms due to its high antimicrobial activity, comparable to the results found for propolis. These data are important for the development of new strategies for the prevention and control of diseases caused by pathogenic microorganisms.

In this study, two high-content flavonoid derivatives [3-8 biapigenin (HM 104) and quercetin-3-O-β-d-galactopyranoside (HM 111)] were obtained through the bioactivity-guided isolation of antidiabetic compounds from Hypericum monogynum flowers. HM 104 and HM 111 exhibited good glucose consumption in fatty acid-induced insulin-resistant HepG2 cells. Moreover, both active compounds enhanced glucose uptake by restoring the expression of key regulators of glucose metabolism, including insulin receptor substrate 1, phosphoinositide 3-kinase, protein kinase B, and glucose transporter type 4, and by mitigating the expression of forkhead box O1 and the factors involved in gluconeogenesis. They upregulate the phosphorylation of glycogen synthase kinase-3β, which may affect glycogen synthesis. Furthermore, the production of reactive oxygen species was decreased by the two compounds. This study provides novel mechanistic insights into the protective effects of flavonoid derivatives isolated from H. monogynum flowers in preventing and managing insulin resistance and associated metabolic disorders.

To identify the effect of Cinnamomum zeylanicum (CZ) aqueous extract on glucose, triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, and blood pressure in male Wistar rats, fed with a high-fat and high-fructose diet (HFFD). Twenty-four male Wistar rats were randomized into four groups: Healthy (fed with standard diet), Healthy + CZ (fed with standard diet + CZ extract), HFFD (fed with HFFD), HFFD+CZ, (fed with HFFD + CZ extract). The CZ aqueous extract was administered 100 mg/kg/day by oral gavage to each rat for 8 weeks. Blood samples, blood pressure, and weight were taken at the beginning and end of the experiment. The rats were euthanized after the experiment, according to the Mexican Official Standard NOM-062-ZOOO-1999. The administration of CZ aqueous extract significantly decreased glucose levels (F[1,18]=46.458, P < .001). The interaction between the type of diet and the extract had an effect on triglycerides (F[1,18]=14.93, P = .001), and systolic (F[1,18]=127, P < .001) and diastolic blood pressure levels (F[1,18]=146.13, P < .001) in male Wistar rats. HFFD, plus the administration of CZ aqueous extract over 8 weeks, significantly improved glucose, triglyceride, and systolic and diastolic blood pressure levels, regulating metabolic parameters in male Wistar rats.

Moringa (Moringa oleifera Lam., Moringaceae), West Indian mahogany (Swietenia mahagoni [L.] Jacq., Meliaceae), and Cerasee (Momordica charantia L., Cucurbitaceae) are plants that are used for medicinal purposes in The Bahamas. They have various medicinal uses, including treating diabetes, anemia, inflammation, dermatological issues, backaches, cold, flu, and gastrointestinal problems. This review aims to summarize the current knowledge about natural products found in The Bahamas that can be used to treat diabetes mellitus. The search terms "Moringa oleifera Lam.," "Swietenia mahagoni (L.)," "Momordica charantia L.," "Tecoma stans," "Persea americana," "Psidium guajava," "Hamelia patens," and "Carica papaya L." in combination with "diabetes" were utilized to obtain pertinent data by searching PubMed and Google Scholar. Moringa oleifera Lam. significantly decreased fasting glucose levels in rodents after 3 months of consumption. The ethanolic extract of S. mahagoni seeds and the methanol extract of its bark can decrease blood glucose levels. Momordica charantia L. and H. patens Jacq. produce the same hypoglycemic effects as metformin. The plant extracts and compounds of T. stans (L.) Juss. ex Kunth, P. americana Mill., P. guajava L., and C. papaya L. showed diverse pharmacological activities such as reducing fasting glucose, lowering blood pressure and blood sugar, decreasing total triglycerides and total cholesterol, and improving structural damage of cardiac muscles caused by diabetes. Literature analysis reveals that the diverse pharmacological activities of various plants native to The Bahamas show promise as a medicinal food in the treatment of diabetes.