PMID:  Ren Fail. 2023 Dec ;45(1):2164202. PMID: 36908215 Abstract Title:  Effect of aromatherapy on quality of life in maintenance hemodialysis patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Abstract:  Aromatherapy has been used for patients on maintenance hemodialysis (MHD), but the outcomes are still controversial. Thus, we conducted this study to systematically evaluate the effect of aromatherapy on the quality of life of patients on MHD.We searched the PubMed, Embays, Scopus, Web of Science, and CNKI databases for randomized controlled trials that evaluated the use of aromatherapy in dialysis patients and reported at least one outcome of interest.Twenty-two relevant studies were included in the meta-analysis. The meta-analysis revealed that aromatherapy significantly increased subjective sleep quality (a lower score indicates better sleep quality) [standardized mean difference (SMD) = -1.52, 95% CI (-2.38, -0.67),

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PMID:  Intensive Crit Care Nurs. 2023 Jun ;76:103396. Epub 2023 Feb 2. PMID: 36738535 Abstract Title:  Effectiveness of aromatherapy on anxiety and sleep quality among adult patients admitted into intensive care units: A systematic review. Abstract:  PURPOSE: This review aims to evaluate the effectiveness of aromatherapy on anxiety and sleep quality among adult patients admitted to an intensive care unit.MATERIALS AND METHODS: A systematic search for published and unpublished studies across nine databases and sources were conducted. Randomised Controlled Trials and Controlled Clinical Trials, which assessed the effectiveness of aromatherapy on anxiety and sleep quality among intensive care unit patients, were included in this review. Only studies that used aromatherapy as a single intervention were included. Narrative synthesis was conducted across all outcomes due to high heterogeneity across studies.RESULTS: A total of 26 studies involving 2176 participants across six countries were included in this review. Most studies had an overall high risk of bias. Publication bias was detected in the studies. Findings have shown that aromatherapy may be effective in reducing anxiety based on the low GRADE certainty of evidence, and improving sleep quality based on the very low GRADE certainty of evidence. Inconsistencies in findings were also observed.CONCLUSION: Aromatherapy might be beneficial on anxiety and sleep quality among intensive care unit patients, however, the level of evidence is very low, based on the low quality of studies. Considerations can be made to incorporate aromatherapy into existing interventions that improve anxiety and sleep quality in the intensive care unit. Due to inconsistencies in findings, further research can be done to investigate and strengthen these evidence.IMPLICATION FOR CLINICAL PRACTICE: This review has demonstrated that aromatherapy may have benefits on anxiety and sleep quality. Despite uncertain evidence, aromatherapy may still be considered as a complementary or alternative option to improve anxiety and sleep quality among intensive care patients as it is relatively safe, cost-effective and easy to implement (Buckle, 2014). However, proper training by a professional clinical aromatherapist is needed to ensure there is screening of patients for suitability, proper technique for administering aromatherapy, safe handling of essential oils and monitoring for adverse events (Farrar&Farrar, 2020).

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PMID:  J Perianesth Nurs. 2023 Apr ;38(2):206-212. Epub 2023 Feb 1. PMID: 36732122 Abstract Title:  Implementation of Aromatherapy, a Nonpharmacological Intervention, to Reduce Anxiety During the Preoperative Period. Abstract:  PURPOSE: The purpose of the project was to answer the following question: Does the implementation of aromatherapy before surgery reduce preoperative anxiety in adult surgical patients undergoing elective surgery?DESIGN: This evidence-based project was a quality improvement initiative that used pre- and poststate anxiety evaluations to determine the effect of aromatherapy on preoperative anxiety among adults undergoing elective surgery.METHODS: The project team conducted a literature review to evaluate the appropriateness of using aromatherapy to decrease preoperative anxiety. The team delivered pre- and postaromatherapy State Trait Anxiety Inventory for Adults (STAIAD) Short form Y-1 questionnaire and administered an aromatherapy diffuser clip comprised of three evidence-based scented oils to determine the effect of aromatherapy on preoperative anxiety among adults undergoing elective surgery.FINDINGS: Pre- and postaromatherapy (STAIAD) Short Form Y-1 questionnaires indicated that exposure to aromatherapy significantly reduced preoperative anxiety. There was a statistically and clinically significant difference in state anxiety score after aromatherapy exposure, with a mean state change of 17.42 points (P

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PMID:  Front Psychol. 2022 ;13:1042553. Epub 2023 Jan 6. PMID: 36687893 Abstract Title:  Aromatherapy with inhalation effectively alleviates the test anxiety of college students: A meta-analysis. Abstract:  OBJECTIVE: Test anxiety is one of the common psychological and behavioral problems of college students, which can result in poor academic performance and even academic failure. Aromatherapy has been proposed as a promising method to reduce test anxiety in college students, but its precise efficacy has not been fully confirmed. This meta-analysis evaluated the effects of aromatherapy on the symptoms of test anxiety in college students to serve as a reference for future research and provide more scientific and exact evidence.METHODS: PubMed, The Cochrane Library, Web of Science, Embase, CINAHL, Science Direct, Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Chinese Science and Technology Journal Full-Text Database (VIP), and Wanfang Data were electronically searched from inception to June 2022 to identify randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on aromatherapy for treating students' test anxiety. The Cochrane Risk of Bias Assessment Tool for RCTs was used by two reviewers to critically and independently assess the methodological quality of the included studies. Review Manager 5.4 was used for the meta-analysis. Stata 17.0 was used for sensitivity analysis and Egger's test.RESULTS: Seven RCTs included 425 patients, with a moderate risk of bias in the included studies. The meta-analysis found that aromatherapy effectively reduced test anxiety in college students (SMD = -0.67,

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PMID:  Int Wound J. 2023 Jan 18. Epub 2023 Jan 18. PMID: 36651329 Abstract Title:  Effects of aromatherapy with Rosa damascene and lavender on pain and anxiety of burn patients: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Abstract:  Pain and anxiety were considered the most common complications of treatment procedures in burn patients. Non-pharmacological drugs, including aromatherapy, can decrease these issues. This systematic review and meta-analysis aim to summarise the effects of aromatherapy with Rosa damascene (RD) and lavender on the pain and anxiety of burn patients. A systematic search was performed on international electronic databases such as Scopus, PubMed, and Web of Science, as well as on Iranian electronic databases such as Iranmedex and Scientific Information Database (SID) with keywords extracted from Medical Subject Headings such as "Burns", "Pain", "Pain management", "Anxiety", and "Aromatherapy" were performed from the earliest to November 1, 2022. The Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) critical appraisal checklist assessed the quality of randomised control trials (RCTs) and quasi-experimental studies. STATA v.14 software was used to estimate pooled effect size. Heterogeneity was assessed with Ivalue. Random effect model and inverse-variance method using sample size, mean, and standard deviation changes were applied to determine standard mean differences (SMD). The confidence interval of 95% was considered to determine the confidence level. A total of 586 burn patients participated in six studies, including three RCT studies and three quasi-experimental studies. The results based on RCT studies showed RD significantly decreased the dressing pain average when compared to the control group (SMD: -1.61, 95%CI: -2.32 to -0.99, Z = 5.09, I: 66.2%, P 

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PMID:  Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2023 ;2023:4926151. Epub 2023 Apr 10. PMID: 37078068 Abstract Title:  Effect ofExtract on Rat Model Alzheimer's Disease: A Histopathological, Behavioral, Enzyme Activities, and Oxidative Stress Study. Abstract:  The purpose of the current study is to investigate the effect of aquaticextract against the oxidative damage induced by aluminum chloride intoxication in Alzheimer's model of Wister rats. Rats were divided randomly into seven groups (=10). Control group received no treatment, sham group received distilled water orally, aluminum group (AL) was administered AlCl(100mg/kg) orally, extract 1 and 2 groups were treated with only aqueousextract (DRE) (500 and 1000mg/kg), and treatment 1 and 2 groups received aqueousextract (500 and 1000mg/kg) and AlCl(100mg/kg) orally. The brain tissues were sampled for histopathological examination, and biochemical analysis was conducted for estimating the enzyme activities of acetylcholinesterase and catalase (CAT), the levels of GSH and MDA, and ferric reducing antioxidant power. According to the results of behavioral tests, AL administration showed a reduction in spatial memory and remarkably increased the time needed for reaching the invisible platform. The administration of Al-induced oxidative stress and an increase of the enzyme activity of AChE. Al administration increased AChE level from 1.1760.173 to 3.620.348, which was a significant rise. However, treating with the extract at the dose of 1000mg/kg downregulated it to 1.560.303. Administration of theextract caused an increased level of catalase and glutathione levels in treatment groups, attenuated MDA level, and regulated AChE activity. Our results illustrate that administration ofextract has a protective effect against the oxidative damage induced by AlClintoxication in Alzheimer's model.

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PMID:  Biofactors. 2023 Mar ;49(2):415-427. Epub 2022 Dec 27. PMID: 36573713 Abstract Title:  Rosa gallica and its active compound, cyanidin-3,5-O-diglucoside, improve skin hydration via the GLK signaling pathway. Abstract:  Rosa gallica has been previously reported to display anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidative, and anti-skin wrinkle activities. However, the effect of Rosa gallica on skin hydration and its active components are largely unknown. Herein, we aimed to investigate the skin hydration effect of rose petal extract (RPE) in humans and elucidate the underlying molecular mechanism. A double-blinded clinical study was performed to investigate the effect of RPE on skin hydration. Stratum corneum moisture analysis demonstrated that RPE treatment significantly improved hydration levels in human skin. Furthermore, HAS2 and hyaluronic acid levels were notably increased by RPE in keratinocytes and 3D human skin equivalent model. By comparing the modulatory effect on HAS2 expression, cyanidin-3,5-O-diglucoside (CDG) was identified as the most potent compound in RPE likely responsible for skin hydration. The kinase activity of GLK, an upstream regulator of MAPK signaling, was increased by CDG in a dose-dependent manner. Importantly, silencing GLK reversed CDG-mediated HAS2 upregulation, further supporting the involvement of GLK in the CDG-mediated effects. Binding of CDG to GLK was confirmed by pull-down assay and computer modeling. These findings suggest that RPE and its active component CDG increases skin hydration by upregulating HAS2 expression through modulating the GLK-MAP2K-MAPK signaling pathway.

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PMID:  J Ethnopharmacol. 2023 Sep 15 ;313:116541. Epub 2023 Apr 23. PMID: 37088237 Abstract Title:  Rosa canina L. improves learning and memory-associated cognitive impairment by regulating glucose levels and reducing hippocampal insulin resistance in high-fat diet/streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. Abstract:  ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Recent studies claim that Type-2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and Alzheimer's disease (AD) overlap in several common pathological pathways which from neuronal damage to impaired memory performance. It is known that the use of Rosa canina L. (R. canina) as medicine in folk medicine dates back to ancient times and is used in the treatment of nervous diseases in Persian medicine. However, the effect of R. canina on diabetes-related cognitive decline and memory impairment has not yet been studied.AIM OF THE STUDY: We evaluated the impact of T2DM on AD-like alterations and examined the molecular mechanism of a possible effect of R. canina on cognitive alterations in diabetic rats.MATERIALS&METHODS: R. canina ethanol extract was obtained by maceration method. This study was performed with male Sprague-Dawley rats fed with a high-fat diet (HFD) for 8 weeks, low-dose streptozotocin (STZ; 35 mg/kg IP) injection for 4 weeks, and R. canina (250 mg/kg; per oral) and metformin (400 mg/kg; per oral) administration for 4 weeks. The weight and blood glucose of rats were measured weekly. To evaluate glucose tolerance area under the curve (AUC) was calculated by performing an oral glucose tolerance test. Then the rats were subjected to behavioural tests, and their hippocampus and cortex tissues were obtained for biochemical and morphological analyses.RESULTS: R. canina could manage glucose responsiveness by reducing post-prandial blood glucose levels, preventing weight loss, and raising serum insulin levels in T2DM-induced rats. Behavioural tests showed that R. canina significantly improves diabetes-related cognitive decline in recall and long-term memory. Treatment with R. canina significantly reversed HFD/STZ-induced increases in insulin, amyloid-, amyloid precursor protein levels, and acetylcholinesterase activity in the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus. Furthermore, histological analyzes revealed the protection of R. canina against neuronal disruption in the cortical and hippocampal CA3 region caused by chronic hyperglycemia.CONCLUSION: Analyzed collectively, these results suggest that R. canina can correct T2DM-related cognitive decline may be attributed to insulin pathway modulation, prevention of amyloid deposition, and increased cholinergic transmission.

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PMID:  Avicenna J Phytomed. 2023 ;13(1):7-17. PMID: 36698735 Abstract Title:  Protective effects of hydroalcoholic extract ofL. fruit on cyclophosphamide-induced testicular toxicity in mice. Abstract:  OBJECTIVE: Cyclophosphamide (CP)-induced testicular toxicity has been reported in recipient patients. The current study was designed to evaluate protective effects of hydroalcoholic extract ofL. fruit (HARF) against CP-induced testicular toxicity in BALB/c mice.MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty-five mice were divided into five groups as follows: group I (control), group II (CP, received CP 100 mg/kg on days 1, 8, 15, and 22), group III (CP + HARF 250 mg/kg), group IV (CP + HARF 500 mg/kg), and group V (CP + HARF 750 mg/kg). In the groups III, IV, and V that received CP, the HARF was simultaneously administered via intraperitoneal injections for 28 consecutive days starting from day 1. On the 29day, sperm parameters, stress oxidative biomarkers, and mRNA expression ofin testis tissue, as well as blood testosterone were evaluated.RESULTS: The CP exposure decreased sperm parameters, superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, testosterone, andmRNA expression levels and increased the malondialdehyde (MDA). HARF at the dose of 500 mg/kg improved sperm count and viability and increased SOD and catalase activities, glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activity, testosterone level, andexpression and reduced MDA. Also, HARF at the dose of 750 mg/kg improved sperm parameters and increased SOD, catalase, and GPx activities, total testosterone level, andexpression, and reduced MDA in comparison with the CP group.CONCLUSION: According to our findings, HARF at the doses of 500 and 750 mg/kg inhibited the ruinous effects of CP on the reproductive system in mice.

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PMID:  Food Res Int. 2023 Feb ;164:112362. Epub 2022 Dec 28. PMID: 36737950 Abstract Title:  Pingyin Rose Essential Oil Restores Intestinal Barrier Integrity in DSS-induced Mice Colitis Model. Abstract:  Rosa rugosa cv. Plena is a 'drug homologous food' in China with a long history. Pingyin rose essential oil (PREO) is a mixture of compounds extracted from blooming R. rugosa cv. Plena. With its elegant smell and excellent effects on oxidative stress and inflammation alleviation, PREO is wildly used in the food industry as a popular additive. We aimed to decipher if the PREO could alleviate and restore dextran sodium sulfate (DSS)-induced barrier integrity damages. The results showed that a 7-day PREO (15 L/kg) treatment alleviated the colitis symptoms by improving disease activity index (DAI) scores through weight loss, occult blood, and colon shortening. The expression of tight junction proteins and the enzyme activities of superoxide dismutases (SOD), and catalase (CAT) increased while nitric oxide (NO), malondialdehyde (MDA), and myeloperoxidase (MPO) production decreased in PREO-treated C57BL6 female mice. PREO treatment inhibited the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines tumor necrosis factor (TNF-), interleukin (IL)-1, and IL-6. Further, PREO modulated the composition of the gut microbiota and Spearman's correlation analysis revealed a positive effect. The transcriptome analysis and western blot results indicated that PREO might ameliorate intestinal barrier dysfunction in this study via the TLR4-NF-kB signaling pathway. We hypothesized that PREO has preventive potential against gut disorders and could serve as a functional food additive.

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PMID:  Molecules. 2023 Mar 20 ;28(6). Epub 2023 Mar 20. PMID: 36985786 Abstract Title:  Ethanol Extract of. Fruit Inhibits Inflammatory Responses through NF-B/MAPK Signaling Pathways via AMPK Activation in RAW 264.7 Macrophages. Abstract:  The fruit of. (FR), a traditional Chinese herb utilized for the treatment of a variety diseases, has notably diverse pharmacological activities including hepatoprotective, anti-oxidant, and anti-inflammatory effects. Despite ongoing research on illustrating the underlying anti-inflammatory mechanism of FR, the principal mechanism remained inadequately understood. In this study, we investigated in depth the molecular mechanism of the anti-inflammatory actions of the ethanol extract of FR (EFR) and its potential targets using lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophages in vitro. We showed that EFR effectively ameliorated the overproduction of inflammatory mediators and cytokines, as well as the expression of related genes. It was further demonstrated that LPS-induced activation of nuclear factor kappa B (NF-B) and mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) were significantly inhibited by pretreatment with EFR, accompanied by a concomitant decrease in the nuclear translocation of the p65 subunit of NF-B and activator protein 1 (AP-1). In addition, EFR pretreatment potently prevented LPS-induced decreased phosphorylation of adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK). Our data also revealed that the activation of AMPK and subsequent inhibition of the mammalian target of the rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway was probably responsible for the inhibitory effect of EFR on LPS-induced inflammatory responses, evidenced by reverse changes observed under the condition of AMPK inactivation following co-treatment with the AMPK-specific inhibitor Compound C. Finally, the main components with an anti-inflammatory effect in EFR were identified as madecassic acid, ellagic acid, quinic acid, and procyanidin C1 by LC-MS and testified based on the inhibition of NO production and inflammatory mediator expression. Taken together, our results indicated that EFR was able to ameliorate inflammatory responses via the suppression of MAPKs/NF-B signaling pathways following AMPK activation, suggesting the therapeutic potential of EFR for inflammatory diseases.

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PMID:  J Dent Sci. 2023 Jan ;18(1):203-210. Epub 2022 Jun 30. PMID: 36643242 Abstract Title:  Music therapy and aromatherapy on dental anxiety and fear: A randomized controlled trial. Abstract:  BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: Dental anxiety and fear in children are major public health concerns. This study aimed to determine the effectiveness of music therapy combined with aromatherapy, in reducing the children's dental anxiety and fear.MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 128 school-age children aged 10-12 years were randomly allocated into 4 groups: a control group with 32 volunteers, an experimental group that received music therapy, with 33 volunteers, an aromatherapy experimental group with 31 volunteers, and 32 volunteers in an experimental group with music therapy combined with aromatherapy.RESULTS: The results found that within-group comparisons before and after the experiment revealed the outcomes with a statistically significant change at the 0.05 level of each group as follows. The control group had increased heart rate. The music therapy group showed decreased dental anxiety and fear and systolic blood pressure. The aromatherapy experimental group exhibited increased oxygen saturation. The experimental group receiving music therapy combined with aromatherapy showed decreased dental anxiety and fear, heart rate, and systolic and diastolic blood pressure as well as increased oxygen saturation values. In addition, it was found that music therapy combined with aromatherapy had a co-influence on dental anxiety and fear (F = 22.22, 

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PMID:  World J Gastrointest Surg. 2023 Mar 27 ;15(3):471-479. PMID: 37032801 Abstract Title:  Effect of music therapy on chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting in gastrointestinal cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Abstract:  BACKGROUND: Chemotherapy is the primary treatment for patients with advanced gastrointestinal cancer, but it has many adverse reactions, particularly nausea and vomiting. Music therapy can reduce anxiety symptoms, avoid the response to the human body under various stress conditions through psychological adjustment, and improve the adverse reactions of chemotherapy.AIM: To investigate the impact of music therapy on relieving gastrointestinal adverse reactions in chemotherapy for patients with digestive tract cancer by meta-analysis.METHODS: EMBASE, PubMed, OVID, WoS, CNKI, CBM, and VIP database were all used for searching relevant literature, and the efficacy after treatment was combined for analysis and evaluation.RESULTS: This study included seven articles. The results of meta-analysis indicated that music therapy could reduce the nausea symptom score of patients after chemotherapy [mean difference (MD) = -3.15, 95% confidence interval (CI): -4.62 to -1.68,= -4.20,

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PMID:  BMC Complement Med Ther. 2023 Apr 6 ;23(1):110. Epub 2023 Apr 6. PMID: 37024863 Abstract Title:  Adjuvant music therapy for patients with hypertension: a meta-analysis and systematic review. Abstract:  BACKGROUND: High blood pressure, anxiety, depression and sleep disorder is very common in patients with hypertension. We aimed to perform a meta-analysis to evaluate the effects of adjuvant music therapy for patients with hypertension, to provide insights to the clinical management of hypertension.METHODS: Two authors searched PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, the Cochrane Library, Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure, China Biomedical Literature Database, Wanfang Databases for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on the role of music therapy in hypertension up to Oct 15, 2022. RevMan 5.3 software was used for meta-analysis.RESULTS: A total of 20 RCTs including 2306 patients were finally included. 1154 patients received music therapy. Meta-analysis showed that music therapy can effectively reduce the systolic blood pressure(MD=-9.00, 95%CI: -11.99~- 6.00), diastolic blood pressure(MD = -6.53, 95%CI: -9.12~- 3.93), heart rate (MD = -3.76, 95%CI: -7.32~- 0.20), self-rating anxiety scale (SAS) score(MD =-8.55, 95%CI: -12.04~-4.12), self-rating depression scale (SDS) score(MD = -9.17, 95%CI: -13.85~-5.18), Hamilton anxiety scale (HAMA), score(MD = -3.37, 95%CI: -5.38~- 1.36), PSQI score(MD =-1.61, 95%CI:-2.30~- 0.93) compared with routine therapy in patients with hypertension(all P0.05).CONCLUSION: Music therapy can effectively control blood pressure and heart rate, reduce anxiety and depression levels, and improve sleep quality in hypertensive patients. Limited by the quantity and quality of included studies, the above conclusions need to be verified by more high-quality studies.

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PMID:  Medicina (Kaunas). 2023 Mar 1 ;59(3). Epub 2023 Mar 1. PMID: 36984483 Abstract Title:  Music Therapy: A Noninvasive Treatment to Reduce Anxiety and Pain of Colorectal Cancer Patients-A Systemic Literature Review. Abstract:  Music interventions have been used for patients with cancer to meet their psychological, physical, social, and spiritual needs. This review identified the efficacy of music therapy among adult patients with colorectal cancer (CRC).We searched the PubMed/MEDLINE, CINAHL, and Cochrane Library databases. Only randomized controlled studies reported in English of patients with CRC were included. Two reviewers independently extracted data on patients and intervention measurements. The main outcomes included pain, anxiety, quality of life, mood, nausea, vomiting, vital signs.A total of 147 articles were identified from the search. A total of 10 studies were included in the review. Nine out of the ten studies (90%) showed statistically and clinically significant improvements across the outcome variables. Only one study (10%) found no significant positive effect from music therapy in any of the measured outcomes. Among the seven studies measuring pain as an outcome, four studies (57%) demonstrated that music therapy reduced pain. Three studies (75%) showed that MT reduced anxiety.This systemic review indicates that music therapy might help reduce pain and anxiety for cancer patients, including those with colorectal cancer, who are receiving treatment in palliative care, inpatient care and outpatient care settings.

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PMID:  Metab Brain Dis. 2023 Jun ;38(5):1555-1572. Epub 2023 Mar 6. PMID: 36877342 Abstract Title:  Elderberry diet improves gut-brain axis dysfunction, neuroinflammation, and cognitive impairment in the rat model of irritable bowel syndrome. Abstract:  Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is related to a problem in the gut-brain axis. This experimental research aimed to shed light on the potential therapeutic application of elderberry (EB), which can work on the axis and get better the IBS symptoms. There were three groups (36 Sprague-Dawley rats) in this experiment, including control, IBS, and IBS with EB diet (IBS+EB). Making use of intracolonic instillation of 1 ml of 4% acetic acid for 30 s, IBS was induced. 7 days later, the EB extract (2%) was added to the diets of all animals for 8 weeks. Some histological, behavioral, and stereological techniques were used to detect the effects of EB on the gut and brain tissues. The findings showed that the EB diet improved locomotion and decreased anxiety-like behavior in the rat models of IBS. Moreover, the diet dropped the expression of TNF-and increased mucosal layer thickness and the number of goblet and mast cells in colon tissue samples. In the hippocampal samples, administration of EB prevented astrogliosis and astrocyte reactivity. Although hippocampal and cortical neurons decreased markedly in the IBS group, EB prevented the drop in the number of neurons. Although lots of research is needed to elucidate the effectiveness of EB in IBS and its exact molecular mechanism, the result of this study showed that EB as an antioxidant and immune-modulatory agent could be a promising research target to prevent the impairment in the gut-brain axis, and could ameliorative classic IBS symptoms.

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PMID:  Complement Ther Med. 2023 May ;73:102935. Epub 2023 Feb 24. PMID: 36842635 Abstract Title:  Effects of almond intake on oxidative stress parameters: A systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical trials. Abstract:  BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Several randomized controlled trials (RCTs) have shown that almonds can improve oxidative stress indices, but the results are controversial. Therefore, the goal of this research was to carry out a systematic review and meta-analysis of all RCTs that evaluated the effect of almonds on selected oxidative stress indices.METHODS: A systematic search was conducted up to April 2022 on PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar. We have selected the studies that investigated the effects of almonds on malondialdehyde (MDA), and oxidized low-density lipoprotein (Ox-LDL) levels in adults. Data were pooled by using the random-effects model. The risk of bias in individual studies was assessed using the Cochrane Collaboration risk of bias tool.RESULTS: Seven RCTs involving 424 participants were analyzed. The results indicated that almond intake led to a significant decrease in MDA levels (WMD: - 6.63 nmol/ml; 95 % CI: - 8.72 to - 4.54; P 

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PMID:  Naunyn Schmiedebergs Arch Pharmacol. 2023 Apr 21. Epub 2023 Apr 21. PMID: 37083713 Abstract Title:  Myricetin: a potential plant-derived anticancer bioactive compound-an updated overview. Abstract:  The globe is currently confronting a global fight against the deadliest cancer sickness. Chemotherapy, hormonal therapy, surgery, and radiation therapy are among cancer treatment options. Still, these treatments can induce patient side effects, including recurrence, multidrug resistance, fever, and weakness. As a result, the scientific community is always working on natural phytochemical substances. Numerous phytochemical compounds, including taxol analogues, vinca alkaloids such as vincristine and vinblastine, and podophyllotoxin analogues, are currently undergoing testing and have shown promising results against a number of the deadliest diseases, as well as considerable advantages due to their safety and low cost. According to research, secondary plant metabolites such as myricetin, a flavonoid in berries, herbs, and walnuts, have emerged as valuable bio-agents for cancer prevention. Myricetin and its derivatives have antiinflammatory, anticancer, apoptosis-inducing, and anticarcinogenic properties and can prevent cancer cell proliferation. Multiple studies have found that myricetin has anticancer characteristics in various malignancies, including colon, breast, prostate, bladder, and pancreatic cancers. Current knowledge of the anticancer effects of myricetin reveals its promise as a potentially bioactive chemical produced from plants for the prevention and treatment of cancer. This review aimed to study the numerous bioactivities, mode of action, and modification of several cellular processes that myricetin possesses to impede the spread of cancer cells. This review also addresses the challenges and future prospects of using myricetin as a anticancer drug.

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PMID:  Phytomedicine. 2023 Jul ;115:154801. Epub 2023 Apr 6. PMID: 37086707 Abstract Title:  Myricetin improves pathological changes in 3Tg-AD mice by regulating the mitochondria-NLRP3 inflammasome-microglia channel by targeting P38 MAPK signaling pathway. Abstract:  BACKGROUND: Alzheimer's disease (AD) represents the common neurodegenerative disease featured by the manifestations of cognitive impairment and memory loss. AD could be alleviated with medication and improving quality of life. Clinical treatment of AD is mainly aimed at improving the cognitive function of patients. Donepezil, memantine and galantamine are commonly used drug. But they could only relieve AD, not cure it. Therefore, new treatment strategies focusing on AD pathogenesis are of great significance and value. Myricetin (Myr) is a natural flavonoid extracted from Myrica rubra. And it shows different bioactivities, such as anti-inflammation, antioxidation as well as central nervous system (CNS) activities. Nonetheless, its associated mechanism in treating AD remains unknown.PURPOSE: Here we focused on investigating Myr's effect on treating AD and exploring if its protection on the nervous system activity was associated with specifically inhibiting P38 MAPK signaling pathway while regulating mitochondria-NLRP3 inflammasome-microglia.STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: This work utilized triple transgenic mice (3  Tg-AD) as AD models and Awas used to induce BV2 cells to build an in vitro AD model. Behavioristics, pathology and related inflammatory factors were examined. Molecular mechanisms are investigated by western-blot, immunofluorescence staining, CETSA, molecular docking, network pharmacology.RESULTS: According to our findings, Myr could remarkably improve memory loss, spatial learning ability, Aplaque deposition, neuronal and synaptic damage in 3  Tg-AD mice through specifically inhibiting P38 MAPK pathway activation while restraining microglial hyperactivation. Furthermore, Myr promoted the transformation of microglial phenotype, restored the mitochondrial fission-fusion balance, facilitated mitochondrial biogenesis, and restrained NLRP3 inflammasome activation and neuroinflammation. For the in-vitro experiments, P38 agonist dehydrocorydaline (DHC) was utilized to confirm the key regulatory role of P38 MAPK signaling pathway on the mitochondria-NLRP3 inflammasome-microglia channel.CONCLUSIONS: Our results revealed the therapeutic efficacy of Myr in experimental AD, and implied that the associated mechanism is possibly associated with inhibiting tmitochondrial dysfunction, activating NLRP3 inflammasome, and neuroinflammation which was mediated by P38 MAPK pathway. Myr is the drug candidate in AD therapy via targeting P38 MAPK pathway.

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PMID:  Toxicology. 2023 Jun 1 ;491:153518. Epub 2023 Apr 23. PMID: 37098359 Abstract Title:  Quercetin protects against levetiracetam induced gonadotoxicity in rats. Abstract:  The purpose of this study was to determine whether quercetin may counteract the negative effects of levetiracetam on rat reproductive capabilities by examining its influence on a few reproductive parameters following levetiracetam administration. Twenty (20) experimental rats were employed, with five (n = 5) animals per treatment group. Rats in group 1 received saline (10 mL/kg, p.o.) which served as control. Quercetin (20 mg/kg, p.o./day) was given to groups 2 and 4 for 28 days starting from 29 to 56 days, respectively. However, animals in groups 3-4 received LEV (300 mg/kg) once daily for 56 days with a 30-minute break in between treatments. All rats had their serum sex hormone levels, sperm characteristics, testicular antioxidant capability, and levels of oxido-inflammatory/apoptotic mediators evaluated. Additionally, the expression of proteins associated to BTB, autophagy, stress response was examined in rat testes. LEV increased sperm morphological defects and decreased sperm motility, sperm viability, sperm count body weight and testes weight, MDA and 8OHdG levels in the testis of LEV-treated rats were elevated, while antioxidant enzyme expression was concurrently decreased. Additionally, it reduced the levels of serum gonadotropins, testosterone, mitochondrial membrane potential, and cytochrome C liberation into the cytosol from the mitochondria. Caspase-3 and Caspase-9 activity increased. While Bcl-2, Cx-43, Nrf2, HO-1, mTOR, and Atg-7 levels were lowered, NOX-1, TNF-, NF-k, IL-1, and tDFI levels increased. Histopathological scoring provided further support for the decreased spermatogenesis. In contrast to all of these gonadotoxic effects of LEV, improvements in LEV-induced gonadal damage were seen through upregulation of Nrf2/ HO-1, Cx-43/NOX-1, mTOR/Atg-7 expression and attenuation of hypogonadism, poor sperm quality, mitochondria-mediated apoptosis, and oxidative inflammation due to quercetin post-treatment. The modulation of Nrf2/HO-1, /mTOR/Atg-7 and Cx-43/NOX-1 levels and the inhibition of mitochondria-mediated apoptosis and oxido-inflammation in LEV-induced gonadotoxicity in rats suggest that quercetin may hold promise as a possible therapeutic treatment.

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PMID:  Nutrients. 2023 Mar 23 ;15(7). Epub 2023 Mar 23. PMID: 37049399 Abstract Title:  The Potential Use of Honey as a Neuroprotective Agent for the Management of Neurodegenerative Diseases. Abstract:  As the global population ages, there is an increasing research on managing neurodegenerative diseases that mainly affect the elderly. Honey is one of the natural products and functional foods widely studied for its neuroprotective properties. This review investigates honey's effectiveness as a neuroprotective agent through in vitro, in vivo, and clinical research. The articles were browsed from three databases (PubMed, ScienceDirect, and Scopus) between the years of 2012 and 2022 using the keywords "honey" crossed with "neurodegenerative". Out of the 16 articles, six in vitro, eight in vivo, one combination study, and one clinical intervention were compiled. Among the various types of honey studied, the Tualang and Thyme honey exhibited the highest antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anticholinesterase activity, leading to the prevention and management of multiple neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease. The neuroprotective properties of honey are primarily attributed to its high polyphenol content, with quercetin and gallic acid being the most prominent. This review compiled considerable evidence of the anti-neurodegenerative properties of honey presented by in vitro and in vivo studies. However, more clinical intervention studies are required to support these findings further.

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PMID:  Toxics. 2023 Mar 29 ;11(4). Epub 2023 Mar 29. PMID: 37112551 Abstract Title:  Protective Role of Kelulut Honey against Toxicity Effects of Polystyrene Microplastics on Morphology, Hormones, and Sex Steroid Receptor Expression in the Uterus of Rats. Abstract:  BACKGROUND: Microplastics (MPs) are an emerging global pollutant. Previous studies have revealed that chronic exposure to MPs can affect animal and human reproductive health, particularly by impairing the reproductive system's normal functions, which may increase the risk of infertility in both males and females. Kelulut honey (KH), an excellent source of antioxidants, has been used to counteract the disruptive effects of Polystyrene microplastics (PS-MPs) in the rat uterus. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the potential protective effects of Kelulut honey against PS-MPs-induced uterine toxicity in pubertal rats.METHODS: Prepubertal female Sprague Dawley rats were divided into four groups (n = 8): (i) normal control group (NC: treated with deionized water), MPs-exposed group (M: exposed to PS-MPs at 2.5 mg/kg), (iii) Kelulut honey group (DM: pretreated with 1200 mg/kg of KH 30 minutes before they were administered with PS-MPs at 2.5 mg/kg), and (iv) Kelulut honey control group (DC: only treated with KH at 2.5 mg/kg). The rats were treated orally once daily for six consecutive weeks.RESULTS: Uterine abnormalities in PS-MPs-exposed rats were significantly improved after concurrent treatment with Kelulut honey. Morphology improvement was observed and luminal epithelial cells seemed thicker with more goblet cells, glandular cells had a more regular and circular shape, stromal cell increased in size, interstitial gaps between stromal cells expanded, and the myometrium layer was thicker. Kelulut honey treatment also effectively normalized the suppressive effect of PS-MPs on the expression and distribution of sex steroid receptors (ERand ER), as well as the level of serum gonadotropin (LH and FSH) and sex steroid (estradiol and progesterone) hormones.CONCLUSION: Kelulut honey can protect the female reproductive system against the disruptive effects of PS-MPs. The phytochemical properties of Kelulut honey might be responsible for these beneficial benefits. However, future studies are warranted to identify the mechanisms involved.

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PMID:  Environ Sci Pollut Res Int. 2023 May ;30(25):67596-67607. Epub 2023 Apr 28. PMID: 37115439 Abstract Title:  Combined exposure of polystyrene microplastics and carbamazepine induced transgenerational effects on the reproduction of Daphnia magna. Abstract:  Polystyrene microplastics (PS MPs) and carbamazepine (CBZ) are frequently detected in freshwater ecosystems. However, the transgenerational effects of PS MPs and CBZ on the reproduction of aquatic organisms and the corresponding mechanisms are still unclear. In the present study, Daphnia magna was used to evaluate the reproductive toxicity in two consecutive generations (F0, F1). The molting and reproduction parameters, the expression of reproduction, and the toxic metabolism genes were examined after 21-day exposure. A significantly enhanced toxicity was observed in the presence of 5 m PS MPs and CBZ. Chronic exposure results showed that the 5 m PS MPs alone, CBZ alone, and their mixtures exerted significant reproductive toxicity of D. magna. The results of RT-qPCR showed transcripts of genes related to reproduction (cyp314, ecr-b, cut, vtg1, vtg2, dmrt93b) and toxic metabolism (cyp4, gst) were altered in both the F0 and F1. In addition, for the F0, gene transcriptional changes of reproduction were not fully translated into physiological performance, probably due to the compensatory responses caused by the low dose of PS MPs alone, CBZ alone, and their mixtures. Whereas for the F1, the trade-off between reproduction and toxic metabolism at gene levels was observed, which translated into a significant reduction in the total neonate number of F1. These findings suggest that long-term exposure to MPs and CBZ can cause serious reproduction damage to aquatic animals, which needs to be given sufficient attention.

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PMID:  Int J Mol Sci. 2023 Apr 17 ;24(8). Epub 2023 Apr 17. PMID: 37108543 Abstract Title:  Polystyrene Microplastics Induce Oxidative Stress in Mouse Hepatocytes in Relation to Their Size. Abstract:  Microplastics have become a new type of environmental pollutant that can accumulate in various tissues and organs of the body and cause chronic damage. In this study, two different size polystyrene microplastics (PS-MPs, 5m and 0.5m) exposure models were established in mice to investigate the effects of PS-MPs with different particle sizes on oxidative stress in the liver. The results showed that PS-MPs exposure caused a decrease in body weight and liver-to-body weight. The hematoxylin and eosin staining and transmission electron microscopy results showed that exposure to PS-MPs led to the disorganized cellular structure of liver tissue, nuclear crinkling, and mitochondrial vacuolation. The extent of damage in the 5m PS-MP exposure group was more extensive when compared with the other group. The evaluation of oxidative-stress-related indicators showed that PS-MPs exposure exacerbated oxidative stress in hepatocytes, especially in the 5m PS-MPs group. The expression of oxidative-stress-related proteins sirtuin 3(SIRT3) and superoxide dismutase (SOD2) was significantly reduced, and the reduction was more pronounced in the 5m PS-MPs group. In conclusion, PS-MPs exposure led to oxidative stress in mouse hepatocytes and caused more severe damage in the 5m PS-MPs group when compared with the 0.5m PS-MPs group.

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PMID:  Ecotoxicol Environ Saf. 2023 Jun 1 ;257:114941. Epub 2023 Apr 21. PMID: 37087970 Abstract Title:  The ovarian-related effects of polystyrene nanoplastics on human ovarian granulosa cells and female mice. Abstract:  Nanoplastics (NPs) have recently emerged in the context of global plastic pollution. They may be more toxic than macroplastics litter and microplastic fragments due to its abundances, tiny sizes, and cellular accessibility. The female reproductive toxicity of NPs has been widely documented for aquatic animals, but their effects and underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood in mammals. This study aimed to explore the effects of NPs on female reproduction using human ovarian granulosa cells (GCs) and female mice. The accumulation of polystyrene NPs (PS-NPs) in human granulosa-like tumor cells (KGN cells) and the ovaries of female Balb/c mice were evaluated by exposure to fluorescent PS-NPs. Proliferation and apoptosis, reactive oxygen species (ROS), and Hippo signaling pathway-related factors were analyzed in KGN cells. In addition, fertility rate, litter size, ovarian weight and microstructure, follicle development, serum level of anti-Mullerian hormone, and apoptosis in ovaries were examined in female mice. Here, the PS-NPs can penetrate the KGN cells and accumulate in the ovaries. In vitro, 100 g/ml PS-NPs inhibited proliferation, induced apoptosis, accumulated ROS, activated three key regulators of the Hippo signaling pathway (MST1, LATS1, and YAP1), and downregulated the mRNA levels of CTGF and Cyr61 in KGN cells. Furthermore, salidroside, an antioxidative compound extracted from Rhodiola rosea, alleviated the damage of PS-NPs to KGN and inhibited the activation of the Hippo signal pathway. In vivo, exposure to 1 mg/day PS-NPs resulted in decreased fertility, abnormal ovarian function, and increased ovarian apoptosis in female mice. Overall, our data suggest that PS-NPs cause granulosa cell apoptosis and affect ovarian functions, leading to reduced fertility in female mice, by inducing oxidative stress and dysregulating the Hippo pathway.

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PMID:  Biomater Sci. 2023 Jun 13 ;11(12):4298-4307. Epub 2023 Jun 13. PMID: 37063056 Abstract Title:  Microplastic-contaminated antibiotics as an emerging threat to mammalian liver: enhanced oxidative and inflammatory damages. Abstract:  Poor management and disposal of plastic materials and the accumulation of microplatics in the environment and foods are an issue of increasing public concern. The current understanding of the implications of microplastics for human health has been limited to the bioeffect of individual exposure. In the bigger view of microplastic contamination, however, toxic compounds, including antibiotics, harbored on active microplastics can be collectively transported through food chains, raising questions about the effect of their combined exposure on human health. By employing a mouse model for human physiology, we discovered that a concurrent exposure to the major types of antibiotics and microplastics, namely sulfamethoxazole (SMZ) and polystyrene microplastics, respectively, would result in evident accumulation in detoxification organs; specifically, liver could amass 41.70g kgof SMZ, while 3.83% of microplastics was accumulated in the kidney. Insights into the occurrence of liver histopathological changes (, amyloidosis and necrocytosis) revealed that compared with the individual treatment of SMZ, treatment by microplastic-contaminated SMZ elicited increases in the levels of malonaldehyde and NF-by 174% and 104%, respectively; while the activities of antioxidases investigated were depressed by up to 22% upon co-exposure. It is suggested that SMZ enriched on active microplastic surfaces causes enhanced hepatic damage. Profiling of the gene expression clarified the correlation of the exacerbated oxidative and inflammatory damages in the liver with the overexpression ofto dysregulate the-pathway. This study acts as a reminder about the complexity of contamination and raises awareness of health issues that microplastics could cause public health through liver diseases.

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PMID:  Ecotoxicol Environ Saf. 2023 May ;256:114906. Epub 2023 Apr 14. PMID: 37062265 Abstract Title:  Short term exposure to polystyrene nanoplastics in mice evokes self-regulation of glycolipid metabolism. Abstract:  With the detection of nano-plastics (NPs) in daily essentials and drinking water, the potential harm of NPs to human health has become the focus of global attention. Studies have shown that long term exposure to NPs can lead to disorders of glucose and lipid metabolism in organisms, while the effects of short term exposure are rarely reported. Moreover, environmental factors cause the aging of NPs, and it is unclear whether this has an effect on their toxicity. In this study, we use 100 nm polystyrene (PS) NPs and ultraviolet (UV) aging PS (aPS) NPs to gavage mice for 7 days at an exposure dose of 50 mg/kg/day. To evaluate the effects of exposure on mice hepatic glucose lipid metabolism, we performed blood biochemical, pathological and metabolomic analyses. The results showed that exposure to PS NPs and aPS NPs increased serum glucose, disrupted serum lipoprotein levels, and up-regulated the expression levels of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/ phosphoprotein kinase B (p-AKT)/Glucose transporter 4 (GLUT4) proteins in the glucose metabolism pathway. The expression levels of key proteins sterol regulatory element binding protein-1 (SREBP-1)/peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-(PPAR)/adipose triglyceride lipase (ATGL) in the lipid metabolism signaling pathway were significantly increased. These findings suggest that short term exposure to PS NPs and aPS NPs induces glycolipid metabolism disturbance in mice, which may subsequently awaken the mice to self-regulate the serum levels of various lipoproteins and the expression of related key proteins. Compared with PS NPs, the aPS NPs interfered more strongly with glucose metabolism, and the corresponding self-regulation in mice was also more obvious. These findings not only provide a basis for environmental factors to increase the health risk of NPs but also provided a reference for the selection of test substances for further studies on the toxicity of NPs.

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PMID:  Environ Toxicol. 2023 Aug ;38(8):1775-1785. Epub 2023 Apr 6. PMID: 37022104 Abstract Title:  Polystyrene exacerbates cadmium-induced mitochondrial damage to lung by blocking autophagy in mice. Abstract:  Cadmium (Cd) is an environmental heavy metal, and its accumulation is harmful to animal and human health. The cytotoxicity of Cd includes oxidative stress, apoptosis, and mitochondrial histopathological changes. Furthermore, polystyrene (PS) is a kind of microplastic piece derived from biotic and abiotic weathering courses, and has toxicity in various aspects. However, the potential mechanism of action of Cd co-treated with PS is still poorly unclear. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of PS on Cd-induced histopathological injury of mitochondria in the lung of mice. In this study, the results have showed that Cd could induce the activity of oxidative enzymes of the lung cells in mice, increasing the content of partial microelement and the phosphorylation of inflammatory factor NF-B p65. Cd further destroys the integrity of mitochondria by increasing the expression of apoptotic protein and blocking the autophagy. In addition, PS solely group aggravated the lung damage in mice, especially mitochondrial toxicity, and played a synergistic effect with Cd in lung injury. However, how PS can augment mitochondrial damage and synergism with Cd in lung of mice requiring further exploration. Therefore, PS was able to exacerbate Cd-induced mitochondrial damage to the lung in mice by blocking autophagy, and was associated with the apoptosis.

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June 27, 2023, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. held a Health Policy Roundtable featuring a panel of health freedom advocates

Originally published on www.mercola.com

Video Link

STORY AT-A-GLANCE

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PMID:  Foods. 2023 Apr 10 ;12(8). Epub 2023 Apr 10. PMID: 37107399 Abstract Title:  Sea Cucumber Hydrolysate Alleviates Immunosuppression and Gut Microbiota Imbalance Induced by Cyclophosphamide in Balb/c Mice through the NF-B Pathway. Abstract:  This study aimed to investigate the effect of sea cucumber hydrolysate (SCH) on immunosuppressed mice induced by cyclophosphamide (Cy). Our findings demonstrated that SCH could increase the thymus index and spleen index, decrease the serum alanine transaminase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) levels, increase the serum IgG and small intestinal sIgA levels, reduce small intestinal and colon tissue damage, and activate the nuclear factor-B (NF-B) pathway by increasing TRAF6 and IRAK1 protein levels, as well as the phosphorylation levels of IBand p65, thereby enhancing immunity. In addition, SCH alleviated the imbalance of the gut microbiota by altering the composition of the gut microbiota in immunosuppressed mice. At the genus level, when compared with the model group, the relative abundance of,, andincreased, while that of,, anddecreased in the SCH groups. Moreover, 26 potential bioactive peptides were identified by oligopeptide sequencing and bioactivity prediction. This study's findings thus provide an experimental basis for further development of SCH as a nutritional supplement to alleviate immunosuppression induced by Cy as well as provides a new idea for alleviating intestinal damage induced by Cy.

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PMID:  J Nutr. 2023 Jun ;153(6):1762-1770. Epub 2023 Apr 25. PMID: 37105382 Abstract Title:  Sea Cucumber Phospholipids Regulate Cholesterol Metabolism in High-Fat Diet-Induced ApoEMice. Abstract:  BACKGROUND: Sea cucumber phospholipids, marine-derived lipids with high nutritional functions, have been proven to exhibit various biological activities. However, it is unclear how sea cucumber phospholipids regulate cholesterol (Chol) metabolism in atherosclerosis.OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to investigate the effects and mechanism of sea cucumber phospholipids on the metabolism of Chol and cholesterol esters (CE) in ApoEmice, including plasmenyl phosphatidylethanolamine (PE-P) and plasmanyl phosphatidylcholine (PC-O).METHODS: Male ApoEmice were fed with Chow diet, high-fat diet (HFD), and HFD supplemented with PC-O or PE-P, respectively. We integrated a targeted lipidomics strategy to classify and compare the cholesteryl esters according to their fatty acid types, and then analyzed the individual cholesteryl ester molecular species in the liver and serum of mice. Furthermore, the Chol metabolism-related genes and pathways were analyzed in high-fat-induced ApoEmice.RESULTS: Biochemical analysis showed that sea cucumber phospholipids significantly inhibit the generation of arterial plaque in ApoEmice. Compared with the HFD group, PE-P significantly reduced the contents of SFA-CE and MUFA-CE in mice liver (P

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PMID:  Food Funct. 2023 May 11 ;14(9):4106-4116. Epub 2023 May 11. PMID: 37039235 Abstract Title:  Sea cucumber sulfated polysaccharides andsynergistically ameliorate the overweight induced by altered gut microbiota in mice. Abstract:  Sulfated polysaccharides from sea cucumber(SCSPsj) have been found to modulate the gut microbiota by promoting the growth of probiotics. However, the effects of the combination of SCSPsj and probiotics are still less known. Thus, the present study aimed to investigate the effects of SCSPsj andon gut microbiota-altered mice through gut microbiota and metabolomics analysis. In the present study, supplementation with SCSPsj,or the combination of SCSPsj andcould effectively ameliorate the body weight gain and fat accumulation in gut microbiota-altered mice treated with low-dose penicillin. The better effect of the combination of SCSPsj andis attributed to the synergistic effect of SCSPsj and. 16S rRNA sequencing revealed that the combination of SCSPsj andcan synergistically improve gut microbiota dysbiosis by increasingand reducing. Furthermore, metabolomics results revealed that the combination of SCSPsj andcan alleviate metabolic disorders by reducing the levels of lipid and lipid-like molecules in the serum samples, such as-vaccenic acid and 3-hydroxy-5-cholestene. Our findings have proved that the combination of SCSPsj andcan benefit host health attributed to the synergistic effect, which is conducive to further application in functional food.

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PMID:  Life Sci. 2023 Jun 1 ;322:121617. Epub 2023 Mar 30. PMID: 37003542 Abstract Title:  Combination of vitamin D and probiotics inhibits chemically induced colorectal carcinogenesis in Wistar rats. Abstract:  UNLABELLED: The modulation of inflammatory elements, cell differentiation and proliferation by vitamin D and the role of probiotics in the intestinal microbiota and immunogenic response have sparked interest in the application of both in chemotherapeutics and chemoprevention of colorectal tumors.AIMS: The present study aimed to investigate the effects of isolated and/or combined treatment of vitamin D3 and probiotics on colorectal carcinogenesis.MAIN METHODS: Pre-neoplastic lesions were induced with 1,2-dimethylhydrazine in the colon of Wistar rats, which were treated with probiotics and/or vitamin D in three different approaches (simultaneous, pre-, and post-treatment). We investigated the frequency of aberrant crypt foci (ACF) and aberrant crypt (AC) in the distal colon, fecal microbiome composition, gene and protein expression through immunohistochemical and RT-PCR assays, and general toxicity through water consumption and weight gain monitoring.KEY FINDINGS: Results confirm the systemic safety of treatments, and show a protective effect of vitamin D and probiotics in all approaches studied, as well as in combined treatments, with predominance of different bacterial phyla compared to controls. Treated groups show different levels of Nrf2, GST, COX2, iNOS,-catenin and PCNA expression.SIGNIFICANCE: These experimental conditions explore the combination of vitamin D and probiotics supplementation at low doses over pathways involved in distinct stages of colorectal carcinogenesis, with results supporting its application in prevention and long-term strategies.

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PMID:  Foods. 2023 Mar 3 ;12(5). Epub 2023 Mar 3. PMID: 36900609 Abstract Title:  LG-G12 Restores Gut Microbiota and Intestinal Health in Obesity Mice on Ceftriaxone Therapy. Abstract:  Gut microbiota imbalance is associated with the occurrence of metabolic diseases such as obesity. Thus, its modulation is a promising strategy to restore gut microbiota and improve intestinal health in the obese. This paper examines the role of probiotics, antimicrobials, and diet in modulating gut microbiota and improving intestinal health. Accordingly, obesity was induced in C57BL/6J mice, after which they were redistributed and fed with an obesogenic diet (intervention A) or standard AIN-93 diet (intervention B). Concomitantly, all the groups underwent a treatment phase withLG-G12, ceftriaxone, or ceftriaxone followed byLG-G12. At the end of the experimental period, the following analysis was conducted: metataxonomic analysis, functional profiling of gut microbiota, intestinal permeability, and caecal concentration of short-chain fatty acids. High-fat diet impaired bacterial diversity/richness, which was counteracted in association withLG-G12 and the AIN-93 diet. Additionally, SCFA-producing bacteria were negatively correlated with high intestinal permeability parameters, which was further confirmed via functional profile prediction of the gut microbiota. A novel perspective on anti-obesity probiotics is presented by these findings based on the improvement of intestinal health irrespective of undergoing antimicrobial therapy or not.

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PMID:  Nutrients. 2023 Feb 3 ;15(3). Epub 2023 Feb 3. PMID: 36771498 Abstract Title:  NK109 and Its Supplement Alleviate Cognitive Impairment in Mice by Modulating NF-B Activation, BDNF Expression, and Gut Microbiota Composition. Abstract:  Aging-related gut microbiota dysbiosis initiates gut inflammation and microbiota dysbiosis, which induce the occurrence of psychiatric disorders including dementia. The alleviation of gut microbiota dysbiosis by probiotics is suggested to be able to alleviate psychiatric disorders including cognitive impairment (CI). Therefore, to understand how probiotics could alleviate CI, we examined the effects of anti-inflammatoryNK109 and its supplement (NS, mixture of NK109 and soybean embryo ethanol extract) on cognitive function in aged (Ag), 5XFAD transgenic (Tg), or mildly cognition-impaired adult fecal microbiota (MCF)-transplanted mice. Oral administration of NK109 or NS decreased CI-like behaviors in Ag mice. Their treatments suppressed TNF-and p16 expression and NF-B-activated cell populations in the hippocampus and colon, while BDNF expression was induced. Moreover, they partially shifted the-diversity of gut microbiota in Ag mice to those of young mice: they decreased Bifidobacteriaceae, Lactobacillaceae, and Helicobacteriaceae populations and increased Rikenellaceae and Prevotellaceae populations. Oral administration of NK109 or NS also reduced CI-like behaviors in Tg mice. Their treatments induced BDNF expression in the hippocampus, decreased hippocampal TNF-and Aexpression and hippocampal and colonic NF-B-activated cell populations. NK109 and NS partially shifted the-diversity of gut microbiota in Tg mice: they decreased Muribaculaceae and Rhodospiraceae populations and increased Helicobacteriaceae population. Oral administration of NK109 or NS decreased MCF transplantation-induced CI-like behaviors in mice. NK109 and NS increased hippocampal BDNF expression, while hippocampal and colonic TNF-expression and NF-B-activated cell populations decreased. These findings suggest that dementia can fluctuate the gut microbiota composition and NK109 and its supplement NS can alleviate CI with systemic inflammation by inducing BDNF expression and suppressing NF-B activation and gut microbiota dysbiosis.

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PMID:  Int J Mol Sci. 2023 Jan 20 ;24(3). Epub 2023 Jan 20. PMID: 36768377 Abstract Title:  Protective Effects ofagainst High-Cholesterol Diet-Induced Fatty Liver and Regulation of Host Gene Expression Profiles. Abstract:  Fatty liver is one of the most pervasive liver diseases worldwide. Probiotics play an important role in the progression of liver disease, but their effects on host regulation are poorly understood. This study investigated the protective effects of lactobacillus gasseri () against high-cholesterol diet (HCD)-induced fatty liver injury using a zebrafish larvae model. Liver pathology, lipid accumulation, oxidative stress and hepatic inflammation were evaluated to demonstrate the changes in a spectrum of hepatic injury. Moreover, multiple indexes on host gene expression profiles were comprehensively characterized by RNA screening. The results showed that treatment withameliorated HCD-induced morphological and histological alterations, lipid regulations, oxidative stress and macrophage aggregation in the liver of zebrafish larvae. Furthermore, the enrichment of the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway revealed that the core pathways ofregulation were interleukin-17 (IL-17) signaling, phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)-AKT signaling pathway, the regulation of lipolysis and adipocytes and fatty acid elongation and estrogen signaling. The genes at key junction nodes, hsp90aa1.1, kyat3, hsd17b7, irs2a, myl9b, ptgs2b, cdk21 and papss2a were significantly regulated byadministration. To conclude, the current research extends our understanding of the protective effects ofagainst fatty liver and provides potential therapeutic options for fatty liver treatment.

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PMID:  J Clin Med. 2022 Dec 15 ;11(24). Epub 2022 Dec 15. PMID: 36556059 Abstract Title:  LA806 Supplementation in Patients with Irritable Bowel Syndrome: A Multicenter Study. Abstract:  The potential benefits of Lactobacillus gasseri LA806 in IBS were previously identified in a comprehensive preclinical research program. The purpose of this multicenter study was to explore in real-life conditions changes in IBS symptoms and quality of life in patients receiving a 4-week supplementation with L. gasseri LA806. Altogether 119 patients meeting Rome IV criteria for IBS were included, of whom 118 received the supplement. The majority of patients (71.8% (95% CI 63.679.9%)) manifested a30% decrease in abdominal pain at 4 weeks, the mean abdominal pain score diminishing by 54.2% (from 5.32.2 to 2.22.4, p

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PMID:  Int J Mol Sci. 2022 Dec 7 ;23(24). Epub 2022 Dec 7. PMID: 36555092 Abstract Title:  Lactobacilli Downregulate Transcription Factors inThat Affect Motility, Acid Tolerance and Antimicrobial Peptide Survival. Abstract:  infection triggers inflammation that may lead to gastritis, stomach ulcers and cancer. Probiotic bacteria, such as, have been of interest as treatment options, however, little is known about the molecular mechanisms of-mediated inhibition ofpathogenesis. In this work, we investigated the effect ofculture supernatants, so-called conditioned medium (CM), from two gastric isolates,and, on the expression of transcriptional regulators in. Among the four known two-component systems (TCSs), i.e., ArsRS, FlgRS, CheAY and CrdRS, the flagellar regulator geneand the acid resistance associatedgene were down-regulated byCM, whereas expression of the other TCS-genes remained unaffected.CM also reduced the motility of, which is in line with reducedexpression. Furthermore, among six transcription factors ofonly the ferric uptake regulator genewas regulated byCM. Deletion offurther led to dramatically increased sensitivity to the antimicrobial peptide LL-37. Taken together, the results highlight that released/secreted factors of some lactobacilli, but not all, downregulate transcriptional regulators involved in motility, acid tolerance and LL-37 sensitivity of.

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PMID:  Nutrients. 2022 Nov 22 ;14(23). Epub 2022 Nov 22. PMID: 36500975 Abstract Title:  RW2014 Ameliorates Hyperlipidemia by Modulating Bile Acid Metabolism and Gut Microbiota Composition in Rats. Abstract:  Hyperlipidemia is a leading risk of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease. Dietary supplementation with probiotics has been suggested as an alternative intervention to lower cholesterol. In the current study, we isolated a strain ofRW2014 (LGA) from the feces of a healthy infant fed with breast milk, and it displayed bile salt hydrolase (BSH) activity. Using this strain we determined its cholesterol-lowering and fatty liver-improving functions. SD rats were randomly divided into four groups. The control rats were fed a commercial chow diet and the other three groups were fed a high-fat diet (HFD) for a 7-week experiment period. After two weeks of feeding, the rats in PBS, simvastin, and LGA group were daily administered through oral gavage with 2 mL PBS, simvastin (1 mg/mL), and 210CFU/mouse live LGA in PBS, respectively. After five weeks of such treatment, the rats were euthanized and tissue samples were collected. Blood lipid and inflammatory factors were measured by ELISA, gut microbiota was determined by 16S rRNA sequencing, and bile acids profiles were detected by metabolomics. We found that LGA group had lower levels of blood cholesterol and liver steatosis compared to the simvastin group. LGA also significantly reducedthe levels of inflammatory factors in the serum, including TNF, IL-1, MCP-1, IL-6, and exotoxin (ET), and increased the levels of short-chain fatty acids in feces, including isobutyric acid, butyric acid, isovaleric acid, valeric acid, and hexanoic acid. In addition, LGA altered the compositions of gut microbiota as manifested by the increased ratio of Firmicutes/Bacteroides and the relative abundance ofgenus. Targeted metabolomics results showed that bile acids, especially free bile acids and secondary bile acids in feces, were increased in LGA rats compared with the control rats. Accordingly, the rats administrated with LGA also had a higher abundance of serum bile acids, including 23-norcholic acid, 7-ketolithocholic acid,-muricholic acid, cholic acid, and deoxycholic acid. Together, this study suggests that LGA may exert a cholesterol-lowering effect by modulating the metabolism of bile acids and the composition of gut microbiota.

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PMID:  Int J Biol Macromol. 2023 Jan 15 ;225:227-240. Epub 2022 Oct 30. PMID: 36354077 Abstract Title:  Cisplatin conjugation with an exopolysaccharide extracted from Lactobacillus gasseri potentiates its efficacy and attenuates its toxicity. Abstract:  The development of newer cisplatin analogs is constantly being investigated owing to its low solubility, poor pharmacokinetics, and dose-related toxicity. In order to address the limitations of current cisplatin therapy, the present study was undertaken. Cisplatin conjugation with an exopolysaccharide extracted from Lactobacillus gasseri (LG-EPS) showed remarkably enhanced and selective anticancer activity by targeting tumor cells overexpressing glucose transporter 1 (GLUT1). The EPS-cisplatin complex exhibited a 600-fold increase in aqueous solubility with a better pharmacokinetic profile (longer half-life) in comparison to cisplatin. Cell viability assay and western blotting demonstrated a strong correlation between the cytotoxicity profile and GLUT1 expressions in different cell lines. The concentration of DNA-bound platinum was also found to be significantly higher in EPS-cisplatin-treated cells. Quercetin, a competitive inhibitor of GLUTs, was shown to prevent this selective uptake of EPS-cisplatin complex. Surprisingly, EPS-cisplatin complex showed an exceptionally safer profile (4 times the maximum tolerated dose of cisplatin) in the acute toxicity study and was also more efficacious against the xenograft mice model. The study suggests that this green glycoconjugation can be an effective and safer strategy to broaden the therapeutic potential of anti-cancer drugs in general and cisplatin in particular.

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PMID:  Bioinform Biol Insights. 2023 ;17:11779322221149613. Epub 2023 Jan 16. PMID: 36688185 Abstract Title:  Antioxidant and Anti-inflammatory Activity of Sea Cucumber (Active Compounds against KEAP1 and iNOS Protein. Abstract:  Oxidative stress and inflammation have a role in the development of various diseases. Oxidative stress and inflammation are associated with many proteins, including Kelch ECH associating protein 1 (KEAP1) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) proteins. The active compounds contained inhave antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. This study aimed to evaluate the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity of sea cucumber's active compounds by targeting KEAP1 and iNOS proteins. 2,2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and nitric oxide (NO) scavenging activity ofextract were measured spectrophotometrically. The 3-dimensional (3D) structures of sea cucumber's active compounds and proteins were obtained from the PubChem and Research Collaboratory for Structural Bioinformatics Protein Data Bank (RCSB PDB) databases. Molecular docking was performed using AutoDock Vina software. Molecular dynamics simulations were carried out using Yet Another Scientific Artificial Reality Application (YASARA) software with environmental parameters according to the cell's physiological conditions. The membrane permeability test was performed using the PerMM web server. The methanol extract ofhad a weak antioxidant activity against DPPH and strong activity against NO radical. Scabraside and holothurinoside G had the most negative binding affinity values when interacting with the active site of KEAP1 and iNOS proteins. Molecular dynamics simulations also showed that both compounds were stable when interacting with KEAP1 and iNOS. However, scabraside and holothurinoside G were difficult to penetrate the cell plasma membrane, which is seen from the high energy transfer value in the lipid acyl chain region of phospholipids. Scabraside and holothurinoside G are predicted to act as antioxidants and anti-inflammations, but in their implementation toandstudy, it is necessary to have liposomes or nanoparticles, or other delivery methods to help these 2 compounds enter the cell.

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PMID:  Nutrients. 2023 Jan 11 ;15(2). Epub 2023 Jan 11. PMID: 36678249 Abstract Title:  Sea Cucumber Derived Triterpenoid Glycoside Frondoside A: A Potential Anti-Bladder Cancer Drug. Abstract:  Bladder cancer is a highly recurrent disease and a common cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Despite recent developments in diagnosis and therapy, the clinical outcome of bladder cancer remains poor; therefore, novel anti-bladder cancer drugs are urgently needed. Natural bioactive substances extracted from marine organisms such as sea cucumbers, scallops, and sea urchins are believed to have anti-cancer activity with high effectiveness and less toxicity. Frondoside A is a triterpenoid glycoside isolated from sea cucumber,. It has been demonstrated that Frondoside A exhibits anti-proliferative, anti-invasive, anti-angiogenic, anti-cancer, and potent immunomodulatory effects. In addition, CpG oligodeoxynucleotide (CpG-ODN) has also been shown to have potent anti-cancer effects in various tumors models, such as liver cancer, breast cancer, and bladder cancer. However, very few studies have investigated the effectiveness of Frondoside A against bladder cancer alone or in combination with CpG-ODN. In this study, we first investigated the individual effects of both Frondoside A and CpG-ODN and subsequently studied their combined effects on human bladder cancer cell viability, migration, apoptosis, and cell cycle in vitro, and on tumor growth in nude mice using human bladder cancer cell line UM-UC-3. To interrogate possible synergistic effects, combinations of different concentrations of the two drugs were used. Our data showed that Frondoside A decreased the viability of bladder cancer cells UM-UC-3 in a concentration-dependent manner, and its inhibitory effect on cell viability (2.5M) was superior to EPI (10M). We also showed that Frondoside A inhibited UM-UC-3 cell migration, affected the distribution of cell cycle and induced cell apoptosis in concentration-dependent manners, which effectively increased the sub-G1 (apoptotic) cell fraction. In addition, we also demonstrated that immunomodulator CpG-ODN could synergistically potentiate the inhibitory effects of Frondoside A on the proliferation and migration of human bladder cancer cell line UM-UC-3. In in vivo experiments, Frondoside A (800g/kg/day i.p. for 14 days) alone and in combination with CpG-ODN (1 mg/kg/dose i.p.) significantly decreased the growth of UM-UC-3 tumor xenografts, without any significant toxic side-effects; however, the chemotherapeutic agent EPI caused weight loss in nude mice. Taken together, these findings indicated that Frondoside A in combination with CpG-ODN is a promising therapeutic strategy for bladder cancer.

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PMID:  J Sci Food Agric. 2023 Jun ;103(8):3950-3960. Epub 2022 Nov 29. PMID: 36377349 Abstract Title:  The synergistic effect of sea cucumber saponins and caffeine on preventing obesity in high-fat diet-fed mice by extending the action duration of caffeine. Abstract:  BACKGROUND: Sea cucumber saponins (SCSs) exhibit a unique structure and high bioactivities and might have specialized implications on caffeine metabolic process by altering the activity of N-demethylation enzyme CYP1A2. The present study aimed to clarify the effects of SCS on caffeine metabolism in vivo and in vitro, as well as the synergistic anti-obesity effect of SCS and caffeine on high-fat diet-induced obese mice.RESULTS: Results found that SCS administration significantly postponed the elimination rate of caffeine and its metabolites in vivo, and further study found CYP1A2-mediated caffeine metabolism was remarkably inhibited in a dose-dependent manner in vitro. The synergistic effect of the SCS and caffeine combination could decrease the total weight of white adipose tissue by 52% compared with high-fat diet-treated group.CONCLUSION: SCS could prolong caffeine action time, and the combination of the two substances exhibited joint action on high-fat diet-induced obese mice. These findings might provide a basis for the development of functional foods and potential application using the combination of SCS and caffeine.2022 Society of Chemical Industry.

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PMID:  Kaohsiung J Med Sci. 2023 Jun ;39(6):605-615. Epub 2023 Mar 24. PMID: 36960852 Abstract Title:  Caffeic acid phenethyl ester reverses doxorubicin resistance in breast cancer cells via lipid metabolism regulation at least partly by suppressing the Akt/mTOR/SREBP1 pathway. Abstract:  Chemotherapy is one of the common treatment methods for breast cancer, but chemoresistance is a severe challenge. Caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE) is an active ingredient of propolis extract and has been shown to have a variety of beneficial effects, and its potential as a treatment for breast cancer is worth exploring. The effects of CAPE on doxorubicin (DOX) resistance were determined by cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assay, colony-formation assay, and flow cytometry. Oil Red O staining and the detection of free fatty acids, triglycerides, phospholipids, and cholesterol were performed to assess the status of lipid metabolism. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and western blotting were applied to investigate the molecules involved in lipid metabolism and the protein kinase B (Akt)/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR)/sterol regulatory element binding protein 1 (SREBP1) pathway. CAPE treatment reversed DOX resistance in breast cancer cells and suppressed their lipid metabolism. In addition, CAPE combined with DOX remarkably suppressed SREBP1 expression in part by inhibiting Akt/mTOR pathway activation. Furthermore, by inhibiting lipid metabolism, partly via the Akt/mTOR/SREBP1 pathway, CAPE ultimately reversed DOX resistance in breast cancer. Our results suggest that CAPE treatment reversed DOX resistance in breast cancer cells, at least in part by inhibiting Akt/mTOR/SREBP1 pathway-mediated lipid metabolism, indicating that CAPE may be an effective substance to assist in the treatment of breast cancer.

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If you eat this sweet snack in the morning, you may enjoy better brain function for the rest of the day -- perfect if you know you have an important project or exam in the next few hours.

If you eat this sweet snack in the morning, you may enjoy better brain function for the rest of the day -- perfect if you know you have an important project or exam in the next few hours.

Important work presentation on the schedule? Big exam coming up? During an ordinary day, your brain performance will gradually decrease as you become cognitively fatigued, possibly leaving you in a fog the moment you need your brain to be at its best.

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PMID:  Antioxidants (Basel). 2023 Mar 13 ;12(3). Epub 2023 Mar 13. PMID: 36978961 Abstract Title:  Caffeic Acid Phenethyl Ester Suppresses Oxidative Stress and Regulates M1/M2 Microglia Polarization via Sirt6/Nrf2 Pathway to Mitigate Cognitive Impairment in Aged Mice following Anesthesia and Surgery. Abstract:  Postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) is a severe neurological complication after anesthesia and surgery. However, there is still a lack of effective clinical pharmacotherapy due to its unclear pathogenesis. Caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE), which is obtained from honeybee propolis and medicinal plants, shows powerful antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and immunomodulating properties. In this study, we aimed to evaluate whether CAPE mitigated cognitive impairment following anesthesia and surgery and its potential underlying mechanisms in aged mice. Here, isoflurane anesthesia and tibial fracture surgery were used as the POCD model, and H2O2-induced BV2 cells were established as the microglial oxidative stress model. We revealed that CAPE pretreatment suppressed oxidative stress and promoted the switch of microglia from the M1 to the M2 type in the hippocampus, thereby ameliorating cognitive impairment caused by anesthesia and surgery. Further investigation indicated that CAPE pretreatment upregulated hippocampal Sirt6/Nrf2 expression after anesthesia and surgery. Moreover, mechanistic studies in BV2 cells demonstrated that the potent effects of CAPE pretreatment on reducing ROS generation and promoting protective polarization were attenuated by a specific Sirt6 inhibitor, OSS_128167. In summary, our findings opened a promising avenue for POCD prevention through CAPE pretreatment that enhanced the Sirt6/Nrf2 pathway to suppress oxidative stress as well as favor microglia protective polarization.

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PMID:  Int J Mol Med. 2023 Jun ;51(6). Epub 2023 Apr 28. PMID: 37114562 Abstract Title:  Berberine blocks inflammasome activation and alleviates diabetic cardiomyopathy via the miR18a3p/Gsdmd pathway. Abstract:  Diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM) is a cardiovascular disease which has been reported as a major cause of mortality worldwide for several years. Berberine (BBR) is a natural compound extracted from a Chinese herb, with a clinically reported antiDCM effect; however, its molecular mechanisms have not yet been fully elucidated. The present study indicated that BBR markedly alleviated DCM by inhibiting IL1secretion and the expression of gasdermin D (Gsdmd) at the posttranscriptional level. Considering the importance of microRNAs (miRNAs/miRs) in the regulation of the posttranscriptional process of specific genes, the ability of BBR to upregulate the expression levels of miR18a3p by activating its promoter (1,000/500) was examined. Notably, miR18a3p targeted Gsdmd and abated pyroptosis in high glucosetreated H9C2 cells. Moreover, miR18a3p overexpression inhibited Gsdmd expression and improved biomarkers of cardiac function in a rat model of DCM. On the whole, the findings of the present study indicate that BBR alleviates DCM by inhibiting miR18a3pmediated Gsdmd activation; thus, BBR may be considered a potential therapeutic agent for the treatment of DCM.

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PMID:  Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci. 2023 Mar ;27(6):2182-2188. PMID: 37013735 Abstract Title:  Momordica charantia reduced ovarian ischemia - reperfusion injury by suppressing APAF-1 expression. Abstract:  OBJECTIVE: We investigate the effect of Momordica charantia (MC) against ovarian ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI).MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty-eight Sprague Dawley female rats were divided into 6 groups. 3 hours ischemia/3 hours reperfusion was conducted. Before and/or after IR, 600 mg/kg MC were introduced to rats via an orogastric tube. At the end of the experiment, total serum antioxidant/oxidant status (TAS/TOS) and Anti-Mullerian Hormone (AMH) level were measured. Ovarian histopathology and APAF-1 expression level were analyzed.RESULTS: TAS and AMH levels were the lowest, while TOS level and OSI were the highest in the IR group. TAS and AMH levels were higher, and TOS levels and OSI were lower in MC-treated groups compared to IR group. Follicular degeneration, granulosa and stromal cell degeneration, mononuclear cell infiltration and vascular congestion and dilatation were observed in the IR group. Ovarian histopathology was improved in groups that received MC extract. APAF-1 immune activity was intense in IR and MC+IR groups while decreased in the groups treated with MC extract after IRI. MC treatment downregulated APAF-1 protein after IRI.CONCLUSIONS: MC extract restored negative biochemical and histochemical changes caused by IRI due to its antioxidant properties and supported cell survival by suppressing APAF-1 expression.

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PMID:  Food Sci Biotechnol. 2023 Apr ;32(5):697-704. Epub 2022 Dec 14. PMID: 37009042 Abstract Title:  (bitter melon) efficacy and safety on glucose metabolism in Korean prediabetes participants: a 12-week, randomized clinical study. Abstract:  This study was performed to investigate the effects of bitter melon extract (BME) on glucose metabolism, insulin resistance, and various metabolic parameters of participants with prediabetes. A 12-week randomized placebo-controlled clinical study was conducted with prediabetic patients. A total of 76 participants were randomly assigned to initiate the study. In the final analysis, 33 and 32 subjects were included in the BME and placebo groups, respectively. Results showed that 75 g oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) blood glucose level decreased in BME group after 12 weeks. The glucose level after 30 min of glucose ingestion decreased significantly. The glucagon level in the BME group after 12 weeks significantly decreased 120 min after 75 g OGTT. These results suggested that bitter melon exhibits glucose-lowering effects through suppression of glucagon levels in people with prediabetes.

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Marvel over the humble cucumber with these 18 health benefits, which range from keeping your body cool and hydrated to helping prevent diseases such as diabetes

Eat them raw and you get a juicy crunch. Cucumbers, however, do more than just serve as a refreshing feature of salads, sandwiches, slaws, pickles, noodles, cocktails and more. This popular produce pick, a member of the Cucurbitaceae family along with melon, squash and pumpkins, has been used in traditional medicine since ancient times for its unnumbered health benefits.

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