PMID:  Phytomedicine. 2023 Jun ;114:154770. Epub 2023 Mar 15. PMID: 36963367 Abstract Title:  Glycolysis, a new mechanism of oleuropein against liver tumor. Abstract:  BACKGROUND: Benign and malignant liver tumors are prevalent worldwide. However, there is no effective and comprehensive treatment option for many patients with malignant tumors. Thus, it is critical to prevent benign tumors from worsening, increasing the number of treatment options and effective medications against malignant liver tumors. Oleuropein is a natural and non-toxic product and inhibits tumor growth in various ways.METHODS: We employed bioinformatics analysis and molecular docking to identify potential targets of oleuropein. Surface plasmon resonance (SPR) was used to determine the direct binding strength of the target and compounds. Essential functionalities of the targets were analyzed using gene interference approaches. Transcriptomic studies were performed to observe the global genomic alterations occurring inside cells. Changes in glycolytic metabolites and gene and protein expressions were also detected. The anti-tumor benefits of oleuropein in vivo were determined using a tumor-bearing mouse model.RESULTS: Glucose-6-phosphate isomerase (GPI) was found to be a direct target of oleuropein. GPI discontinuation in liver tumor cells altered the expression of many genes, causing glycogenolysis. GPI interference was associated with PYGM and PFKFB4 inhibitors to inhibit glycolysis in liver tumors. Oleuropein inhibited glycolysis and showed good anti-tumor activity in vivo without adverse side effects.CONCLUSIONS: GPI is a crucial enzyme in glycolysis and the immediate target of oleuropein. GPI expression inside tumor cells affects different physiological functions and signal transduction. Oleuropein has depicted anti-tumor action in vivo without harmful side effects. Moreover, it can control tumor glycolysis through GPI.

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PMID:  Antioxidants (Basel). 2023 Jan 14 ;12(1). Epub 2023 Jan 14. PMID: 36671060 Abstract Title:  Oleuropein Attenuates Oxidative Stress in Human Trophoblast Cells. Abstract:  Olive-derived bioactive compound oleuropein was evaluated against damage induced by hydrogen peroxide in human trophoblast cells, by examining the changes in several markers implicated in oxidative stress interactions in the placenta. Trophoblast HTR-8/SVneo cells were preincubated with OLE at 10 and 100M and exposed to HO, as a model of oxidative stress. Protein and lipid peroxidation, as well as antioxidant enzymes' activity, were determined spectrophotometrically, and DNA damage was evaluated by comet assay. iNOS protein expression was assessed by Western blot, while the mRNA expression of pro- and anti-apoptotic genesandand transcription factor, as well as cytokinesandwere determined by qPCR. Oleuropein demonstrated cytoprotective effects against HOin trophoblast cells by significantly improving the antioxidant status and preventing protein and lipid damage, as well as reducing the iNOS levels. OLE reduced the mRNA expression ofandhowever, it did not influence the expression ofor theratio after HOexposure. Oleuropein per se did not lead to any adverse effects in HTR-8/SVneo cells under the described conditions, confirming its safety. In conclusion, it significantly attenuated oxidative damage and restored antioxidant functioning, confirming its protective role in trophoblast.

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PMID:  Oxid Med Cell Longev. 2023 ;2023:6828230. Epub 2023 Jan 7. PMID: 36647430 Abstract Title:  Olive Leaves Extract and Oleuropein Improve Insulin Sensitivity in 3T3-L1 Cells and in High-Fat Diet-Treated Rats via PI3K/AkT Signaling Pathway. Abstract:  Olive leaves extracts are known to exert potential pharmacological activities especially, antidiabetic and antiobesity. This study explores the anti-insulin resistant effect of olive leaves extracts and oleuropein in 3T3-L1 cells and in high-fat diet fed rats. Our results showed that ethanol extract (EE) suppressed significantly (

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PMID:  Plants (Basel). 2022 Dec 21 ;12(1). Epub 2022 Dec 21. PMID: 36616158 Abstract Title:  Nocellara Del Belice (L. Cultivar): Leaf Extract Concentrated in Phenolic Compounds and Its Anti-Inflammatory and Radical Scavenging Activity. Abstract:  L. is a plant belonging to the Oleaceae family, widely grown around the Mediterranean Basin and its leaves are a source of phenolic compounds with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory capacity. Among these, oleuropein and luteolin-7-O-glucoside represent two major polyphenolic compounds in olive-leaf extract. Herein, a polystyrene resin was used to recover the polyphenolic fraction from the acetone-water leaf extract from Nocellara del Belice cultivar, which showed the higher level of analysed bioactive compounds, compared to Carolea cultivar. The antioxidant activity of the extract concentrated in phenolic compounds (OLECp) was evaluated through a classical assay and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) for DPPH and hydroxyl radicals scavenging. Thus, the anti-inflammatory activity and the potential beneficial effects in reducing lipid accumulation in an in vitro model of NAFLD using McA-RH7777 cells exposed to oleic acid (OA) were evaluated. Nile Red and Oil Red O have been used to stain the lipid accumulation, while the inflammatory status was assessed by Cytokines Bioplex Assay. OLECp (TPC: 92.939.35 mg GAE/g, TFC: 728.1216.04 mg RE/g; 1 g of extract contains 315.250 mg of oleuropein and 17.44 mg of luteolin-7-O-glucoside) exerted a good radical scavenging capability (IC: 2.300.18 mg/mL) with a neutralizing power against DPPH and hydroxyl radicals, as confirmed by the decreased signal area of the EPR spectra. Moreover, OLECp at concentration of 25, 50 and 100g/mL counteracted the intracellular inflammatory status, as result of decreased intracellular lipid content. Our results highlighted the multiple properties and applications of anextract concentrated in polyphenols, and the possibility to formulate novel nutraceuticals with antioxidant properties, destined to ameliorate human health.

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PMID:  J Control Release. 2023 Jun ;358:13-26. Epub 2023 Apr 26. PMID: 37086952 Abstract Title:  Tanshinone IIA enhances the therapeutic efficacy of mesenchymal stem cells derived exosomes in myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury via up-regulating miR-223-5p. Abstract:  Myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury (MI/RI) is a serious obstacle for patients with coronary heart disease (CHD) to benefit from post-ischemic reflow. The low immunogenicity and low carcinogenicity of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs)-derived exosomes (exo) offer advantage in treating myocardial injuries. Tanshinone IIA (TSA) is an effective drug for MI/RI treatment. However, the underlying mechanism and targets remain obscure. In this study, we systematically investigated the therapeutic effect and its mechanism of TSA-pretreated MSC-derived exosomes (TSA-MSC) in ameliorating MI/RI in rats. Expectedly, the MI/RI was significantly relieved by TSA-MSCcompared with MSC. Moreover, the overexpression of CCR2 in rats' heart was used to determine CCR2 had a regulatory effect on monocyte infiltration and angiogenesis after MI/RI. MiRNA microarray analysis of MSCand TSA-MSCrevealed miR-223-5p an effective candidate mediator for TSA-MSCto exert its cardioprotective function and CCR2 as the downstream target. In summary, our findings indicated that miR-223-5p packaged in TSA-MSCinhibited CCR2 activation to reduce monocyte infiltration and enhanced angiogenesis to alleviate MI/RI. Thus, the development of cell free therapies for exosomes derived from the combination TSA and MSC provides an effective strategy for the clinical therapies of ischemic cardiomyopathy.

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PMID:  Biotechnol Genet Eng Rev. 2023 Apr 24:1-13. Epub 2023 Apr 24. PMID: 37092869 Abstract Title:  Exosomes from adipose-derived stem cells inhibits skin cancer progression via miR-199a-5p/SOX4. Abstract:  Although miR-199a-5p is linked to the development of numerous cancers, its regulatory role in skin cancer is unclear. In this work, the impact of miR-199a-5p produced by adipose-derived stem cells on malignant melanoma skin cancer was investigated.30 pair tumor tissues and adjacent tissues were obtained from skin cancer patients. Adipose-derived stem cell (ADSCs) were isolated from adipose tissues harvested from healthy subjects. The mRNA relative expression was evaluated via qRT-PCR. Cell proliferation ability was measured via CCK-8 assay. Apoptosis was evaluated via flow cytometry. The connection between miR-199a-5p and SOX4 was confirmed via luciferase reporter assay. Western blot was conducted to evaluate protein expression. MiR-199a-5p was higher expressed in ADSCs exosomes and was lower expressed in skin cancer tissues and cells. ADSCs-derived exosomes inhibited cell invasion of skin cancer. MiR-199a-5p inhibitor enhanced cell viability and invasion. In addition, miR-199a-5p inhibitor suppressed cell apoptosis. MiR-199a-5p NC transfected ADSCs inhibited cell viability and invasion while miR-199a-5p mimic transfected ADSCs further inhibited cell viability and invasion. In addition, miR-199a-5p NC transfected ADSCs enhanced cell apoptosis while miR-199a-5p mimic transfected ADSCs further enhanced cell apoptosis. Luciferase supported the targetscan prediction that miR-199a-5p might control SOX4 expression. SOX4 expression was noticeably lower in the miR-199a-5p mimic group.Exosomes from adipose-derived stem cells inhibited skin cancer progression via miR-199a-5p/SOX4.

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PMID:  Xi Bao Yu Fen Zi Mian Yi Xue Za Zhi. 2023 Apr ;39(4):295-302. PMID: 37087546 Abstract Title:  [miR-30e-3p in natural killer cell-derived exosomes inhibits the proliferation and invasion of human esophageal squamous carcinoma cells]. Abstract:  Objective To investigate the effects of natural killer (NK)-cell-derived miR-30e-3p-containing exosomes (Exo) on esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) cell proliferation, apoptosis and invasion. Methods NK cells were isolated and amplified from the peripheral blood of healthy donors, and NK cell-derived Exo was isolated and identified, which were further co-cultured with NEC cells and were randomly grouped into Exo1 and Exo2 groups. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) was used to observe the morphology and size of exosomes. Western blot analysis was used to detect the expression levels of exosome markers apoptosis related gene 2- interacting protein X(ALIX), tumor susceptibility gene 101(TSG101), CD81 and calnexin. The NC plasmids, mimics and inhibitors of miR030e-3p were respectively delivered into the NK cells, and the corresponding NK cells-derived Exo were co-cultured with NEC cells, which were divided into NC, Exo, mimic and inhibitor groups. CCK-8 assay was used to evaluate cell proliferation, flow cytometry was conducted to determine cell cycle, annexin V-FITC/PI double staining was employed to detect cell apoptosis, and Transwellassay was performed to detect cell invasion abilities. Real-time quantitative PCR was used to detect the expression of miR-23b, miR-422a, miR-133b, miR-124, miR-30e-3p and miR-99a in NCE cells and exosomes. Results The percentages of CD56CD3cells and CD56CD16cells in NK cells were (0.0710.008)% and (90.610.6)%, respectively. Exosome isolated from NK cells ranged from 30 nm to 150 nm, and was positive for ALIX, TSG101 and CD81, while negative for calnexin. NK cell-derived Exos inhibited the proliferation, reduced the proportion of S-phase cells and the number of invaded cells of NEC cells, and promoted the apoptosis and the proportion of G1 phase cells. Overexpression of miR-30E-3p in NK cell-derived exosome inhibited the proliferation and invasion of NEC cells, and blocked cell cycle and promoted apoptosis, while knockdown miR-30e-3p in NK cell-derived exosomes did the opposite. Conclusion miR-30e-3p in NK cell-derived exosomes can inhibit the proliferation and invasion of ESCC cells, block their cell cycle and induce their apoptosis.

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PMID:  Adv Biol (Weinh). 2023 Jun ;7(6):e2200214. Epub 2023 Apr 20. PMID: 37080945 Abstract Title:  The Muscle-Gut-Brain Axis and Psychiatric Illness. Abstract:  The microbiota-gut-brain axis (MGBA) has been the subject of much research over the past decade, offering an exciting new paradigm for the treatment of psychiatric disorders. In this review, the MGBA is extended to include skeletal muscle and the potential role of an expanded "muscle-gut-brain axis" (MuGBA) in conditions such as anxiety and depression is discussed. There is evidence, from both preclinical and human studies, of bidirectional links between the gut microbiome and skeletal muscle function and structure. The therapeutic role of exercise in reducing depressive and anxiety symptoms is widely recognised, and the potential role of the gut microbiota-skeletal muscle link is discussed within this context. Potential pathways of communication involved in the MuGBA including the tryptophan-kynurenine pathway, intestinal permeability, immune modulation, and bacterial metabolites such as short-chain-fatty-acids are explored.

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PMID:  J Korean Med Sci. 2023 Apr 17 ;38(15):e120. Epub 2023 Apr 17. PMID: 37069814 Abstract Title:  Gut Microbiota Dysbiosis Correlates With Long COVID-19 at One-Year After Discharge. Abstract:  BACKGROUND: Long coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in recovered patients (RPs) is gradually recognized by more people. However, how long it will last and the underlining mechanism remains unclear.METHODS: We conducted a prospective follow-up study to evaluate the long-term symptoms and clinical indices of RPs at one-year after discharge from Union Hospital, Wuhan, China between December 2020 to May 2021. We also performed the 16S rRNA sequencing of stool samples from RPs and healthy controls (HCs) and analyzed the correlation between the gut microbiota and long COVID-19.RESULTS: In total, 187 RPs were enrolled, among them, 84 (44.9%) RPs reported long COVID-19 symptoms at one-year after discharge. The most common long-term symptoms were cardiopulmonary symptoms, including chest tightness after activity (39/187, 20.9%), palpitations on exercise (27/187, 14.4%), sputum (21/187, 11.2%), cough (15/187, 8.0%) and chest pain (13/187, 7.0%), followed by systemic symptoms including fatigue (34/187, 18.2%) and myalgia (20/187, 10.7%), and digestive symptoms including constipation (14/187, 7.5%), anorexia (13/187, 7.0%), and diarrhea (8/187, 4.3%). Sixty-six (35.9%) RPs presented either anxiety or depression (42/187 [22.8%] and 53/187 [28.8%] respectively), and the proportion of anxiety or depression in the long symptomatic group was significantly higher than that in the asymptomatic group (41/187 [50.6%] vs. 25/187 [24.3%]). Compared with the asymptomatic group, scores of all nine 36-Item Short Form General Health Survey domains were lower in the symptomatic group (all

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PMID:  Biotechnol Rep (Amst). 2023 Jun ;38:e00795. Epub 2023 Apr 2. PMID: 37041970 Abstract Title:  Probiotic therapy, African fermented foods and food-derived bioactive peptides in the management of SARS-CoV-2 cases and other viral infections. Abstract:  The current paper focuses on the impact of probiotics, African fermented foods and bioactive peptides on severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection severity and related viral infections. Using probiotics or bioactive peptides as therapeutic adjuncts appears superior to standard care alone. Probiotics play critical roles in innate and adaptive immune modulation by balancing the gut microbiota to combat viral infections, secondary bacterial infections and microbial dysbiosis. African fermented foods contain abundant potential probiotic microorganisms such as the lactic acid bacteria (LAB), Saccharomyces, and Bacillus. More so, fermented food-derived bioactive peptides play vital roles in preventing cardiovascular diseases, hypertension, lung injury, diabetes, and other COVID-19 comorbidities. Regularly incorporating potential probiotics and bioactive peptides into diets should enable a build-up of the benefits in the body system that may result in a better prognosis, especially in COVID-19 patients with underlying complexities. Despite the reported therapeutic potentials of probiotics and fermented foods, numerous setbacks exist regarding their application in disease management. These shortfalls underscore an evident need for more studies to evaluate the specific potentials of probiotics and traditional fermented foods in ameliorating SARS-CoV-2 and other viral infections.

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PMID:  Arch Microbiol. 2023 Apr 9 ;205(5):182. Epub 2023 Apr 9. PMID: 37031431 Abstract Title:  Effect of probiotics as an immune modulator for the management of COVID-19. Abstract:  COVID-19, an acute respiratory viral infection conveyed by pneumonia caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has affected millions of individuals globally, and is a public health emergency of international concern. Till now, there are no highly effective therapies for this infection without vaccination. As they can evolve quickly and cross the strain level easily, these viruses are causing epidemics or pandemics that are allied with more severe clinical diseases. A new approach is needed to improve immunity to confirm the protection against emerging viral infections. Probiotics can modify gut microbial dysbiosis, improve the host immune system, and stimulate immune signaling, increasing systemic immunity. Several probiotic bacterial therapies have been proven to decrease the period of bacterial or viral infections. Superinduction of inflammation, termed cytokine storm, has been directly linked with pneumonia and severe complications of viral respiratory infections. In this case, probiotics as potential immunomodulatory agents can be an appropriate candidate to improve the host's response to respiratory viral infections. During this COVID-19 pandemic, any approach that can induce mucosal and systemic immunity could be helpful. Here, we summarize contexts regarding the effectiveness of various probiotics for preventing virus-induced respiratory infectious diseases, especially those that could be employed for COVID-19 patients. In addition, the effects of probiotics, their mechanisms on different aspects of immune responses against respiratory viral infection, and their antiviral properties in clinical findings have been described in detail.

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PMID:  Front Immunol. 2023 ;14:1080043. Epub 2023 Mar 8. PMID: 36969243 Abstract Title:  Gut and airway microbiota dysbiosis and their role in COVID-19 and long-COVID. Abstract:  The gut microbiota plays a crucial role in human health and disease. Gut dysbiosis is known to be associated with increased susceptibility to respiratory diseases and modifications in the immune response and homeostasis of the lungs (the so-called gut-lung axis). Furthermore, recent studies have highlighted the possible role of dysbiosis in neurological disturbances, introducing the notion of the "gut-brain axis." During the last 2 years, several studies have described the presence of gut dysbiosis during coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and its relationship with disease severity, SARS-CoV-2 gastrointestinal replication, and immune inflammation. Moreover, the possible persistence of gut dysbiosis after disease resolution may be linked to long-COVID syndrome and particularly to its neurological manifestations. We reviewed recent evidence on the association between dysbiosis and COVID-19, investigating the possible epidemiologic confounding factors like age, location, sex, sample size, the severity of disease, comorbidities, therapy, and vaccination status on gut and airway microbial dysbiosis in selected studies on both COVID-19 and long-COVID. Moreover, we analyzed the confounding factors strictly related to microbiota, specifically diet investigation and previous use of antibiotics/probiotics, and the methodology used to study the microbiota (- and-diversity parameters and relative abundance tools). Of note, only a few studies focused on longitudinal analyses, especially for long-term observation in long-COVID. Lastly, there is a lack of knowledge regarding the role of microbiota transplantation and other therapeutic approaches and their possible impact on disease progression and severity. Preliminary data seem to suggest that gut and airway dysbiosis might play a role in COVID-19 and in long-COVID neurological symptoms. Indeed, the development and interpretation of these data could have important implications for future preventive and therapeutic strategies.

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PMID:  J Med Virol. 2023 Apr ;95(4):e28691. PMID: 36946508 Abstract Title:  SARS-CoV-2 infection alters the gut microbiome in diabetes patients: A cross-sectional study from Bangladesh. Abstract:  Populations of different South Asian nations including Bangladesh reportedly have a high risk of developing diabetes in recent years. This study aimed to investigate the differences in the gut microbiome of COVID-19-positive participants with or without type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) compared with healthy control subjects. Microbiome data of 30 participants with T2DM were compared with 22 age-, sex-, and body mass index (BMI)-matched individuals. Clinical features were recorded while fecal samples were collected aseptically from the participants. Amplicon-based (16S rRNA) metagenome analyses were employed to explore the dysbiosis of gut microbiota and its correlation with genomic and functional features in COVID-19 patients with or without T2DM. Comparing the detected bacterial genera across the sample groups, 98 unique genera were identified, of which 9 genera had unique association with COVID-19 T2DM patients. Among different bacterial groups, Shigella (25%), Bacteroides (23.45%), and Megamonas (15.90%) had higher mean relative abundances in COVID-19 patients with T2DM. An elevated gut microbiota dysbiosis in T2DM patients with COVID-19 was observed while some metabolic functional changes correlated with bidirectional microbiome dysbiosis between diabetes and non-diabetes humans gut were also found. These results further highlight the possible association of COVID-19 infection that might be linked with alteration of gut microbiome among T2DM patients.

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PMID:  Sci Rep. 2023 Mar 13 ;13(1):4122. Epub 2023 Mar 13. PMID: 36914691 Abstract Title:  A multicentre study reveals dysbiosis in the microbial co-infection and antimicrobial resistance gene profile in the nasopharynx of COVID-19 patients. Abstract:  The impact of SARS-CoV-2 infection on the nasopharyngeal microbiome has not been well characterised. We sequenced genetic material extracted from nasopharyngeal swabs of SARS-CoV-2-positive individuals who were asymptomatic (n=14), had mild (n=64) or severe symptoms (n=11), as well as from SARS-CoV-2-negative individuals who had never-been infected (n=5) or had recovered from infection (n=7). Using robust filters, we identified 1345 taxa with approximately 0.1% or greater read abundance. Overall, the severe cohort microbiome was least diverse. Bacterial pathogens were found in all cohorts, but fungal species identifications were rare. Few taxa were common between cohorts suggesting a limited human nasopharynx core microbiome. Genes encoding resistance mechanisms to 10 antimicrobial classes (>25% sequence coverages, 315 genes, 63 non-redundant) were identified, with-lactam resistance genes near ubiquitous. Patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 (asymptomatic and mild) had a greater incidence of antibiotic resistance genes and a greater microbial burden than the SARS-CoV-2-negative individuals. This should be considered when deciding how to treat COVID-19 related bacterial infections.

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PMID:  Clin Exp Hypertens. 2023 Dec 31 ;45(1):2195135. PMID: 36994745 Abstract Title:  Gut microbiota and hypertension: association, mechanisms and treatment. Abstract:  OBJECTIVES: Hypertension is one of the most important risk factors for cardio-cerebral vascular diseases, which brings a heavy economic burden to society and becomes a major public health problem. At present, the pathogenesis of hypertension is unclear. Increasing evidence has proven that the pathogenesis of hypertension is closely related to the dysbiosis of gut microbiota. We briefly reviewed relevant literature on gut microbiota and hypertension to summarize the relationship between gut microbiota and hypertension, linked the antihypertension effects of drugs with their modulation on gut microbiota, and discussed the potential mechanisms of various gut microbes and their active metabolites to alleviate hypertension, thus providing new research ideas for the development of antihypertension drugs.METHODS: The relevant literature was collected systematically from scientific database, including Elsevier, PubMed, Web of Science, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Baidu Scholar, as well as other literature sources, such as classic books of herbal medicine.RESULTS: Hypertension can lead to gut microbiota imbalance and gut barrier dysfunction, including increased harmful bacteria and hydrogen sulfide and lipopolysaccharide, decreased beneficial bacteria and short-chain fatty acids, decreased intestinal tight junction proteins and increased intestinal permeability. Gut microbiota imbalance is closely related to the occurrence and development of hypertension. At present, the main methods to regulate the gut microbiota include fecal microbiota transplantation, supplementation of probiotics, antibiotics, diet and exercise, antihypertensive drugs, and natural medicines.CONCLUSIONS: Gut microbiota is closely related to hypertension. Investigating the correlation between gut microbiota and hypertension may help to reveal the pathogenesis of hypertension from the perspective of gut microbiota, which is of great significance for the prevention and treatment of hypertension.

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PMID:  Nutrients. 2023 Mar 22 ;15(6). Epub 2023 Mar 22. PMID: 36986268 Abstract Title:  Physical Exercise and Diet: Regulation of Gut Microbiota to Prevent and Treat Metabolic Disorders to Maintain Health. Abstract:  Each person's body is host to a large number and variety of gut microbiota, which has been described as the second genome and plays an important role in the body's metabolic process and is closely related to health. It is common knowledge that proper physical activity and the right diet structure can keep us healthy, and in recent years, researchers have found that this boost to health may be related to the gut microbiota. Past studies have reported that physical activity and diet can modulate the compositional structure of the gut microbiota and further influence the production of key metabolites of the gut microbiota, which can be an effective way to improve body metabolism and prevent and treat related metabolic diseases. In this review, we outline the role of physical activity and diet in regulating gut microbiota and the key role that gut microbiota plays in improving metabolic disorders. In addition, we highlight the regulation of gut microbiota through appropriate physical exercise and diet to improve body metabolism and prevent metabolic diseases, aiming to promote public health and provide a new approach to treating such diseases.

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PMID:  Nutrients. 2023 Mar 22 ;15(6). Epub 2023 Mar 22. PMID: 36986264 Abstract Title:  The Effect of Exercise Prescription on the Human Gut Microbiota and Comparison between Clinical and Apparently Healthy Populations: A Systematic Review. Abstract:  This study systematically reviewed all human longitudinal exercise interventions that reported changes in the gut microbiota; frequency, intensity, duration and type of exercise were assessed to determine the influence of these variables on changes to the gut microbiota in both healthy individuals and clinical populations (PROPERO registration: CRD42022309854). Using PRISMA guidelines, trials analysing gut microbiota change with exercise interventions were included independent of trial randomisation, population, trial duration or analysis technique. Studies were excluded when microbiota abundance was not reported or when exercise was combined with other interventions. Twenty-eight trials were included, of which twelve involved healthy populations only and sixteen involved mixed or clinical-only populations. The findings show that participation in exercise of moderate to high-intensity for 30-90 min3 times per week (or between 150-270 min per week) for8 weeks is likely to produce changes in the gut microbiota. Exercise appears to be effective in modifying the gut microbiota in both clinical and healthy populations. A more robust methodology is needed in future studies to improve the certainty of the evidence.

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PMID:  Cureus. 2023 Mar ;15(3):e36565. Epub 2023 Mar 23. PMID: 37095805 Abstract Title:  Probiotics in Irritable Bowel Syndrome: A Review Article. Abstract:  Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a persistent set of symptoms that reduces one's goodness of life. The treatment of these people is usually focused on reducing the symptoms caused by the condition. This article examines the function of probiotics in alleviating symptoms in IBS patients. The goal of studying the impact of probiotics on IBS patients is to research the changes they cause to the gut microbiota, which may be beneficial in preventing and treating such diseases over time. This article also discusses the pathophysiology, diagnostic standards, therapeutic modalities, probiotic sources, and therapeutic relevance for IBS patients.

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PMID:  J Wound Care. 2023 May 2 ;32(5):318-328. PMID: 37094922 Abstract Title:  The role of probiotics as wound healers: an overall view. Abstract:  A wound is an injury to the skin or damage to the body tissue. The healing process differs between various kinds of wounds. Treatment of hard-to-heal (chronic) wounds becomes challenging for healthcare practitioners, especially if patients have underlying health complications such as diabetes. Infection of wounds is another factor that interferes with the healing process and extends its duration. Active research is being conducted into the development of advanced wound dressing technologies. These wound dressings are intended to manage the exudate, reduce bacterial infection and speed up the healing process. Probiotics have been receiving much attention because of their potential application in the clinical field, especially in diagnostics and treatment strategies of various infectious and non-infectious diseases. The host immune-modulatory response and antimicrobial activity of probiotics are expanding their role in the development of improved wound dressing technology.

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PMID:  J Contemp Dent Pract. 2022 Oct 1 ;23(10):984-990. Epub 2022 Oct 1. PMID: 37073910 Abstract Title:  Evaluation of Probiotic Effects of Lactobacilli on Mutans Streptococci: AnStudy. Abstract:  AIM: The aim of the present study is to evaluate the probiotic effect ofandon clinical isolates of Mutans Streptococci (MS) and antibiotic susceptibility of these strains to commonly used antibiotics in dentistry.MATERIALS AND METHODS: Plaque samples from permanent first molars were collected and transferred aseptically onto Mitis-Salivarius agar and incubated at 37C for 24 hours in the presence of 5-10% CO. Mutans streptococci colonies were identified biochemically using Hi-Strep identification kit. The inhibitory activity of the clinical strains of MS on Lactobacilli was investigated using agar-overlay interference technique. Positive inhibition was appreciated as a clear zone around the LactobacilliDisk diffusion assay was done as described by CLSI M100-S25 for antibiotic susceptibility. The zone of growth inhibition caused by Lactobacilli and antibiotics on MS clinical strains was measured directly using a vernier caliper. Statistical analysis was done using independent-test.RESULTS: Mutans streptococci exhibited positive inhibition with both the probiotic strains andshowed more zones of inhibition than. Antibiotic susceptibility of clinical strains of MS showed sensitivity to penicillin and vancomycin, however, tetracycline and erythromycin showed very few resistant strains. The highest zone of inhibition was shown by cephalothin followed by penicillin, tetracycline, ciprofloxacin, erythromycin, and vancomycin.CONCLUSION: andhave strong inhibitory effects on clinical strains of MS.showed a higher zone of inhibition. All the clinical strains of MS were sensitive to penicillin and vancomycin. The highest zone of inhibition was shown by cephalothin.CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: Dental caries remains silent epidemic and increasing antibiotic resistance is another major challenge that threatens the world. Newer methods such as whole-bacteria replacement therapy using probiotics for decreasing harmful oral pathogens and reducing the intake of antibiotics must be explored. More researches to promote use of probiotics should be initiated due to its possible preventive and health maintenance benefits providing an end to new cavities and antibiotic resistance.

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PMID:  Phytomedicine. 2023 Jul ;115:154820. Epub 2023 Apr 12. PMID: 37094426 Abstract Title:  Gut microbiome-mediated glucose and lipid metabolism mechanism of star apple leaf polyphenol-enriched fraction on metabolic syndrome in diabetic mice. Abstract:  BACKGROUND: Diabetes is a kind of metabolic syndrome (MetS) that seriously threatens human health globally. The leaf of star apple (Chrysophyllum cainito L.) is an incompletely explored folk medicine on diabetes. And, the effects and mechanisms on diabetes complicated glycolipid metabolism disorders are unknown till now.PURPOSE: This study aimed to investigate the constituents of star apple leaf polyphenol enriched-fraction (SAP), and elucidate their treatment effects and mechanism on diabetes and accompanied other MetS.METHODS: The components of SAP were tentatively identified by HPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS. The antioxidant activity was determined by the scavenging of free radicals and hypoglycemic activities by inhibition of-glucosidase in vitro. HepG2 cells were used for evaluating the alleviation effects of SAP on lipid accumulation. Streptozotocin and high-fat diet induced diabetic mice were grouped to evaluate the effects of different dosages of SAP. 16S rRNA was conducted to analysis gut microbiome-mediated glucose and lipid metabolism mechanism.RESULTS: It showed that myricitrin was one of the main active constituents of SAP. SAP not only showed low IC50 on -glucosidase (24.4270.626g/mL), OH(3.6800.054g/mL) and ABTS(9.1550.234g/mL), but significantly induced the lipid accumulation in HepG2 cells (p

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PMID:  Chem Pharm Bull (Tokyo). 2023 ;71(4):262-268. PMID: 37005250 Abstract Title:  Protective Effect of Apple Polyphenols on HO-Induced Oxidative Stress Damage in Human Colon Adenocarcinoma Caco-2 Cells. Abstract:  Apple is an important dietary agent for human and apple polyphenols (AP) are the main secondary metabolites of apples. In this study, the protective effects of AP on hydrogen peroxide (HO)-induced oxidative stress damage in human colon adenocarcinoma Caco-2 cells were investigated by cell viability, oxidative stress change as well as cell apoptosis. Pre-adding AP could significantly increase the survival rate of HO-treated Caco-2 cells. Besides, the activities of antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-PX) and catalase (CAT) were elevated. While the malondialdehyde (MDA) content which is the major oxidant products of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) reduced after AP treatment. In addition, AP also suppressed the emergence of DNA fragment and decreased the expression of apoptosis-related protein Caspase-3. These results demonstrated that AP could ameliorate HO-induced oxidative stress damage in Caco-2 cells, which could serve as a reference for further studies of apple natural active products and deep study of the anti-oxidative stress mechanism.

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PMID:  Food Res Int. 2023 Feb ;164:112297. Epub 2022 Dec 8. PMID: 36737898 Abstract Title:  Contribution of five major apple polyphenols in reducing peanut protein sensitization and alleviating allergencitiy of peanut by changing allergen structure. Abstract:  Peanuts are prone to trigger allergic reactions with high mortality rate. There is currently no effective way to prevent peanut allergy. In order to reduce the allergy risk of peanuts, it's significant to reduce sensitization of peanut prior to ingestion. In this study, the effects of five major apple polyphenols (epicatechin, phlorizin, rutin, chlorogenic acid, and catechin) -peanut protein on the sensitization of peanut allergens were studied by BALB/c peanut allergy model to access the contribution of each polyphenol in apple to peanut allergen sensitization reduction. Then, the mechanism was explored in terms of the effect of polyphenols on the simulated gastric digestion of peanut protein and the changes in structure of Ara h 1. The results showed that polyphenol binding could alleviate allergencitiy of peanut and regulate MAPK related signaling pathway. Among the five major apple polyphenols, epicatechin had the strongest inhibitory effect. The binding of epicatechin to the constitutive epitopes arginine led to changes in the spatial structure of Ara h 1, which resulted in the effective linear epitopes reduction. Modification of peanut allergens with polyphenols could effectively reduce the sensitization of peanut protein.

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PMID:  Phytother Res. 2023 Apr 24. Epub 2023 Apr 24. PMID: 37092799 Abstract Title:  Pomegranate polyphenol punicalagin improves learning memory deficits, redox homeostasis, and neuroinflammation in aging mice. Abstract:  Alzheimer's disease (AD) is an irreversible, progressive brain disorder characterized by loss of memory and cognitive dysfunction in the aged. Despite remarkable advances in drug therapy, effective pharmacological interventions are rare. Punicalagin (PU) is an active antioxidant polyphenol found in pomegranates, raspberries, blueberries, and chestnuts that has attracted considerable attention owing to its strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. The current study focused on the neuroprotective effect of PU on aging mice and its potential mechanisms. In this study, we first evaluated the protective effect of PU on neuro-2a (N2a) cell damage mediated by BV2 microglia-induced neuroinflammation. The in vivo D-galactose (D-gal)-induced brain aging model demonstrated that PU ameliorated deficits in learning and memory and prevented neuroinflammation, which was evident from the decrease in microglial activation and astrocytosis. Furthermore, PU reduced the levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) and reactive oxygen species (ROS) and inhibited NLRP3 inflammasome activation, reducing the levels of inflammatory cytokines, such as interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-a (TNF-a), interleukin-18 (IL-18), and interleukin-1 beta (IL-1) in both accelerated aging and naturally senescent mouse models. PU effectively improved neuroinflammation, learning and memory deficits, and redox homeostasis in aging mice, and it could be a potential therapeutic agent for AD.

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PMID:  J Exp Pharmacol. 2023 ;15:191-205. Epub 2023 Apr 15. PMID: 37090425 Abstract Title:  Pomegranate Seeds and Peel Ethanolic Extracts Anticancer Potentials and Related Genetic, Histological, Immunohistochemical, Apoptotic and Oxidative Stress Profiles: In vitro Study. Abstract:  INTRODUCTION: Owing to their great quantity of hydrolyzable anthocyanins and tannins, the peel and seeds of pomegranate are edible and possess potent anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory characteristics. This work aims to trace the pomegranate seed and peel ethanolic extracts' anticancer activity against liver cancer cell line, namely HepG2 and related histopathological, immunohistochemical, genetic and oxidative stress profile.METHODS: In vitro study for both seed and peel extract showed the prevalence of phenols, polyphenols and acids, those have anti-proliferative potential against liver cancer cell line (HepG2) with 50% inhibitory concentration (IC50) of seed significantly reduced that of peel. Toxicity of test extracts was concentration dependent and accompanied with cell cycle arrest and cell death at theG0/G1 and S phases but not at the G2/M phase. Cell arrest was supplemented with raised ROS, MDA and decreased SOD, GSH and Catalase.RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: Apoptosis-related genes showed significant up-expression of pro-apoptotic gene (),,, andand down expression of anti-apoptotic gene (). Also, Casp-3 and P53 proteins were substantially expressed under the effect of test extracts. Histopathological study demonstrated that the untreated cells (control group) were regular cells with nuclear pleomorphism and hyperchromatic nuclei, while seed and peel extracts-treated cells showed necrosis, mixed euchromatin and heterochromatin, intra-nuclear eosinophilic structures, burst cell membranes, and the shrunken apoptotic cells with nuclear membranes and irregular cells. Finally,gene detected by immunohistochemistry was down regulated significantly under the effect of seed extract treatment than in case of cell medication with peel extract.

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PMID:  Nutrients. 2023 Apr 5 ;15(7). Epub 2023 Apr 5. PMID: 37049615 Abstract Title:  Pomegranate Extract Affects Gut Biofilm Forming Bacteria and Promotes Intestinal Mucosal Healing Regulating the Crosstalk between Epithelial Cells and Intestinal Fibroblasts. Abstract:  Pomegranate () can be used to prepare a bioactive extract exerting anti-inflammatory activities. Clinical studies demonstrated an improvement in clinical response in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients when pomegranate extract () was taken as a complement to standard medications. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying its beneficial effects are still scarcely investigated. This study investigates the effect ofon bacterial biofilm formation and the promotion of mucosal wound healing.The acute colitis model was induced in C57BL/6N mice by 3% dextran sodium sulfate administration in drinking water for 5 days. During the recovery phase of colitis, mice received saline or(200 mg/kg body weight) by oral gavage for 11 days. Colitis was scored daily by evaluating body weight loss, bleeding, and stool consistency. In vivo intestinal permeability was evaluated by fluorescein isothiocyanate-conjugated dextran assay, bacterial translocation was assessed by fluorescence in situ hybridization on tissues, whereas epithelial and mucus integrity were monitored by immunostaining for JAM-A and MUC-2 markers. Bacterial biofilm formation was assessed using microfluidic devices for 24 or 48 h. Primary fibroblasts were isolated from healthy and inflamed areas of 8 IBD patients, and Caco-2 cells were stimulated with or without(5g/mL). Inflammatory mediators were measured at the mRNA and protein level by RT-PCR, WB, or Bio-plex multiplex immunoassay, respectively.In vivo,boosted the recovery phase of colitis, promoting a complete restoration of the intestinal barrier with the regeneration of the mucus layer, as also demonstrated by the absence of bacterial spread into the mucosa and the enrichment of crypt-associated fibroblasts. Microfluidic experiments did not highlight a specific effect ofonbiofilm formation, even thoughbiofilm was slightly impaired in the presence of. In vitro, inflamed fibroblasts responded toby downregulating the release of metalloproteinases, IL-6, and IL-8 and upregulating the levels of HGF. Caco-2 cells cultured in a medium supplemented withincreased the expression ofand, whereas in the presence of HGF or plated with a fibroblast-conditioned medium, they displayed a decrease inandexpression and an increase in, a negative regulator of Wnt signaling.These data provide new insight into the manifold effects ofon promoting mucosal homeostasis in IBD by affecting pathogen biofilm formation and favoring the regeneration of the intestinal barrier through the regulation of the crosstalk between epithelial and stro...

PMID:  Front Pharmacol. 2023 ;14:1166653. Epub 2023 Mar 28. PMID: 37056985 Abstract Title:  Pomegranate peel extract protects against the development of diabetic cardiomyopathy in rats by inhibiting pyroptosis and downregulating LncRNA-MALAT1. Abstract:  Pyroptosis is an inflammatory programmed cell death accompanied by activation of inflammasomes and maturation of pro-inflammatory cytokines interleukin-1(IL-1) and IL-18. Pyroptosis is closely linked to the development of diabetic cardiomyopathy (DC). Pomegranate peel extract (PPE) exhibits a cardioprotective effect due to its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. This study aimed to investigate the underlying mechanisms of the protective effect of PPE on the myocardium in a rat model of DC and determine the underlying molecular mechanism.Type 1 diabetes (T1DM) was induced in rats by intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin. The rats in the treated groups received (150 mg/kg) PPE orally and daily for 8 weeks. The effects on the survival rate, lipid profile, serum cardiac troponin-1, lipid peroxidation, and tissue fibrosis were assessed. Additionally, the expression of pyroptosis-related genes (NLRP3 and caspase-1) and lncRNA-MALAT1 in the heart tissue was determined. The PPE was analyzed using UPLC-MS/MS and NMR for characterizing the phytochemical content.Prophylactic treatment with PPE significantly ameliorated cardiac hypertrophy in the diabetic rats and increased the survival rate. Moreover, prophylactic treatment with PPE in the diabetic rats significantly improved the lipid profile, decreased serum cardiac troponin-1, and decreased lipid peroxidation in the myocardial tissue. Histopathological examination of the cardiac tissues showed a marked reduction in fibrosis (decrease in collagen volume and number of TGF--positive cells) and preservation of normal myocardial structures in the diabetic rats treated with PPE. There was a significant decrease in the expression of pyroptosis-related genes (NLRP3 and caspase-1) and lncRNA-MALAT1 in the heart tissue of the diabetic rats treated with PPE. In addition, the concentration of IL-1and caspase-1 significantly decreased in the heart tissue of the same group. The protective effect of PPE on diabetic cardiomyopathy could be due to the inhibition of pyroptosis and downregulation of lncRNA-MALAT1. The phytochemical analysis of the PPE indicated that the major compounds were hexahydroxydiphenic acid glucoside, caffeoylquinic acid, gluconic acid, citric acid, gallic acid, and punicalagin.PPE exhibited a cardioprotective potential in diabetic rats due to its unique antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antifibrotic properties and its ability to improve the lipid profile. The protective effect of PPE on DC could be due to the inhibition of the NLRP3/caspase-1/IL-1signaling pathway...

PMID:  Cell Biochem Biophys. 2023 Jun ;81(2):189-203. Epub 2023 Apr 22. PMID: 37086387 Abstract Title:  Citrus Essential Oils: A Rational View on its Chemical Profiles, Mode of Action of Anticancer Effects/Antiproliferative Activity on Various Human Cancer Cell Lines. Abstract:  Cancer is a complex genetic disorder due to uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells in the body, causes damage to the immune system, and may lead to life-threatening situations. Common approaches to cancer treatment includes chemotherapy, hormone therapy, immunotherapy, radiation therapy etc. Development of novel and natural chemotherapeutic agents is highly demanded because of the side effects of synthetic drugs. Essential oils from aromatic plants exhibited antioxidant, antimutagenic, antiproliferative and immunomodulating activities. Mechanism of multidrug resistance and synergistic action of these volatile constituents are responsible for their chemopreventive properties. These oils primarily comprising of terpenoid constituents and are characterized by volatility, aroma, low molecular weight etc. The chemical composition of these oils varies depending on the environmental condition, species, plant part and geographical region. Literature analysis revealed that plant essential oils play an important role in cancer prevention and treatment. Cancer patients exposed to essential oils via inhaler devices were found to have less anxiety, stress, and nausea and insomnia. Nowadays, there is an increasing demand for investigating the biological properties of aromatic plants due to their availability, chemical diversity, and low toxicity. In aromatherapy, Citrus essential oils repress cancer related pain and enhance immune system. Current review summarizes existing variability of the chemical composition of Citrus essential oils and its molecular level anticancer mechanism against various human cancer cell lines. Citrus essential oils enhance cytotoxicity, antiproliferative and apoptotic behavior of cancer cell lines. Since essential oils exhibiting significant anticancer potential is worthy of further investigation for cancer chemoprevention. The findings of various research activities can be exploited by cancer researchers world wide for the development of anticancer drugs which can relieve cancer symptoms.

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PMID:  Complement Ther Clin Pract. 2023 Mar 24 ;52:101748. Epub 2023 Mar 24. PMID: 37054616 Abstract Title:  The effect of ylang oil and lemon oil inhalation on labor pain and anxiety pregnant women: A randomized controlled trial. Abstract:  BACKGROUND: and purpose: To date, there has been very limited experimental research on the impact of ylang ylang oil and lemon oil inhalation labor pain. This study was conducted to investigate the effects of aromatherapy, one of the non-pharmacological pain methods, on anxiety and labor pain in the active phase in primiparous pregnant women.METHODS: A randomized controlled trial design was used in the study, which was conducted with 45 primiparous pregnant women. Volunteers were randomized into the lemon oil group (n = 15), ylang-ylang oil group (n = 15), and control group (n = 15) by using the sealed envelope method. The visual analog scale (VAS) and the state anxiety inventory were applied to the intervention and control groups before the application. After the application, the VAS and the state anxiety inventory were applied at 5-7 cm dilatation and the VAS was applied alone at 8-10 cm dilatation. The trait anxiety inventory was applied to the volunteers after delivery.RESULTS: The mean pain scores at 5-7 cm dilatation in the intervention groups (lemon oil 6.90, ylang ylang oil, 7.30) were significantly lower than in the control group (9.20) (p = 0.005). There was no significant difference between the groups in terms of their mean pre-intervention and 5-7-cm-dilatation anxiety scores (p = 0.750; p = 0.663), mean trait anxiety scores (p = 0.094), and mean first-and fifth-minute Apgar scores (p = 0.051; p = 0.051).CONCLUSION: It was found that aromatherapy applied by inhalation at labor reduced the perception of labor pain but had no effect on anxiety.

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PMID:  Integr Cancer Ther. 2023 ;22:15347354231164600. PMID: 37052390 Abstract Title:  Effect of Chamomile on the Complications of Cancer: A Systematic Review. Abstract:  BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Despite significant advances in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer, many people across the world still suffer from this chronic disease and its complications. Chamomile as an herbal medicine has gained an increasing attention for relieving cancer complications. This study aimed to integrate and synthesize current international evidence regarding the effect of chamomile on cancer complications.METHODS: A systematic review was undertaken. Five online databases including Web of Science, PubMed [including MEDLINE], Cochrane Library, Scopus, and Embase were searched and articles published from inception to January 2023 were retrieved. All clinical trials and similar interventional studies on human subjects examining the effects of chamomile on cancer complications were included in the review and research synthesis. Relevant data were extracted from eligible studies after quality appraisals using proper methodological tools. The review results were presented narratively given that meta-analysis was impossible.RESULTS: A total of 2240 studies were retrieved during the search process, but 18 articles were selected. The total sample size was 1099 patients with cancer of which 622 participants were female. Fifteen studies used an RCT design. Various forms of chamomile were used such as mouthwash, topical material, tea, capsule, syrup and aromatherapy massage. Chamomile effectively reduced oral mucositis, skin complications, depression, and vomiting and also improved appetite and quality of life among cancer patients.CONCLUSION: The use of chamomile as a non-pharmacologic and safe method can be helpful for mitigating cancer complications in patients with cancer. Therefore, it can be incorporated into routine care along with other therapeutic measures to reduce patients' suffering related to cancer.SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION NUMBER (PROSPERO): CRD42022307887.

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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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