scholarly journals Antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-hyperlipidemic properties of the spelt grass juice

2021 ◽  
Vol 62 (1) ◽  
pp. 28-36
Author(s):  
Tamara Antonić ◽  
Aleksandra Stefanović ◽  
Tamara Gojković ◽  
Sandra Vladimirov ◽  
Vesna Spasojevic-Kalimanovska ◽  
...  

Spelt is a grain rich in bioactive compounds - different phytochemicals, so it is often mentioned in the context of being beneficial to human health. We aimed to investigate the antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-hyperlipidemic properties of the spelt grass juice. Twenty volunteers consumed a beverage once a day, by dissolving one dose in 200 ml of still water, for 2 months. All individuals were clinically and biochemically examined. The individual profiles of LDL and HDL particles were determined by polyacrylamide gradient gel electrophoresis, while the concentrations of non-cholesterol sterols were measured using the gas chromatography - flame ionization detector. High-sensitivity Creactive protein (hsCRP) was measured using the commercially available kit. Concentrations of oxidative stress status parameters were measured spectrophotometrically. Though no change was observed in lipid profile parameters, values of coronary risk (CRI) (p < 0.05) and the atherogenic indexes (AI) (p < 0.05) after the supplementation were lower compared with values before the dietary intervention. After analyzing the markers of cholesterol synthesis and absorption, we only noticed a significant increase in campesterol concentrations (p < 0.05). Moreover, we found a statistically significant reduction in hsCRP concentrations in subjects who underwent spelt juice supplementation (p < 0.001). A significant decrease in PAB (p < 0.001), AOPP (p < 0.05) and PON1 (p < 0.001) was recorded after supplementation. On the other side, TAS values and concentration of SH groups were significantly higher after the dietary intervention (p < 0.001, both). We suggested a possible beneficial effect of the spelt grass supplementation on the overall lipid profile, the prooxidant-antioxidant balance, and inflammatory parameters.

Nutrients ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (11) ◽  
pp. 1604 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maddalena Parafati ◽  
Antonella Lascala ◽  
Daniele La Russa ◽  
Chiara Mignogna ◽  
Francesca Trimboli ◽  
...  

Wrong alimentary behaviors and so-called “junk food” are a driving force for the rising incidence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) among children and adults. The “junk food” toxicity can be studied in “cafeteria” (CAF) diet animal model. Young rats exposed to CAF diet become obese and rapidly develop NAFLD. We have previously showed that bergamot (Citrus bergamia Risso et Poiteau) flavonoids, in the form of bergamot polyphenol fraction (BPF), effectively prevent CAF diet-induced NAFLD in rats. Here, we addressed if BPF can accelerate therapeutic effects of weight loss induced by a normocaloric standard chow (SC) diet. 21 rats fed with CAF diet for 16 weeks to induce NAFLD with inflammatory features (NASH) were divided into three groups. Two groups were switched to SC diet supplemented or not with BPF (CAF/SC±BPF), while one group continued with CAF diet (CAF/CAF) for 10 weeks. BPF had no effect on SC diet-induced weight loss, but it accelerated hepatic lipid droplets clearance and reduced blood triglycerides. Accordingly, BPF improved insulin sensitivity, but had little effect on leptin levels. Interestingly, the inflammatory parameters were still elevated in CAF/SC livers compared to CAF/CAF group after 10 weeks of dietary intervention, despite over 90% hepatic fat reduction. In contrast, BPF supplementation decreased hepatic inflammation by reducing interleukin 6 (Il6) mRNA expression and increasing anti-inflammatory Il10, which correlated with fewer Kupffer cells and lower inflammatory foci score in CAF/SC+BPF livers compared to CAF/SC group. These data indicate that BPF mediates a specific anti-inflammatory activity in livers recovering from NASH, while it boosts lipid-lowering and anti-diabetic effects of the dietary intervention.


Nutrients ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (11) ◽  
pp. 3583
Author(s):  
Gordana Kenđel Jovanović ◽  
Ines Mrakovcic-Sutic ◽  
Sandra Pavičić Žeželj ◽  
Branislav Šuša ◽  
Dario Rahelić ◽  
...  

There is growing evidence of the dietary impact on obesity-induced low-grade chronic inflammation and the associated chronic non-communicable diseases modification. We determined changes in body composition and cardiometabolic and inflammatory status of participants with obesity after 24 weeks of a dietary intervention based on an energy-reduced anti-inflammatory diet and examined the relationship of these changes with changes in the inflammatory potential of the diet. The anthropometric and body composition parameters of 81 participants (average age of 43 years, 74 women) were assessed. Metabolic status was determined using the glycemic and lipid statuses, and the cardiometabolic index and inflammatory status were determined using the concentration of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), interleukin 6 (IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α). The inflammatory potential of the diet was assessed using the Dietary Inflammatory Index (DII®). Intervention with an anti-inflammatory diet resulted in a significant reduction in body weight and visceral adipose tissue and caused improvements in the participants’ cardiometabolic and inflammatory statuses. The anti-inflammatory diet was shown to be effective regarding obesity management. The study data could advance current scientific knowledge in the field of inflammation and diet, provide guidelines for obesity management, and find its application in routine clinical practice.


2019 ◽  
Vol 26 (24) ◽  
pp. 4506-4536 ◽  
Author(s):  
Iris E. Allijn ◽  
René P. Brinkhuis ◽  
Gert Storm ◽  
Raymond M. Schiffelers

Traditionally, natural medicines have been administered as plant extracts, which are composed of a mixture of molecules. The individual molecular species in this mixture may or may not contribute to the overall medicinal effects and some may even oppose the beneficial activity of others. To better control therapeutic effects, studies that characterized specific molecules and describe their individual activity that have been performed over the past decades. These studies appear to underline that natural products are particularly effective as antioxidants and anti-inflammatory agents. In this systematic review we aimed to identify potent anti-inflammatory natural products and relate their efficacy to their chemical structure and physicochemical properties. To identify these compounds, we performed a comprehensive literature search to find those studies, in which a dose-response description and a positive control reference compound was used to benchmark the observed activity. Of the analyzed papers, 7% of initially selected studies met these requirements and were subjected to further analysis. This analysis revealed that most selected natural products indeed appeared to possess anti-inflammatory activities, in particular anti-oxidative properties. In addition, 14% of the natural products outperformed the remaining natural products in all tested assays and are attractive candidates as new anti-inflammatory agents.


2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (7) ◽  
pp. 1405
Author(s):  
Fabrizia d’Apuzzo ◽  
Ludovica Nucci ◽  
Ines Delfino ◽  
Marianna Portaccio ◽  
Giuseppe Minervini ◽  
...  

Optical vibrational techniques show a high potentiality in many biomedical fields for their characteristics of high sensitivity in revealing detailed information on composition, structure, and molecular interaction with reduced analysis time. In the last years, we have used these techniques for investigating gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) and periodontal ligament (PDL) during orthodontic tooth treatment. The analysis with Raman and infrared signals of GCF and PDL samples highlighted that different days of orthodontic force application causes modifications in the molecular secondary structure at specific wavenumbers related to the Amide I, Amide III, CH deformation, and CH3/CH2. In the present review, we report the most relevant results and a brief description of the experimental techniques and data analysis procedure in order to evidence that the vibrational spectroscopies could be a potential useful tool for an immediate monitoring of the individual patient’s response to the orthodontic tooth movement, aiming to more personalized treatment reducing any side effects.


Author(s):  
Thriveni Vasanth Kumar ◽  
Manjunatha H. ◽  
Rajesh Kp

Objective: Dietary curcumin and capsaicin are well known for their health beneficial potencies. The current study was done to assess the anti-inflammatory activity of curcumin, capsaicin and their combination by employing in vitro and in vivo models.Methods: We investigated the protective effect of curcumin, capsaicin and their combination using in vitro heat induced human red blood cell (HRBC) membrane stabilisation, in vivo 3% agar induced leukocyte mobilisation and acetic acid induced vascular permeability assay.Results: Curcumin, capsaicin and their combination exhibited concentration dependent protective effect against heat-induced HRBC membrane destabilisation, while combined curcumin and capsaicin restored 87.0±0.64 % membrane stability and it is found to be better than curcumin, capsaicin and diclofenac sodium (75.0±0.25. 72±0.9 and 80.0±0.31 %) protective effect. In agar suspension induced leukocyte mobilization assay, the combined curcumin and capsaicin had shown 39.5±1.58 % of inhibition compared to individual curcumin and capsaicin, which showed moderate inhibition of 16.0±3.14 and 21.6±2.17 % respectively. Besides, the combined curcumin and capsaicin had shown highly significant inhibition of acetic acid-induced vascular permeability in rats (62.0±3.14 %), whereas individual curcumin and capsaicin showed moderate inhibition of vascular permeability with 36.0±2.41 and 43.0±1.92 % respectively.Conclusion: This study demonstrates the significant anti-inflammatory property of combined curcumin and capsaicin at half of the individual concentration of curcumin and capsaicin.


2016 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
pp. 124-131 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mateja Kaja Jezovnik ◽  
Jawed Fareed ◽  
Pavel Poredos

Introduction: Although the role of inflammation in DVT has been investigated in different studies, there is no definite answer as to whether increased systemic inflammation is the cause or the consequence of DVT. Aim: To follow inflammatory parameters in a cohort of patients with idiopathic DVT. Methods: Out of 49 patients with an acute idiopathic DVT, which were investigated four months after an acute episode (DEVTA 1), 43 patients were included in the follow-up study investigating inflammatory markers and hemostatic markers of endothelial damage five years after an acute DVT (DEVTA 2). A control group consisted of 43 sex and age matched healthy subjects (CONTROLS). Results: The levels of inflammatory markers were significantly higher in DEVTA 2 in comparison to CONTROLS: tumor necrosis factor alpha 2.0 pg/mL (1.1-2.3) vs 1.3 pg/mL (0.8-1.9), p < .001, high sensitivity C-reactive protein 3.2 mg/L (1.5-5.2) vs 1.7 mg/L (0.9-3.0), p = .008, interleukin-6 (IL-6) 2.7 pg/mL (2.0-3.5) vs 2.1 pg/mL (1.5-2.6), p = .025, IL-8 5.0 pg/mL (3.6-7.3) vs 2.4 pg/mL (1.8-2.8), p < .001. IL-10 was significantly decreased (0.9 pg/mL (0.7-1.8) vs 1.8 (1.5-2.2), p < .001. Most of the proinflammatory markers remained elevated in the DEVTA 2 in comparison to DEVTA 1. Markers of endothelial damage were higher in DEVTA 2 in comparison to CONTROLS and higher than in DEVTA 1. Conclusion: Patients with idiopathic DVT have long-term increased inflammatory markers and markers of endothelial damage. These findings favor the hypothesis that inflammation is a cause and not merely a consequence of acute DVT.


Coronaviruses ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 02 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chellapandi P ◽  
Saranya S

: Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic is caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), a new coronavirus isolated from Wuhan, China. It is a global health emergency, and there is no effective antiviral therapeutics available to date. Continuous structural genomic insights of SARS-CoV-2 proteins provide a warranty for the development of rational-based antivirals. Nevertheless, a structure-based drug candidate with multiple therapeutic actions would be a practical choice of medication in the treatment of severe COVID-19 patients. Cordycepin from medicinal fungi (Cordyceps spp.) and its nucleoside analogs targeting viral RNA-dependent RNA polymerase and human RNase L have potent antiviral activity against various human viruses with additional immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory effects. Anti-inflammation treatment is of pivotal importance and should be timely tailored to the individual patient along with antivirals. Our perspective on the combined antiviral and anti-inflammatory effects of cordycepin and its analogs suggests them as new therapeutics in the treatment of systemic COVID-19 infection.


Hypertension ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 78 (Suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Liang Xie ◽  
Rikeish R Muralitharan ◽  
Evany Dinakis ◽  
Michael E Nakai ◽  
Hamdi Jama ◽  
...  

High fibre (HF) diet protects against hypertension via the production of acidic metabolites, e.g. short-chain fatty acids, by the gut microbiota. While these metabolites have a direct role in blood pressure (BP) regulation, their acidic nature may activate proton-sensing receptors, which have anti-inflammatory functions. G-protein coupled receptor 65 (GPR65) is a proton-sensing receptor activated around pH 6.5 and is critical for gut homeostasis. We hypothesized that GPR65 is involved in the cardiovascular protection by dietary fibre. We first measured cecal pH of C57BL/6 (WT) mice after a 7-day dietary intervention with either HF or low fibre (LF) diets (n=6/group). HF diet lowered cecal pH to a level where GPR65 is highly activated, compared to the LF diet (6.5±0.1 vs 7.6±0.1, P<0.001). The impact of pH and GPR65 on T cell production of IFNγ, a pro-inflammatory cytokine, in vitro was measured by flow cytometry. Acidic pH inhibited the production of IFNγ by CD8+ T cells (pH 6.5 vs pH 7.5, P<0.001). Cells lacking GPR65 had higher IFNγ at both pH (P<0.001). To determine if GPR65 is involved in BP regulation by dietary fibre, WT and GPR65 knockout ( Gpr65 -/- ) mice were implanted with minipumps containing angiotensin II (Ang II, 0.5mg/kg/day, 28 days, n=8-9/group) and fed with HF diet. BP, cardiorenal function and immune cell infiltration were measured. Gpr65 -/- mice had higher BP compared to WT mice after 2 weeks (mean arterial pressure ± SEM; WT 79.8±2.4 vs Gpr65 -/- 95.8±1.6mmHg, P<0.001) and 4 weeks of Ang II infusion (WT 92.3±2.4 vs Gpr65 -/- 99.5±1.3, P=0.062). Gpr65 -/- mice developed cardiac (P=0.035) and renal (P=0.025) hypertrophy, and impaired renal natriuretic (P=0.054) and diuretic (P=0.056) function compared to WT mice. This was accompanied by higher macrophage (P=0.009) and γδ T cell (P=0.014) infiltration in the kidneys. In conclusion, our data suggest that pH-sensing by GPR65 contributes to the protection against hypertension by dietary fibre via inflammatory mechanisms. This is a novel mechanism that contributes to BP regulation via the gut microbiota.


2013 ◽  
Vol 33 (suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Krithika Selvarajan ◽  
Chandrakala Aluganti Narasimhulu ◽  
Reena Bapputty ◽  
Sampath Parthasarathy

Background Dietary intervention to prevent atherosclerosis and inflammation has been a major focus in recent years. Sesame oil (SO), widely used in many Asian countries, has been reported to help reduce high blood pressure. It has also been shown to reduce plasma cholesterol, low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and triglyceride levels. We previously reported that SO was effective in inhibiting atherosclerosis in LDL-receptor negative mice. In this study we tested whether the aqueous, non-lipid components of SO might have anti-inflammatory effects. Methods Sesame oil was extracted using ethanol:water mixture, lyophilized and reconstituted in water. To study anti-inflammatory effect, RAW 264.7 cells (macrophage cell line) were treated with the aqueous extract in the presence or absence of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) for 24 hours. RNA was extracted using Trizol. mRNA expression of inflammatory cytokines such as IL-1α, IL-6 and TNF-α were analyzed by real time PCR. Protein expression was determined by western blot analysis. To identify the mechanism of action, we performed luciferase assay using HepG2-LXR reporter cell lines. Results LPS induced the expression of IL-1α, IL-6 and TNF-α mRNA levels in RAW cells. The extract alone did not significantly affect the expressions of inflammatory cytokine genes. However, when treated together with LPS, sesame oil aqueous extract inhibited the mRNA levels of these cytokines significantly. Treatment with LPS together with SO extract also decreased the protein expression of these cytokines. The SO extract induced LXR expression as identified by the luciferase assay system in HepG2-LXR reporter cells. Conclusion These findings suggest that the aqueous portion of SO might be effective in preventing inflammation. Furthermore, the activation of LXR might suggest additional effects on lipid metabolism. Identifying the specific components present in the aqueous extract will be instrumental in developing treatment modalities for atherosclerosis and other inflammatory conditions.


2014 ◽  
Vol 71 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Muhammad Arif Khan ◽  
Samsudi Sakrani ◽  
Syahida Suhaima ◽  
Yussof Wahab ◽  
Rosnita Muhammad

One dimensional metal oxide semiconductor nanowires of copper (I) oxide (Cu2O), zinc oxide (ZnO), and their heterojunction nanowires possess remarkable physical and chemical properties. ZnO and Cu2O areattractive because the metals are abundant on earth, inexpensive, nontoxic.Moreover, these oxides have useful optical and electrical properties suitable for a wide variety of electrical devices, because their electrical conduction can be predictably controlled by doping. We here restrict the disscussion using a Hot Tube Vacuum Thermal Evaporation. The NWs in these devices will be studied by physical vapor deposition known as vapor-liquid-solid (VLS). Therefore, we explore conventional methods, particularly the VLS of growing ZnO and Cu2O nanowires which are assisted by the catalyst.  In this short review, we report the individual and combined (Cu2O/ZnO) junction nanowires by PVD method.  The main advantages of these composite nanowires are the natural p-n characteristics, the broad light absorption, the high sensitivity to humidity changes, and the fast dynamic response. The combination of all characteristics offered by Cu2O/ZnO nanowires can enable the fabrication of diverse sensing devices, and photovoltaic solar cells.


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