Current Issue : January-March Volume : 2025 Issue Number : 1 Articles : 5 Articles
Background: Obesity, a global disease, can lead to different chronic diseases and a series of social health problems. Lifestyle changes, especially dietary changes, are the most effective way to treat obesity. Euglena, a novel food, has attracted much attention. Previous studies have shown that Euglena is an important modulator of the host immune response. In this study, the effects of Euglena as a nutritional intervention in high-fat-diet-induced obese C57BL/6J mice were investigated regarding adipose tissue accumulation and lipid and glucose metabolism by gavage at the dose of 100 mg/kg bodyweight for 9 weeks. This study is one of the few to investigate, in detail, the preventive effects of dietary Euglena on obesity. Methods: Five-week-old male C57BL/6J mice were fed with a high-fat diet (HFD) to induce obesity. An obesity model was created by feeding the high-fat diet for a period of 10 weeks. Obese mice were randomized into 2 groups with the same mean body weight, and no significant differences were observed between the groups: (1) the mice in the HEG group were maintained on a high-fat diet and daily gavaged with Euglena (100 mg/kg body weight) dissolved in saline (n = 7); and (2) the mice in the HFD group were maintained on a high-fat diet and daily gavaged with saline with the same volume (n = 7). The experiment finished after a nine-week period. Results: The results showed that Euglena could reduce the accumulation of white body fat, including subcutaneous fat and visceral fat, and mainly targeted subcutaneous fat. Euglena also reduced adipocyte particle size expansion, promoted lipolysis in adipose (adipose triglyceride lipase and hormone-sensitive triglyceride lipase) and liver tissue (reduced non-esterified fatty acid content), and improved obesity-induced ectopic fat deposition and glucose tolerance. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that Euglena, as a nutritional intervention in HFDs, efficiently reduces body weight and white adipose tissue deposition. The mechanism of Euglena is mainly though enhancing lipolysis. It is worth noting that Euglena β-glucan recovers the hyperglycemia and accumulation of ectopic fat within the liver induced by HFD. Our study is one of the few studies to report in detail the preventive effects of dietary Euglena on obesity in vivo. This study revealed that Euglena also has an important ameliorative effect on obesity and metabolic disorders, which laid a theoretical foundation for its future application in functional foods....
Despite recent advances, pharmacological treatments of diabetic retinopathy (DR) do not directly address the underlying oxidative stress. This study evaluates the efficacy of a nutraceutical formulation based on maltodextrinated grape pomace extract (MaGPE), an oxidative stress inhibitor, in managing DR. A 6-month, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial involving 99 patients with mild to moderate non-proliferative DR was conducted. The MaGPE group showed improvement in best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) values at T3 (p < 0.001) and T6 (p < 0.01), a reduction in CRT (at T3 and T6, both p < 0.0001) and a stabilization of vascular perfusion percentage, with slight increases at T3 and T6 (+3.0% and +2.7% at T3 and T6, respectively, compared to baseline). Additionally, the levels of reactive oxygen metabolite derivatives (dROMs) decreased from 1100.6 ± 430.1 UCARR at T0 to 974.8 ± 390.2 UCARR at T3 and further to 930.6 ± 310.3 UCARR at T6 (p < 0.05 vs. T0). Similarly, oxidized low-density lipoprotein (oxLDL) levels decreased from 953.9 ± 212.4 μEq/L at T0 to 867.0 ± 209.5 μEq/L at T3 and markedly to 735.0 ± 213.7 μEq/L at T6 (p < 0.0001 vs. T0). These findings suggest that MaGPE supplementation effectively reduces retinal swelling and oxidative stress, contributing to improved visual outcomes in DR patients....
There is increasing interest in Australian finger lime (Citrus australasica) due to its nutritional and bioactive potential. In this study, polar extracts from five finger lime cultivars were investigated for their potential bioactivity using a range of assays: antioxidant capacity (total phenolic content (TPC), ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), and cupric reducing antioxidant capacity (CUPRAC)), total monomeric anthocyanin content (TMAC), anti-diabetic activity (α-glucosidase and α-amylase inhibition), anti-Alzheimer activity (acetylcholinesterase inhibition), Skin-whitening activity skin-brightening activity (tyrosinase inhibition), and anti-inflammatory activity (COX-2 inhibition). Commercial Tahitian lime was used as a “control” (comparison). The TPC ranged from 328 to 779 mg GAE/100 g dry weight (DW) in the pulp (compared to 1043 mg GAE/100 g for Tahitian lime) and from 755 to 1048 mg GAE/100 g in the peel (1704 mg GAE/100 g for Tahitian lime). A similar range of variation was seen for FRAP, ranging from 114 to 436 mg TE/100 g DW in the pulp (422 mg TE/100 g for Tahitian lime) and 259 to 495 mg TE/100 g DW in the peel (491 mg TE/100 g for Tahitian lime). Similarly, the TFC was generally lower in finger lime pulp (100–392 mg QE/100 g DW) compared to Tahitian lime (312 mg QE/100 g). The polar extracts did not show any significant inhibition of α-glucosidase, α-amylase, tyrosinase, or COX-2. One finger lime variety showed moderate (>50%) inhibition of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) at the highest concentration screened (~1500 mg/L), as did Tahitian lime. Additionally, in silico docking against acetylcholinesterase suggested that some of the polyphenols present, including catechin, quercetin-3-glucoside, and cyanidin-3-glucoside, could potentially dock to AChE and inhibit it. This is the first time the species has been investigated for many of these bioactive properties, and also the first time in silico docking has been performed to explore which potential compounds from this species could provide its bioactivity. Although little bioactivity was generally found across the applied bioassays, these findings nevertheless provide important basic data for future research and any claims about the potential health benefits of Australian finger lime....
Fibromyalgia (FM) is a chronic syndrome of unknown etiology, although many studies point to inflammation, oxidative stress, and altered mitochondrial metabolism as some of the cornerstones of this disease. Despite its socioeconomic importance and due to the difficulties in diagnosis, there are no effective treatments. However, the use of non-drug treatments is increasingly becoming a recommended strategy. In this context, the effects of supplementation of FM patients with an olive (poly)phenol, vitamin C, and vitamin B preparation were investigated in this work, analyzing complete blood count, biochemical, lipid, and coagulation profiles, and inflammation and oxidation status in blood samples. To gain a better understanding of the molecular mechanisms and pathways involved in the etiology of FM, a proteomic study was also performed to investigate the mechanisms of action of the supplement. Our results show that the nutraceutical lowers the lipid profile, namely cholesterol, and improves the oxidative status of patients as well as their quality of life, suggesting that this product could be beneficial in the co-treatment of FM. ClinicalTrials.gov (ID: NCT06348537)....
Metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MASLD) is a widespread liver disorder characterized by excessive fat accumulation in the liver, commonly associated with metabolic syndrome components such as obesity, diabetes, and dyslipidemia. With a global prevalence of up to 30%, MASLD is projected to affect over 100 million people in the U.S. and 20 million in Europe by 2030. The disease ranges from Steatotic Lived Disease (SLD) to more severe forms like metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH), which can progress to cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Autophagy, a cellular process crucial for lipid metabolism and homeostasis, is often impaired in MASLD, leading to increased hepatic lipid accumulation and inflammation. Key autophagy-related proteins, such as Beclin1, LC3A, SQSTM1 (p62), CD36, and Perilipin 3, play significant roles in regulating this process. Disruption in these proteins contributes to the pathogenesis of MASLD. Quercetin, a natural polyphenolic flavonoid with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, has promising results in mitigating MASLD. It may reduce hepatic lipid accumulation, improve mitochondrial function, and enhance autophagy. However, further research is needed to elucidate its mechanisms and validate its therapeutic potential in clinical settings. This underscores the need for continued investigation into autophagy and novel treatments for MASLD....
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