Current Issue : April - June Volume : 2015 Issue Number : 2 Articles : 5 Articles
Nutrition plays an important role in osteoporosis prevention and treatment. Substantial progress in both laboratory analyses and clinical use\nof biochemical markers has modified the strategy of anti-osteoporotic drug development. The present review examines the use of biochemical\nmarkers in clinical research aimed at characterising the influence of foods or nutrients on bone metabolism. The two types of\nmarkers are: (i) specific hormonal factors related to bone; and (ii) bone turnover markers (BTM) that reflect bone cell metabolism. Of\nthe former, vitamin D metabolites, parathyroid hormone, and insulin-like growth factor-I indicate responses to variations in the supply\nof bone-related nutrients, such as vitamin D, Ca, inorganic phosphate and protein. Thus modification in bone remodelling, the key process\nupon which both pharmaceutical agents and nutrients exert their anti-catabolic or anabolic actions, is revealed. Circulating BTM reflect\neither osteoclastic resorption or osteoblastic formation. Intervention with pharmacological agents showed that early changes in BTM\npredicted bone loss and subsequent osteoporotic fracture risk. New trials have documented the influence of nutrition on bone-tropic\nhormonal factors and BTM in adults, including situations of body-weight change, such as anorexia nervosa, and weight loss by obese\nsubjects. In osteoporosis-prevention studies involving dietary manipulation, randomised cross-over trials are best suited to evaluate influences\non bone metabolism, and insight into effects on bone metabolism may be gained within a relatively short time when biochemical\nmarkers are monitored....
The relevance of naturopathy (defined as the practice of medicine for the\ntreatment of human diseases with natural agents) in human cancer is beginning to be\nappreciated, as documented by renewed interest in nutraceutical research, the natural\nanticancer agents of dietary origin. Because of their pleiotropic effects and the ability to\nmodulate multiple signaling pathways, which is a good attribute of natural agents,\nnutraceuticals have frequently been demonstrated to re-sensitize drug-resistant cancers. The\neffectiveness of nutraceuticals can be further enhanced if the tools for the relative assessment\nof their molecular targets are readily available. Such information can be critical for\ndetermining their most effective uses. Here, we discuss the anticancer potential of\nnutraceuticals and the associated challenges that have interfered with their translational\npotential as a naturopathic approach for the management of cancers. In the years to come,\nan efficient screening and assessment of molecular targets will be the key to make rapid\nprogress in the area of drug design and discovery, especially focusing on evidence-based\ndevelopment of naturopathy for the treatment of human malignancies....
Proximate composition of the three green seaweeds viz., Chaetomorpha aerea, Enteromorpha intestinalis, Enteromorpha compressa, one brown seaweed Dictyota dichotoma and one red seaweed Gracilaria corticata was investigated by determination of protein, carbohydrates, lipid, moisture and ash content. In the present study, the total protein was recorded upper most in E. intestinalis and bare minimum in E. compressa. The maximum carbohydrates recorded in E. compressa and minimum in C. aerea. The lipid content was acquired upper limit in C. aerea and least in G. corticata. The ash and moisture content in following of 5 different sea weeds was as follows: 7.45 mg/g, 3.91 mg/g was recorded in C. aerea, 8.52 mg/g, 3.42 mg/g in E. intestinalis, 8.58 mg/g, 3.75 mg/g in E. compressa, 9.47 mg/g, 4.23 mg/g in D. dichotoma and 6.95 mg/g, 3.98 mg/g in G. corticata. The proximate composition of 5 different seaweed species exhibited high nutritional value for human consumption....
Grape is one of the oldest fruit crops domesticated by humans. The numerous\nuses of grape in making wine, beverages, jelly, and other products, has made it one of the\nmost economically important plants worldwide. The complex phytochemistry of the berry\nis characterized by a wide variety of compounds, most of which have been demonstrated to\nhave therapeutic or health promoting properties. Among them, flavonoids are the most\nabundant and widely studied, and have enjoyed greater attention among grape researchers\nin the last century. Recent studies have shown that the beneficial health effects promoted\nby consumption of grape and grape products are attributed to the unique mix of\npolyphenolic compounds. As the largest group of grape polyphenols, flavonoids are the\nmain candidates considered to have biological properties, including but not limited to\nantioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, antimicrobial, antiviral, cardioprotective,\nneuroprotective, and hepatoprotective activities. Here, we discuss the recent scientific\nadvances supporting the beneficial health qualities of grape and grape-derived products,\nmechanisms of their biological activity, bioavailability, and their uses as nutraceuticals.\nThe advantages of modern plant cell based biotechnology as an alternative method for\nproduction of grape nutraceuticals and improvement of their health qualities are\nalso discussed....
Eggplant (Solanum melongena) belong from the family Solanaceae and the genus Solanum L. consists of over 2000 species distributed worldwide is the largest in Solonaceae and is one of the largest among all flowering plants. The species have the property of medicinal herbs and contain unique alkaloids and other biochemical constituents used for the treatment of diverse ailments i.e. diabetes, cholera, bronchitis, high blood pressure and as laxatives. The powerful antioxidants such as flavonoids, vitamin A, ascorbic acid and phenolics compounds, such anthocyanins are present in the eggplant. Eggplant is nutritious, being low in calories, fat, sodium and is a non-starchy which contains a large volume of water. It is good for balancing diets that are heavy in protein and starches. It is high in fibre and good source of vitamins and minerals such as potassium, magnesium, calcium, iron, folic acid, vitamin B6 and A so could be used to control diabetes, hypertension and obesity. Egg plant contains a higher free reducing sugar, anthocyanin, phenols, glycoalkaloids and amide proteins. Literature review of plant possessed some important pharmacological activity such as, anti-inflammatory and hepatoprotective, anticancer and antihelicobacter pylori activity, antiangiogenic activity, analgesic and antioxidant activity, hypotensive, hypoglycemic activity, cholinesterase and antimicrobial activity. This review is an attempt to discuss the various aspects of nutritional, phytochemical and therapeutic reports on Solanum melongena....
Loading....