Current Issue : April - June Volume : 2019 Issue Number : 2 Articles : 5 Articles
Serum vitamin D levels negatively correlate with obesity and associated disorders such as\nnon-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). However, the mechanisms linking low vitamin D (VD) status\nto disease progression are not completely understood. In this study, we analyzed the effect of VD\ntreatment on NASH in mice. C57BL6/J mice were fed a high-fat/high-sugar diet (HFSD) containing\nlow amounts of VD for 16 weeks to induce obesity, NASH and liver fibrosis. The effects of preventive\nand interventional VD treatment were studied on the level of liver histology and hepatic/intestinal\ngene expression. Interestingly, preventive and to a lesser extent also interventional VD treatment\nresulted in improvements of liver histology. This included a significant decrease of steatosis, a trend\ntowards lower non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) activity score and a slight non-significant\ndecrease of fibrosis in the preventive treatment group. In line with these changes, preventive\nVD treatment reduced the hepatic expression of lipogenic, inflammatory and pro-fibrotic genes.\nNotably, these beneficial effects occurred in conjunction with a reduction of intestinal inflammation.\nTogether, our observations suggest that timely initiation of VD supplementation (preventive vs.\ninterventional) is a critical determinant of treatment outcome in NASH. In the applied animal model,\nthe improvements of liver histology occurred in conjunction with reduced inflammation in the gut,\nsuggesting a potential relevance of vitamin D as a therapeutic agent acting on the gutâ??liver axis....
Trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO) is considered a novel risk factor for cardiovascular\ndiseases. Several studies demonstrated that polyphenols are able to inhibit the growth of\nTMA-producing bacterial strains, and resveratrol (RSV) reduced TMAO levels in mice. In the present\nstudy, we evaluated the TMAO-reducing effect of a novel nutraceutical formulation containing grape\npomace extract in humans...............
The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of far infrared irradiation (FIR) on\nnutraceutical compounds, viz. total phenolic content, total flavonoids, and antioxidant capacity,\nof Angelica gigas Nakai (AGN). The FIR treatment was applied for 30 min with varied temperatures\nof 120, 140, 160, 180, 200, 220, and 240 Degree Centigrade. Results showed that FIR increased total phenolic and\nflavonoid content in AGN at 220 Degree Centigrade. The HPLC results revealed higher quantities of decursin\n(62.48 mg/g) and decursinol angelate (41.51 mg/g) at 220 Degree Centigrade compared to control (38.70 mg/g,\n27.54 mg/g, respectively). The antioxidant capacity of AGN was also increased at 220 Degree Centigrade, as measured\nby 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), and the\nphosphomolybdenum (PPMD) method. A further increase of the FIR temperature caused a reduction\nof compound content. In addition, the results also showed a strong correlation between phenolic\ncontent and antioxidant properties of AGN powder. These findings will help to further improve the\nnutraceutical profile of AGN powder by optimizing the FIR conditions....
Many populations use medicinal plants as a therapeutic treatment, due to their lower\ncost and greater access. Among the plant species used for medicinal purposes are those of the\ngenus Morus. The most known species are Morus alba, rubra, and nigra. This review aims to\ncollect data from the literature, predominantly from cell and animal studies, which presents a\npossible nutraceutical and medicinal potential of the species Morus for use in metabolic dysfunctions.\nThe fruits and leaves of mulberry are used for therapeutic purposes. For scientific confirmation of\nthese effects, they were studied for laxative properties, antibacterial activity, anti-atherogenic activity,\nand hepatoprotective function. Furthermore, the genus Morus is recognized for the treatment and\nprevention of diabetes mellitus, through its hypoglycemic action. It may also provide health benefits\nthrough immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory, and anti-nociceptive effects. It has been found that\nthe Morus species have phenolic compounds, flavonoids, and anthocyanins that act as important\nantioxidants and promote beneficial effects on human health. These phytochemical compounds differ\namong species. Blackberry (Morus nigra) are rich in flavonoids, while the white mulberry (Morus alba)\nhas low concentrations of flavonoids and anthocyanins. In addition, another important factor is to\nensure a complete exemption of toxic risks in the use of medicinal plants for the treatment of diseases.\nStudies have shown no toxic effects by the administration of extracts of Morus species. Thus, the\nmulberry tree presents nutraceutical potential. It is therefore a promising alternative for medicinal\nproducts based on medicinal plants....
The essential oils extracted from the peels of two Tuscany Citrus of the Massa province\nhave been characterised. Moreover, the flavedo of these species has been used in the production\nof two Citrus olive oils (COOs) obtained with an innovative method in which the citrus peels are\ncryomacerated and then pressed with the olives. The presence of functional compounds, such\nas carotenoids, naringenin and minor phenolics, classifies these COOs as nutraceuticals with the\npotential to develop enriched foods able to promote a healthy diet. Moreover, the increased presence\nof tyrosol and hydroxytyrosol, compared to the unflavoured oil, further highlights the nutritional\nvalue to the two COOs, being these phenolic compounds recognized as good possible therapeutic\ncandidates for the inhibition of neurodegenerative diseases as the Parkinsonâ??s disease. In this\nperspective, the citrus peels, rich in bioactive compounds, have been valued transforming their waste\nnature in an innovative resource....
Loading....