Anthocyanin Supplementation Alleviates Antithrombotic Risk by Inhibiting Platelet Activity in Humans.

BACKGROUND: Platelet hyperactivity has a crucial role in initiating vascular thrombosis and subsequent cardiovascular disease (CVD). OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to assess the effect of anthocyanins (AC) on platelet aggregation and activation and lipid profile. STUDY DESIGN: A total of 26 healthy participants consumed 320 mg of AC/day in the form of Medox® capsules for 28 days. SETTING: This study was conducted in the laboratories of the School of Medical Sciences, Griffith University, Gold Coast, Australia. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 26 randomly recruited healthy 25- to 75-year-old participants completed this study. PRIMARY OUTCOME MEASURES: Fasting blood samples were collected pre- and post-the intervention period to perform platelet activation studies by measuring platelet surface marker expression of CD41a and P-selectin, and platelet-monocyte aggregates in adenosine diphosphate (ADP) stimulated platelets. Platelet aggregation studies were performed by stimulating platelets with various agonists such as ADP, collagen and arachidonic acid. Full blood examination, coagulation and biochemistry profile analyses were also performed pre- and post-intervention. Flow cytometric analysis showed a significant effect of AC on the expression of P-selectin as measured by the platelet surface expression of CD62p. RESULTS: There was a significant reduction of ADP-stimulated platelet aggregation. Hematologic analysis showed a significant reduction of mean platelet volume, mean cell hemoglobin, and mean cell hemoglobin concentration. Coagulation analysis demonstrated significant attenuation of fibrinogen level in the blood. CONCLUSION: This study showed inhibition of platelet activity, platelet aggregation and mean platelet volume (MPV). These results suggest that AC has a positive impact on attenuating platelet activity, which might minimize thrombotic risk.

Potential of anthocyanin as an anti-inflammatory agent: a human clinical trial on type 2 diabetic, diabetic at-risk and healthy adults.

OBJECTIVE: The present research aimed to investigate the anti-inflammatory potential of dietary anthocyanin (ACN) in type 2 diabetic (T2D), T2D-at-risk and healthy individuals. Furthermore, dietary inflammatory index (DII) was used to study the association of diet with biomarkers of inflammation. RESEARCH METHODS: An open-label clinical trial was conducted at Griffith University investigating the efficacy of 320 mg ACN supplementation per day over the course of 4 weeks. Diabetes-associated inflammatory biomarkers and relevant biochemical and physical parameters were tested pre-and post-intervention, and participants' dietary inflammatory potential was estimated. RESULTS: A significant reduction in the pro-inflammatory biomarkers' interleukin-6, interleukin-18, and tumour necrosis factor-α was observed in the T2D group. In addition, some, but not all, biochemical parameters including fasting blood glucose, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and uric acid were significantly improved in T2D-at-risk group. Moreover, a significant difference was detected between the DII scores of the healthy and T2D groups. DII score for the T2D group was consistent with an anti-inflammatory diet. CONCLUSION: Anti-inflammatory potential of dietary ACN in T2D participants was evidenced in the present study. Although, anti-inflammatory dietary patterns of T2D participants may have accelerated the anti-inflammatory effect of the ACN capsules supplemented in this trial.

Effect of probiotics and synbiotics on blood glucose: a systematic review and meta-analysis of controlled trials.

PURPOSE: High fasting blood glucose (FBG) can lead to chronic diseases such as diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular and kidney diseases. Consuming probiotics or synbiotics may improve FBG. A systematic review and meta-analysis of controlled trials was conducted to clarify the effect of probiotic and synbiotic consumption on FBG levels. METHODS: PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane Library, and Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature databases were searched for relevant studies based on eligibility criteria. Randomized or non-randomized controlled trials which investigated the efficacy of probiotics or synbiotics on the FBG of adults were included. Studies were excluded if they were review articles and study protocols, or if the supplement dosage was not clearly mentioned. RESULTS: A total of fourteen studies (eighteen trials) were included in the analysis. Random-effects meta-analyses were conducted for the mean difference in FBG. Overall reduction in FBG observed from consumption of probiotics and synbiotics was borderline statistically significant (-0.18 mmol/L 95 % CI -0.37, 0.00; p = 0.05). Neither probiotic nor synbiotic subgroup analysis revealed a significant reduction in FBG. The result of subgroup analysis for baseline FBG level ≥7 mmol/L showed a reduction in FBG of 0.68 mmol/L (-1.07, -0.29; ρ < 0.01), while trials with multiple species of probiotics showed a more pronounced reduction of 0.31 mmol/L (-0.58, -0.03; ρ = 0.03) compared to single species trials. CONCLUSION: This meta-analysis suggests that probiotic and synbiotic supplementation may be beneficial in lowering FBG in adults with high baseline FBG (≥7 mmol/L) and that multispecies probiotics may have more impact on FBG than single species.

Oral administration of Lactobacillus casei Shirota can ameliorate the adverse effect of an acute aflatoxin exposure in Sprague Dawley rats.

Aflatoxin B1(AFB1) is a toxic compound commonly found in some crops with an adverse health effect on human and animals. Some beneficial microorganisms (or probiotics) such as lactic acid bacteria have shown the ability to reduce the bioavailability of aflatoxins and its intestinal absorption. However, the dose and duration of aflatoxins exposure and probiotic treatment can influence the ability of probiotics to remove aflatoxins. Therefore, this research aimed to investigate the efficacy of oral probiotic Lactobacillus casei Shirota strain (LcS) induction in an acute exposure to AFB1 in rats. Experimentally, Sprague Dawley rats were divided into three groups: AFB1 only (n = 9); AFB1 treated with LcS (n = 9); and control (no AFB1 exposure) (n = 6) groups. The blood AFB1 level of rats treated with LcS was slightly lower than the untreated AFB1 induced rats (11.12 ± 0.71 vs 10.93 ± 0.69 ng g-1). Also, LcS treatment slightly moderated the liver and kidney biomarkers in AFB1 induced rats. However, a trend for a significant difference was only observed in ALT of AFB1 induced rats treated with LcS compared to their counterparts (126.11 ± 36.90 vs 157.36 ± 15.46, p = 0.06). Rats' body weight decreased in all animals force-fed with AFB1 with no significant difference between LcS treatment compared to the counterpart. In conclusion, this experiment indicated that probiotic LsC was able to slightly ameliorate the adverse effect of an acute exposure to AFB1 in rats. However, future studies with longer probiotics treatment or higher probiotics dose is required to confirm these findings.

Can sesame consumption improve blood pressure? A systematic review and meta-analysis of controlled trials.

Hypertension is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease, myocardial infarction, stroke and renal failure. Sesame consumption may benefit blood pressure (BP) owing to its high polyunsaturated fatty acid, fibre, phytosterol and lignan contents. To clarify this, a systematic review and meta-analysis of controlled trials was conducted. The PubMed (MEDLINE), Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL) and Cochrane Library (Central) databases were systematically searched until August 2016. Eight controlled trials with a total of 843 participants met the eligibility criteria. A random effect meta-analysis showed that sesame consumption can reduce systolic BP (-7.83 mmHg, 95% CI: -14.12, -1.54; P < 0.05, I2 = 99%) and diastolic BP (-5.83 mmHg, 95% CI: -9.58, -2.08; P < 0.01, I2 = 98%). To reduce the heterogeneity, the meta-analysis was limited to high methodology quality trials (n = 4), which resulted in a significant reduction in systolic BP (-3.23 mmHg, 95% CI: -5.67, -0.79; I2 = 33%) and a non-significant reduction in diastolic BP (-2.08 mmHg, 95% CI: -4.85, 0.69; I2 = 62%). This study concluded that sesame consumption can reduce systolic and diastolic BP. However, further investigations with larger sample sizes and better methodology quality are required to confirm the BP-lowering effect of sesame consumption. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.

The impact of MTHFR 677 C/T genotypes on folate status markers: a meta-analysis of folic acid intervention studies.

PURPOSE: Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) is a key folate pathway enzyme with the T variant of the MTHFR gene increasing the risk of low folate status, particularly coupled with low folate intake. As genetic variability of MTHFR influences folate status, it is important to ensure an adequate intake that overrides genetic effects but minimises any adverse effects. Our aim was to assess the influence of MTHFR genotype on folate status followed by response to supplementation. METHODS: We performed a meta-analysis of ten folate intervention studies to assess the degree to which MTHFR C677T genotype influenced plasma homocysteine and serum folate levels as measures of folate status. We then examined response after supplementation at intake values up to the upper tolerable limit. RESULTS: The MTHFR 677TT genotype was associated with higher plasma homocysteine (2.7 µmol/L, TT vs. CT/CC; 2.8 µmol/L, TT vs. CC) and lower serum folate (2.5 nmol/L, TT vs. CT/CC; 3.6 nmol/L, TT vs. CC). In two studies, the TT groups had mean plasma Hcy >15 µmol/L. Serum folate levels were >7 nmol/L for all genotype groups. After supplementation of 400 up to 1670 µg DFEs of folic acid or folic acid + fortified foods and/or natural food folates for a minimum of 4 weeks, there were no significant differences in plasma homocysteine levels; however, individuals with the TT genotype had a lower serum folate response to supplementation (7.2 nmol/L, TT vs. CT/CC; 8.7 nmol/L, TT vs. CC). CONCLUSIONS: This meta-analysis confirms observations from observational and intervention studies that MTHFR TT genotype is associated with increased plasma homocysteine and lowered serum folate and less response to short-term supplementation. The results can be used for modelling and guiding personalised intake recommendations for the nutrient folate.

Probiotics and Subclinical Psychological Symptoms in Healthy Participants: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

INTRODUCTION/AIM: Interest in the gut-brain axis and emerging evidence that the intestinal microbiota can influence central nervous system function has led to the hypothesis that probiotic supplementation can have a positive effect on mood and psychological symptoms such as depression and anxiety. Although several human clinical trials have investigated this, results have been inconsistent. Therefore, a systematic review and meta-analytic approach was chosen to examine if probiotic consumption has an effect on psychological symptoms. METHODS: The online databases PubMed, Scopus, and the Cochrane Library were searched for relevant studies up to July 2016. Those that were randomized and placebo controlled and measured preclinical psychological symptoms of depression, anxiety, and perceived stress in healthy volunteers pre and post supplementation with a probiotic were included. To control for differences in scales of measurement, data were converted to percentage change, and the standardized mean difference between the probiotic and control groups was investigated using Revman software. A random effects model was used for analysis. Heterogeneity was assessed using the I2 statistic. Quality assessment was undertaken using the Rosendal scale. RESULTS: Seven studies met the inclusion criteria and provided data for nine comparisons. All studies passed the quality analysis. The meta-analysis showed that supplementation with probiotics resulted in a statistically significant improvement in psychological symptoms (standardized mean difference 0.34; 95% confidence interval 0.07-0.61, Z = 2.49) compared with placebo. CONCLUSION: These results show that probiotic consumption may have a positive effect on psychological symptoms of depression, anxiety, and perceived stress in healthy human volunteers.

Sesame fractions and lipid profiles: a systematic review and meta-analysis of controlled trials.

Increased plasma lipid profiles are among the most important risk factors of CHD and stroke. Sesame contains considerable amounts of vitamin E, MUFA, fibre and lignans, which are thought to be associated with its plasma lipid-lowering properties. This study aimed to systematically review the evidence and identify the effects of sesame consumption on blood lipid profiles using a meta-analysis of controlled trials. PubMed, CINAHL and Cochrane Library databases were searched (from 1960 to May 2015). A total of ten controlled trials were identified based on the eligibility criteria. Both the Cochrane Collaboration tool and the Rosendal scale were used to assess the risk of bias of the included studies. The meta-analysis results showed that consumption of sesame did not significantly change the concentrations of total blood cholesterol (-0·32 mmol/l; 95% CI -0·75, 0·11; P=0·14, I(2)=96%), LDL-cholesterol (-0·15 mmol/l; 95% CI -0·50, 0·19; P=0·39, I(2)=96%) or HDL-cholesterol (0·01 mmol/l; 95% CI -0·00, 0·02; P=0·16, I(2)=0%). However, a significant reduction was observed in serum TAG levels (-0·24 mmol/l; 95% CI -0·32, -0·15; P<0·001, I(2)=84%) after consumption of sesame. It was concluded that sesame consumption can significantly reduce blood TAG levels but there is insufficient evidence to support its hypocholesterolaemic effects. Further studies are required to determine the potential effect of sesame consumption on lipid profiles and cardiovascular risk factors.