Glassworts as Possible Anticancer Agents Against Human Colorectal Adenocarcinoma Cells with Their Nutritive, Antioxidant and Phytochemical Profiles.

In this study, the possible uses of glassworts as potential food ingredients and their antiproliferative activity against colorectal adenocarcinoma cells together with their antioxidant and phytochemical profiles were investigated for the first time. MeOH extracts of five different taxa collected from different localities were screened for their antioxidant capacities by DPPH (IC50 2.91 - 5.49 mg/ml) and ABTS (24.4 - 38.5 µmol TE/g extract) assays. Salicornia freitagii exhibited the highest DPPH radical scavenging activity. LC/MS/MS analysis displayed that vanillic acid and p-coumaric acid were two main phenolic compounds in the extract. Salicornia freitagii extracts also exhibited high antiproliferative activity against HT-29 (IC50 1.67 mg/ml) and Caco-2 (IC50 3.03 mg/ml) cells for 72 h. Mineral analysis indicated that all the species with different proportions of elemental components contained high amount of cations. These results indicate that investigated glassworts, with their high phenolic and mineral contents and also notable antioxidant and cytotoxic properties, may be utilized as a promising source of therapeutics.

In vitro protective effect of Celergen, a bioactive marine compound, on interleukin-6-related invasiveness of pancreatic cancer.

The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of Celergen, a marine nutraceutical, against tumor cell invasion in human pancreatic cancer cell line (PSN-I). High invasive clone (HI) and low invasive clone (LI) were established from wild type PSN-l cell line after a repeated invasion assay test. The invasive ability of HI cells and the level of IL-6 in the conditioned medium of HI cells was significantly higher than that one of LI cells but both these parameters were significantly reduced by the addition of Celergen (p<0.01). Exogenous IL-6 administration induced a dose dependent enhancement of invasive ability in both cell populations. Moreover, IL-6 receptor expression was detected in 72% of HI cells whereas this occurred only in 37% of LI cells. When co-cultured with Celergen this parameter was significantly downregulated in both cellular subsets (p<0.05). The addition of conditioned medium derived from HI cells (HCM) and LI cells(LCM) enhanced the invasive ability in both cell populations without affecting cell proliferation. The effect of HCM on the invasive ability of HI cells was partially inhibited by the addition of Celergen (p<0.01). In summary, overexpression of IL-6 and its receptor may be one relevant factor contributing to the highly invasive characteristic of the pancreatic cancer cell line we used while a significantly beneficial modulation was obtained by applying this novel marine nutraceutical. This advices to further explore the possibility of marine compounds regulation of IL-6 ligand/receptor and other possible invasive factor interaction in the therapy of this malignancy while further studies are awaited in this setting.

Excess body weight during pregnancy and offspring obesity: potential mechanisms.

The rates of child and adult obesity have increased in most developed countries over the past several decades. The health consequences of obesity affect both physical and mental health, and the excess body weight can be linked to an elevated risk for developing type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular problems, and depression. Among the factors that can influence the development of obesity are higher infant weights and increased weight gain, which are associated with higher risk for excess body weight later in life. In turn, mother's excess body weight during and after pregnancy can be linked to the risk for offspring overweight and obesity through dietary habits, mode of delivery and feeding, breast milk composition, and through the influence on infant gut microbiota. This review considers current knowledge of these potential mechanisms that threaten to create an intergenerational cycle of obesity.

Anti-inflammatory and anti-mutagenic effect of the YHK phytocompound in hepatocytes: in view of an age-management liver-protecting approach.

The receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE) regulates cellular proliferation in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The aim of this study was to test the in vitro effect of Yo Jyo Hen Shi Ko (YHK), a nutraceutical with prior data suggesting its hepatocyte-protecting role, in regulating RAGE in the proliferation of the HCC cell line HuH7 as well checking also its potential modulation in the expression of the transcriptional factor nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) p65. Our study showed that YHK significantly reduced cellular growth in the HuH7 cell line (p<0.05). Moreover, this phytocompound partly reduced gene expression of NF-κB p65 (by 35%, p<0.05). These data suggest that YHK has a potential role as a modulator of RAGE and RAGE ligands for potential healthy liver intervention in HCC prevention strategies.

The hidden phenomenon of oxidative stress during treatment of subclinical-mild hypothyroidism: a protective nutraceutical intervention.

Recent studies suggest that subjects with hypothyroidism under therapy with levothyroxine (L-T4) might develop oxidative stress. The aim of this study was to test a redox-balance modulator, fermented papaya-based nutraceutical (FPP), together with subclinical (SH) or mild hypothyroidism (MH) treatment in view of biochemical changes. A total of 60 females treated for SH-MH were divided into two matched groups and received either FPP 3 grams 1 sachet three times a day (t.i.d.) or placebo for 3 months. A significant baseline increase of all oxidative markers was observed in SH-MH (p<0.05 vs. control) and even more under T4 treatment (p<0.05). FPP caused a normalization of redox markers (p<0.01 vs. placebo). Thyroid supplementation accelerates mitochondrial oxygen consumption and oxidative stress, whereas a redox-modulator therapy is advisable, given the long-lasting treatment in such cases.

Blood pressure-lowering effect of dietary (-)-epicatechin administration in L-NAME-treated rats is associated with restored nitric oxide levels.

Epidemiological and intervention studies have shown that the intake of certain chocolates or cocoa products decreases blood pressure (BP) in humans. (-)-Epicatechin is the most abundant flavanol present in cocoa seeds and its derived foods. This work investigates the effects of dietary (-)-epicatechin on BP in rats that received N(ω)-nitro-l-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) for 4 days. (-)-Epicatechin administration prevented the 42mm Hg increase in BP associated with the inhibition of NO production in a dose-dependent manner (0.2-4.0g/kg diet). This BP effect was associated with a reduction in L-NAME-mediated increase in the indexes of oxidative stress (plasma TBARS and GSSG/GSH(2) ratio) and with a restoration of the NO concentration. At the vascular level, none of the treatments modified NOS expression, but (-)-epicatechin administration avoided the L-NAME-mediated decrease in eNOS activity and increase in both superoxide anion production and NOX subunit p47(phox) expression. In summary, (-)-epicatechin was able to prevent the increase in BP and in oxidative stress and restored NO bioavailability. The fact that (-)-epicatechin is present in several plants usually consumed by humans gives the possibility of developing diets rich in those plants or pharmacological strategies using that flavonoid to diminish BP in hypertensive subjects.

Improving sperm quality and spermatogenesis through a bioactive marine compound: an experimental study.

Dietary lipids may affect sperm membrane structure, fluidity and its susceptibility to oxidative phenomena which may lead to altered sperm viability and proper binding to eggs. Given the recently demonstrated beneficial effects of fish oil diets on turkey fertility and embryo viability, the aim of this study was to test a caviar-derived marine product on spermatogenesis and sperm quality. Sixty mice were divided into four different groups and fed for 3 weeks with normal chow (group A), added with LD-1227 at the dosage of either 5 mg/day (B1) or 10 mg/day (B2) while Group C received standard chow added with 10 mg of a DHA-rich mixture. At sacrifice tests/body weight ration and spermatogenesis was checked. No toxicity, histological sign or body or testes growth abnormality was noted, irrespective of the treatment. As compared to control, all supplements showed to increase sperm counting and motility although the effect of LD-1227 10 mg was significantly higher than DHA alone (p<0.05). Viability was improved by DHA (p<0.05) but not by low LD-1227 dosage while higher dosage performed better than DHA (p<0.05). Morphology was unaffected by any of the employed supplements. Taken altogether, these data suggest that LD-1227 has a remarkable effect on quali-quantitative parameters of spermiogenesis, some of them being more effective than high dosage DHA. These findings may prove to be of interest in clinical practice. (www.actabiomedica.it).