Improvement on blood pressure and skin using roselle drink: A clinical trial.

Roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa L.) is an increasingly attractive plant for its health and pharmaceutical, beverage, and cosmetic applications. The purpose of this study was to investigate the clinical effects of roselle drink on antioxidant activity, blood pressure, and skin condition. Roselle drink used in this study contained rich phenolics (1.96 g of gallic acid equivalent/100 ml) and anthocyanins (1.65 g of cyanidin-3-glucoside equivalent/100 ml). In a randomized, cross-over, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical study, 39 healthy adults received drank 200 ml of roselle drink or placebo-control drink for 6 months. A significant reduction in the blood pressure was observed in the roselle drink treated group when compared with preintervention values. After 6 months of treatment with roselle drink, serum phenolics contents, the levels of Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC), glutathione, superoxide dismutase (SOD), glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G-6-PDH), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), and glutathione reductase (GSH-Rd) were significantly increased in healthy subjects. However, a significant increment in skin redness and skin moisture was observed in the facial skin of roselle drink-treated participants. Oral administration of roselle drink for 6 months significantly lowered the blood pressure, improved antioxidation level, and positively regulated skin redness as well as moisture. Phenolics and anthocyanins in roselle could be the major potential contributors to such health effects. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: Roselle is a typical plant. Continuous administration of roselle drink clearly improved antioxidation levels, reduced blood pressure and positively regulated skin redness and moisture. Phenloics and anthocyanins in roselle could be the major potentila contributors of such health benefits.

Review of Functional and Pharmacological Activities of Berries.

Functional plant-based foods (such as fruits, vegetables, and berries) can improve health, have a preventive effect, and diminish the risk of different chronic diseases during in vivo and in vitro studies. Berries contain many phytochemicals, fibers, vitamins, and minerals. The primary phytochemicals in berry fruits are phenolic compounds including flavonoids (anthocyanins, flavonols, flavones, flavanols, flavanones, and isoflavonoids), tannins, and phenolic acids. Since berries have a high concentration of polyphenols, it is possible to use them for treating various diseases pharmacologically by acting on oxidative stress and inflammation, which are often the leading causes of diabetes, neurological, cardiovascular diseases, and cancer. This review examines commonly consumed berries: blackberries, blackcurrants, blueberries, cranberries, raspberries, black raspberries, and strawberries and their polyphenols as potential medicinal foods (due to the presence of pharmacologically active compounds) in the treatment of diabetes, cardiovascular problems, and other diseases. Moreover, much attention is paid to the bioavailability of active berry components. Hence, this comprehensive review shows that berries and their bioactive compounds possess medicinal properties and have therapeutic potential. Nevertheless, future clinical trials are required to study and improve the bioavailability of berries' phenolic compounds and extend the evidence that the active compounds of berries can be used as medicinal foods against various diseases.

Gastroprotective Effects of Polyphenols against Various Gastro-Intestinal Disorders: A Mini-Review with Special Focus on Clinical Evidence.

Polyphenols are classified as an organic chemical with phenolic units that display an array of biological functions. However, polyphenols have very low bioavailability and stability, which make polyphenols a less bioactive compound. Many researchers have indicated that several factors might affect the efficiency and the metabolism (biotransformation) of various polyphenols, which include the gut microbiota, structure, and physical properties as well as its interactions with other dietary nutrients (macromolecules). Hence, this mini-review covers the two-way interaction between polyphenols and gut microbiota (interplay) and how polyphenols are metabolized (biotransformation) to produce various polyphenolic metabolites. Moreover, the protective effects of numerous polyphenols and their metabolites against various gastrointestinal disorders/diseases including gastritis, gastric cancer, colorectal cancer, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) like ulcerative colitis (UC), Crohn's disease (CD), and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) like celiac disease (CED) are discussed. For this review, the authors chose only a few popular polyphenols (green tea polyphenol, curcumin, resveratrol, quercetin), and a discussion of their proposed mechanism underpinning the gastroprotection was elaborated with a special focus on clinical evidence. Overall, this contribution would help the general population and science community to identify a potent polyphenol with strong antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, prebiotic, and immunomodulatory properties to combat various gut-related diseases or disorders (complementary therapy) along with modified lifestyle pattern and standard gastroprotective drugs. However, the data from clinical trials are much limited and hence many large-scale clinical trials should be performed (with different form/metabolites and dose) to confirm the gastroprotective activity of the above-mentioned polyphenols and their metabolites before recommendation.

Beneficial effect of Chlorella pyrenoidosa drink on healthy subjects: A randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, cross-over clinical trial.

The current study aims to explore the anti-inflammatory activity of Chlorella pyrenoidosa on RAW 267.4 cells and followed by a cross-over clinical trial in healthy subjects to check the antioxidant and anti-aging properties of Chlorella water extract (CWE). For the clinical trial, 44 healthy subjects were requested to consume 27 ml of either placebo or CWE for 90 days (phase I) and vice-versa manner for 90 days (phase II) with 4 weeks of washout period. The RAW 264.7 macrophages treated with Chlorella display potent anti-inflammatory activity by significantly downregulating (p < .05) the protein expressions of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2). Whereas, the subjects supplemented with CWE showed improved (p < .05) antioxidant status (TEAC, SOD, CAT, and DHEAs) and lower (p < .05) oxidative stress/aging markers (TBARS and 8-OHdG) as well as considerably (p < .05) protected liver (by lowering GOT and GPT). Thus, consumption of chlorella could significantly improve the overall health status by suppressing various oxidative stress markers and aging stress markers. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: Chlorella is considered as a popular functional food owing to its rich nutrient value and its array of biological activities. Numerous studies indicated that treatment with Chlorella spp. would considerably lower oxidative stress, inflammation, and regulate immune response which might contribute to anti-aging property in various cell and animal models. Based on the above information, we expected that Chlorella would be a better contender for the development of a novel anti-aging agent. Hence, we designed this clinical trial to assess the beneficial effects of Chlorella pyrenoidosa especially anti-aging. In agreement with our hypothesis, our results also showed that subjected supplemented with Chlorella water extract could significantly improve overall health status by suppressing various oxidative stress markers and aging stress markers. Hence, Chlorella could be developed into a novel anti-aging agent. In the future, it can be prescribed with standard anti-aging agents to improve the overall health status of the elderly population. However, large-scale clinical studies are needed to confirm our statements.

Chemopreventive and Chemotherapeutic Effect of Propolis and Its Constituents: A Mini-review.

Propolis is a bee wax rich in various phytocomponents and traditionally used to treat various ailments. Propolis is reported to possess an array of biological properties including anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-cancer, and anti-diabetic as well as cardioprotective, hepatoprotective, renoprotective, and derma protective activities. A plethora of studies confirmed that propolis is effective against various types of cancer including head and neck, lung, liver, brain (glioma), pancreas, kidney, prostate, skin (melanoma), breast, oral, esophagus, gastric, colorectal, and bladder cancers. However, many researchers have demonstrated that propolis displays potent chemoprotective/chemopreventive or anti-cancer activity against only a few types of cancers like oral, gastrointestinal, dermal (melanoma), breast, and prostate cancers. Therefore, this mini-review only summarizes the chemopreventive/chemotherapeutic activities of propolis and its updated underlying mechanisms. Taken together, propolis displays potent chemoprotective or anti-cancer effect due to the presence of various phytocomponents which contribute to pro-apoptotic, cytotoxic, anti-proliferative (cell cycle arrest), anti-metastatic, anti-invasive, anti-angiogenic and anti-genotoxic or anti-mutagenic properties along with antioxidant, immunomodulatory, and anti-inflammatory functions. Hence, propolis could be used as an adjuvant for treating various cancers along with standard chemotherapeutic drugs. However, many large-scale clinical studies are needed to justify such applications.

Regulatory/modulatory effect of prune essence concentrate on intestinal function and blood lipids.

CONTEXT: Prunus domestica Linn (Rosaceae) has been considered a functional food, owing to its various pharmacological activities, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic and anticancer. OBJECTIVE: This placebo-controlled, randomized study was framed to check the beneficial activity of prune essence concentrates (PEC) in corroboration with intestinal function and lipid profile in mildly hypercholesterolemic subjects. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Sixty healthy mild hypercholesterolemic subjects were randomly chosen and segregated into three groups as placebo (consume 50 mL of simulated prune drink), PEC I (consume 50 mL of PEC/day) and PEC II (consume 100 mL of PEC/day) for 4 weeks with 2 weeks of follow-up without PEC consumption. RESULTS: Intake of PEC (I and II) for 4 weeks substantially ameliorated (p < 0.05) the colony number of Bifidobacterium spp. (1.18- and 1.19-fold) and Lactobacillus spp. (1.07- and 1.16-fold), but markedly lowered (p < 0.05) the colony number of Clostridium perfringens (5.97 and 8.35%) and Escherichia coli (6.25 and 9.38%). Meanwhile, the total cholesterol (TC; 5.90 and 6.99%) levels and LDL-c (6.68 and 6.53%) were significantly reduced (p < 0.05), but no change in other lipid parameters. Whereas, the antioxidant capacity was also concomitantly elevated (p < 0.05) upon administration with PEC. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: Overall, the results suggest that the use of PEC may positively regulate the intestinal microflora and thereby effectively lower the TC levels and thus act as a hypocholesterolemic agent.

Triterpenoids and polysaccharide peptides-enriched Ganoderma lucidum: a randomized, double-blind placebo-controlled crossover study of its antioxidation and hepatoprotective efficacy in healthy volunteers.

CONTEXT: Ganoderma lucidum (Leyss: Fr) Karst. (Polyporaceae) is an oriental medicinal fungus, commonly used in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) for treating various condition or diseases such as hypertension, hyperglycaemia, hepatitis and cancer. OBJECTIVE: The current study examines whether triterpenoids and polysaccharide-enriched G. lucidum (GL) influence antioxidation and hepatoprotective efficacy by suppressing oxidative stress. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty-two healthy subjects (22 male and 20 female) were recruited and segregated into two groups as experimental or placebo and requested to intake GL (n = 21) or placebo (n = 21) capsule (225 mg; after lunch or dinner) for six consecutive months and vice versa with one month washout period in between. The anthropometric analysis and biochemical assays, as well as abdominal ultrasonic examination were performed. RESULTS: Consumption of GL substantially improved (p < 0.05) the total antioxidant capacity (TEAC; 79.33-84.04), total thiols and glutathione content (6-8.05) in plasma as well as significant (p < 0.05) enhanced the activities of antioxidant enzymes. Whereas, the levels of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS; 3.37-2.47), 8-hydroxy-deoxy-guanosine (8-OH-dG; 15.99-11.98) and hepatic marker enzymes (glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase; GOT and glutamic-pyruvic transaminase; GPT) were concomitantly reduced (42 and 27%) on treatment with GL. Furthermore, the abdominal ultrasonic examination in GL subjects displayed a notable alteration on hepatic condition by reversing from mild fatty liver condition (initial) to normal condition. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: The outcome of the present intervention demonstrated the antioxidation, anti-aging and hepatoprotective nature of GL by effectively curbing oxidative stress.