Clinical and Preclinical Studies of Fermented Foods and Their Effects on Alzheimer's Disease.

The focus on managing Alzheimer's disease (AD) is shifting towards prevention through lifestyle modification instead of treatments since the currently available treatment options are only capable of providing symptomatic relief marginally and result in various side effects. Numerous studies have reported that the intake of fermented foods resulted in the successful management of AD. Food fermentation is a biochemical process where the microorganisms metabolize the constituents of raw food materials, giving vastly different organoleptic properties and additional nutritional value, and improved biosafety effects in the final products. The consumption of fermented foods is associated with a wide array of nutraceutical benefits, including anti-oxidative, anti-inflammatory, neuroprotective, anti-apoptotic, anti-cancer, anti-fungal, anti-bacterial, immunomodulatory, and hypocholesterolemic properties. Due to their promising health benefits, fermented food products have a great prospect for commercialization in the food industry. This paper reviews the memory and cognitive enhancement and neuroprotective potential of fermented food products on AD, the recently commercialized fermented food products in the health and food industries, and their limitations. The literature reviewed here demonstrates a growing demand for fermented food products as alternative therapeutic options for the prevention and management of AD.

Selected Kefir Water from Malaysia Attenuates Hydrogen Peroxide-Induced Oxidative Stress by Upregulating Endogenous Antioxidant Levels in SH-SY5Y Neuroblastoma Cells.

Kefir, a fermented probiotic drink was tested for its potential anti-oxidative, anti-apoptotic, and neuroprotective effects to attenuate cellular oxidative stress on human SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells. Here, the antioxidant potentials of the six different kefir water samples were analysed by total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), and 2,2'-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical (DPPH) assays, whereas the anti-apoptotic activity on hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) induced SH-SY5Y cells was examined using MTT, AO/PI double staining, and PI/Annexin V-FITC assays. The surface and internal morphological features of SH-SY5Y cells were studied using scanning and transmission electron microscopy. The results indicate that Kefir B showed the higher TPC (1.96 ± 0.54 µg GAE/µL), TFC (1.09 ± 0.02 µg CAT eq/µL), FRAP (19.68 ± 0.11 mM FRAP eq/50 µL), and DPPH (0.45 ± 0.06 mg/mL) activities compared to the other kefir samples. The MTT and PI/Annexin V-FITC assays showed that Kefir B pre-treatment at 10 mg/mL for 48 h resulted in greater cytoprotection (97.04%), and a significantly lower percentage of necrotic cells (7.79%), respectively. The Kefir B pre-treatment also resulted in greater protection to cytoplasmic and cytoskeleton inclusion, along with the conservation of the surface morphological features and the overall integrity of SH-SY5Y cells. Our findings indicate that the anti-oxidative, anti-apoptosis, and neuroprotective effects of kefir were mediated via the upregulation of SOD and catalase, as well as the modulation of apoptotic genes (Tp73, Bax, and Bcl-2).

Kefir and Its Biological Activities.

Kefir is a fermented beverage with renowned probiotics that coexist in symbiotic association with other microorganisms in kefir grains. This beverage consumption is associated with a wide array of nutraceutical benefits, including anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidative, anti-cancer, anti-microbial, anti-diabetic, anti-hypertensive, and anti-hypercholesterolemic effects. Moreover, kefir can be adapted into different substrates which allow the production of new functional beverages to provide product diversification. Being safe and inexpensive, there is an immense global interest in kefir's nutritional potential. Due to their promising benefits, kefir and kefir-like products have a great prospect for commercialization. This manuscript reviews the therapeutic aspects of kefir to date, and potential applications of kefir products in the health and food industries, along with the limitations. The literature reviewed here demonstrates that there is a growing demand for kefir as a functional food owing to a number of health-promoting properties.

Missense mutations in MLH1, MSH2, KRAS, and APC genes in colorectal cancer patients in Malaysia.

BACKGROUND: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common cancer worldwide with approximately 1 million cases diagnosed annually. In Malaysia, CRC is the second most common cancer in women and ranked first in men. The underlying cause of CRC remains unknown. AIMS: The aim of this study was to analyze the mutations in genes involved in CRC including MLH1, MSH2, KRAS, and APC genes. METHODS: A total of 76 patients were recruited. We used the polymerase chain reaction-denaturing high-performance liquid chromatography for the detection of mutations in the mismatch repair (MMR) and APC genes and the PCR single-strand conformation polymorphism for screening of the KRAS gene mutations. RESULTS: We identified 17 types of missense mutations in 38 out of 76 patients in our patients. Nine mutations were identified in the APC gene, five mutations were detected in the KRAS gene, and two mutations were identified in the MSH2 gene. Only one mutation was identified in MLH1. Out of these 17 mutations, eight mutations (47 %) were predicted to be pathogenic. Seven patients were identified with multiple mutations (3: MSH2 and KRAS, 1: KRAS and APC, 1: MLH1 and APC, 2: APC and APC). CONCLUSIONS: We have established the PCR-DHPLC and PCR-SSCP for screening of mutations in CRC patients. This study has given a snapshot of the spectrum of mutations in the four genes that were analyzed. Mutation screening in patients and their family members will help in the early detection of CRC and hence will reduce mortality due to CRC.