Hop-derived Humulinones Reveal Protective Effects in in vitro Models of Hepatic Steatosis, Inflammation and Fibrosis.

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is emerging as leading cause of liver disease worldwide. Specific pharmacologic therapy for NAFLD is a major unmet medical need. Recently, iso-alpha acids, hop-derived bitter compounds in beer, have been shown to beneficially affect NAFLD pathology. Humulinones are further hop derived bitter acids particularly found in modern styles of beer. So far, biological effects of humulinones have been unknown. Here, we investigated the effect of humulinones in in vitro models for hepatic steatosis, inflammation and fibrosis. Humulinones dose-dependently inhibited fatty acid induced lipid accumulation in primary human hepatocytes. Humulinones reduced the expression of fatty acid uptake transporter CD36 and key enzymes of (de novo) lipid synthesis. Conversely, humulinones increased the expression of FABP1, CPT1 and ACOX1, indicative for increased lipid combustion. Furthermore, humulinones ameliorated steatosis induced pro-inflammatory gene expression. Furthermore, humulinones significantly reduced the expression of pro-inflammatory and pro-fibrogenic factors in control as well as lipopolysaccharide treated activated hepatic stellate cells, which play a key role in hepatic fibrosis. In conclusion, humulinones beneficially affect different pathophysiological steps of NAFLD. Our data suggest humulinones as promising therapeutic agents for the prevention and treatment of NAFLD.

DESIGNER Extracts as Tools to Balance Estrogenic and Chemopreventive Activities of Botanicals for Women's Health.

Botanical dietary supplements contain multiple bioactive compounds that target numerous biological pathways. The lack of uniform standardization requirements is one reason that inconsistent clinical effects are reported frequently. The multifaceted biological interactions of active principles can be disentangled by a coupled pharmacological/phytochemical approach using specialized ("knock-out") extracts. This is demonstrated for hops, a botanical for menopausal symptom management. Employing targeted, adsorbent-free countercurrent separation, Humulus lupulus extracts were designed for pre- and postmenopausal women by containing various amounts of the phytoestrogen 8-prenylnaringenin (8-PN) and the chemopreventive constituent xanthohumol (XH). Analysis of their estrogenic (alkaline phosphatase), chemopreventive (NAD(P)H-quinone oxidoreductase 1 [NQO1]), and cytotoxic bioactivities revealed that the estrogenicity of hops is a function of 8-PN, whereas their NQO1 induction and cytotoxic properties depend on XH levels. Antagonization of the estrogenicity of 8-PN by elevated XH concentrations provided evidence for the interdependence of the biological effects. A designed postmenopausal hop extract was prepared to balance 8-PN and XH levels for both estrogenic and chemopreventive properties. An extract designed for premenopausal women contains reduced 8-PN levels and high XH concentrations to minimize estrogenic while retaining chemopreventive properties. This study demonstrates the feasibility of modulating the concentrations of bioactive compounds in botanical extracts for potentially improved efficacy and safety.

Prenylated chalcones and flavonoids for the prevention and treatment of cancer.

Prenylated chalcones and flavonoids gained increasing attention not only in nutrition but also in cancer prevention because of their biological and molecular activities in humans, which have been extensively investigated in vitro or in preclinical studies. These naturally occurring compounds exhibit antioxidant effects, modulate metabolism of carcinogens by inhibition of distinct phase 1 metabolic enzymes and activation of phase 2 detoxifying enzymes, and display antiinflammatory properties. In particular, their potential to prevent proliferation of tumor cells is noteworthy. Some representatives of this subclass of secondary plant compounds exert pronounced anti-tumor-initiating capacities and directly inhibit growth of cancer cells, whereas their toxic effects on healthy tissues are remarkably low. These promising pharmacologic characteristics are countered by low ingestion, low bioavailability, and little knowledge of their metabolism. This review focuses on the great potential of these plant- and nutrient-derived compounds for cancer prevention and therapy. Provided here is a comprehensive summary of the current knowledge and inherent modes of action, focusing on the prenylated chalcones xanthohumol, desmethylxanthohumol, and xanthogalenol, as well as the prenylated flavonoids isoxanthohumol, 6-prenylnaringenin, 8-prenylnaringenin, 6-geranylnaringenin, 8-geranylnaringenin, and pomiferin.