Polyphenols: Role in Modulating Immune Function and Obesity.

Polyphenols, long-used components of medicinal plants, have drawn great interest in recent years as potential therapeutic agents because of their safety, efficacy, and wide range of biological effects. Approximately 75% of the world's population still use plant-based medicinal compounds, indicating the ongoing significance of phytochemicals for human health. This study emphasizes the growing body of research investigating the anti-adipogenic and anti-obesity functions of polyphenols. The functions of polyphenols, including phenylpropanoids, flavonoids, terpenoids, alkaloids, glycosides, and phenolic acids, are distinct due to changes in chemical diversity and structural characteristics. This review methodically investigates the mechanisms by which naturally occurring polyphenols mediate obesity and metabolic function in immunomodulation. To this end, hormonal control of hunger has the potential to inhibit pro-obesity enzymes such as pancreatic lipase, the promotion of energy expenditure, and the modulation of adipocytokine production. Specifically, polyphenols affect insulin, a hormone that is essential for regulating blood sugar, and they also play a role, in part, in a complex web of factors that affect the progression of obesity. This review also explores the immunomodulatory properties of polyphenols, providing insight into their ability to improve immune function and the effects of polyphenols on gut health, improving the number of commensal bacteria, cytokine production suppression, and immune cell mediation, including natural killer cells and macrophages. Taken together, continuous studies are required to understand the prudent and precise mechanisms underlying polyphenols' therapeutic potential in obesity and immunomodulation. In the interim, this review emphasizes a holistic approach to health and promotes the consumption of a wide range of foods and drinks high in polyphenols. This review lays the groundwork for future developments, indicating that the components of polyphenols and their derivatives may provide the answer to urgent worldwide health issues. This compilation of the body of knowledge paves the way for future discoveries in the global treatment of pressing health concerns in obesity and metabolic diseases.

Effect of supplementary omega-3 fatty acids on pregnant women with complications and pregnancy outcomes: review from literature.

Numerous benefits have been associated with omega-3 fatty acid consumption during pregnancy and the postpartum period, whether it is consumed in the diet with seafood or via supplements such as fish oil. This review primarily aimed to assess the current situation of the impact of omega-3 long-chain Poly Unsaturated Fatty Acid (PUFA) supplementation on the outcomes of pregnancy. The electronic search of Medline, PubMed, Public Library of Science (PLOS) and Google Scholar databases was carried out for papers from 01 February 1995 to 01 March 2017 using keywords such as "pregnancy," "supplement," "long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids," "omega 3 fatty acids," and "clinical trials." Out of twenty-six studies, both observational and interventional, fourteen studies found the influence of omega 3 fatty acids during pregnancy or the early postpartum period on the duration of gestation and infant size at birth, preeclampsia, depression, and infant visual function and neurodevelopment have been reported. Omega 3 fatty acid intakes (both in terms of absolute amounts of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and the ratio of these 2 fatty acids) varied widely in these studies, however, and no clear consensus exists regarding the effects of omega 3 fatty acids on any of these outcomes. Because of the potential importance of these fatty acids for pregnant or lactating women, fetus, and newborn infants and the limited data from clinical trials assessing the effect of these fatty acids on pregnancy and infant outcomes, additional research is required to better define optimal intakes of specific omega 3 fatty acids during these critical periods.

Significant Reduction of Defect States and Surface Tailoring in ZnO Nanoparticles via Nano-Bio Interaction With Glucose for Bio-Applications.

In this study, we have investigated the structural and optical properties of nanoconjugates (NJs) consisting of phase pure zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles (NPs) with glucose biomolecules. All NJs were fabricated using a standard biochemical synthesis process. Structural, optical, vibrational, and biochemical interface properties of nano-bio composites are probed by different complementary characterization techniques. The XRD patterns of the NPs and NJs illustrate a highly phase pure ZnO structure. A visible green emission in the photoluminescence spectrum, mainly associated with the oxygen vacancies on the surface of ZnO nanostructure, is significantly reduced by the incorporation of glucose biomolecules. The strong binding interaction of glucose biomolecule on the surface of ZnO NPs results in the reduction in green-yellow-orange emission intensities. The interaction of glucose molecules modifies oxygen vacancies by capturing free electrons from the ZnO surface region. Significant changes in the peak intensity and relative peak position of some of the glucose and ZnO NPs in Raman spectra refer to the direct binding between these two nano- and bio-components. In the X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, the binding energy of O 1s core level in NJs increases from 531 eV (O 1s core level position for ZnO) and the increment is more with higher initial glucose concentration in the solution during synthesis. This study serves as a promising platform for the development of new kinds of NJs and investigation of their interfacial properties which can take the frontier forward for integration and multifunctionality.

High Carbohydrate High Fat Diet Induced Hepatic Steatosis and Dyslipidemia Were Ameliorated by Psidium guajava Leaf Powder Supplementation in Rats.

Psidium guajava leaf is reported to contain many bioactive polyphenols which play an important role in the prevention and treatment of various diseases. Our investigation aimed to study the effect of Psidium guajava leaf powder supplementation on obesity and liver status by using experimental rats. To study the effects of guava leaf supplementation in high fat diet induced obesity, rats were randomly divided into four experimental groups (n=7), control (group I), control + guava leaf (group II), HCHF (group III), and HCHF + guava leaf (group IV). At the end of the experimental period (56 days), glucose intolerance, liver enzymes activities, antioxidant enzymes activities, and lipid and cholesterol profiles were evaluated. Our results revealed that guava leaf powder supplementation showed a significant reduction in fat deposition in obese rats. Moreover, liver enzyme functions were increased in high fat diet fed rats compared to the control rats significantly which were further ameliorated by guava leaf powder supplementation in high fat diet fed rats. High fat diet feeding also decreased the antioxidant enzyme functions and increased the lipid peroxidation products compared to the control rats. Guava leaf powder supplementation in high fat diet fed rats reduced the oxidative stress markers and reestablished antioxidant enzyme system in experimental animals. Guava leaf powder supplementation in high fat diet fed rats also showed a relative decrease in inflammatory cells infiltration and collagen deposition in the liver compared to the high fat diet fed rats. The present study suggests that the supplementation of guava leaf powder prevents obesity, improves glucose intolerance, and decreases inflammation and oxidative stress in liver of high carbohydrate high fat diet fed rats.

Tridax procumbens flavonoids: a prospective bioactive compound increased osteoblast differentiation and trabecular bone formation

BACKGROUND: The Tridax procumbens extracts (TPE) are known for their ethno-medicinal properties to increase osteogenic functioning in mesenchymal stem cells. Recently, we found that the T. procumbens flavonoids (TPF) significantly suppressed the RANKL-induced osteoclasts differentiation and bone resorption. The TPF also promoted osteoblasts differentiation and bone formation demonstrated by increasing bone formation markers in cultured mouse primary osteoblasts. However, the effects of the TPF on in vivo bone formation remain unclear. In this study, we investigated the effects of the TPF on in vivo bone formation, injected the TPF (20 mg/kg) twice a day in the low calcium diet mice and killed them after 21 day. Radiographic and histomorphometric analyses were performed on the dissected bones to determine the anabolic effects of the TPF. RESULTS: Bone mineral density and bone mineral content of the TPF-treated mice were significantly increased compared to the control mice. Bone formation-related indices like osteoblast number, osteoblast surface, bone volume, mineralizing surface, mineral apposition rate and bone formation rate were significantly increased in the TPF-treated mice compared to the control mice. CONCLUSION: Our findings point towards the stimulation of bone formation by TPF, suggested that the TPF could be a potential natural anabolic agent to treat patients with bone loss-associated diseases such as osteoporosis.

Tridax procumbens flavonoids promote osteoblast differentiation and bone formation

BACKGROUND: Tridaxprocumbens flavonoids (TPFs) are well known for their medicinal properties among local natives. Besides traditionally used for dropsy, anemia, arthritis, gout, asthma, ulcer, piles, and urinary problems, it is also used in treating gastric problems, body pain, and rheumatic pains of joints. TPFs have been reported to increase osteogenic functioning in mesenchymal stem cells. Our previous study showed that TPFs were significantly suppressed the RANKL-induced differentiation of osteoclasts and bone resorption. However, the effects of TPFs to promote osteoblasts differentiation and bone formation remain unclear. TPFs were isolated from Tridax procumbens and investigated for their effects on osteoblasts differentiation and bone formation by using primary mouse calvarial osteoblasts. RESULTS: TPFs promoted osteoblast differentiation in a dose-dependent manner demonstrated by up-regulation of alkaline phosphatase and osteocalcin. TPFs also upregulated osteoblast differentiation related genes, including osteocalcin, osterix, and Runx2 in primary osteoblasts. TPFs treated primary osteoblast cells showed significant upregulation of bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) including Bmp-2, Bmp-4, and Bmp-7. Addition of noggin, a BMP specific-antagonist, inhibited TPFs induced upregulation of the osteocalcin, osterix, and Runx2. CONCLUSION: Our findings point towards the induction of osteoblast differentiation by TPFs and suggested that TPFs could be a potential anabolic agent to treat patients with bone loss-associated diseases such as osteoporosis.