The benefit of Silybum marianum in ethanol-induced reprotoxicity of male Wistar rat

Abstract This study investigates the toxic effects of ethanol (Eth) on the reproductive system of male rats and the possible protective role of Silybum marianum seeds-infused solution (SMI) over six consecutive weeks of administration. Animals were divided into the following groups: control, SMI positive control (200 mg/kg/day), Eth1 (1 g/kg/day), Eth2 (2 g/kg/day), Eth1+SMI, and Eth2+SMI. Plasma testosterone concentration, epididymal spermatozoa biology, and testicular and epididymal MDA, GSH and GPx levels were evaluated. The results indicated a significant decrease in testis and epididymis weight, testosterone level, sperm concentration, sperm vitality and sperm motility (total motility, progressive motility, curvilinear velocity, straight-line velocity, velocity average path, beat cross frequency, and lateral head displacement) in both Eth1 and Eth2 compared to the control groups and the combined-treatment groups (Eth1+SMI and Eth2+SMI). Furthermore, results showed a significant elevation in MDA concentration with a significant decrease of testicular and epididymal GSH concentration and GPx activity in theEth1 and Eth2 groups compared to the combined-treatment groups. The administration of SMI succeeded in improving the parameters cited above in the combined-treatment groups compared to the Eth1 and Eth2 groups, and bring them to the levels seen in the control groups. To conclude, SMI has clearly protected reproductive indices against ethanol-induced reprotoxicity in male rats

Antihypertensive and safety studies of Cydonia oblonga M.

Antihypertensive studies on aqueous-methanolic extract prepared from seeds of Cydonia oblonga M. were carried out. The test extract in 200, 400 and 600 mg/kg doses was investigated in normotensive, high cholesterol and glucose fed hypertensive rats through non-invasive blood pressure measuring technique. Acute and sub-chronic toxicity studies were conducted in mice and rats, respectively. The test extract significantly decreased dose dependently the systolic, diastolic and mean arterial pressures. The test extract in 600mg/kg dose produced maximum effect and prevented rise in blood pressure of high cholesterol diet and glucose fed rats as compare to control in 21 days studies. The extract was found safe up to 4g/kg dose in mice. In sub-chronic toxicity study, no significant alteration in blood chemistry of extract treated rats was observed except reduction in the low density cholesterol levels. It is concluded that Cydonia oblonga seeds extract possess antihypertensive effect which supports its use in folklore.

Diet-induced oxalate nephropathy from excessive nut and seed consumption.

Oxalate is a metabolite consumed in nuts, beans and leaves, and excreted in urine. Oxalosis can cause nephropathy. We describe a rare case of a high-oxalate diet intended for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) treatment causing oxalate nephropathy. A 59-year-old woman with a history of controlled hypertension presented with creatinine 1.8 mg/dL, increased from baseline 1.3 mg/dL. She denied recent illness, urinary stones, medication adjustments, herbal supplements and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs use. Diet included six tablespoons of chia seeds and five handfuls of almonds daily to manage IBS symptoms. Her electrolytes, urinalysis and renal ultrasound were unremarkable. Her 24-hour urine output revealed increased oxalate and low citrate. Renal biopsy showed glomerulosclerosis, fibrosis and calcium oxalate deposition. She switched to a low-oxalate diet, with improvement in laboratory markers. An earlier dietary history could have raised concern for oxalosis prior to renal biopsy. Providers should be trained to identify at-risk patients and provide appropriate dietary counselling.

Weight loss supplement causing acute heart block in a child.

A 16-year-old male was admitted to the paediatric ICU with acute onset of vomiting, somnolence, and chest pain, and electrocardiogram showing 2nd degree heart block after ingesting an Aleurites moluccana (Candlenut) seed as a herbal weight loss supplement. Electrocardiogram showed progressively worsening heart block with down-sloping of the ST segments, resembling digoxin toxicity. After 2 days of ICU observation, his symptoms began to improve and eventually resolved. The side effects of herbal supplements are often unknown but by analysing cases such as these, physicians can develop a better understanding of these substances to help guide management.

Safety of Guarana Seed as a Dietary Ingredient: A Review.

The seeds of the guarana plant (Paullinia cupana Kunth, family Sapindaceae) are well-known to many cultures as a stimulant, aphrodisiac, and astringent. Its rhizome was traditionally boiled into a tea by Amazonian cultures. Today, guarana seeds are ground to a fine powder and sold as powder, tablets, and capsules. This review focuses on the traditional uses, phytochemistry, and biological activities of the guarana seed to evaluate its safety as a dietary ingredient. A comprehensive review of published literature was conducted to identify articles that focused on the phytochemistry, pharmacology, and safety of guarana. On the basis of this review, guarana is not currently known to be associated causally with any serious health risks when consumed properly. Overall, guarana is generally recognized as safe as a dietary ingredient marketed for its flavor and caffeine content. If guidelines for caffeine intake are respected, guarana consumption is not likely to be associated with any serious health risks.

Nutmeg overdose: Spice not so nice.

BACKGROUND: Nutmeg is a spice common to many kitchens around the world and is being used for many other reasons, such as an aphrodisiac, antimicrobial, antioxidant and analgesic, yet little is known about the toxic effects of nutmeg. CASE REPORT: A case is presented of a young male who took an overdose of nutmeg and presented via ambulance to the Emergency Department with multiple psychiatric and neurological symptoms. The case is described in detail, especially in regard to the prehospital and Emergency Department presentation. Emergency personnel should be aware of nutmeg toxicity due to its ability to mimic many other neurological, cardiac and psychiatric conditions. Therefore, increased awareness of this issue can help minimize the risk of misdiagnosis. The importance of communication between the Emergency personnel and the pre-hospital team is stressed. A discussion is included concerning the pathophysiology of nutmeg toxicity, its history, symptomatology, differential diagnosis and treatment.

Opium poisoning in modern times. An overview.

Opium is a substance extracted from Papaver somniferum L that is chronically abused specially in the traditional production regions. Reports on opium poisoning has largely disappeared from the occidental literature on drug problems but recent scientific articles show cases of death related to opium in industrialized countries. This fact led us to consider the interest of knowing the state of the art of acute opium intoxication in modern times. This work shows a compilation of these uncommon cases occurred in different settings and circumstances. Data were obtained by a computer assisted search of the literature using the key words "opium poisoning", "poppy", "poppy seeds", and "papaver somniferum" in PubMed, accompanied by a hand search of the reference lists of all articles for any relevant studies not included in the database. In addition, Google Scholar, government reports, and cases adequately documented on websites were reviewed. Type 1 cases, Accidental opium intoxications when it is used as a recreational drug: Reported cases came mainly from industrialized countries. They were mostly male with a range age of 17-64 years. Many had antecedents of alcoholism or drug abuse and opium tea was used as a substitute of heroin. Rachacha has caused poisonings in France and has been detected in a stash in Spain. Toxicological analysis was documented in forensic cases. The danger of this renewed interest in opium is exemplified in that many of the poisoning cases resulted in fatalities. Type 2 cases, Accidental opium intoxications in children or adults when it used as folk remedy: Pediatric intoxication after the use of opium as folk remedy are mainly published in traditional opium-producing areas with a long history of use or ethnic communities in England or USA. Addiction to opium was common among relatives. Type 3 cases, Opium intoxications with poppy seeds consumed as food: Due to excessive consumption of opium seeds as food, sporadic cases of mild toxicity had been reported and morphine contents were documented. Type 4 cases: Accidental opium intoxications when using the abdominal or pelvic cavity for concealing the drug: Accidental opium body packer intoxications are seen in patients who traveled from illegal opium areas of production. Type 5 cases: Suicides by opium: Opium was a prevalent agent among cases of suicides in Iran but data are scarce.

Antinutritional factors and hypocholesterolemic effect of wild apricot kernel (Prunus armeniaca L.) as affected by detoxification.

The present investigation was aimed to study the effect of detoxification on the nutrients and antinutrients of wild apricot kernel followed by its hypocholesterolemic effect in male Wistar albino rats. The results revealed a non-significant (p > 0.05) effect of detoxification on the proximate composition except total carbohydrates and protein content. However, detoxification led to a significant (p < 0.05) decrease in l-ascorbic acid (76.82%), ß-carotene (25.90%), dietary fiber constituents (10.51-28.92%), minerals (4.76-31.08%) and antinutritional factors (23.92-77.05%) (phenolics, tannins, trypsin inhibitor activity, saponins, phytic acid, alkaloids, flavonoids, oxalates) along with the complete removal (100%) of bitter and potentially toxic hydrocyanic acid (HCN). The quality parameters of kernel oil indicated no adverse effects of detoxification on free fatty acids, lipase activity, acid value and peroxide value, which remained well below the maximum permissible limit. Blood lipid profile demonstrated that the detoxified apricot kernel group exhibited significantly (p < 0.05) increased levels of HDL-cholesterol (48.79%) and triglycerides (15.09%), and decreased levels of total blood cholesterol (6.99%), LDL-C (22.95%) and VLDL-C (7.90%) compared to that of the raw (untreated) kernel group. Overall, it can be concluded that wild apricot kernel flour could be detoxified efficiently by employing a simple, safe, domestic and cost-effective method, which further has the potential for formulating protein supplements and value-added food products.

Daily intake of Mucuna pruriens in advanced Parkinson's disease: A 16-week, noninferiority, randomized, crossover, pilot study.

BACKGROUND: Thousands of individuals with Parkinson's disease (PD) in low-income countries have limited access to marketed levodopa preparations. Mucuna pruriens (MP), a levodopa-containing leguminous plant growing in tropical areas, may be a sustainable alternative therapy for indigent patients. Single-dose intake of MP proved noninferior to marketed levodopa preparations. METHODS: Fourteen PD patients with motor fluctuations and dyskinesias received MP powder (obtained from roasted seeds) and marketed levodopa/carbidopa (LD/CD) in a randomized order and crossover design over a 16-week period. Efficacy measures were changes in quality of life, motor and non-motor symptoms, and time with good mobility without troublesome dyskinesias. Safety measures included tolerability, frequency of adverse events, changes in laboratory indices and electrocardiogram. RESULTS: Daily intake of MP was associated with a variable clinical response, especially in terms of tolerability. Seven patients (50%) discontinued MP prematurely due to either gastrointestinal side-effects (n = 4) or progressive worsening of motor performance (n = 3), while nobody discontinued during the LD/CD phase. In those who tolerated MP, clinical response to MP was similar to LD/CD on all efficacy outcome measures. Patients who dropped out entered a study extension using MP supernatant water (median[IQR], 16 [7-20] weeks), which was well tolerated. CONCLUSIONS: The overall benefit provided by MP on the clinical outcome was limited by tolerability issues, as one could expect by the relatively rapid switch from LD/CD to levodopa alone in advanced PD. Larger parallel-group studies are needed to identify appropriate MP formulation (e.g. supernatant water), titration scheme and maintenance dose to minimize side-effects in the long-term. CLINICAL TRIALS. GOV IDENTIFIER: NCT02680977.

Antiproliferative and cytotoxic effects of green coffee and yerba mate extracts, their main hydroxycinnamic acids, methylxanthine and metabolites in different human cell lines.

This work aimed at studying the effects of green coffee bean (GCBE) and yerba mate (YME) extracts, their main phenolic components (5-caffeoylquinic acid, 5-CQA; 3,5-dicaffeoylquinic acid, 3,5-DCQA) and metabolites (ferulic acid, FA; caffeic acid, CA; dihydrocaffeic acid, DHCA; and dihydroferulic acid, DHFA) along with caffeine (CAF) on the viability and proliferation of different human cell lines. Extracts (10-1000 µg/mL) and standards (10-1000 µM) were assayed in colon (Caco-2), lung (A549), oesophageal (OE-33), urinary bladder (T24) human carcinoma cells, and a non-cancer cell line (CCD-18Co). YME significantly reduced viability of cancer cells at all assayed concentrations, the higher doses also reducing cell proliferation. GCBE effects on cell viability were more effective at 100 and 1000 µg/mL, showing modest effects on cell proliferation. The highest doses of 5-CQA and 3,5-DCQA reduced cell viability and proliferation in all cell lines, whereas FA, DHCA and DHFA had lower and variable effects. Caffeine had no effect. Dietary-attainable concentrations (0.1, 1 and 10 µg/mL) of YME were tested for cytotoxicity and reactive oxygen species generation, showing no cytotoxic effect. Low concentrations of all tested compounds were non-cytotoxic to CCD-18Co cells. CONCLUSION: YME and to a lower degree GCBE, their phenolic components and metabolites may decrease cancer cell viability and proliferation.

Cannabinoid Poisoning by Hemp Seed Oil in a Child.

We report a case of mild cannabinoid poisoning in a preschool child, after 3-week ingestion of hemp seed oil prescribed by his pediatrician to strengthen his immune system. The patient presented neurological symptoms that disappeared after intravenous hydration. A possible mild withdrawal syndrome was reported after discharge. The main metabolite of Δ-tetrahydrocannabinol was detected in urine, and very low concentration of Δ-tetrahydrocannabinol was detected in the ingested product. This is, as far as we know, the first report of cannabinoid poisoning after medical prescription of hemp seed oil in a preschool child.

Effect of including whole linseed and vitamin E in the diet of young bulls slaughtered at two fat covers on the sensory quality of beef packaged in two different packaging systems.

BACKGROUND: Forty-six Pirenaica young bulls, slaughtered at two levels of fatness (3 and 4 mm), were used to evaluate the effect of the inclusion of 50 g kg-1 linseed alone or with 200 IU vitamin E kg-1 in the concentrate and of the meat packaging system (vacuum or modified atmosphere packaging (MAP)) on the beef sensory quality. RESULTS: The inclusion of linseed or supplementation with vitamin E in the concentrate induced no significant differences in the main meat sensory scores and overall appraisal except under MAP, where small differences due to concentrate ingredients were found in juiciness and metallic flavor intensity. Extending the display time up to 4 or 8 days in high-oxygen MAP had detrimental effects on sensory attributes. Meat from animals with 4 mm fat cover depth were rated more tender and juicy, less fibrous and with a higher intensity of beef flavor and rancid odor than meat from 3 mm fat cover bulls when both samples were vacuum packaged. CONCLUSION: The inclusion of 50 g kg-1 linseed in the concentrate fed to bulls had no detrimental effect on the beef sensory quality. The vacuum-packaged meat of bulls slaughtered at 4 mm fat cover was rated higher on sensory analysis than that at 3 mm fat cover. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry.