Sublingual AKBA Exerts Antidepressant Effects in the Aß-Treated Mouse Model.

The 3-O-acetyl-11-keto-ß-boswellic acid (AKBA) is the most active compound of Boswellia serrata proposed for treating neurodegenerative disorders, including Alzheimer's disease (AD), characterized in its early phase by alteration in mood. Accordingly, we have previously demonstrated that an intracerebroventricular injection of soluble amyloid beta 1-42 (Aß) peptide evokes a depressive-like phenotype in rats. We tested the protective effects of AKBA in the mouse model of an Aß-induced depressive-like phenotype. We evaluated the depressive-like behavior by using the tail suspension test (TST) and the splash test (ST). Behavioral analyses were accompanied by neurochemical quantifications, such as glutamate (GLU), kynurenine (KYN) and monoamines, and by biochemical measurements, such as glial fibrillary acid protein (GFAP), CD11b and nuclear factor kappa B (NF-kB), in mice prefrontal cortex (PFC) and hippocampus (HIPP). AKBA prevented the depressive-like behaviors induced by Aß administration, since we recorded a reduction in latency to initiate self-care and total time spent to perform self-care in the ST and reduced time of immobility in the TST. Likewise, the increase in GLU and KYN levels in PFC and HIPP induced by the peptide injection were reverted by AKBA administration, as well as the displayed increase in levels of GFAP and NF-kB in both PFC and HIPP, but not in CD11b. Therefore, AKBA might represent a food supplement suitable as an adjuvant for therapy of depression in early-stage AD.

Phytosterols from Dunaliella tertiolecta Reduce Cell Proliferation in Sheep Fed Flaxseed during Post Partum.

The post partum period is characterized by immunosuppression and increased disease susceptibility. Both phytosterols from microalga Dunaniella tertiolecta and dietary supplementation with n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) influence cell proliferation and cytokine release during inflammation. The objective of this paper was the evaluation of the effects of physterols, extracted and purified from D. tertiolecta, on the in vitro immune responses of ewes supplemented with flaxseed during post partum. Twenty Comisana parturient ewes were divided in two balanced groups, and supplemented with flaxseed (FS, 250 g/day) or fed with a conventional diet (CON). Blood samples (15 mL) were collected for five weeks, starting from lambing, in order to isolate peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC). Stimulated PBMC were treated with a total sterols fraction from D. tertiolecta (TS), a mix of ergosterol and 7-dehydroporiferasterol (purified extract, PE), and a mix of acetylated ergosterol and 7-dehydroporiferasterol (acetylated purified extract, AcPE), extracted and purified from D. tertiolecta at two concentrations (0.4 and 0.8 mg/mL). Results of the experiment demonstrated that n-3 PUFA from flaxseed induced an anti-inflammatory cytokine profile, with an increase of both IL-10, IL-6 and a decrease of IL-1ß. TS, PE, and AcPE purified from D. tertiolecta showed an anti-proliferative effect on sheep PBMC regardless their chemical composition and concentration.

The red seaweed Gracilaria gracilis as a multi products source.

In recent years seaweeds have increasingly attracted interest in the search for new drugs and have been shown to be a primary source of bioactive natural compounds and biomaterials. In the present investigation, the biochemical composition of the red seaweed Gracilaria gracilis, collected seasonally in the Lesina Lagoon (Southern Adriatic Sea, Lesina, Italy), was assayed by means of advanced analytical techniques, such as gas-chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry and spectrophotometric tests. In particular, analysis of lipids, fatty acids, sterols, proteins, phycobiliproteins and carbohydrates as well as phenolic content, antioxidant and radical scavenging activity were performed. In winter extracts of G. gracilis, a high content of R-phycoerythrin together with other valuable products such as arachidonic acid (PUFA ω-6), proteins and carbohydrates was observed. High antioxidant and radical scavenging activities were also detected in summer extracts of the seaweed together with a high content of total phenols. In conclusion, this study points out the possibility of using Gracilaria gracilis as a multi products source for biotechnological, nutraceutical and pharmaceutical applications even although more investigations are required for separating, purifying and characterizing these bioactive compounds.