The Effect of Diosmin, Escin, and Bromelain on Human Endothelial Cells Derived from the Umbilical Vein and the Varicose Vein-A Preliminary Study.

In this study, we investigated the properties of human varicose vein (VV) endothelial cells (HVVEC) in comparison to the human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC). The cells were treated with three bioactive compounds with proven beneficial effects in the therapy of patients with VV, diosmin, escin, and bromelain. Two concentrations of tested drugs were used (1, 10 mg/mL), which did not affect the viability of either cell type. Escin led to a slight generation of reactive oxygen species in HUVEC cells. We observed a slight release of superoxide in HVVEC cells upon treatment with diosmin and escin. Diosmin and bromelain showed a tendency to release nitric oxide in HUVEC. Using membrane fluorescent probes, we demonstrated a reduced fluidity of HVVEC, which may lead to their increased adhesion, and, consequently, a much more frequent occurrence of venous thrombosis. For the first time, we show the mechanism of action of drugs used in VV therapy on endothelial cells derived from a VV. Studies with HVVEC have shown that tested drugs may lead to a reduction in the adhesive properties of these cells, and thus to a lower risk of thrombosis.

Diosmin and Bromelain Stimulate Glutathione and Total Thiols Production in Red Blood Cells.

Diosmin and bromelain are bioactive compounds of plant origin with proven beneficial effects on the human cardiovascular system. We found that diosmin and bromelain slightly reduced total carbonyls levels and had no effect on TBARS levels, as well as slightly increased the total non-enzymatic antioxidant capacity in the RBCs at concentrations of 30 and 60 µg/mL. Diosmin and bromelain induced a significant increase in total thiols and glutathione in the RBCs. Examining the rheological properties of RBCs, we found that both compounds slightly reduce the internal viscosity of the RBCs. Using the MSL (maleimide spin label), we revealed that higher concentrations of bromelain led to a significant decrease in the mobility of this spin label attached to cytosolic thiols in the RBCs, as well as attached to hemoglobin at a higher concentration of diosmin, and for both concentrations of bromelain. Both compounds tended to decrease the cell membrane fluidity in the subsurface area, but not in the deeper regions. An increase in the glutathione concentration and the total level of thiol compounds promotes the protection of the RBCs against oxidative stress, suggesting that both compounds have a stabilizing effect on the cell membrane and improve the rheological properties of the RBCs.

Determinants of Knowledge About Dietary Supplements Among Polish Internet Users: Nationwide Cross-sectional Study.

BACKGROUND: An accurate understanding of dietary supplements (DS) is a prerequisite for informed decisions regarding their intake. However, there is a need for studies on this understanding among the public based on validated research tools. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to assess the knowledge about DS among Polish internet users with no medical education and to identify its determinants and design an appropriate predictive model. METHODS: The study protocol was prospectively registered with a statistical analysis plan. Polish users of a web-based health service and a social networking service were administered a survey consisting of the recently developed questionnaire on knowledge about DS, the questionnaire on trust in advertising DS, the beliefs about medicines questionnaire, and several other health-related single-item measures and sociodemographic questions. The results were subjected to general linear modeling. RESULTS: A total of 6273 participants were included. Of the 17 yes or no questions in the questionnaire of knowledge about DS, the mean number of correct responses was 9.0 (95% CI 8.9-9.1). Health service users performed worse than social networking users by 2.3 points (95% CI 2.1-2.5) in an analysis adjusted for potential confounders. Internet users had fewer true beliefs about DS if they presented higher trust in their advertising (adjusted ß=-.37; 95% CI -.39 to -.34), used DS (adjusted ß=-.14; 95% CI -.17 to -.12), experienced their positive effect (adjusted ß=-.16; 95% CI -.18 to -.13), were older or younger than 35 years (adjusted ß=-.14; 95% CI -.17 to -.12), expressed interest in the topic of DS (adjusted ß=-.10; 95% CI -.13 to -.08), reported getting information about the products from friends (adjusted ß=-.13; 95% CI -.15 to -.11), and believed that medicines are harmful (adjusted ß=-.12; 95% CI -.15 to -.10). The proposed 5-predictor model could explain 31.2% of the variance in knowledge about DS. The model appeared resistant to overfitting and was able to forecast most of the observed associations. CONCLUSIONS: Polish internet users with no medical education exhibit some false beliefs regarding DS. Trusting the advertising of DS appears to conflict with knowledge about them. There is an urgent need for effective web-based educational campaigns on DS and the promotion of advertising literacy. After the proposed predictive model is externally validated, it may help identify the least informed target audience.

Health-, medication- and dietary supplement-related behaviors and beliefs relatively unchanged during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown.

BACKGROUND: The lockdown imposed to counter the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has evoked an unprecedented phenomenon that could affect health behaviors and beliefs. OBJECTIVE: To examine how medication-, dietary supplement- and health-related behaviors, beliefs and other psychological constructs changed in Polish online health service users during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown. METHODS: A one-time online survey accessed through a health service website was completed before and during the pandemic lockdown by separate samples of respondents. The survey examined beliefs about medicines and dietary supplements, consumption of dietary supplements, trust and contact with their advertisements, sources of dietary supplement knowledge as well as perceived health, diet, physical activity and smoking, among other things. RESULTS: The study included 1560 participants. Most examined outcomes remained unchanged over COVID-19 pandemic lockdown. Beliefs that the dietary supplement quality is well controlled became significantly more pronounced during the lockdown (adjusted ratio of estimates 1.16, 95%CI 1.06-1.27, p = 0.001). Fewer people reported having contact with dietary supplement advertisements (adjusted odds ratio 0.59, 95%CI 0.43-0.83, p = 0.002). CONCLUSIONS: The results may help understand some health-related issues associated with COVID-19 pandemic lockdown and may be used to shape aspects of health-related policy.

Effect of Supplementation with Saccharomyces Boulardii on Academic Examination Performance and Related Stress in Healthy Medical Students: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial.

In recent years, bacterial probiotic dietary supplementation has emerged as a promising way to improve cognition and to alleviate stress and anxiety; however, yeast probiotics have not been tested. The aim of the present study was to determine whether 30-day supplementation with Saccharomyces boulardii enhances academic performance under stress and affects stress markers. The trial was retrospectively registered at clinicaltrials.gov (NCT03427515). Healthy medical students were randomized to supplement their diet with Saccharomyces boulardii CNCM I-1079 or placebo before sitting for an academic examination, which served as a model of stress. The grades of a final examination adjusted to subject knowledge tested in non-stressful conditions was used as a primary outcome measure. Psychometrically evaluated state anxiety, cortisol and metanephrine salivary levels, and pulse rate were tested at a non-stressful time point before the intervention as well as just before the stressor. Fifty enrolled participants (22.6 ± 1.4 years of age, 19 males) completed the trial in the Saccharomyces and placebo arms. Supplementation with Saccharomyces did not significantly modify examination performance or increase in state anxiety, salivary cortisol, and metanephrine. However, the intervention resulted in higher increase in pulse rate under stress as compared to placebo by 10.4 (95% CI 4.2-16.6) min-1 (p = 0.0018), and the effect positively correlated with increase in salivary metanephrine (Pearson's r = 0.35, 95% CI 0.09-0.58, p = 0.012). An intention-to-treat analysis was in line with the per-protocol one. In conclusion, supplementation with Saccharomyces boulardii CNCM I-1079 appears largely ineffective in improving academic performance under stress and in alleviating some stress markers, but it seems to increase pulse rate under stress, which may hypothetically reflect enhanced sympathoadrenal activity.

Knowledge about dietary supplements and trust in advertising them: Development and validation of the questionnaires and preliminary results of the association between the constructs.

BACKGROUND: Despite offering little overall benefit and emerging concerns about their safety, dietary supplements have become increasingly popular. Trust in advertising them may contribute to high confidence in dietary supplements in public opinion. AIM: To develop and validate a screening questionnaire intended for the general public regarding knowledge about dietary supplements and a questionnaire on trust in advertising dietary supplements, and to identify the association between these constructs. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The development and validation of the measures was overseen by the panels of experts. The conceptual frameworks of the constructs were scientifically well grounded. A set of semi-structured interviews and anonymous web-based surveys was performed. The final questionnaire was applied to 220 non-medically educated people and 121 medically educated people. RESULTS: A 17-item questionnaire on knowledge about dietary supplements and eight-item questionnaire on trust in advertising dietary supplements were developed. The measures presented satisfactory proof of validity, however, the psychometric properties of the questionnaire on knowledge were modest. Both the knowledge about dietary supplements in the study group and trust in advertising them were low. A significant negative relationship was found between knowledge about dietary supplements and trust in advertising them among the general public (Pearson's r = -0.42, 95%CI: -0.52 to -0.30, p<0.0001). This association was especially pronounced in people who reported not taking dietary supplements (Pearson's r = -0.61, 95%CI: -0.76 to -0.39, p<0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: The extensive advertising of dietary supplements appears to be in conflict with promoting evidence-based knowledge about them, which raises substantial concerns for the public health. The results of the study are only preliminary and require further confirmation and exploration.

The ability of selected plant essential oils to enhance the action of recommended antibiotics against pathogenic wound bacteria.

The aim of this work was to characterize the ability of essential oils to support antibiotics against pathogenic bacteria in wounds. Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria obtained from wound infections were identified according to standard microbiological methods. Essential oils were analysed by GC-FID-MS. The susceptibility of bacteria to antibiotics, essential oils and their combination was assessed using the disc-diffusion method. The Minimal Inhibitory Concentration and Minimum Bactericidal Concentration of the essential oils were established by the micro-dilution broth method. Although cinnamon, clove, thyme and lavender essential oils were found to have the greatest antibacterial activity when used alone, the greatest additive and synergistic effects against pathogenic wound bacteria in combination with recommended antibiotics were demonstrated by basil, clary sage and rosemary oils.

The biological activities of cinnamon, geranium and lavender essential oils.

Acinetobacter sp. represent an important cause of nosocomial infections. Their resistance to some antibiotics, their ability to survive on inanimate surfaces in the hospital environment and their ability to produce biofilms contributes to their virulence. The aim of the study was to determine the antibacterial properties of cinnamon, lavender and geranium essential oils against bacteria of the genus Acinetobacter isolated from several clinical materials and from the hospital environment. A comprehensive evaluation of the susceptibility of Acinetobacter sp. clinical strains to recommended antibiotics was performed. The constituents of cinnamon, lavender and geranium essential oils were identified by GC-FID-MS analysis, and their Minimal Inhibitory Concentrations (MICs) against tested clinical strains were determined by the micro-dilution broth method. In addition, the effects of essential oils on the viability of human microvascular endothelial cells (HMEC-1) and glioblastoma cell line (T98G) were evaluated. Cinnamon bark oil was the most active against clinical and environmental strains of Acinetobacter baumannii with MIC values ranging from 0.5 to 2.5 µL/mL. The MIC values for geranium oil were between 7.5 and 9.5 µL/mL, and between 10.5 and 13.0 µL/mL for lavender oil. These essential oils can be best employed in the fight against infections caused by bacteria from Acinetobacter genus as components of formulations for hygiene and disinfection of hospital environment.

[The antibacterial activity of cinnamon oil on the selected gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria]. / Przeciwbakteryjne dzialanie olejku cynamonowego na wybrane bakterie gram-dodatnie i gram-ujemne.

INTRODUCTION: The aim of our study was to determine the antibacterial activity of cinnamon bark oil against Gram-positive and Gram-negative isolates belonging to Staphylococcus, Enterococcus, Enterobacter and Acinetobacter genera come from different clinical specimens. METHODS: The microdilution method was used to determine the minimum inhibitory concentration--MIC for cinnamon bark oil. Susceptibility testing to antibiotics was carried out using disc-diffusion method. RESULTS: Our investigations showed that the tested cinnamon bark oil was inhibiting activity against all isolates. The MIC for Gram-positive bacteria were between 01.25 and 1.5 µl/ml and for Gram-negative between 1.0 and 1.75 µl/ml. The tested bacteria come from Staphylococcus, Enterococcus, Enterobacter and Acinetobacter genera were susceptible to essential oil obtained from Cinnamomum zeylanicum Ness in low concentrations, despite the fact that the bacteria characterized the high resistance to recommended antibiotics. No correlation was found between the antibiotic resistance of the bacterial strains and their sensitivity to essential oil. CONCLUSIONS: The cinnamon bark oil due to the strong activity can be used as alternative antibacterial agents in cosmetics, toiletries and disinfectants applied in hospital environment.

The potential of use basil and rosemary essential oils as effective antibacterial agents.

The considerable therapeutical problems of persistent infections caused by multidrug-resistant bacterial strains constitute a continuing need to find effective antimicrobial agents. The aim of this study was to demonstrate the activities of basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) and rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis L.) essential oils against multidrug- resistant clinical strains of Escherichia coli. A detailed analysis was performed of the resistance of the drug to the strains and their sensitivity to the tested oils. The antibacterial activity of the oils was tested against standard strain Escherichia coli ATCC 25922 as well as 60 other clinical strains of Escherichia coli. The clinical strains were obtained from patients with infections of the respiratory tract, abdominal cavity, urinary tract, skin and from hospital equipment. The inhibition of microbial growth by both essential oils, presented as MIC values, were determined by agar dilution. Susceptibility testing to antibiotics was carried out using disc diffusion. The results showed that both tested essential oils are active against all of the clinical strains from Escherichia coli including extended-spectrum ß-lactamase positive bacteria, but basil oil possesses a higher ability to inhibit growth. These studies may hasten the application of essential oils in the treatment and prevention of emergent resistant strains in nosocomial infections.

Recent patents regarding essential oils and the significance of their constituents in human health and treatment.

Essential oils derived from aromatic plants possess useful properties concerning human health, such as antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal activities. They can be used as natural alternatives to synthetic preparations to prevent and treat infectious diseases caused by multidrug resistant microorganisms. They are used successfully to treat respiratory tract, digestive system and skin infections. Many of them may be applied in anticancer therapy, cardiovascular and nervous system disorders, as well as to reduce the level of cholesterol and decrease and regulate the glucose level. Due to their ability to stimulate adrenal and estrogen hormone production and their antimicrobial properties, they are useful in the treatment of gynecological diseases. Oils are commonly used in the food and cosmetic industry. The present paper describes recent patents concerning potential uses of essential oils in human health and treatment of diseases.

The antimicrobial activity of thyme essential oil against multidrug resistant clinical bacterial strains.

AIM: The aim of this work was to investigate the antimicrobial activity of thyme essential oil against clinical multidrug resistant strains of Staphylococcus, Enterococcus, Escherichia, and Pseudomonas genus. MATERIALS: The antibacterial activity of oil was tested against standard strains of bacteria and 120 clinical strains isolated from patients with infections of the oral cavity, abdominal cavity, respiratory and genitourinary tracts, skin, and from the hospital environment. METHODS: Agar diffusion was used to determine the microbial growth inhibition of bacterial growth at various concentrations of oil from Thymus vulgaris. Susceptibility testing to antibiotics was carried out using disk diffusion. RESULTS: Thyme essential oil strongly inhibited the growth of the clinical strains of bacteria tested. CONCLUSIONS: The use of phytopharmaceuticals based on an investigated essential oil from thyme in the prevention and treatment of various human infections may be reasonable.

[Pharmacological effects of flavonoids from Scutellaria baicalensis]. / Dzialanie farmakologiczne flawonoidów z Tarczycy Bajkalskiej.

Scutellaria baicalensis is a plant widely used in Chinese and Japanese herbal medicine. Dry roots of Scutellaria baicalensis are used, especially as alcohol extracts. Flavonoids isolated from Radix Scutellariae have beneficial effects in hepatitis. Flavonoids derived from Scutellaria baicalensis produce antioxidative, antineoplastic, cardiomiocyte-protective activity. They inhibit agregation of platelets, permeability of capillary vessels, have antibacterial and anty-angiogenic effects.

[The influence of anthocyanins from Aronia melanocarpa on selected parameters of oxidative stress and microelements contents in men with hypercholesterolemia]. / Wplyw antocyjanin z aronii czarnoowocowej na wybrane parametry stresu oksydacyjnego i zawartosc mikroelementów u mezczyzn z hipercholesterolemia.

THE AIM OF THE STUDY: Our investigations was to estimate the influence of Aronia anthocyanins (Aronox by Agropharm) on selected parameters of oxidative and antioxidative balance as well as on the concentration of selected metals in red blood cells in men with hipercholesterolaemia. MATERIAL AND METHODS: 16 men aged 27 +/- 6.4 years old with blood cholesterol concentration on the level of 205-250 mg/dl took 240 mg of anthocyanins a day for 30 days. Before and after the period of anthocyanins administration a blood sample was taken and following parameters were estimated: lead, aluminium, cooper and zinc concentration in erythrocytes with the method of atomic emission spectrometry with induced coupling plasma (AES-ICP), concentration of substances reacting with thiobarbituric acid (TBARS) and superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase and catalase activities in hemolysate. CONCLUSION: 30 days long administration of 240 mg of anthocyanins a day, caused a substantial increase of glutathione peroxidase and catalase activities. The lead, aluminium and cooper concentration was decreased while zinc concentration in red blood cells was increased.

[The influence of Aronia Melanocarpa Elliot and acetylcysteine on selected biochemical parameters of experimental animals with chronic lead acetate poisoning]. / Wplyw antocyjanin z aronii czarnoowocowej (Aronia Melanocarpa Elliot) i acetylcysteiny na wybrane parametry biochemiczne u zwierzat narazonych na przewlekle przyjmowanie octanu olowiu.

Lead mostly shows that it accumulates in bones in an insoluble phosphate form. Its toxicity grows with the deficiency of calcium, calciferol, irons and coppers in food. The examination was carried out on 40 female and male Wistar rats weighing 200-250 g. They lived in the animal quarters with a stable temperature and humidity. They were fed with standard fodder (Murigan) and water ad libitum. In the work carried out the effect of anthocyanins of Aronia Melanocarpa Elliot and acetylcysteine on the selected biochemical parameters of experimental animals with chronic lead acetate poisoning were examined. After administration anthocyanins statistically important substantially decreased the concentration of the products of the unsaturated fatty acids oxidation in urine and examined organs. Those anthocyanins also decreased excretion of delta-aminolevulinic acid and 8-hydroxy-2-deoxyguanosine in urine.