Rice bran arabinoxylan compound as a natural product for cancer treatment - an evidence-based assessment of the effects and mechanisms.

CONTEXT: Rice bran arabinoxylan compound (RBAC) is a natural immunomodulator with anticancer properties. OBJECTIVE: This study critically evaluates the available evidence on the biological pathways of RBAC and its effects on cancer treatment. METHODS: This secondary analysis of a scoping review includes studies evaluating the mechanisms of RBAC on healthy or malignant cells, animal models, or humans for cancer prevention or treatment. Data from randomized controlled trials on survival and quality of life outcomes were subjectd to meta analysis. RESULTS: The evidence synthesis was based on 38 articles. RBAC exhibited antitumor properties by promoting apoptosis and restoring immune function in cancer patients to enhance inflammatory and cytotoxic responses to block tumorigenesis. RBAC works synergistically with chemotherapeutic agents by upregulating drug transport. In a clinical trial, combining RBAC with chemoembolization in treating liver cancer showed improved response, reduced recurrence rates, and prolonged survival. RBAC also augments the endogenous antioxidant system to prevent oxidative stress and protect against radiation side effects. In addition, RBAC has chemoprotective effects. Animals and humans have exhibited reduced toxicity and side effects from chemotherapy. Meta analysis indicates that RBAC treatment increases the survival odds by 4.02-times (95% CI: 1.67, 9.69) in the first year and 2.89-times (95% CI: 1.56, 5.35) in the second year. CONCLUSION: RBAC is a natural product with immense potential in cancer treatment. Additional research is needed to characterize, quantify, and standardize the active ingredients in RBAC responsible for the anticancer effects. More well-designed, large-scale clinical trials are required to substantiate the treatment efficacies further.

Edible algae (Ecklonia cava) bioprocessed with mycelia of shiitake (Lentinula edodes) mushrooms in liquid culture and its isolated fractions protect mice against allergic asthma.

BACKGROUND: Ecklonia cava is an edible marine brown alga harvested from the ocean that is widely consumed in Asian countries as a health-promoting medicinal food The objective of the present study is to evaluate the anti-asthma mechanism of a new functional food produced by bioprocessing edible algae Ecklonia cava and shiitake Lentinula edodes mushroom mycelia and isolated fractions. METHODS: We used as series of methods, including high performance liquid chromatography, gas chromatography, cell assays, and an in vivo mouse assay to evaluate the asthma-inhibitory effect of Ecklonia cava bioprocessed (fermented) with Lentinula edodes shiitake mushroom mycelium and its isolated fractions in mast cells and in orally fed mice. RESULTS: The treatments inhibited the degranulation of RBL-2H3 cells and immunoglobulin E (IgE) production, suggesting anti-asthma effects in vitro. The in vitro anti-asthma effects in cells were confirmed in mice following the induction of asthma by alumina and chicken egg ovalbumin (OVA). Oral administration of the bioprocessed Ecklonia cava and purified fractions suppressed the induction of asthma and was accompanied by the inhibition of inflammation- and immune-related substances, including eotaxin; thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP); OVA-specific IgE; leukotriene C4 (LTC4); prostaglandin D2 (PGD2); and vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and other fluids and organs. Th2 cytokines were reduced and Th1 cytokines were restored in serum, suggesting the asthma-induced inhibitory effect is regulated by the balance of the Th1/Th2 immune response. Serum levels of IL-10, a regulatory T cell (Treg) cytokine, were increased, further favoring reduced inflammation. Histology of lung tissues revealed that the treatment also reversed the thickening of the airway wall and the contraction and infiltration of bronchial and blood vessels and perialveolar inflammatory cells. The bioprocessed Ecklonia cava/mushroom mycelia new functional food showed the highest inhibition as compared with commercial algae and the fractions isolated from the bioprocessed product. CONCLUSIONS: The in vitro cell and in vivo mouse assays demonstrate the potential value of the new bioprocessed formulation as an anti-inflammatory and anti-allergic combination of natural compounds against allergic asthma and might also ameliorate allergic manifestations of foods, drugs, and viral infections.

The tertiary structure and domain organization of coagulation factor VIII.

Factor VIII (fVIII) is a serum protein in the coagulation cascade that nucleates the assembly of a membrane-bound protease complex on the surface of activated platelets at the site of a vascular injury. Hemophilia A is caused by a variety of mutations in the factor VIII gene and typically requires replacement therapy with purified protein. We have determined the structure of a fully active, recombinant form of factor VIII (r-fVIII), which consists of a heterodimer of peptides, respectively containing the A1-A2 and A3-C1-C2 domains. The structure permits unambiguous modeling of the relative orientations of the 5 domains of r-fVIII. Comparison of the structures of fVIII, fV, and ceruloplasmin indicates that the location of bound metal ions and of glycosylation, both of which are critical for domain stabilization and association, overlap at some positions but have diverged at others.