Investigation of the Molecular Mechanisms Underlying the Antiatherogenic Actions of Kaempferol in Human THP-1 Macrophages.

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is causing high mortality worldwide (World Health Organization-WHO, 2015). Atherosclerosis, the hardening and narrowing of arteries caused by the accumulation of fatty acids and lipids (cholesterol plaques), is a main reason of stroke, myocardial infarction, and angina. Present therapies for cardiovascular disease basically use statins such as ß-Hydroxy ß-methylglutaryl-CoA, with <70% efficacy and multiple side effects. An in vitro investigation was conducted to evaluate the impact of kaempferol, a natural medication, in an atherosclerotic cell model. We used cytotoxicity assays, Boyden chamber invasion assays, and quantitative PCR. Affymetrix microarrays were used to profile the entire transcriptome of kaempferol-treated cell lines, and Partek Genomic Suite was used to interpret the results. Kaempferol was not cytotoxic to THP-1 macrophages. In comparison to the control, kaempferol reduced monocyte migration mediated by monocyte chemotactic protein 1 (MCP-1) by 80%. The qPCR results showed a 73.7-fold reduction in MCP-1 and a 2.5-fold reduction in intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1) expression in kaempferol-treated cells. In interferon gamma (IFN-γ) without kaempferol and IFN-γ with kaempferol treated cells, we found 295 and 168 differentially expressed genes (DEGs), respectively. According to DEG pathway analysis, kaempferol exhibits anti-atherosclerosis and anti-inflammatory characteristics. Kaempferol is an effective and safe therapy for atherosclerosis.

Antioxidants and bioactivities of free, esterified and insoluble-bound phenolics from berry seed meals.

Phenolic compounds present in the free, soluble ester and insoluble-bound forms of blackberry, black raspberry and blueberry were identified and quantified using high-performance liquid chromatography-diode array detection-electrospray ionisation multistage mass spectrometry. The total phenolics, scavenging activity against hydroxyl and peroxyl radicals, the reducing power and chelating capacity were, in general, in the decreasing order of blackberry>black raspberry>blueberry. Amongst fractions, the order was insoluble-bound>esterified>free. These trends were the same as those found against copper-induced LDL-cholesterol oxidation and supercoiled plasmid DNA strand breakage inhibition induced by both peroxyl and hydroxyl radicals. Extracts were found to contain various levels of phenolic compounds that were specific to each berry seed meal type. Berry seed meals should be considered as a good source of phenolics with potential health benefits. Their full exploitation may be helpful for the food industry and consumers.