Metabolic responses, PPAR-γ and TNF-α gene expression in type2 diabetic rats subsequent vanadyl sulfate treatment.

Vanadyl sulfate (VS), is a component of some food supplements and experimental drugs. This study was carried out to present a novel method for induction of Type 2 diabetes in rats, then for the first time in literature, for evaluating the effect of VS on metabolic parameters and gene expression, simultaneously. 40 male wistar rats were distributed between the four groups, equally. High fat diet and fructose were used for diabetes induction. Diabetic rats treated by two different dose of VS for 12 weeks. Metabolic profiles were evaluated by commercial available kits and gene expression were assayed by real time-PCR. Compared to controls, in non-treated diabetic rats, weight, glucose, triglyceride, total cholesterol, insulin and insulin resistance were increased significantly (p-value <0.05) that indicated induction of type 2 diabetes. Further, the results showed that VS significantly reduced weight, insulin secretion, Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha (TNF-α) genes expression, lipid profiles except HDL that we couldn't find any significant change and increased Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor- gamma (PPAR-γ) gene expression in VS-treated diabetic animals in comparison with the non-treated diabetics. Our study demonstrated that vanadyl supplementation in diabetic rats had advantageous effects on metabolic profiles and related gene expression.

Melatonin as a Promising Agent for Cancer Treatment: Insights into its Effects on the Wnt/beta-catenin Signaling Pathway.

In recent years, substantial advances have been made in cancer treatment modalities. Yet, within the last three decades, neither cancer incidence nor the cancer-induced mortality rate has changed. Available anti-cancer chemotherapeutics possess remarkably restricted effectiveness and often have severe adverse effects. Hence, the identification of novel pharmaceutical agents that do not exhibit these major disadvantages is imperative. Melatonin, an important endogenous molecule synthesized and secreted by the pineal gland, is a promising chemical agent that has been comprehensively assessed over the last decades for its anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties. Melatonin is reportedly a significant inhibitor of cancer initiation, progression, and metastasis. The anti-- cancer potential of melatonin is principally mediated by reversing the up-regulated amounts of different transcription factors, growth factors, inflammatory cytokines, protein kinases, and other oncogenic agents. Also, melatonin often has signifcant inhibitory effects on cancer cell proliferation through either promoting apoptosis or inducing cell cycle arrest. The current review provides an insight into melatonin-induced effects against various human cancers with a particular focus on the regulation of Wnt/ß-catenin signaling pathway.

The nano-micellar curcumin improves International Prostate Symptoms Score (IPSS) in patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia: a randomized clinical trial.

PURPOSE: Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is the main prevalent disorder in men over forty years, usually revealing itself with lower urinary tract symptoms. Despite the existence of different treatments, the incidence of BPH is increasing, so further studies for better management are a necessity. This research was designed to assay the effectiveness of nano-micellar curcumin on biomedical indicators of patients with BPH. METHODS: The present research was a double-blind, randomized, and placebo-controlled trial that enrolled fifty-two patients with BPH between June 2021 and December 2021. Participants were randomized to receive 160 mg/d nano-micellar curcumin (n = 26) or placebo (n = 26) as soft gel during 3 months. Primary end point was changes in International Prostate Symptoms Score (IPSS). Data gathering was occurred using a standard inquiry form and measuring other biomedical parameters based on routine laboratory techniques. To compare the distribution of demographics and covariates, independent t-test and Chi-square were used. RESULTS: Nano-micellar curcumin had significant effect on IPSS (p value: 0.010), low effect on high-sensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) (p value: 0.032), and low to intermediate effect on malondialdehyde (MDA) (p value: 0.014) level as secondary end points after the intervention. The effect of nano-micellar curcumin on other parameters was negligible. CONCLUSION: Overall, this trial indicated 3-month intake of nano-micellar curcumin had considerable effects on IPSS as the most common clinical symptom and also two biomedical parameters including serum hs-CRP and MDA. TRIAL REGISTRATION: http://www.irct.ir : IRCT20170430033730N3.

Epigenetic roles of PIWI proteins and piRNAs in colorectal cancer.

Small non-coding RNAs (sncRNAs) are a subgroup of non-coding RNAs, with less than 200 nucleotides length and no potential for coding proteins. PiRNAs, a member of sncRNAs, were first discovered more than a decade ago and have attracted researcher's attention because of their gene regulatory function both in the nucleus and in the cytoplasm. Recent investigations have found that the abnormal expression of these sncRNAs is involved in many human diseases, including cancers. Colorectal cancer (CRC), as a common gastrointestinal malignancy, is one of the important causes of cancer-related deaths through the entire world and appears to be a consequence of mutation in the genome and epigenetic alterations. The aim of this review is to realize whether there is a relationship between CRC and piRNAs or not.

Effects of propolis supplementation on glycemic status, lipid profiles, inflammation and oxidative stress, liver enzymes, and body weight: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled clinical trials.

The aim of meta-analysis was to assess the effects of propolis on markers of oxidative stress, lipid profiles, inflammation and glycemic control, liver enzymes, and weight control. The heterogeneity between the included studies was indicated using the Cochrane's Q test and I-square (I2) statistic. 14 trials were included in this meta-analysis. Our meta-analysis indicated a significant reduction in fating glucose (WMD: -17.00; 95% CI: -30.88, -3.11), HbA1C (WMD: -0.42; 95% CI: -0.75, -0.10), and insulin (WMD: -1.75; 95% CI: -3.24, -0.26) and a marginally significant reduction in insulin resistance (WMD: -0.60; 95% CI: -1.20, 0.00) following propolis supplementation in 10, 8, 6, and 5 studies, respectively. Pooling 5 effect sizes, a significant reduction was seen in ALT (WMD: -5.63; 95% CI: -10.59, -0.67) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) (WMD: -3.09; 95% CI: -5.15, -1.03) following propolis. A significant beneficial effect was observed for CRP (WMD: -1.11; 95% CI: -1.92, -0.29), TNF-α (WMD: -6.71; 95% CI: -9.44, -3.98) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) (WMD: -17.99; 95% CI: -35.56, -0.42) concentrations after propolis supplementation. This study demonstrated the beneficial effects of propolis on FPG, HbA1c, insulin, CRP, TNF-α and liver enzymes levels. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40200-020-00696-w.

Effects of Nigella sativa on glycemic control, lipid profiles, and biomarkers of inflammatory and oxidative stress: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled clinical trials.

The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to evaluate the effects of Nigella sativa (N. sativa) on glycemic control, lipid profiles, and biomarkers of inflammatory and oxidative stress. Two independent authors systematically examined online databases consisting of, EMBASE, Scopus, PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science from inception until October 30, 2019. Cochrane Collaboration risk of bias tool was applied to assess the methodological quality of the studied trials. The heterogeneity among the included studies were assessed using the Cochrane's Q test and I-square (I2 ) statistic. Data were pooled using a random-effects model and weighted mean difference (WMD) was considered as the overall effect size. A total of 50 trials were included in this meta-analysis. We found a significant reduction in total cholesterol (WMD: -16.80; 95% CI: -21.04, -12.55), triglycerides (WMD: -15.73; 95% CI: -20.77, -10.69), LDL-cholesterol (WMD: -18.45; 95% CI: -22.44, -14.94) and VLDL-cholesterol (WMD: -3.72; 95% CI: -7.27, -0.18) following supplementation with N. sativa. In addition, there was significant reductive effect observed with N. sativa on fasting glucose (WMD: -15.18; 95% CI: -19.82, -10.55) and HbA1C levels (WMD: -0.45; 95% CI: -0.66, -0.23). Effects of N. sativa on CRP (WMD: -3.61; 95% CI: -9.23, 2.01), TNF-α (WMD: -1.18; 95% CI: -3.23, 0.86), TAC (WMD: 0.31; 95% CI: 0.00, 0.63), and MDA levels (WMD: -0.95; 95% CI: -2.18, 0.27) were insignificant. This meta-analysis demonstrated the beneficial effects of N. sativa on fasting glucose, HbA1c, triglycerides, total-, VLDL-, LDL-cholesterol levels.

PIWI-interacting RNAs: new biomarkers for diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer.

Cancer is one of the most important reasons of mortality in the world. However, there are several therapeutic platforms to treat patients who suffering from cancer common treatments such as surgery, chemotherapy and etc. The current therapeutic approaches are related to some limitations. Hence, more understanding about molecular mechanisms that involved in cancer particularly in breast cancer pathogenesis, could contribute to provide better therapeutic platforms. Recently, non-coding RNAs such as microRNAs have attracted researchers' attention in the field of cancer due to their functions in gene expression's regulation and functional interactions with other molecules. Interestingly, great advances in next-generation sequencing lead to considering other roles for another non-coding RNAs subgroup called PIWI-interacting RNAs (piRNAs) in addition to their functions in the germline. Novel studies investigated the role of piRNAs in several cancers including lung cancer, hepatocellular carcinoma, gastric cancer, multiple myeloma and colorectal cancer. Hopefully, based on new findings, piRNAs may be a potential biomarker which can be used as a tool to diagnose or treat breast cancer. Thus, this review aimed to discuss the role of piRNAs in breast cancer progression and metastasis as well as its molecular mechanisms.

The potential role of chitosan-based nanoparticles as drug delivery systems in pancreatic cancer.

Pancreatic cancer (PC) is one of the most lethal cancers and 12th most common cancer in the world. Due to the inaccessible anatomical position of the pancreas and asymptomatic early stages of this disease, PC has a high mortality rate. Therefore, providing reliable diagnostic and therapeutic tools are the keys to increase the PC survival rate. Nanotechnology is an inchoate field of science that previously scientists' tendency to enhance the efficacy of current preventive, diagnostic, and therapeutic methods has oriented them to build a bridge between this science and medicine. In the case of PC, nanotechnology suggests using drug delivery devices for a more effective and targeted therapy. Chitosan is a natural polymer that recently has attracted a lot of attention for being renewable, nontoxic, and bioabsorbable. In this article, we tend to look for the answer to this question: has nanotechnology been successful in using chitosan-based nanoformulations as carriers for preventing more individuals from suffering or at least increasing the 5-year survival of the PC patients?

Effects of resistant starch on glycemic control, serum lipoproteins and systemic inflammation in patients with metabolic syndrome and related disorders: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled clinical trials.

The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to evaluate the effects of resistant starch (RS) on glycemic status, serum lipoproteins and inflammatory markers in patients with metabolic syndrome (MetS) and related disorders. Two independent authors systematically searched online database including EMBASE, Scopus, PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science from inception until 30 April 2019. Cochrane Collaboration risk of bias tool was applied to assess the methodological quality of included trials. The heterogeneity among the included studies was assessed using Cochrane's Q test and I-square (I2) statistic. Data were pooled using a random-effects model and weighted mean difference (WMD) was considered as the overall effect size. Nineteen trials were included in this meta-analysis. Administration of RS resulted in significant reduction in fasting plasma glucose (FPG) (14 studies) (WMD: -4.28; 95% CI: -7.01, -1.55), insulin (12 studies) (WMD: -1.95; 95% CI: -3.22, -0.68), and HbA1C (8 studies) (WMD: -0.60; 95% CI: -0.95, -0.24). When pooling data from 13 studies, a significant reduction in total cholesterol levels (WMD: -8.19; 95% CI: -15.38, -1.00) and LDL-cholesterol (WMD: -8.57; 95% CI: -13.48, -3.66) were found as well. Finally, RS administration was associated with a significant decrease in tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) (WMD: -2.02; 95% CI: -3.14, -0.90). This meta-analysis showed beneficial effects of RS on improving FPG, insulin, HbA1c, total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol and TNF-α levels in patients with MetS and related disorders, but it did not affect HOMA-IR, triglycerides, HDL-cholesterol, CRP and IL-6 levels.

Circular RNAs: A novel biomarker for cervical cancer.

Besides messenger RNAs, recent RNA-Seq and biochemical analysis showed another type of RNAs as a product of splicing which is named circular RNA (circRNA). Evidence demonstrated that circRNAs are abundant in the cells and are able to show cell/tissue-specific expression or tissue developmental stage which suggest that circRNAs may have regulatory potentials. In recent years, researchers have focused attention on circRNAs because of their key functions in various cellular mechanisms. CircRNAs also have the potential to be as promising biomarkers for diagnosis of various diseases such as cancer. Growing up evidence has shown the various roles of circRNAs in multiple cancers. In recent years, cervical cancer as one of the main causes of cancer death in women has been interesting for molecular research. CircRNAs are one of the novel objects which have recently been evaluated in this cancer. The improvement in our knowledge of the roles of circRNAs in cervical cancer may lead to new transcription therapeutic approaches to cervical cancer inhibition. Therefore, the purpose of this review is to review many studies which examined the role of circRNAs in cervical cancer carcinogenesis and progression up till date and to summarize possible mechanisms of action of circRNAs in cervical neoplasm.

Effects of Probiotic Supplementation on Hormonal Profiles, Biomarkers of Inflammation and Oxidative Stress in Women With Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND: To the best of our knowledge, data on effects of probiotic administration on hormonal profiles, biomarkers of inflammation and oxidative stress in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) are scarce. This investigation was conducted to assess the effects of probiotic supplementation on hormonal profiles, biomarkers of inflammation and oxidative stress in women with PCOS. METHODS: This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial was conducted on 60 women with PCOS, aged 18-40 years old. Subjects were randomly assigned into 2 groups to receive either probiotics or placebo (n = 30 each group) for 12 weeks. Metabolic profiles were quantified at baseline and after a 12-week intervention. RESULTS: After the 12-week intervention, compared with placebo, probiotic supplementation significantly increased serum sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) (+25.9 ± 32.5 vs. +0.5 ± 15.6 nmol/L, P < 0.001) and plasma total antioxidant capacity (TAC) (+8.8 ± 120.5 vs. -98.3 ± 246.4 mmol/L, P = 0.04), and significantly decreased serum total testosterone (-0.2 ± 0.7 vs. +0.2 ± 0.6 ng/mL, P = 0.03), modified Ferriman-Gallwey (mF-G) scores (-1.7 ± 1.5 vs. -0.2 ± 1.0, P < 0.001), serum high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) (-1150.0 ± 1295.2 vs. +202.5 ± 1426.3 ng/mL, P < 0.001) and plasma malondialdehyde (MDA) concentrations (-0.2 ± 0.6 vs. +0.9 ± 1.3 µmol/L, P < 0.001). We did not observe any detrimental effect of probiotic supplementation on other metabolic profiles. CONCLUSION: Overall, probiotic supplementation of PCOS women for 12 weeks had beneficial effects on total testosterone, SHBG, mFG scores, hs-CRP, TAC and MDA levels but did not affect other metabolic profiles.

To estimate effective antiamyloidogenic property of melatonin and fisetin and their actions to destabilize amyloid fibrils.

Aggregating of amylin as pancreatic deposition is connected with pancreas degeneration in type 2 diabetes mellitus. Suppression of the amylin accumulation and so instability of the pre-formed pancreatic ß-amyloid, may be attractive curative goal for mediation of diabetes mellitus. Fluorimetric assay by Thioflavin-T was utilized for investigating the properties of melatonin and fisetin on the generation and instability of ß-amyloid near to physiological conditions. The results showed that after 168 hours incubation by shaker incubator in 37oC, melatonin at 10µM and 40 µM repressed amylin amyloid formation by 20.1% and 27.5% respectively (p<0.05) and the similar values of fisetin inhibited the formation of ß-sheet structure by 16.5% and 23.2% respectively (p<0.05).The obtained data also confirmed that amyloidal sheet opening was induced by melatonin and fisetin significantly (p<0.05). It may be concluded that islet amyloid cytotoxicity to ß-cells may be reduced by melatonin and fisetin, and they should be important constituents of new drugs for diabetes mellitus treatment.

Metabolic Response to Omega-3 Fatty Acids and Vitamin E Co-Supplementation in Patients with Fibrocystic Breast Disease: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND: There is scarce data on the effects of omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin E co-supplementation on metabolic status in patients with fibrocystic breast disease (FBD). The current study was carried out to determine the effects of omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin E co-supplementation on metabolic status in patients with FBD. METHODS: A randomized clinical trial was conducted on 56 patients with FBD. Participants were randomly divided into two groups to receive either 1000 mg omega-3 fatty acids plus 400 mg vitamin E (n = 28) or placebo (n = 28) for 12 weeks. Fasting blood samples were taken at the beginning of the study and after 12 weeks of intervention to determine inflammatory factors, biomarkers of oxidative stress, and metabolic profiles. RESULTS: After 12 weeks of intervention, changes in serum high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (-2171.4 ± 3189.1 vs. +696.9 ± 2774.8 ng/mL, P = 0.001) and plasma nitric oxide (+1.8 ± 4.0 vs. -0.1 ± 2.4 µmol/L, P = 0.04) in supplemented women were significantly different from those in the placebo group. In addition, compared to the placebo group, subjects who consumed omega-3 fatty acids plus vitamin E supplements had significantly decreased serum insulin concentrations (-3.2 ± 6.5 vs. -0.2 ± 1.7 µIU/mL, P = 0.01), the homeostasis model of assessment-estimated insulin resistance (-0.8 ± 1.7 vs. -0.02 ± 0.4, P = 0.03), serum triglycerides levels (-11.5 ± 47.3 vs. +10.6 ± 24.3 mg/dL, P = 0.03) and VLDL-cholesterol (-2.3 ± 9.5 vs. +2.1 ± 4.9 mg/dL, P = 0.03), as well as increased quantitative insulin sensitivity check index (+0.01 ± 0.01 vs. +0.001 ± 0.007, P = 0.001) and HDL-cholesterol (+3.4 ± 6.0 vs. -1.3 ± 4.3 mg/dL, P = 0.001). CONCLUSION: Overall, omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin E co-supplementation for 12 weeks had beneficial effects on inflammatory markers and metabolic profiles in patients with FBD.

Effects of Omega-3 Fatty Acid Supplementation on Inflammatory Cytokines and Advanced Glycation End Products in Patients With Diabetic Nephropathy: a Randomized Controlled Trial.

INTRODUCTION: This study was performed to evaluate the effects of omega-3 fatty acid supplementation on inflammatory cytokines and advanced glycation end products (AGEs) in patients with diabetic nephropathy (DN). MATERIALS AND METHODS: This randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial was done on 60 patients with DN who were randomly divided into 2 groups to receive either 1000 mg/d of omega-3 fatty acid from flaxseed oil (n = 30) or placebo (n = 30) for 12 weeks. The primary outcome variables were tumor necrosis factor-α, receptor tumor necrosis factor-α and growth differentiation factor 15. Fasting blood samples were taken at the onset and the end of the study to quantify the related markers. RESULTS: Compared with the placebo, omega-3 fatty acid supplementation resulted in a significant decrease in serum AGEs (-2.3 ± 2.8 AU versus 0.2 ± 2.5 AU, P = .001). Despite a significant reduction in serum level of receptor for AGEs (-0.1 ± 0.3 AU, P = .02) in the omega-3 fatty acid group, no significant difference was found between the two groups in terms of their effects on the receptor for AGEs. Supplementation with omega-3 fatty acid had no significant effect on the inflammatory cytokines as compared with the placebo. CONCLUSIONS: Our study demonstrated that omega-3 fatty acid supplementation among DN patients had favorable effects on AGEs and the receptor for AGEs.

The effects of coenzyme Q10 supplementation on cardiometabolic markers in overweight type 2 diabetic patients with stable myocardial infarction: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Limited data are present that have assessed the effects of coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) intake on cardiometabolic markers in type 2 diabetic patients with coronary heart disease (CHD). This study was done to determine the effects of CoQ10 administration on cardiometabolic markers in overweight diabetic patients with stable myocardial infarction. METHODS: This randomized double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial was done among 60 diabetic patients with CHD aged 45-75 years old. Subjects were randomly allocated into two groups to receive either 100 mg/day CoQ10 supplements (n = 30) or placebo (n = 30) for 8 weeks. RESULTS: Compared with the placebo, CoQ10 intake led to a significant reduction in serum interleukin 6 (IL-6) (-1.7 ± 1.6 vs. 0.8 ± 1.7 ng/l, P < 0.001) and protein carbonyl (PCO) levels (-0.2 ± 0.3 vs. 0.1 ± 0.2 nmol/mg protein, P < 0.001). Supplementation with CoQ10 did not affect serum lipoprotein(a), advanced glycation end-products and thiol concentrations compared with the placebo. CONCLUSION: Overall, this study indicated that CoQ10 intake after 8 weeks among diabetic patients with the stable CHD had beneficial effects on serum IL-6 and PCO levels, but did not alter other cardiometabolic markers.

Effect of curcumin on diabetic peripheral neuropathic pain: possible involvement of opioid system.

Neuropathic pain is one of the most common complications of diabetes mellitus. As efficacy and tolerability of current therapy for neuropathic pain are not ideal, we need to develop the novel drug for better treatment. Curcumin as a natural flavonoid from Curcuma longa has considerable effects on nervous system such as, antidepressant, antinociceptive and neuroprotective effects. The present study was designed to investigate the effect of curcumin on diabetic peripheral neuropathic pain and possible involvement of opioid system. A single dose of 60mg/kg streptozotocin was injected intraperitoneally to induce diabetes in rats. STZ-induced diabetic rats were treated with curcumin (50mg/kg/day) acute and chronically. Thermal hyperalgesia and mechanical allodynia were measured on the days 0, 7, 14 and 21 after diabetes induction as behavioral scores of neuropathic pain. Chronic, but not acute, treatment with curcumin prevents the weight loss and attenuates mechanical allodynia in STZ-induced diabetic rats. Pretreatment with naloxone (1mg/kg) significantly reduced anti-allodynic effect of chronic curcumin in von Frey filament test. Our results suggest that curcumin can be considered as a new therapeutic potential for the treatment of diabetic neuropathic pain and the activation of opioid system may be involved in the antinociceptive effect of curcumin.

Phylogenetic and biochemical characterization of a new halo-thermotolerant, biofilm-forming Bacillus from Saline Lake of Iran.

In this study, five halotolerant Bacillus isolates from Aran-Bidgol Saline Lake in Iran were identified from saline environments. Screening of the bacteria led to the identification of a unique halo-thermotolerant Bacillus. On the basis of genetic and phenotypic data, this isolate was closely related to Bacillus licheniformis. But isolated Bacillus can be distinguished from B. licheniformis by salt tolerance, 16S rDNA sequence and some different physicochemical properties. Thus, suggested that the isolate was not the known Bacillus. Optical density analysis indicated strong biofilm formation for this strain. Also this isolate exhibited average tolerance to 1-25 mM concentrations of zinc and was sensitive to all concentrations of nickel. In biosurfactant production assay, this Bacillus exhibited the high activity for semi-quantitative oil displacement test (3.14 +/- 0.02 cm2) and evaluated positive for drop-collapse test and hemolytic activity. Moreover, amylase, protease and DNase enzymes produced in presence of 10-20% salt of medium. Therefore, identified Bacillus could supply potential microbial materials for bioremediation purposes and biotechnological applications.

Iranian medicinal plants for diabetes mellitus: a systematic review.

In the Iranian traditional medicine a significant usage of herbs is promoted for their anti-diabetic activity. The aim of this review to assess the efficacy of glucose lowering effects of medicinal plants cultivated in Iran. An electronic literature search of MEDLINE, Science Direct, EMBASE, Scopus, Web of Science, Cochrane Library Database, Ebsco and Google Scholar from database inception conducted up to May 2012. A total of 85 studies (18 humans and 67 animals) examining 62 plants were reviewed. The quality of Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs) assessed by using the Jadad scale. Among the RCTs studies, the best results in glycemic control was found in Aloe vera, Citrullus colocynthus, Plantago ovata, Silybum marianum, Rheum ribes and Urtica dioica. The majority of plants that have been studied for antidiabetic activity showed promising results. However, efficacy and safety of the most plants used in the treatment of diabetes are not sufficient.

Evaluation of aluminium, manganese, copper and selenium effects on human islets amyloid polypeptide hormone aggregation.

Islet amyloid formation causes destruction of insulin-producing beta-cells of the pancreas. The subsequent lack of insulin leads to increased blood and urine glucose. In this research, the fluorimetric assay was used to examine the effects of aluminium and some nutritionally essential trace elements including, manganese, copper and selenium on amyloid formation of human peptide of amylin under near-physiological circumstances. Results obtained from in vitro study showed that after 120 h incubation by shaker incubator in 37 degrees C, copper and selenium at 8 microM inhibited amylin 8 microM from amyloid fibril formation by 22.1 and 11.3%, respectively (p<0.05) while the similar values of either aluminium and manganese promoted the formation of beta-pleated sheet structure by 19.3 and 13.2% respectively (p<0.05). If islet amyloid is cytotoxic to beta-cells then copper and selenium may be able to protect these cells against degeneration in diabetic patients especially in type 2 diabetes mellitus.