Evaluation of the efficacy of Ajuga decumbens extract supplement in individuals with knee discomfort associated with physical activity: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study.

The aim of the present study was to assess the efficacy and safety of the oral administration of Ajuga decumbens extract (ADE) supplement to individuals with knee discomfort associated with physical activity. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study was conducted using 48 subjects. The subjects were randomly allocated to an ADE diet group (oral administration of ADE-containing diet, n=24) or a placebo group (n=24), and the intervention was conducted for 12 weeks. A total of 22 subjects in the placebo group and 22 subjects in the ADE diet group were assessed to be eligible for assessment of the efficacy of supplement. Knee function was assessed by changes in the scores of the Japanese Knee Osteoarthritis Measure (JKOM) questionnaire and the scores of the Japan Orthopedic Association (JOA) criteria, as well as by analyzing the levels of type II collagen synthesis and degradation biomarkers (procollagen II C-terminal propeptide, cross-linked C-telopeptide of type II collagen, collagen type II cleavage and matrix metalloproteinase-13). Outcomes were measured at the baseline and at 4, 8 and 12 weeks from the start of administration. Subscale II (joint flexion/stiffness) of the JOA criteria was markedly improved in the ADE diet group compared with the placebo group at 8 and 12 weeks during the intervention. Furthermore, in the subgroup analyses using subjects with mild knee discomfort, subscale II (pain/stiffness) and IV (general activities) scores of JKOM were significantly improved (P<0.05) and total JKOM score was markedly improved in the ADE diet group compared with the placebo group at week 8 of the intervention. No adverse effects were identified for the administration of ADE. In conclusion, these observations suggest that the administration of an ADE-containing diet is safe and improves joint function (flexion and stiffness) and general activity in subjects with mild knee discomfort. Therefore, ADE could be a promising candidate as a functional food that is beneficial to joint health.

Intake of black-vinegar-mash-garlic enhances salivary release of secretory IgA: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group study.

Several previous studies have provided evidence that suggests the beneficial effects of garlic and black vinegar on human health, including benefits to immune function. The preliminary study indicated that the intake of black-vinegar-mash-garlic-containing food, created from aged garlic pickled in the mash of black vinegar, enhanced the release of secretory immunoglobulin A (sIgA) in the saliva. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of the food in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group trial. The trial was conducted in subjects aged between 30 and 60 years whose rate of salivary sIgA release was moderately low. Subjects consumed 2.49 g of placebo or black-vinegar-mash-garlic-containing food (active food) daily for 8 weeks. The data obtained with 54 eligible subjects (n=28 and 26 for placebo and active, respectively) were analyzed for efficacy. The rates of salivary sIgA release in the active food group (35.9±84.6 and 47.9±123.4 µg/min at weeks 4 and 8 of intake; changes from pretrial value) were higher compared to the respective rates in the placebo food group (-12.3±72.1 and -3.2±85.9 µg/min, P=0.028 and 0.082, respectively). These findings indicate that intake of black-vinegar-mash-garlic-containing food enhanced the intraoral immune response. There was no adverse event associated with the intake of active food.

Synthesis of aryl group-modified DIOP dioxides (Ar-DIOPOs) and their application as modular Lewis base catalysts.

Treatment of an optically pure tartaric acid-derived diiodide and various secondary phosphine oxides with LHMDS provides the corresponding aryl group-modified DIOP dioxides (Ar-DIOPOs). The activities of Ar-DIOPOs as Lewis base catalysts were investigated for several asymmetric transformations using chlorosilane reagents. The p-tolyl-substituted DIOPO (p-tolyl-DIOPO) was most effective for the reductive aldol reaction of chalcone and aldehydes with trichlorosilane, whereas the 2,8-dimethylphenoxaphosphine-derived DIOPO (DMPP-DIOPO) afforded the best enantioselectivity for the phosphonylation of conjugated aldehydes and the chlorinative aldol reaction of an ynone and benzaldehyde.

Lewis base-catalyzed conjugate reduction and reductive aldol reaction of alpha,beta-unsaturated ketones using trichlorosilane.

Lewis bases such as Ph3P=O and HMPA catalyze the 1,4-reduction of alpha,beta-unsaturated ketones with trichlorosilane, and because the 1,2-reduction of aldehydes scarcely proceeded under the conditions, one-pot reductive aldol reactions with aldehydes were successfully achieved; preliminary studies using a chiral Lewis base revealed a high potential for enantioselective catalysis.