Renal interstitial fibrotic assessment using non-Gaussian diffusion kurtosis imaging in a rat model of hyperuricemia.

BACKGROUND: To investigate the feasibility of Diffusion Kurtosis Imaging (DKI) in assessing renal interstitial fibrosis induced by hyperuricemia. METHODS: A hyperuricemia rat model was established, and the rats were randomly split into the hyperuricemia (HUA), allopurinol (AP), and AP + empagliflozin (AP + EM) groups (n = 19 per group). Also, the normal rats were selected as controls (CON, n = 19). DKI was performed before treatment (baseline) and on days 1, 3, 5, 7, and 9 days after treatment. The DKI indicators, including mean kurtosis (MK), fractional anisotropy (FA), and mean diffusivity (MD) of the cortex (CO), outer stripe of the outer medulla (OS), and inner stripe of the outer medulla (IS) were acquired. Additionally, hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining, Masson trichrome staining, and nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) immunostaining were used to reveal renal histopathological changes at baseline, 1, 5, and 9 days after treatment. RESULTS: The HUA, AP, and AP + EM group MKOS and MKIS values gradually increased during this study. The HUA group exhibited the highest MK value in outer medulla. Except for the CON group, all the groups showed a decreasing trend in the FA and MD values of outer medulla. The HUA group exhibited the lowest FA and MD values. The MKOS and MKIS values were positively correlated with Masson's trichrome staining results (r = 0.687, P < 0.001 and r = 0.604, P = 0.001, respectively). The MDOS and FAIS were negatively correlated with Masson's trichrome staining (r = -626, P < 0.0014 and r = -0.468, P = 0.01, respectively). CONCLUSION: DKI may be a non-invasive method for monitoring renal interstitial fibrosis induced by hyperuricemia.

Using intravoxel incoherent motion imaging to evaluate uric acid-induced renal injury and efficacy after treatment.

OBJECTIVES: To validate the feasibility of intravoxel incoherent motion imaging (IVIM) for monitoring renal injury and uric acid-lowering efficacy in a rat model of hyperuricaemia. METHODS: A total of 92 rats were analysed and categorized into 4 groups: control (CON), hyperuricaemia (HUA), allopurinol intervention (ALL), and combined intervention (COM). Eight rats were randomly selected from each group and underwent IVIM scanning on days 0, 1, 3, 5, 7, and 9. Quantitative magnetic resonance values (D, D*, and f values) measured from the different renal anatomical regions. Quantitative histopathological analysis was performed to assess renal tubular injury using neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL), and renal fibrosis using alpha-smooth-muscle-actin (α-SMA). Pearson's correlation analysis was used to determine the correlation between IVIM-derived parameters and the expression of NGAL and α-SMA. RESULTS: The D values of the HUA, ALL, and COM groups generally showed a downward trend over time, and this fluctuation was most significant in the HUA group. The D values showed significant intergroup differences at each point, whereas only a few discrepancies were found in the D* and f values. In addition, the renal D value was negatively correlated with the positive staining rates for NGAL and α-SMA (P < .05), except for the lack of correlation between Dos and α-SMA (P > .05). CONCLUSION: IVIM could be a noninvasive and potential assessment modality for the evaluation of renal injury induced by hyperuricaemia and its prognostic efficacy. ADVANCES IN KNOWLEDGE: IVIM could be a surrogate manner in monitoring renal damage induced by hyperuricaemia and its treatment evaluation.

Antioxidant Activities, Phenolic Compounds, and Sensory Acceptability of Kombucha-Fermented Beverages from Bamboo Leaf and Mulberry Leaf.

Kombucha is traditional drink made from the fermentation of a black tea infusion, and is believed to offer a variety of health benefits. Recently, exploring kombucha made from alternative substrates has become a research hotspot. In this paper, two novel kombucha beverages were produced with bamboo leaf or mulberry leaf for the first time. Moreover, the effects of fermentation with leaf residues (infusion plus residues) or without leaf residues (only infusion) on the antioxidant properties of kombucha were compared. The ferric-reducing antioxidant power assay, Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity assay, Folin-Ciocalteu method, and high-performance liquid chromatography were utilized to measure the antioxidant capacities, total phenolic contents, as well as some compound concentrations of the kombucha. The results showed that two types of kombucha had high antioxidant capacities. Moreover, kombucha fermented with bamboo leaf residues (infusion plus residues) significantly enhanced its antioxidant capabilities (maximum increase 83.6%), total phenolic content (maximum increase 99.2%), concentrations of some compounds (luteolin-6-C-glucoside and isovitexin), and sensory acceptability, compared to that without residues (only infusion). In addition, fermentation with leaf residues had no significant effect on mulberry leaf kombucha. Overall, the bamboo leaf was more suitable for making kombucha with residues, while the mulberry leaf kombucha was suitable for fermentation with or without residues.

Effects and mechanisms of tea on obesity.

Obesity has become a global health concern. It increases the risk of several diseases, such as type 2 diabetes mellitus, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, and certain cancers, which threatens human health and increases social economic burden. As one of the most consumed beverages, tea contains various phytochemicals with potent bioactive properties and health-promoting effects, such as antioxidant, immune-regulation, cardiovascular protection and anticancer. Tea and its components are also considered as potential candidates for anti-obesity. Epidemiological studies indicate that regular consumption of tea is beneficial for reducing body fat. In addition, the experimental studies demonstrate that the potential anti-obesity mechanisms of tea are mainly involved in increasing energy expenditure and lipid catabolism, decreasing nutrient digestion and absorption as well as lipid synthesis, and regulating adipocytes, neuroendocrine system and gut microbiota. Moreover, most of clinical studies illustrate that the intake of green tea could reduce body weight and alleviate the obesity. In this review, we focus on the effect of tea and its components on obesity from epidemiological, experimental, and clinical studies, and discuss their potential mechanisms.

Dietary sources, health benefits, and risks of caffeine.

Dietary intake of caffeine has significantly increased in recent years, and beneficial and harmful effects of caffeine have been extensively studied. This paper reviews antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities of caffeine as well as its protective effects on cardiovascular diseases, obesity, diabetes mellitus, cancers, and neurodegenerative and liver diseases. In addition, we summarize the side effects of long-term or excessive caffeine consumption on sleep, migraine, intraocular pressure, pregnant women, children, and adolescents. The health benefits of caffeine depend on the amount of caffeine intake and the physical condition of consumers. Moderate intake of caffeine helps to prevent and modulate several diseases. However, the long-term or over-consumption of caffeine can lead to addiction, insomnia, migraine, and other side effects. In addition, children, adolescents, pregnant women, and people who are sensitive to caffeine should be recommended to restrict/reduce their intake to avoid potential adverse effects.

Possible Effects and Mechanisms of Dietary Natural Products and Nutrients on Depression and Anxiety: A Narrative Review.

Depression and anxiety are severe public health problems and have attracted more and more attention from researchers of food science and nutrition. Dietary natural products and nutrients, such as fish, coffee, tea, n-3 PUFA, lycopene, and dietary fiber, could play a vital role in the prevention and management of these diseases. The potential mechanisms of action mainly include inhibiting inflammation, ameliorating oxidative stress, modulating the microbiota-gut-brain axis, suppressing hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis hyperactivity, and regulating the levels of monoamine neurotransmitters. In this narrative review, we summarize the most recent advancements regarding the effects of dietary natural products and nutrients on depression and anxiety, and their underlying mechanisms are discussed. We hope that this paper can provide a better understanding of the anti-depressive and anxiolytic action of dietary natural products, and that it is also helpful for developing dietary natural products for functional food, dietary supplements, or auxiliary agents for the prevention and management of these diseases.

Preventive Effects of Different Black and Dark Teas on Obesity and Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease and Modulate Gut Microbiota in High-Fat Diet Fed Mice.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has emerged as a leading public health challenge and is closely associated with metabolic syndromes, such as obesity. Intestinal microbiota dysbiosis could play a vital role in the pathogenesis and progression of NAFLD. Tea is the second most popular health drink in the world behind water, and exhibits many health-promoting effects. In this study, the protective effects of different black and dark teas on NAFLD induced by long-term high-fat diet (HFD) exposure and their regulation of gut microbiota were evaluated and explored. The results indicated that supplementation with different black and dark tea extracts could significantly suppress the energy intake, alleviate abnormal accumulation of visceral fat, and prevent obesity, hepatic abnormal lipid deposition and liver steatosis in HFD-fed mice at varying degrees. In addition, Dianhong tea and Liupao tea interventions could significantly decrease the ratio of Firmicutes to Bacteroidetes, and selenium-enriched black tea and selenium-enriched dark rea supplementation could remarkably reduce the relative abundance of Actinobacteria compared to the model group. Moreover, these teas could partly shift the relative abundances of Allobaculum, Roseburia and Dubosiella. Taken together, black teas and dark teas could prevent HFD-induced features of obesity and NAFLD, which might partly be due to the modulation of gut microbiota.

Bioactive Compounds, Health Benefits and Food Applications of Grape.

Grape (Vitis vinifera L.) is one of the most popular fruits worldwide. It contains various bioactive compounds, such as proanthocyanidins, anthocyanins, flavonols, phenolic acids and stilbenes, the contents of which could vary considerably in grape skin, pulp and seed. Many studies have revealed that grape possesses a variety of health benefits, such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, gut-microbiota-modulating, anticancer and cardioprotective effects. Grape is eaten as fresh fruit and is also used as raw material to produce various products, such as wine, grape juice and raisins. Moreover, the byproducts of grape, such as grape pomace and grape seed, have many applications in the food industry. In this paper, the bioactive compounds in grape are briefly summarized based on literature published in recent years. In addition, the health benefits of grape and its bioactive components are discussed, with special attention paid to the underlying mechanisms. Furthermore, the applications of grape in the food industry are elucidated, especially the applications of grape pomace and grape seed. This paper can contribute to understanding the health benefits and mechanisms of grape and its bioactive compounds, as well as the promotion of the use of grape in the food industry.

Health Benefits and Side Effects of Short-Chain Fatty Acids.

The gut microbiota and their metabolites could play an important role in health and diseases of human beings. Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) are mainly produced by gut microbiome fermentation of dietary fiber and could also be produced by bacteria of the skin and vagina. Acetate, propionate, and butyrate are three major SCFAs, and their bioactivities have been widely studied. The SCFAs have many health benefits, such as anti-inflammatory, immunoregulatory, anti-obesity, anti-diabetes, anticancer, cardiovascular protective, hepatoprotective, and neuroprotective activities. This paper summarizes health benefits and side effects of SCFAs with a special attention paid to the mechanisms of action. This paper provides better support for people eating dietary fiber as well as ways for dietary fiber to be developed into functional food to prevent diseases.

Precise Control of Selenium Functionalization in Non-Fullerene Acceptors Enabling High-Efficiency Organic Solar Cells.

Central π-core engineering of non-fullerene small molecule acceptors (NF-SMAs) is effective in boosting the performance of organic solar cells (OSCs). Especially, selenium (Se) functionalization of NF-SMAs is considered a promising strategy but the structure-performance relationship remains unclear. Here, we synthesize two isomeric alkylphenyl-substituted selenopheno[3,2-b]thiophene-based NF-SMAs named mPh4F-TS and mPh4F-ST with different substitution positions, and contrast them with the thieno[3,2-b]thiophene-based analogue, mPh4F-TT. When placing Se atoms at the outer positions of the π-core, mPh4F-TS shows the most red-shifted absorption and compact molecular stacking. The PM6 : mPh4F-TS devices exhibit excellent absorption, high charge carrier mobility, and reduced energy loss. Consequently, PM6 : mPh4F-TS achieves more balanced photovoltaic parameters and yields an efficiency of 18.05 %, which highlights that precisely manipulating selenium functionalization is a practicable way toward high-efficiency OSCs.

Effects of Different Green Teas on Obesity and Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease Induced by a High-Fat Diet in Mice.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and obesity are serious public health problems. Green tea is widely consumed in the world and different green teas could possess different bioactivities. In this study, the effects of 10 selected green teas on obesity and NAFLD were evaluated and compared. The mice fed with a high-fat diet were intervened with green tea extract (200 mg/kg body weight) for 15 weeks. Most of these teas were first evaluated for their effects on obesity and NAFLD. The results showed that Selenium-Enriched Chaoqing Green Tea and Jieyang Chaoqing Tea showed the most prominent inhibition of obesity and body weight gains of mice in these two tea intervention groups and model groups were 5.3, 5.5, and 13.7 g, respectively. In addition, Jieyang Chaoqing Tea, Taiping Houkui Tea, and Selenium-Enriched Chaoqing Green Tea exerted the most notable effect on NAFLD, which was attributed to decreasing body weight, and lipid content and ameliorating oxidative stress. Furthermore, 13 phytochemicals were determined in these teas by high-performance liquid chromatography and the correlation analysis found that epigallocatechin gallate, gallocatechin, and epigallocatechin might contribute to the decrease of hepatic weight, while epicatechin might reduce oxidative stress. In general, several green teas could prevent the development of obesity and NAFLD and could be developed into functional foods. This study was also helpful for the public to select appropriate tea to prevent obesity and NAFLD.

Anticancer Effects and Mechanisms of Berberine from Medicinal Herbs: An Update Review.

Cancer has been a serious public health problem. Berberine is a famous natural compound from medicinal herbs and shows many bioactivities, such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, anti-obesity, and antimicrobial activities. In addition, berberine shows anticancer effects on a variety of cancers, such as breast, lung, gastric, liver, colorectal, ovarian, cervical, and prostate cancers. The underlying mechanisms of action include inhibiting cancer cell proliferation, suppressing metastasis, inducing apoptosis, activating autophagy, regulating gut microbiota, and improving the effects of anticancer drugs. This paper summarizes effectiveness and mechanisms of berberine on different cancers and highlights the mechanisms of action. In addition, the nanotechnologies to improve bioavailability of berberine are included. Moreover, the side effects of berberine are also discussed. This paper is helpful for the prevention and treatment of cancers using berberine.

Effects and mechanisms of resveratrol for prevention and management of cancers: An updated review.

Cancer is a severe public health problem. Resveratrol is a famous natural compound that has various bioactivities, such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic and antiaging activities. Especially, resveratrol could prevent and treat various cancers, such as oral, thyroid, breast, lung, liver, pancreatic, gastric, colorectal, bladder, prostate and ovarian cancers. The underlying mechanisms have been widely studied, such as inhibiting cell proliferation, suppressing metastasis, inducing apoptosis, stimulating autophagy, modulating immune system, attenuating inflammation, regulating gut microbiota and enhancing effects of other anticancer drugs. In this review, we summarize effects and mechanisms of resveratrol on different cancers. This paper is helpful to develop resveratrol, crude extract containing resveratrol, or foods containing resveratrol into functional food, dietary supplements or auxiliary agents for prevention and management of cancers.

Fermentation with Tea Residues Enhances Antioxidant Activities and Polyphenol Contents in Kombucha Beverages.

Kombucha is a popular beverage with various bioactivities (such as antioxidant activity), which can be attributed to its abundant bioactive compounds, especially polyphenols. Kombucha is conventionally prepared by fermentation of a sugared black tea infusion without tea residue. In this study, the effects of black tea residue and green tea residue on kombucha were studied, and its antioxidant activities, total phenolic contents, as well as concentrations of polyphenols at different fermentation stages were evaluated using ferric-reducing antioxidant power, Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity, Folin-Ciocalteu method and high-performance liquid chromatography with a photodiode array detector. The results showed that fermentation with tea residue could markedly increase antioxidant activities (maximum 3.25 times) as well as polyphenolic concentrations (5.68 times) of kombucha. In addition, green tea residue showed a stronger effect than black tea residue. Overall, it is interesting to find that fermentation with tea residues could be a better strategy to produce polyphenol-rich kombucha beverages.

Sweet tea (Lithocarpus polystachyus rehd.) as a new natural source of bioactive dihydrochalcones with multiple health benefits.

Sweet tea (Lithocarpus polystachyus Rehd.) has been consumed as herbal tea to prevent and manage diabetes for a long time. Recent studies indicate that sweet tea is rich in a variety of bioactive compounds, especially a class of nonclassical flavonoids, dihydrochalcones. In order to provide a better understanding of sweet tea and its main dihydrochalcones on human health, this review mainly summarizes related literature in the recent ten years, with the potential molecular mechanisms emphatically discussed. Phlorizin, phloretin, and trilobatin, three natural sweeteners, are the main dihydrochalcones in sweet tea. In addition, sweet tea and its dihydrochalcones exhibit plenty of health benefits, such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, cardioprotective, hepatoprotective, antidiabetic, and anticancer effects, which are associated with the regulation of different molecular targets and signaling pathways. Therefore, sweet tea, as a rare natural source of dihydrochalcones, can be processed and developed into nutraceuticals or functional foods, with the potential application in the prevention and management of certain chronic diseases.

Effects and Mechanisms of Probiotics, Prebiotics, Synbiotics, and Postbiotics on Metabolic Diseases Targeting Gut Microbiota: A Narrative Review.

Metabolic diseases are serious threats to public health and related to gut microbiota. Probiotics, prebiotics, synbiotics, and postbiotics (PPSP) are powerful regulators of gut microbiota, thus possessing prospects for preventing metabolic diseases. Therefore, the effects and mechanisms of PPSP on metabolic diseases targeting gut microbiota are worth discussing and clarifying. Generally, PPSP benefit metabolic diseases management, especially obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus. The underlying gut microbial-related mechanisms are mainly the modulation of gut microbiota composition, regulation of gut microbial metabolites, and improvement of intestinal barrier function. Moreover, clinical trials showed the benefits of PPSP on patients with metabolic diseases, while the clinical strategies for gestational diabetes mellitus, optimal formula of synbiotics and health benefits of postbiotics need further study. This review fully summarizes the relationship between probiotics, prebiotics, synbiotics, postbiotics, and metabolic diseases, presents promising results and the one in dispute, and especially attention is paid to illustrates potential mechanisms and clinical effects, which could contribute to the next research and development of PPSP.

Effects and Mechanisms of Resveratrol on Aging and Age-Related Diseases.

The aging of population has become an issue of great concern because of its rapid increase. Aging is an important risk factor of many chronic diseases. Resveratrol could be found in many foods, such as grapes, red wine, peanuts, and blueberries. Many studies reported that resveratrol possessed various bioactivities, such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, cardiovascular protection, anticancer, antidiabetes mellitus, antiobesity, neuroprotection, and antiaging effects. The antiaging mechanisms of resveratrol were mainly ameliorating oxidative stress, relieving inflammatory reaction, improving mitochondrial function, and regulating apoptosis. Resveratrol could be an effective and safe compound for the prevention and treatment of aging and age-related diseases. In this review, we summarize the effects of resveratrol on aging, life extension, and several age-related diseases, with special attention paid to the mechanisms of antiaging action.

Influences of Microwave-Assisted Extraction Parameters on Antioxidant Activity of the Extract from Akebia trifoliata Peels.

Akebia trifoliata is a fruit with rich nutritional properties, and its peel is produced as a by-product. In this research, we investigated the influences of microwave-assisted extraction parameters on antioxidant activity of the extract from Akebia trifoliata peels, and the ferric-reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) and Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC) as well as total phenolic contents (TPC) were used to optimize extraction parameters. The influences of ethanol concentration, microwave power and solvent-to-material ratio, as well as extraction temperature and time on TPC, FRAP and TEAC values, were assessed using single-factor tests. Three parameters with obvious effects on antioxidant capacity were selected to further investigate their interactions by response surface methodology. The optimal extraction parameters of natural antioxidants from Akebia trifoliata peels were ethanol concentration, 49.61% (v/v); solvent-to-material ratio, 32.59:1 mL/g; extraction time, 39.31 min; microwave power, 500 W; and extraction temperature, 50 °C. Under optimal conditions, the FRAP, TEAC and TPC values of Akebia trifoliata peel extracts were 351.86 ± 9.47 µM Fe(II)/g dry weight (DW), 191.12 ± 3.53 µM Trolox/g DW and 32.67 ± 0.90 mg gallic acid equivalent (GAE)/g DW, respectively. Furthermore, the main bioactive compounds (chlorogenic acid, rutin and ellagic acid) in the extract were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography. The results are useful for the full utilization of the by-product from Akebia trifoliate fruit.

Effects of Tea against Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease by Modulating Gut Microbiota in Chronic Alcohol-Exposed Mice.

Gut microbiota dysbiosis has been a crucial contributor to the pathogenesis of alcoholic fatty liver disease (AFLD). Tea is a popular beverage worldwide and exerts antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities, as well as hepatoprotective effects. However, the potential role of gut microbiota regulated by tea in the prevention and management of AFLD remains unclear. Here, the protective effects of oolong tea, black tea, and dark tea on AFLD and its regulation of gut microbiota in chronic alcohol-exposed mice were explored and investigated. The results revealed that tea supplementation significantly prevented liver steatosis, decreased oxidative stress and inflammation, and modulated gut microbiota in chronic alcohol-exposed mice, especially oolong tea and dark tea. However, black tea showed less effectiveness against liver injury caused by alcohol. Moreover, the diversity, structure and composition of chronic alcohol-disrupted gut microbiota were restored by the supplementation of oolong tea and dark tea based on the analysis of gut microbiota. Furthermore, the relationship between liver injury biochemical indicators and gut microbiota indicated that some specific bacteria, such as Bacteroides, Alloprevotella, and Parabacteroides were closely associated with AFLD. In addition, the phytochemical components in tea extracts were measured by high-performance liquid chromatography, which could contribute to preventive effects on AFLD. In summary, oolong tea and dark tea could prevent chronic alcohol exposure-induced AFLD by modulating gut microbiota.

Molecular mechanisms underlying health benefits of tea compounds.

Tea is one of the three most widely consumed beverages in the world, not only because of its unique flavor but also due to its various health benefits. The bioactive components in tea, such as polyphenols, polysaccharides, polypeptides, pigments, and alkaloids, are the main contributors to its health functions. Based on epidemiological surveys, the consumption of tea and its compounds in daily life has positive effects on cardiovascular diseases, cancers, hepatopathy, obesity, and diabetes mellitus. In experimental studies, the antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, anti-obesity, cardiovascular protective, liver protective, and hypoglycemic activities of tea and the related mechanisms of action have been widely investigated. The regulation of several classical signaling pathways, such as nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB), AMP activated protein kinase (AMPK), and wingless/integrated (Wnt) signaling, is involved. Clinical trials have also demonstrated the potential of tea products to be applied as dietary supplements and natural medicines. In this paper, we reviewed and discussed the recent literature on the health benefits of tea and its compounds, and specifically explored the molecular mechanisms involved.