The Zebrafish Embryo as a Model to Test Protective Effects of Food Antioxidant Compounds.

The antioxidant activity of food compounds is one of the properties generating the most interest, due to its health benefits and correlation with the prevention of chronic disease. This activity is usually measured using in vitro assays, which cannot predict in vivo effects or mechanisms of action. The objective of this study was to evaluate the in vivo protective effects of six phenolic compounds (naringenin, apigenin, rutin, oleuropein, chlorogenic acid, and curcumin) and three carotenoids (lycopene B, ß-carotene, and astaxanthin) naturally present in foods using a zebrafish embryo model. The zebrafish embryo was pretreated with each of the nine antioxidant compounds and then exposed to tert-butyl hydroperoxide (tBOOH), a known inducer of oxidative stress in zebrafish. Significant differences were determined by comparing the concentration-response of the tBOOH induced lethality and dysmorphogenesis against the pretreated embryos with the antioxidant compounds. A protective effect of each compound, except ß-carotene, against oxidative-stress-induced lethality was found. Furthermore, apigenin, rutin, and curcumin also showed protective effects against dysmorphogenesis. On the other hand, ß-carotene exhibited increased lethality and dysmorphogenesis compared to the tBOOH treatment alone.

Migración de neutrófilos en larvas de pez cebra expuestos a extractos de sofrito de tomate / Neutrophils migration in zebrafish larvae exposed to tomato sofrito extracts

Este trabajo se fundamenta en la evaluación de la actividad antiinflamatoria de extractos de sofrito de tomate, así como de compuestos estándares de la dieta mediterránea, usando un modelo experimental optimizado basado en larvas de pez cebra. La migración de neutrófilos en larvas de pez cebra de 96 horas post fertilización se indujo mediante una lesión y se potenció añadiéndole lipopolisacárido, dicha migración se visualizó y cuantificó mediante análisis de imagen. El efecto antiinflamatorio del extracto de tomate y de los compuestos utilizados fue correlacionado porcentualmente por la disminución de la migración de los neutrófilos. Los resultados muestran que el extracto de tomate presentó una reducción en la migración de neutrófilos de 40 % respecto al grupo control. Por otra parte, el ácido clorogénico y la cianidina presentes en el sofrito de tomate utilizados como estándares presentaron una disminución de la migración de neutrófilos de un 66,7 % y 62,5 % respectivamente. Estos porcentajes son comparables a los resultados observados en ensayos con drogas antiinflamatorias como la indometacina y piroxicam. Los resultados muestran que el extracto de sofrito de tomate presenta posible actividad antinflamatoria demostrada por la reducción de la migración de neutrófilos, además el modelo se mostró sensible y válido para ser aplicado en matrices alimentarias complejas(AU)

The main of this study was to evaluate the anti-inflammatory activity of tomato sofrito extracts, as well as standard compounds present in the Mediterranean diet, using an optimized experimental model based on zebrafish larvae. Neutrophil migration in zebrafish larvae 96 hours post fertilization was induced by a cut in the caudal fin and enhanced by adding lipopolysaccharide and was visualized and quantified by image analysis. The anti-inflammatory effect of tomato extract and the compounds used was correlated by the percentage decrease in the migration of neutrophils. The results showed that, tomato extract showed a reduction in neutrophil migration of 40% compared to the control group. Moreover, chlorogenic acid and cyanidin present in tomato sofrito sauce showed a decrease in neutrophil migration of 66.7% and 62.5% respectively. These percentages are comparable to the results observed in trials with anti-inflammatory drugs such as indomethacin and piroxicam. The results show that tomato sofrito extract has possible anti-inflammatory activity demonstrated by the reduction of neutrophil migration, furthermore the model was sensitive and valid to be applied in complex food matrices(AU)

Circulating levels of specific members of chromosome 19 microRNA cluster are associated with preeclampsia development.

PURPOSE: To perform serum microRNA expression profiling to identify members of chromosome 19 miRNA cluster involved in preeclampsia development. METHODS: Serum chromosome 19 miRNA cluster microRNA expression profiling was evaluated at 12, 16, and 20 gestational weeks and at the time of preeclampsia diagnosis, in women who developed preeclampsia (WWD-PE; n = 16) and controls (n = 18) using TaqMan low density array plates. RESULTS: A total of 51 chromosome 19 microRNA cluster members were evaluated. The circulating hsa-miRs 512-3p, 518f-3p, 520c-3p, and 520d-3p, were differentially expressed between groups (P < 0.05). Compared with controls, serum levels of hsa-miR-518f-3p at 20 GW were useful for identifying WWD-Mild-PE (P = 0.035) and WWD-Severe-PE (P = 0.007). CONCLUSIONS: Serum hsa-miRs 512-3p, 518f-3p, 520c-3p, and 520d-3p, are differentially expressed between WWD-PE and controls and their role in the development of preeclampsia should be investigated further.