Surfactant protein-D, diabetes mellitus, oxidative stress, infections and inflammation on the crossroad: A Systematic review.

Objective: To review the association of surfactant protein-D with type 2 diabetes mellitus, infections, oxidative stress and inflammation, and the changes in oxidative stress markers in type 2 diabetes mellitus. METHODS: The systematic review was conducted from April to September 2022, and comprised search on PubMed, Web of Sciences, Scopus, Science Direct and Google Scholar databases for relevant studies published in English language between January 1, 2000, and June 30, 2022. The search was updated in September 2022. After transferring literature to Mendeley, relevant data was extracted from the included studies. Quality assessment for eligible studies was done using Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal Checklist. Quality of evidences was assessed by using Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation tool. RESULTS: Of the 203 studies identified, 18(8.9%) were analysed; 16(89%) with humans and 2(11%) with animals as subjects There were 5 (31.25%) studies for SP-D, of which 4 (80%) studies reported lower surfactant protein-D in type 2 diabetes mellitus cases than controls. Its significant negative association with glycated haemoglobin was reported by 1(20%) study and 2(40%) studies with fasting blood glucose levels. Higher surfactant protein-D in type 2 diabetes mellitus cases and its positive association with glycated haemoglobin was reported by 1(20%) study. Recurrent infections were frequent in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients. Malondialdehyde level was higher and superoxide dismutase activity was lower in type 2 diabetes mellitus cases, reflecting oxidative stress. Animal studies also showed that reactive oxygen species generating from hypochlorous acid during oxidative stress promoted the formation of non-disulfide linkages in surfactant protein-D structure, resulting in its decreased functionality. Conclusion: Surfactant protein-D, oxidative stress, inflammation and infections were found to be linked to each other for pathogenesis of infections in type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Effects of combined aerobic exercise and diet on cardiometabolic health in patients with obesity and type 2 diabetes: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Lifestyle modifications involving diet and exercise are recommended for patients diagnosed with obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). The purpose of this review was to systematically evaluate the effects of combined aerobic exercise and diet (AEDT) on various cardiometabolic health-related indicators among individuals with obesity and T2DM. METHODOLOGY: A comprehensive search of the PubMed/Medline, Web of Science, Scopus, Science Direct, Cochrane, and Google Scholar databases was conducted for this meta-analysis. The Cochrane risk of bias tool was used to evaluate eligible studies, and the GRADE tool was used to rate the certainty of evidence. A random-effects model for continuous variables was used, and the results were presented as mean differences or standardised mean differences with 95% confidence intervals. RESULTS: A total of 16,129 studies were retrieved; 20 studies were included, and data were extracted from 1,192 participants. The findings revealed significant improvements in body mass index, body weight, waist circumference, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, total cholesterol, triglycerides, fasting blood glucose, fasting plasma insulin, glycated hemoglobin, leptin, interleukin-6, C-reactive protein, and adiponectin (p < 0.05) compared to the standard treatment (ST) group. No significant differences were observed between the AEDT and ST groups in fat mass, hip circumference, waist-to-hip ratio, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha. The present findings are based on low- to moderate-quality evidence. CONCLUSIONS: AEDT may be a critical behavior for holistic cardiometabolic health-related benefits as a contemporary anti-obesity medication due to its significant positive impact on patients with obesity and T2DM. Nevertheless, further robust evidence is necessary to determine whether AEDT is an effective intervention for lowering cardiovascular and metabolic risk factors among individuals with obesity and T2DM.

The metabolic associated fatty liver disease responses of lifestyle changes using diet and exercise.

Objective: This review is aimed to study MAFLD responses of lifestyle modifications using Diet and Exercise. Methods: The sources for this MAFLD review following PRISMA protocol were PubMed, Google scholar, Scopus and Science Direct. Quality of evidence was assessed by consistent results with previous studies. Assessment of quality was done by Joanna Briggs Institute criteria. Quality of evidence was assessed by GRADE approach tool. Results: This review included 12 studies, from which five were qualitative and seven quantitative. The later showed poor dietary habits and sedentary lifestyle exhibiting MAFLD which eventually affect their quality of life. Further studies suggested that by introducing healthy lifestyle in MAFLD group using diet and exercise caused reduction in BMI, obesity levels, improved glycemic control and reversal of liver fat content with improved liver enzymes. Conclusion: Subjects with MAFLD experienced poor quality of life. Altering lifestyle by diet and exercise can improve their physical wellbeing.

Physical activities pre- and post-COVID-19 vaccination and its implementations: A narrative review.

Coronavirus disease 2019 is a severe communicable pulmonary medical problem that has been a challenging disease for everyone in the globe, but vaccines development and administration against this severe acute respiratory syndrome-inducing disease (coronavirus disease 2019) are currently yielding fabulous results. The mean duration of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic for this study spanned from 2020 until 2022. These manifestations are accompanied by symptoms of respiratory tract illnesses such as non-productive cough, sore throat, and nasal discharge. Relevant reviews on coronavirus disease 2019 manifestations and outcomes, consisting mainly of the infections/outbreaks, experimental information, and pre- and post-serovaccination details that occurred, were described. After a typical vaccination course, the study aims to summarize and understand more about the effectiveness of exercise on the pre-and post-coronavirus disease 2019 vaccination and its implementations. Physical activity is an immunological function adjuvant to decrease communicable disease risk and enhance immunity post-viral infection vaccination. Moderate-intensity resistance exercisesession directly before getting the influenza vaccine decreases vaccine responses in older adults, such as redness, pain, or inflammation at the injection spot or other adverse consequences compared to the inactive circumstance. However, it was reported that exercise after a shot is generally safe as long as vaccinated people feel well enough. Though exercise before or after vaccination has no negative impact on the protection afforded by the vaccine, people can exercise immediately after receiving the vaccine, as any changes in blood flow will not affect the vaccine's response. One episode of light-to-moderate-intensifying exercise after vaccination may improve the antibody reactions to influenza or the coronavirus disease 2019 vaccine. Vaccination administered pre- and post-regular exercise is an effective approach for boosting antibody responses due to its immunostimulant effects. Future research should investigate how different vaccine antibodies respond to low, moderate, and high physical activity levels.

The promising roles of medicinal plants and bioactive compounds on hepatic lipid metabolism in the treatment of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in animal models: molecular targets.

Imbalance in hepatic lipid metabolism can lead to an abnormal triglycerides deposition in the hepatocytes which can cause non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Four main mechanisms responsible for regulating hepatic lipid metabolism are fatty acid uptake, de novo lipogenesis, lipolysis and fatty acid oxidation. Controlling the expression of transcription factors at molecular level plays a crucial role in NAFLD management. This paper reviews various medicinal plants and their bioactive compounds emphasising mechanisms involved in hepatic lipid metabolism, other important NAFLD pathological features, and their promising roles in managing NAFLD through regulating key transcription factors. Although there are many medicinal plants popularly investigated for NAFLD treatment, there is still little information and scientific evidence available and there has been no research on clinical trials scrutinised on this matter. This review also aims to provide molecular information of medicinal plants in NALFD treatment that might have potentials for future scientifically controlled studies.

Therapeutic Effects of Heterotrigona itama (Stingless Bee) Bee Bread in Improving Hepatic Lipid Metabolism through theActivation of the Keap1/Nrf2 Signaling Pathway in an Obese Rat Model.

Bee bread (BB) has traditionally been used as a dietary supplement to treat liver problems. This study evaluated the therapeutic effects of Heterotrigona itama BB from Malaysia on obesity-induced hepatic lipid metabolism disorder via the regulation of the Keap1/Nrf2 pathway. Male Sprague Dawley rats were fed with either a normal diet or high-fat diet (HFD) for 6 weeks to induce obesity. Following 6 weeks, obese rats were treated either with distilled water (OB group), BB (0.5 g/kg body weight/day) (OB + BB group) or orlistat (10 mg/kg body weight/day) (OB + OR group) concurrent with HFD for another 6 weeks. BB treatment suppressed Keap1 and promoted Nrf2 cytoplasmic and nuclear translocations, leading to a reduction in oxidative stress, and promoted antioxidant enzyme activities in the liver. Furthermore, BB down-regulated lipid synthesis and its regulator levels (SIRT1, AMPK), and up-regulated fatty acid ß-oxidation in the liver of obese rats, being consistent with alleviated lipid levels, improved hepatic histopathological changes (steatosis, hepatocellular hypertrophy, inflammation and glycogen expression) and prevented progression to non-alcoholic steatohepatitis. These results showed the therapeutic potentials of H. itama BB against oxidative stress and improved lipid metabolism in the liver of obese rats possibly by targeting the Keap1/Nrf2 pathway, hence proposing its role as a natural supplement capable of treating obesity-induced fatty liver disease.

Effectiveness of Pulmonary Rehabilitation among COVID-19 Patients: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Background: Many COVID-19 patients presented with detrimental features, such as impaired respiratory function, physical capacity, and overall poor quality of life. The present study evaluates the effectiveness of pulmonary rehabilitation on COVID-19 patients. Methods: We searched PubMed, Scopus, ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar from 2019 to 2021. The protocol was registered in PROSPERO with the registration number CRD42021273618. We performed statistical analyses via random effects and expressed the outcomes as standardized mean difference (SMD) for continuous variables, with 95% confidence intervals (CI). Results: We included six trials involving 432 patients. The primary outcome showed a significant improvement in physical function (SMD 0.83, 95% CI −0.58 to 1.09; p < 0.001; four trials, 266 participants; high-quality evidence). There was significant difference in anxiety (SMD −0.80, 95% CI −1.23 to −0.37; p = 0.003), physical activity intensity levels (SMD −1.27, 95% CI −2.23 to −0.32; p = 0.009), sleep quality (MD −0.05, 95% CI −0.83 to −0.16; p = 0.004), peripheral muscle performance of lower limbs (SMD 0.90, 95% CI −0.60 to 1.20; p < 0.001), and dyspnoea outcomes (SMD −0.55, 95% CI −0.87 to −0.23; p = 0.007). Conclusions: Pulmonary rehabilitation is an effective adjuvant therapy that minimizes COVID-19 severity in the intervention group compared to the conventional treatment. The findings of this study will need to be considered in the framework of the clinical outcome as observed in the intervention outcome. Additionally, safer data on guideline rehabilitation would be needed to examine whether pulmonary rehabilitation would be a fruitful intervention to reduce COVID-19 severity.

The Impact of COVID-19 on Physical Activity Patterns of Dental Students: A Multinational Survey.

BACKGROUND: The authorities of the world had to take extraordinary containment measures due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic spreading across the globe. The only way to stay active during the pandemic was at-home physical activity (PA). The current study evaluates how these preventative measures impacted the PA and well-being of students. METHODS: This study is multicentral and was conducted in Malaysia, India, Cambodia, and Saudi Arabia; participants were recruited from four different regions to answer the online questionnaire provided via a link shared using their personal WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, and Twitter social media. RESULTS: The means of vigorous, moderate, and light PA (min/day) between the active and inactive groups were significantly different (p = 0.001, 0.007, and 0.001), respectively. In comparison with pre-COVID-19, the participants reported that it became more challenging to engage in regular exercise since the onset of social distance, associated with a lack of motivation followed by "less confidence", "less enjoyment", "less support, and fewer opportunities to engage in exercise"; moreover, it was "difficult to maintain close relationships" and "hard to voice their options on contentious matters" (p = 0.001). Public health measures affected the PA and well-being of active and inactive students; this demonstrates that health promotion strategies aimed at enhancing levels of PA in inactive students may be necessary to improve students' well-being.

Effects of Circuit Training on Patients with Knee Osteoarthritis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

The most prevalent joint disease is osteoarthritis (OA), which affects an estimated 240 million individuals worldwide. Knee osteoarthritis (KOA) is one of the top 10 causes of disability worldwide. The aim of this study is to systematically evaluate the effect of circuit training (CT) on patients with KOA. We searched through PubMed, Scopus, ScienceDirect, Cochrane, and Google Scholar up to 12 February 2022. We used random-effects statistical analysis for continuous variables and reported the results as a standardized mean difference (SMD) with 95 percent confidence intervals (CI). Seven trials involving 346 patients were included. A significant improvement in the intervention group was observed for the parameter, pain level (SMD -0.96, 95% CI -1.77 to -0.14; p = 0.02; seven trials, 346 participants; high quality evidence), while no significant improvement was found in physical function (SMD 0.03, 95% CI -0.44-0.50; p = 0.89; five trials, 294 participants; high-quality evidence), quality of life (SMD -0.25, 95% CI -1.18-0.68; p = 0.60; three trials, 205 participants; high-quality evidence), the activity of daily living (SMD 0.81, 95% CI -0.85-2.48; p = 0.34; three trials, 223 participants; high-quality evidence), and knee stiffness (SMD -0.65, 95% CI -1.96-0.66; p = 0.33; two trials, 71 participants; high-quality evidence). The findings in this meta-analysis suggest that CT could effectively complement the conventional treatment of KOA, particularly in alleviating pain. However, comprehensive data on the guidelines for the CT approach would be needed to adequately examine the effects of CT on quality of life and biochemical markers in patients with KOA.

Evaluation of physical activity among undergraduate students in Mogadishu Universities in the aftermath of COVID-19 restrictions.

Background: International restrictions were enacted during the COVID-19 pandemic to limit social interaction and viral transmission. These measures had a negative impact on physical activity (PA), creating changes in students' health and lifestyles. The present study aimed to evaluate the levels of PA among undergraduate students in three different universities in Mogadishu after the relaxation of COVID-19 lockdown using the international physical activity questionnaire-long version (IPAQ-L) and its potential associated factors. Methods: This study is a multicentral study conducted at Somali International University, Horn of Africa University, and Daha International University. A total of 1,189 respondents were asked to answer the online questionnaire provided via a link shared using their social media. Results: After COVID-19 restrictions approximately ≥ 150 minutes of PA per week was reported by 500 men (97.3%) and 652 women (96.6%) at work. While 7 (1.4%) of men and 20 (3%) of women participate in < 150 minutes each week, respectively. Furthermore, only seven (1.4%) of males and three (0.4%) of women reported to have not performed any PA at work. Conclusion: The majority of the undergraduate students at the selected universities in Mogadishu were physically active after the relaxation of COVID-19 rules in Somalia. Such a high level of PA is a significant advantage to public health.

Orlistat Mitigates Oxidative Stress-Linked Myocardial Damage via NF-κß- and Caspase-Dependent Activities in Obese Rats.

Oxidative stress contributes to major complications of obesity. This study intended to identify whether orlistat could mitigate myocardial damage in obese animal models. The tested rats were divided into two groups and fed either with normal chow (n = 6 per group) or with a high-fat diet (HFD) for 6 weeks to induce obesity (n = 12 per group). Obese rats were further subjected to treatment either with distilled water (OB group) or orlistat 10 mg/kg/day (OB + OR group). Key indices of oxidative stress, inflammation, and apoptosis were assessed using an immunohistochemical-based technique and real-time PCR. The OB group showed significant increases of oxidative stress markers (TBARs and PCO), with significant decreases of anti-oxidant markers (Nrf2, SOD, CAT, and GPx). Furthermore, mRNA expression of pro-inflammatory markers (TNF-α and NF-κß) and pro-apoptosis markers (Bax, Caspase-3, Caspase-8, and Caspase-9) were significantly upregulated in the OB group. Obese rats developed pathological changes of myocardial damages as evidenced by the presence of myocardial hypertrophy and inflammatory cells infiltration. Orlistat dampened the progression of myocardial damage in obese rats by ameliorating the oxidative stress, and by inhibiting NF-κß pathway and caspase-dependent cell apoptosis. Our study proposed that orlistat could potentially mitigate oxidative stress-linked myocardial damage by mitigating inflammation and apoptosis, thus rationalizing its medical usage.

Effectiveness of physical activity on immunity markers and quality of life in cancer patient: a systematic review.

Background: Cancer is a huge group of diseases that can affect various body parts of humans but also has a psychological, societal, and economic impact. Physical activity can improve the quality of life (QOL) and immunity, while moderate intensity exercise can reduce the probability of this lethal disease. The current study aimed to determine the effect of physical activity on immune markers and QOL in cancer patients as well as to evaluate cancer-related fatigue (CRF) and its association with physical activity. Methodology: Before starting the study, the study protocol was registered in PROSPERO (registration number CRD42021273292). An electronic literature search was performed by combining MeSH terminology and keywords used with the Boolean operators "OR" and "AND" to find relevant published studies on PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane, and ScienceDirect databases. The Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) critical evaluation checklist was used to assess the quality of selected studies, while the GRADE approach was used to see the quality of evidence. Results: A total of 13,931 studies were retrieved after the search on databases. After the scrutiny of studies by reading the title of articles and the inclusion/exclusion criteria, a total of 54 studies were selected for further screening by reading the full texts. In the final, a total of nine studies were selected for the current systematic review and proceeded for data extraction. The patients who were doing different exercises showed improvements in immunity, QOL, and reduction in CRF. A significant reduction in tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), C reactive protein (CRP), interleukin-8 (IL-8), IL-6, and an increase in natural killer (NK) cells levels was also observed. Conclusions: The exercise program is safe and beneficial to improve the quality of life and immunity markers before, during, and after cancer treatment. Physical exercise may also help patients to overcome the adverse effects of the treatment and to reduce the chance of developing new tumours in the future.

Bee bread attenuates the progression of atherosclerosis by activating Nrf2/Keap1 and modulating TNF-α/NF-κß-associated mast cell migration and a mitochondrial-dependent apoptotic pathway in the obese rat model.

This study explores the anti-atherosclerotic effects of bee bread in the context of oxidative stress, inflammation, and apoptosis phenomena in an obesity animal model, and its vitamin composition. Forty male Sprague-Dawley rats were administered with a normal diet (Normal group) and a high-fat diet (HFD) to induce obesity. After 6 weeks, obese rats that received the HFD were treated either with distilled water (Ob group), bee bread at 0.5 g per kg per day (Ob + Bb group), or orlistat at 10 mg per kg per day (Ob + Or group) concomitant with the HFD for another 6 weeks. Bee bread significantly improved atherosclerotic changes by enhancing the immunoexpressions of Nrf2/Keap1, impeding the immunoexpressions of NF-κß downstream proteins, and intensifying Bcl-2 upregulation, attributed to the improvement in mast cell adherence and collagen deposition in the aortic wall of the Ob + Bb group. We have demonstrated that the treatment with bee bread attenuates the progression of atherosclerosis through its inhibition of vascular oxidative stress, and retardation of inflammatory reaction and apoptosis in obese rats, indicating its potential therapeutic targets for obesity-related vascular diseases. This could be partly attributed to the components of vitamins such as vitamins A, C and E that are present in bee bread, which need further study for the exact molecular mechanism of action.

Therapeutic Effects of Bee Bread on Obesity-Induced Testicular-Derived Oxidative Stress, Inflammation, and Apoptosis in High-Fat Diet Obese Rat Model.

Obesity is a debilitating disorder with a variety of problems including oxidative stress, inflammation, and apoptosis. The aim of our study was to investigate the therapeutic role of bee bread on oxidative stress, apoptosis, and inflammation in the testis of obese rats. Thirty-two adult male Sprague Dawley rats, with weights between 230-300 g, were distributed into four groups (n = 8/group), namely normal control (C), obese (Ob), obese + BB or obese + OR [high-fat diet (HFD) for 6 weeks then HFD plus bee bread or orlistat for another 6 weeks] groups. Bee bread (0.5 g/kg) or orlistat (10 mg/kg/day) was diluted with distilled water and administered daily for 6 weeks by oral gavage. There were significant decreases in the activities of antioxidant enzymes [glutathione-S-transferase (GST), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), catalase (CAT), glutathione reductase (GR)], glutathione (GSH)] and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) levels and mRNA expressions of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), superoxide dismutase (Sod), catalase (Cat) and glutathione peroxidase (Gpx) in the obese group relative to the control group. Meanwhile, the mRNA levels of pro-inflammatory markers, namely: inducible nitric oxide synthase (Inos), nuclear factor kappa B (Nf-κß), tumour necrotic factor α (Tnf-α) and interleukin 1ß (Il-1ß) were significantly increased while interleukin (Il-10) was decreased in the obese group relative to the control group. Further, proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) immunoexpressions decreased while cleaved caspase-3 immunohistochemical staining increased significantly in the obese group, in addition to increases in the mRNA levels of p53, Bax, Caspases-8, 9 and 3, relative to the control group. Treatment with bee bread showed increases in antioxidant enzymes and PCNA immunoexpression, as well as decreases in inflammation and apoptosis markers in the testes. This study has shown that bee bread has therapeutic effects against oxidative stress, inflammation, apoptosis in the testis of HFD-induced obese male rats, thereby suggesting its role as a natural supplement capable of treating obesity-induced male reproductive impairment.

Bee bread attenuates high fat diet induced renal pathology in obese rats via modulation of oxidative stress, downregulation of NF-kB mediated inflammation and Bax signalling.

CONTEXT: Global prevalence of obesity is increasing. OBJECTIVE: To study the effect of bee bread (BB) on serum renal function parameters, oxidative stress, inflammatory and B-cell associated protein X (Bax) in the kidneys of high fat diet (HFD) obese rats. METHODS: Thirty-six male Sprague Dawley rats were used. Control: received rat diet and water (1 mL/kg); HFD group: received HFD and water (1 mL/kg): bee bread (BB) preventive or orlistat preventive: received HFD and BB (0.5 g/kg) or HFD and orlistat (10 mg/kg); BB or orlistat treatment: received BB (0.5 g/kg) or orlistat (10 mg/kg). RESULTS: HFD group had increased body weight, Body Mass Index, Lee Obesity Indices, kidney weights, malondialdehyde, inflammatory markers, Bax; decreased glutathione peroxidase, glutathione-S-transferase, superoxide dismutase, total antioxidant activity, no differences (p > .05) in food intakes, serum creatinine, sodium, potassium, chloride, catalase compared to control. CONCLUSION: BB modulated most of these parameters, as corroborated by histology.

Stingless bee propolis, metformin, and their combination alleviate diabetic cardiomyopathy

Abstract Background and aim: Stingless bee propolis, a resinous compound processed by mandibular secretion of stingless bees, is used for maintenance of hygiene and stability of beehives. Research on stingless bee propolis shows therapeutic properties attributed to polyphenols exhibiting antioxidative, antihyperglycemic and antiischemic effect. However, the cardioprotective effect of stingless bee propolis on diabetic cardiomyopathy is unknown. Methods: Adult male Sprague Dawley rats were randomised to five groups: normal group, diabetic group, diabetic given metformin (DM+M), diabetic given propolis (DM+P) and diabetic given combination therapy (DM+M+P) and treated for four weeks. Body weight, fasting blood glucose, food and water intake were taken weekly. At the end of experiment, biomarkers of oxidative damage were measured in serum and heart tissue. Antioxidants in heart tissue were quantified. Part of left ventricle of heart was processed for histological staining including Haematoxylin and Eosin (H&E) stain for myocyte size and Masson's Trichrome (MT) stain for heart fibrosis and perivascular fibrosis. Results: Propolis alleviated features of diabetic cardiomyopathy such as myocyte hypertrophy, heart fibrosis and perivascular fibrosis associated with improvement in antioxidative status. Conclusion: This study reports beneficial effect of propolis and combination with metformin in alleviating histopathological feature of diabetic cardiomyopathy by modulating antioxidants, making propolis an emerging complementary therapy.

Hepatoprotective Effect of Bee Bread in Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Fatty Liver Disease (MAFLD) Rats: Impact on Oxidative Stress and Inflammation.

Metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) is a pathological accumulation of hepatic lipid closely linked with many metabolic disorders, oxidative stress and inflammation. We aimed to evaluate the hepatoprotective effect of bee bread on oxidative stress and inflammatory parameters in MAFLD rats. Twenty-eight male Sprague-Dawley rats were assigned into four groups (n = 7/group): normal control (NC), high-fat diet (HFD), bee bread (HFD + Bb, HFD + 0.5 g/kg/day bee bread) and orlistat (HFD + Or, HFD + 10 mg/kg/day orlistat) groups. After 12 weeks, the HFD group demonstrated significantly higher body weight gain, serum levels of lipids (TG, TC, LDL), liver enzymes (AST, ALT, ALP) and adiponectin, liver lipids (TG, TC) and insulin resistance (HOMA-IR). Furthermore, the HFD group showed significantly decreased antioxidant enzyme activities (GPx, GST, GR, SOD, CAT) and GSH level, and increased liver oxidative stress (TBARS, NO), translocation of Nrf2 to the nucleus, Keap1 expression and inflammation (TNF-α, NF-κß, MCP-1) together with histopathological alterations (steatosis, hepatocyte hypertrophy, inflammatory cell infiltration, collagen deposition), which indicated the presence of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and fibrosis. Bee bread significantly attenuated all these changes exerted by HFD feeding. In conclusion, our results suggest that bee bread might have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-steatotic and anti-fibrotic effects that are beneficial in protecting liver progression towards NASH and fibrosis.

Protective and Therapeutic Effects of Orlistat on Metabolic Syndrome and Oxidative Stress in High-Fat Diet-Induced Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Fatty Liver Disease (MAFLD) in Rats: Role on Nrf2 Activation.

Metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) is an excessive buildup of liver lipids closely associated with various kinds of undesirable metabolic effects and oxidative stress. We aimed to investigate the protective and therapeutic effects of orlistat on metabolic syndrome and oxidative stress parameters in high-fat diet (HFD) induced-MAFLD rats. Twenty-four male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into four groups (n = 6/group), i.e., Normal control (N), HFD, HFD + orlistat (HFD + O) (10 mg/kg/day administered concomitantly for 12 weeks as a protective model), and obese+orlistat (OB + O) (10 mg/kg/day administered 6 weeks after induction of obesity as a therapeutic model) groups. After 12 weeks, the HFD group had significantly increased Lee obesity index, serum alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, total cholesterol, triglyceride, low-density lipoprotein levels, liver total cholesterol and triglyceride levels, insulin resistance and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) together with decreased serum high-density lipoprotein level. Additionally, the HFD group also showed increased Nrf2 translocation to the nucleus with high Keap1 expression and increased liver oxidative stress parameters. Orlistat significantly improved all these alterations in HFD rats. We demonstrated that orlistat might have protective and therapeutic effects against HFD-induced MAFLD rats by its activation on Nrf2 signaling pathway, which subsequently improved metabolic syndrome and oxidative stress parameters.

Chemical Profile, Antioxidant Properties and Antimicrobial Activities of Malaysian Heterotrigona itama Bee Bread.

The aim of the study was to determine the chemical profile, antioxidant properties and antimicrobial activities of Heterotrigona itama bee bread from Malaysia. The pH, presence of phytochemicals, antioxidant properties, total phenolic content (TPC) and total flavonoid content (TFC), as well as antimicrobial activities, were assessed. Results revealed a decrease in the pH of bee bread water extract (BBW) relative to bee bread ethanolic extract (BBE) and bee bread hot water extract (BBH). Further, alkaloids, flavonoids, phenols, tannins, saponins, terpenoids, resins, glycosides and xanthoproteins were detected in BBW, BBH and BBE. Also, significant decreases in TPC, TFC, DPPH activity and FRAP were detected in BBW relative to BBH and BBE. We detected phenolic acids such as gallic acid, caffeic acid, trans-ferulic acid, trans 3-hydroxycinnamic acid and 2-hydroxycinnamic acid, and flavonoids such as quercetin, kaempferol, apigenin and mangiferin in BBE using high-performance liquid chromatography analysis. The strongest antimicrobial activity was observed in Klebsilla pneumonia (MIC50 1.914 µg/mL), followed by E. coli (MIC50 1.923 µg/mL), Shigella (MIC50 1.813 µg/mL) and Salmonella typhi (MIC50 1.617 µg/mL). Bee bread samples possess antioxidant and antimicrobial properties. Bee bread contains phenolic acids and flavonoids, and could be beneficial in the management and treatment of metabolic diseases.

Paternal Fenitrothion Exposures in Rats Causes Sperm DNA Fragmentation in F0 and Histomorphometric Changes in Selected Organs of F1 Generation.

The adverse effects of maternal pesticides exposure on the progeny is very well established. However, the impact of paternal exposure to pesticides such as Fenitrothion (FNT) on the histomorphometry of progeny's organs in unexposed mothers are much less well studied. Therefore, this study aims to evaluate the effects of paternal FNT exposure on the sperm quality of the parent rat and its effects on the histomorphometry of the progeny's organs. Randomly, male Sprague Dawley rats (n = 24) categorized as F0 were distributed equally into three groups namely Control, FNT-10, and FNT-20. Control received 1 mL/kg corn oil while FNT-10 and FNT-20 received 10 mg/kg and 20 mg/kg of FNT, respectively, via oral force feeding for 28 consecutive days. At the end of the study, male rats were mated with unexposed female rats and the male rats were sacrificed to obtain sperm for sperm characterization and DNA damage evaluation. Meanwhile, the rats' progeny (F1) namely pControl, pFNT-10, and pFNT-20 were left to grow until postnatal day 70 before being sacrificed to obtain the matured organs for histology and morphometric analysis. Our results showed that both doses of FNT reduced sperm quality and caused DNA fragmentation in F0 rats compared with the control group (p < 0.05). The number of Leydig cells as well as the diameter of the seminiferous tubules and glomerulus of the pFNT-20 group had significantly decreased (p < 0.05) compared with the pControl group. The Bowman's space of the pFNT-20 group had significantly increased (p < 0.05) compared with the pFNT-10 and pControl groups. Therefore, paternal exposure to FNT reduced the sperm quality and increased sperm DNA fragmentation in F0 male Sprague Dawley rats and altered the histology and morphometry of the selected organs in the F1 progeny.