Isoflavones derived from plant raw materials: bioavailability, anti-cancer, anti-aging potentials, and microbiome modulation.

Isoflavones are secondary metabolites that represent the most abundant category of plant polyphenols. Dietary soy, kudzu, and red clover contain primarily genistein, daidzein, glycitein, puerarin, formononetin, and biochanin A. The structural similarity of these compounds to ß-estradiol has demonstrated protection against age-related and hormone-dependent diseases in both genders. Demonstrative shreds of evidence confirmed the fundamental health benefits of the consumption of these isoflavones. These relevant activities are complex and largely driven by the source, active ingredients, dose, and administration period of the bioactive compounds. However, the preclinical and clinical studies of these compounds are greatly variable, controversial, and still with no consensus due to the non-standardized research protocols. In addition, absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion studies, and the safety profile of isoflavones have been far limited. This highlights a major gap in understanding the potentially critical role of these isoflavones as prospective replacement therapy. Our general review exclusively focuses attention on the crucial role of isoflavones derived from these plant materials and critically highlights their bioavailability, possible anticancer, antiaging potentials, and microbiome modulation. Despite their fundamental health benefits, plant isoflavones reveal prospective therapeutic effects that worth further standardized analysis.

Antioxidant potentials of flaxseed by in vivo model.

The present study reports the antioxidant activity of flaxseed as measured by feeding weanling albino rats with 5.0% and 10.0% of flaxseed (constituting approximately 0.75 and 1.5 g kg(-)(1)) for 14 days followed by challenging animals with 2.0 g kg(-)(1) b.w. CCl(4) as toxin. Activity was assessed by measuring hepatic marker enzymes like catalase, superoxide dismutase (SOD), and peroxidase and comparing with those from the normal group and from a group receiving toxin without flaxseed. Treatment of CCl(4) at dose of 2.0 g kg(-)(1) b.w. decreased the activities of various antioxidant enzymes such as catalase, superoxide dismutase (SOD), and peroxidase by 35.6%, 47.76%, and 53.0%, respectively, compared to the control group, and the lipid peroxidation value increased nearly 1.2-fold compared to that of the group treated with toxin without flaxseed. Pretreatment of rats with 5.0% flaxseed followed by CCl(4) treatment caused restoration of catalase, SOD, and peroxidase by 39.7%, 181.42%, and 123.7%, respectively, as compared to control. The group treated with 10.0% flaxseed has shown the restoration of 95.02%, 182.31%, and 136.0% of catalase, SOD, and peroxidase. In the case of the group treated with toxin without flaxseed, the level of superoxide dismutase and the catalse value decreased 91.4% and 55.33%, respectively, in comparison with the control group. These results clearly indicate the beneficial effect of flaxseed components as an antioxidant as seen by restoration of hepatic enzymes, which were varied from normal to one due to toxicity induced by toxin (CCl(4)). Owing to this property, the flaxseed known for its functional properties can be further extended to exploit its possible application for various health benefits as nutraceuticals and food ingredient.

Genetically modified hairy roots of Withania somnifera Dunal: a potent source of rejuvenating principles.

Transgenic hairy roots were induced from Withania somnifera Dunal, by infecting leaf explants with Agrobacterium rhizogenes. Polymerase chain reaction for rol A gene and Southern blot confirmed the integration of T-DNA in the genome. Cultures were grown in Murashige and Skoog solid as well as in liquid medium. The antioxidant activity was assayed in roots grown in solid media and liquid media. Hairy roots grown in liquid media found to possess highly significant activity in 1,1-diphenyl-2-pecryl-hydrazyl radical, beta-carotene linoleic acid model system. The activity was 57.34%, 75.64%, and 93.41% in case DPPH model and 55.3%, 76.3%, and 90.5% in case of b-CLAMS in 25, 50, and 100 mg L(-1) concentration, respectively. In case of hydroxyl radical trapping and brain lipid peroxidation assay, the activity was more significant in hairy roots grown on solid medium in comparison with commercial formulation prepared using normal roots and standard withanaloids. Root extract grown in solid medium has shown 93.2% hydroxyl radical trapping activity at 100 mg L(-1) concentration, and 500 mg L(-1) has shown 83.6% in case of brain lipid peroxidation assay. High-performance liquid chromatography analysis demonstrated the presence of withanaloids in the hairy root extracts. The results of the study clearly indicate that there is enhancement of secondary metabolites in hairy roots, which is indicated through significant enhancement of the antioxidant activity, since these are the major constituents responsible for the activity. This is the first report on the presence of antioxidant principles in genetically modified roots of W. somnifera. These results of the present study may aid in utilization of the W. somnifera hairy roots for its rejuvenating principles.

In vivo antioxidant activity of carotenoids from Dunaliella salina--a green microalga.

Dunaliella salina a green marine alga is known for its carotenoid accumulation, having various applications in the health and nutritional products. The purpose of present study was to evaluate the ability of D. salina algal powder extract to protect against oxidative stress In vivo using animal models. Treatment of albino Wistar strain rats with 125 microg/kg and 250 microg/kg b.w. showed significant protection when compared to toxin treated (CCl4) group. Since beta-carotene is major constituent of Dunaliella the results were also compared with group treated with 250 microg/kg b.w (p.o.) synthetic all trans beta-carotene. Treatment of CCl4 at dose of 2.0 g/kg b.w. decreased the activities of various antioxidant enzymes like catalase, superoxide dismutase (SOD) and peroxidase by 45.9%, 56% and 54% respectively compared to control group and lipid peroxidation value increased nearly 2 folds. Pretreatment of rats with 125 microg carotenoid followed by CCl4 treatment caused restoration of catalase, SOD and peroxidase by 25.24%, 23.75 and 61.15% respectively as compared to control. The group treated with 250 microg/kg has shown the restoration of 53.5%, 57.7 and 90.64% of catalase, SOD and peroxidase, respectively. This group has shown 75.0% restoration of peroxidation compared to control group of animals. The above enzyme activities were not significantly restored in group treated with synthetic all trans beta-carotene, which showed 7.5%, 23.8% restore in catalase and peroxidase content. The level of superoxide dismutase remained same and lipid peroxidation value decreased only by 23% in synthetic all trans beta-carotene treated group in comparison with control group. These results clearly indicate the beneficial effect of algal carotenoid compared to synthetic carotene as antioxidant. Owing to this property, the algae Dunaliella can be further extended to exploit, its possible application for various health benefits as nutraceuticals and food additive.

Putrescine facilitated enhancement of capsaicin production in cell suspension cultures of Capsicum frutescens.

Putrescine treatment (0.1 mmol/L) influenced enhancement of growth and capsaicin production in the cell suspension cultures of C. frutescens. The administration of polyamine inhibitor DFMA (alpha-DL-difluoromethylarginine) resulted in a reduction of the growth, capsaicin content and the endogenous titres of polyamines (PAs). The capsaicin synthase activity was also higher in the putrescine (Put) treated cultures. Ethylene levels were lower in the cultures treated with putrescine. This study suggested that Put facilitates growth and capsaicin production.

Functional validation of Capsicum frutescens aminotransferase gene involved in vanillylamine biosynthesis using Agrobacterium mediated genetic transformation studies in Nicotiana tabacum and Capsicum frutescens calli cultures.

Capsaicinoid biosynthesis involves the participation of two substrates viz. vanillylamine and C(9)-C(11) fatty acid moieties. Vanillylamine which is a derivative of vanillin is synthesized through a transaminase reaction in the phenylpropanoid pathway of capsaicinoid synthesis. Here we report the functional validation of earlier reported putative aminotransferase gene for vanillylamine biosynthesis in heterologous system using Agrobacterium mediated genetic transformation studies in Nicotiana tabacum and Capsicum frutescens calli cultures. Molecular analysis tools comprising PCR and Southern blot analysis have shown the integration of the foreign gene in N. tabacum and C. frutescens calli cultures. The study shows the production of vanillylamine in transformed N. tabacum callus cultures and also the reduction of vanillylamine production when whole gene based antisense binary vector construct was used in transformation of C. frutescens callus cultures. Vanillylamine production, aminotransferase assay with Western blot analysis for crude proteins of transformants established the production of putative aminotransferase (pAMT) protein in alternate plant. The result is a clear evidence of involvement of the reported putative aminotransferase responsible for vanillylamine biosynthesis in capsaicinoid biosynthesis pathway, confirming the gene function through functional validation.

Effect of the carotenoid-producing alga, Dunaliella bardawil, on CCl4-induced toxicity in rats.

Dunaliella bardawil is a carotenoid-producing alga that is being considered for use in nutraceuticals. To evaluate potential protective effects of consumption of this alga, rats were treated with two different doses of D. bardawil (2.5 and 5.0 g kg(-1) body weight [bw]) as a biomass suspension daily for 14 days. Animals were tested against Carbon tetrachloride (CCl4; 2 ml kg(-1))-induced liver toxicity as measured by various biochemical marker enzymes in liver and blood. All measurements were taken 6 h following the single dose of CCl4. The results of this study show that there was a slight, but statistically significant mean serum enzyme values, with D. bardawil treatment, compared to higher mean values in animals receiving CCl4 alone. Lipid peroxidation is measured by thiobarbituric acid-reactive substance (TBARS) activity was likewise slightly less elevated with algae treatment. The results also demonstrated protection against DNA strand breaks in hepatocytes, as measured by single cell gel electrophoresis. Liver histopathology was less severe with D. bardawil treatment, supporting the apparent protective action of 14-day treatment on hepatic oxidative injury.