Long-Term Impact of Neonatal Intake of Oleanolic Acid on the Expression of AMP-Activated Protein Kinase, Adiponectin and Inflammatory Cytokines in Rats Fed with a High Fructose Diet

Abstract: AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is known to regulate both glucose and lipid metabolism, which play vital roles in the development of metabolic syndrome. One way of regulating AMPK is through hormonal activation using adiponectin. Patients diagnosed with type-2 diabetes (T2D) and obesity exhibit low adiponectin concentration levels in their blood. Moreover, studies have also shown that inflammatory processes play a significant role in the etiology of these metabolic diseases. In this study, the long-term effects of neonatal intake of oleanolic acid (OA) on the AMPK gene, genes associated with glucose transport and lipid metabolism, adiponectin levels, and inflammatory biomarkers in rats fed with a high fructose diet were investigated. Seven day old pups were randomly divided into five groups and treated as follows; 0.5% dimethylsulphoxide v/v in distilled water vehicle control (CON), oleanolic acid (OA, 60 mg/kg), high fructose diet (HF, 20% w/v), high fructose diet combined with oleanolic acid (HF+OA), and high fructose diet combined with metformin (HF+MET, 500 mg/kg)..

Metabolomics: A Scoping Review of Its Role as a Tool for Disease Biomarker Discovery in Selected Non-Communicable Diseases

From MDPI via Jisc Publications RouterHistory: accepted 2021-06-23, pub-electronic 2021-06-25Publication status: PublishedMetabolomics is a branch of ‘omics’ sciences that utilises a couple of analytical tools for the identification of small molecules (metabolites) in a given sample. The overarching goal of metabolomics is to assess these metabolites quantitatively and qualitatively for their diagnostic, therapeutic, and prognostic potentials. Its use in various aspects of life has been documented. We have also published, howbeit in animal models, a few papers where metabolomic approaches were used in the study of metabolic disorders, such as metabolic syndrome, diabetes, and obesity. As the goal of every research is to benefit humankind, the purpose of this review is to provide insights into the applicability of metabolomics in medicine vis-à-vis its role in biomarker discovery for disease diagnosis and management. Here, important biomarkers with proven diagnostic and therapeutic relevance in the management of disease conditions, such as Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, Parkinson’s disease, inborn errors of metabolism (IEM), diabetic retinopathy, and cardiovascular disease, are noted. The paper also discusses a few reasons why most metabolomics-based laboratory discoveries are not readily translated to the clinic and how these could be addressed going forward

Health and commercial relevance of Garcinia species: Key scientometric analyses from three decades of research

Garcinia species (G. indica, G. cambogia, G. kola and G. mangostana) represent some of the most sought-after herbs globally due to their impressive medicinal qualities, hence the ever-growing interest of researchers into these plants. In this study, an extensive bibliometric analysis of the available research outputs on the widely-known Garcinia species was conducted to appraise the progress made and also highlight the future focus of research on the plants. The published articles (original and conference articles) on the selected species from 1991 to 2021 were retrieved from Scopus® database, scrutinized and further analyzed using the VOS viewer software. Over 2000 research outputs were published posting an annual publication rate of 75 articles, which have altogether garnered almost 37000 citations within the period under review. Of the 85 country affiliations on the publications, 5, which include India, Thailand, Nigeria, Indonesia, and the United States have cumulatively contributed two-thirds of the total outputs. The institutions; the University of Ibadan (97), Prince Songkla University (52) and Mahidol University (50) have the most publications revealing their research focus on herbs. However, in terms of individual influence, Prof E.O. Farombi, of the University of Ibadan, led the pack with an impressive 42 publications (1585 citations) on Garcinia kola followed by Prof Y.W. Chin of the Seoul National University, South Korea with 23 publications (452 citations) on Garcinia mangostana. The versatility in the health applications of these species especially as sources for new therapeutics, nutraceuticals or functional food ingredients, has been the main driver of the research within the past three decades. Recent research undertakings have demonstrated the potential industrial uses of herbs in the clothing and petroleum industries and these may dominate the research emphases in the immediate future

Influence of two plant products (red palm oil and rooibos) on streptozotocin-induced hyperglycaemia and its implications on antioxidant status and other biochemical parameters in an animal model

Thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the Doctor of Technology: Biomedical Technology In the Faculty of Health and Wellness At the CAPE PENINSULA UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY, 2012Diabetes mellitus is a major health problem not only in urban, but also in the rural areas and is diagnosed by the presence of high glucose levels in the blood. Oxidative stress is known to be actively involved in the onset and progression of diabetes and its complications. Antioxidants have important roles in biological systems by scavenging free radicals which may result in oxidative damage of biological molecules such as lipids, proteins and DNA. Red palm oil, originally from the tropical area of Africa, generally consumed as cooking oil, is known to have some beneficial health effects due to the presence of lipid soluble antioxidants such as carotenoids, tocopherols and tocotrienols. It also contains almost an equal proportion of both saturated and unsaturated fatty acids which makes it distinctive from other vegetable oils. Rooibos, on the other hand, is grown in the Cederberg area of the Western Cape in South Africa and it is commonly consumed as a beverage. It contains a complex profile of water soluble antioxidants (flavonoids) and its health promoting potentials have been reported extensively. Some of the flavonoids present in rooibos include aspalathin, nothofagin, quercetin, rutin and orientin. The objective of this research project was to examine the potential beneficial effects of the dietary intake of red palm oil and rooibos on streptozotocin-induced hyperglycaemia and its influence on the antioxidant status and some biochemical parameters in male Wistar rats. The preliminary phase of this study was designed to investigate the biochemical effects of these two plant products at different dosages following consumption for a period of 7 weeks. The preliminary study did not reveal any adverse effects of the different dosages of red palm oil (1 ml, 2 ml and 4 ml) and rooibos (2%, 4% and 6%) on the experimental rats following dietary intake for 7 weeks. However, these natural products showed an improvement in the antioxidant status of the rats at the different doses. Using a single dose each of both plant products from the preliminary study, the main study was performed to investigate the influence of these two plant products singly and in combination on the blood and liver of streptozotocin-induced hyperglycaemic male Wistar rats. In the main study, streptozotocin (50 mg/kg) dissolved in 0.1 M citrate buffer (pH 4.5) through intramuscular injection was used for the induction of diabetes which was confirmed by the presence of high blood glucose after 72 hours. Red palm oil or rooibos extract alone did not have any effect on the control of blood glucose in the diabetic rats. The dietary intake of the combined treatment with red palm and rooibos had more health promoting effects on the diabetic rats which included a decrease in blood glucose, glycosylated haemoglobin, fructosamine and increased insulin levels. There was a marked increase in liver glycogen levels in all the diabetic groups. Treatment with rooibos alone showed a decrease in glycogen levels in the diabetic rats. The presence of liver enzymes in the serum, commonly used as indicators of liver damage was increased in all the diabetic rats. However, the combined treatment of diabetic rats with red palm oil and rooibos protected the liver from injury. Red palm oil improved high density lipoprotein cholesterol levels (HDL-cholesterol) in the diabetic rats. There was no effect on the activity of glucokinase, the first enzyme in the the glycolytic pathway in both the untreated and treated diabetic rats. However, the activity of pyruvate kinase, the last enzyme in the glycolytic pathway was reduced in all the diabetic groups. The combined treatment with both red palm and rooibos increased the activity of pyruvate kinase. Oxidative stress was confirmed in the diabetic rats with an increase in the plasma thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), an indicator of lipid peroxidation. Treatment of diabetic rats with rooibos and the combination of red palm oil and rooibos brought plasma TBARS to a level that was not significantly different from the normal control group. There was a non-significant reduction of total glutathione in the non-treated and treated diabetic groups. A non-significant increase in the activity of liver catalase was observed in all the treated diabetic groups. The activity of superoxide dismutase was significantly decreased in the liver of diabetic rats. Diabetic rats treated with red palm oil, rooibos and the combined treatment showed an increased activity of superoxide dismutase in the liver. Red palm oil and the combined treatment increased the activity of glutathione peroxidase in both the red blood cells and liver of diabetic rats. Red palm oil, rooibos and their combined treatments also improved the plasma antioxidant capacity such as ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) and oxygen reducing absorbance capacity (ORAC) in the diabetic rats. In conclusion, oxidative stress is actively involved in the progression of diabetes mellitus. Red palm oil and rooibos, most especially their combined treatment showed significant beneficial health promoting effects in the diabetic rats. The remarkable effects of the combined treatment of red palm oil and rooibos in the diabetic rats could be due to their antioxidant profiles. Based on the findings from this study, it can be adduced that these plant products could help in the management of diabetes and its complications and therefore, suggested the need for further research studies on antioxidant therapy in the management of diabetes mellitus

Plasma measurement in the ionsphere

CPUT Research Da

Simulation of the behaviour of a copper plate material exposed to vacuum extremem ultraviolet radiation

CPUT Postgraduate Research Conferenc

Impact of Co-administration of Red Palm Oil (Elaeis guineensis Arecaceae) and Rooibos (Aspalathus linearis Fabaceae) on Glycaemic Parameters, Liver Function and Key Glycolytic Enzymes in Diabetic Rats

Purpose: To investigate the anti-diabetic effects of red palm oil (RPO), rooibos tea extract (RTE) and their combination (RPO + RTE). Methods: Diabetes was induced by a single administration of streptozotocin (50 mg/kg) and the rats were treated for 49 days. The effects of these plant products on plasma glucose, serum insulin, serum fructosamine, glycosylated haemoglobin (HbIAC), liver enzymes in serum and liver glycolytic enzymes were studied using standard techniques. Results: The combined treatment of RPO and RTE significantly (p < 0.05) decreased the glucose (20.98 ± 6.46 mmol/L to 15.60 ± 5.94 mmol/L), HbIAC (16.74 ± 2.73 % to 12.41 ± 2.25 %), fructosamine (98.61 ± 23.35 mmol/L to 62.52 ± 28.41 mmol/L) levels and increased insulin (0.30 ± 0.09 ng/mL to 0.72 ± 0.21 ng/mL) levels in the diabetic rats. Similarly, the combined treatment significantly (p < 0.05) reduced alanine aminotransferase (ALT) in the serum of diabetic rats. RPO + RTE significantly (p < 0.05) increased the activity of pyruvate kinase in the liver when compared with the diabetic control group. Conclusion: Combined treatment with red palm oil and rooibos shows promising beneficial effects in diabetic conditions of rats. Further studies on the mechanism of actions of the plant products are require

In Vitro Study on the Antioxidant Potentials of the Leaves and Fruits of Nauclea latifolia

This study was carried out to investigate the in vitro antioxidant potentials of the leaves and fruits of Nauclea latifolia, a straggling shrub or small tree, native to tropical Africa and Asia. Hot water extracts of the leaves and fruits of Nauclea latifolia were assessed for their total polyphenolic, flavanol, and flavonol contents as well as 1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) scavenging ability, ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), Trolox equivalence antioxidant capacity (TEAC), and oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) assays. The aqueous extract of the leaves was found to contain higher level of total polyphenols (11.63 ± 0.023 mg GAE/g), flavanol (1.45 ± 0.10 mg CE/g), and flavonol (2.22 ± 0.37 mg QE/g) than the extract of the fruits with values of 1.75 ± 0.02 mg GAE/g (total polyphenol), 0.15 ± 0.01 mg CE/g (flavanol), and 1.00 ± 0.13 mg QE/g (flavonol). Similarly, the aqueous extract of the leaves also exhibited higher DPPH (IC50 20.64 mg/mL), FRAP (86.10 ± 3.46 micro-mol AAE/g), TEAC (94.83 ± 3.57 micro-mol TE/g), and ORAC (196.55 ± 0.073 micro-mol TE/g) than the extract of the fruits with DPPH (IC50 120.33 mg/mL), FRAP (12.23 ± 0.40 micro-mol AAE/g), TEAC (12.48 ± 0.21 micro-mol TE/g), and ORAC (58.88 ± 0.073 micro-mol TE/g). The present study showed that Nauclea latifolia has strong antioxidant potentials with the leaves demonstrating higher in vitro antioxidant activities than the fruitsThis work was supported through funding from Cape Peninsula University of Technology, Bellville, South Africa

Assessment of lipid profile, antioxidant status and liver histopathology in male Wistar rats following dietary intake of rooibos (Aspalathus linearis)

Rooibos is a herbal tea which is known to contain a high amount of polyphenols. The lipid profiles, antioxidant status and liver histopathology in male rats fed with aqueous rooibos extract at different concentrations were studied. The rats were randomly divided into groups (A-D). Group A was the control group which received tap water only while groups B, C and D received 2, 4 and 6% aqueous rooibos extracts respectively orally for 7 weeks. The results showed no significant differences in the plasma and liver ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) in all the rooibos extracts fed groups. There were no significant (p>0.05) decreases in total cholesterol, triglycerides, low density lipoprotein cholesterol and high density lipoprotein cholesterol levels in all the rooibos extracts fed groups. Liver catalase activity significantly (p<0.05) increased in all of the rooibos extracts fed groups. There were no significant differences in glutathione peroxidase activities in the red blood cells and liver of rooibos extracts fed groups. Superoxide dismutase activities did not show any significant (p>0.05) difference in both the red blood cells and liver of rooibos extracts fed groups. There was a significant increase in glutathione levels at 4 and 6% rooibos extracts when compared with the control group. Total protein, albumin and globulin levels were not significantly (p>0.05) different in all the groups. Histopathological evaluations revealed no adverse effects in the structure of the liver in the rats. In conclusion, intake of rooibos did not have significant effects on lipid profiles while it contributed to the improvement of the body antioxidant system

Ayeleso, A., Brooks, N. L., & Oguntibeju, O. O. (2014). Impact of dietary red palm oil (Elaeis guineensis) on liver architecture and antioxidant status in the blood and liver of male Wistar rats. Medical Technology SA, 27(2), 18-23.

Antioxidant status and liver histopathology in male rats fed with different doses of red palm oil (RPO) were investigated. Liver and plasma ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), total glutathione (GSHt) in the red blood cells (RBC) as well as catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities in the RBC and liver were determined. Our results showed no significant differences (p>0.05) in both liver and plasma FRAP and RBC GSHt in the RPO fed groups when compared with the control group. CAT activities significantly increased (p<0.05) at both 2 ml and 4 ml RPO groups in both the liver and RBC. GPx activities in the RBC significantly (p<0.05) increased at 2 ml and 4 ml RPO when compared with the control group. RPO did not significantly increase SOD in the RBC while its activities were increased in the liver. There were no histopathological alterations in the liver of RPO fed groups when compared with the control rats. In conclusion, red palm oil could up-regulate the levels of antioxidant enzymes and hence, its dietary consumption could help to boost antioxidant status in the body and thus promote overall well-being