Policosanol composition, antioxidant and anti-arthritic activities of milk thistle (Silybium marianum L.) oil at different seed maturity stages

Abstract Background Several anti-arthritic drugs and synthetic antioxidants have wide pharmaceutical uses and are often associated with various side effects on the human health. Dietary seed oils and their minor components like policosanol may offer an effective alternative treatment for arthritic and oxidative-stress related diseases. The biological effects of seed oils were affected by different parameters such as the stage of seed maturity. Hence, this study seeks to determine the policosanol content, antioxidant and anti-arthritic activities of milk thistle (Silybium marianum L.) oil extracted at various stages of seed maturation. Methods Milk thistle oil samples were extracted from seeds collected at three maturation stages (immature, intermediate, and mature). The 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,2′-azino-bis (3-ethyl-benzthiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) radical scavenging assays were used to determine the antioxidant activity of the extracted oils. The anti-arthritic activity of oil samples was evaluated with bovine serum protein denaturation and egg albumin denaturation methods. Gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was employed to determine the policosanol profile. Results Policosanol profile, antioxidant and anti-arthritic activities of milk thistle oil were influenced by the seed maturity stages. The oil extracted from the immature seeds had the highest total policosanol content (987.68 mg/kg of oil) and displayed the maximum antiradical activity (96.42% and 90.35% for DPPH test and ABTS assay, respectively). Nine aliphatic alcohols were identified in the milk thistle oil. The dominant poliosanol in the mature seed oil was octacosanol (75.44%), while triacontanol was the major compound (40.25%) in the immature seed oil. Additionally, the maximum inhibition of bovine serum protein denaturation (92.53%) and egg albumin denaturation (86.36%) were observed in immature seed oil as compared to mature seed oil. A high correlation was found between the total policosanol content, anti-arthritic activity and antioxidant capacity of oil. Conclusions The milk thistle oil exhibited a potential anti-arthritic and antioxidant activities and that it might contribute to the protection of humans from a variety of diseases like rheumatoid arthritis. Also, it could serve as natural antioxidant and anti-arthritic agents for application in the food industries and pharmaceutic. Policosanol level in the seed oils might contribute to their anti-arthritic and antioxidant activities

Metabolic interactions between hyperhomocysteinemia and endothelin-1 among Tunisian patients with acute coronary diseases

BACKGROUND: Acute coronary syndromes (ACS) are complex and polygenic diseases which are a real problem of public health. These syndromes require multidisciplinary studies to understand the pathogenesis mechanisms and metabolic interactions between different risk factors.This study aimed to explore the variation of two coronary risk parameters not mentioned by Framingham cohorts, hyperhomocysteinemia and endothelin-1 (ET-1) in Tunisian coronary and the study of the variation of these parameters based on various cardiac risk factors and metabolic relationship between them.To 157 coronary and 142 healthy subjects, the concentration of homocysteine was quantified by fluorescence polarization immunoassay; the concentration of ET-1 was measured by an analytical technique, the High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) coupled with mass spectrometry. RESULTS: Our study showed that homocysteine and ET-1 were significantly higher in patients compared to healthy subjects (24.40 ± 12.5 μmol/L vs 7.44 ± 2.5 μmol/L p <0.00001) for homocysteine and (15.2 ± 5.3 nmol/L vs 7.1 ± 2.7 nmol/L, p <0.00001) for ET-1. On the other hand, homocysteine varies according to tobacco and diabetes while ET-1 depends on the sex, hypertension, smoking, obesity and dyslipidemia and a statistically negative correlation was shown between homocysteine and ET-1 in coronary patients (r = -0.66 p <0.00001. CONCLUSION: The study of the variation of these two parameters in coronary patients and metabolic exploration of the relationship between homocysteine and ET-1 according to various risk factors and the interactions between themselves facilitates the decision of therapeutic treatment

Y a-t-il intérêt à doser les métabolites de l’azathioprine chez les malades ayant une maladie inflammatoire chronique de l’intestin ?

Objectif. Chercher s’il y a une relation entre les concentrations de 6-thioguanine nucléotide et des 6-méthyl mercaptopurine et l’efficacité clinique et les effets indésirables à travers une population de patients atteints de maladie inflammatoire chronique de l’intestin. Méthodes. Nous incluons des patients atteins de la maladie de Crohn ou de rectocolite hémorragique (RCH) traités par l’azathioprine pendant une durée minimale de 12 mois. Pour chaque patient, un dosage des métabolites a été réalisé. Résultats. Nous avons inclus 43 patients atteints de maladie de Crohn et 7 de RCH. L’azathioprine a été indiquée pour une cortico-dépendance dans 23 cas, pour prévenir les récidives post-opératoires dans 10 cas, pour maintenir une rémission clinique obtenue par un traitement médical chez 17 patients. Conclusion. Notre travail confirme la relation entre la concentration de la 6TGN et la survenue d’une myélo-toxicité