Polyphenol-rich ethyl acetate fraction isolated from Molineria latifolia ameliorates insulin resistance in experimental diabetic rats via IRS1/AKT activation

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of ethyl acetate fraction (EAF) isolated from Molineria latifolia rhizome as dietary interventions for type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and its underlying molecular mechanisms in vivo. Experimental rats were induced by high fat diet feeding coupled with combined exposure to streptozotocin and nicotinamide. Treatment with EAF improved glucose tolerance and lipid profiles, but the insulin secretion was unaltered. Gene expression analyses on insulin/adipocytokine signalling-related genes demonstrated tissue-specific transcriptional responses. In skeletal muscle and liver tissues, Socs1, Tnf and Mapk8 showed consistent transcript regulation. Furthermore, hepatic translational analyses revealed sensitization on proximal insulin signalling, with reduced expression of IRS1 serine phosphorylation, increased IRS1 tyrosine phosphorylation and increased phospho-AKT (Ser473). The present findings suggested that EAF exerted its effect by modulating insulin signalling, potentially via IRS1/AKT activation. The pharmacological attributes of EAF may implicate its potential therapeutic applications for diabetes management

Polyphenol-rich ethyl acetate fraction of Molineria latifolia rhizome restores oxidant-antioxidant balance by possible engagement of KEAP1-NRF2 and PKC/NF-κB signalling pathways

The present study examined the potential of ethyl acetate fraction (EAF) isolated from Molineria latifolia rhizome to modulate the oxidant-antioxidant balance in high fat diet and nicotinamide/streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. Administration with EAF ameliorated systemic antioxidant status- and oxidative stress-related parameters without affecting the renal and liver functions in the diabetic rats. Further analyses on adipose, muscle and liver tissues demonstrated differing ability to scavenge free radicals and protection against lipid peroxidation. Transcriptional changes proposed concerted modulation of both KEAP1-NRF2 and PKC/NF-κB signallings in tissue-specific manner. Qualitative profiling of compounds present in EAF was analysed by non-targeted HPLC-QTOF mass spectrometry. A total of 23 unique mass signals were detected in EAF. Putative identification revealed a mixture of naturally occurring polyphenols ranging from cinnamic acid-, benzoic acid- and flavonoid-derived groups. Overall, the study demonstrated potential application of EAF to reinstate diabetes-induced oxidant-antioxidant imbalance by potentially modulating the NRF2–NF-κB signalling axis

Antioxidant activity of phenolics-saponins rich fraction prepared from defatted kenaf seed meal

The current study is aimed to determine the antioxidant properties of crude ethanolic extract (CEE) of defatted kenaf seed meal (DKSM) and its derived n-butanol (BF) and aqueous (AqF) fractions. Spectrophotometric assays showed that BF contained the highest amount of phenolic compounds and saponins, followed by CEE and AqF (p < 0.05). Similarly, HPLC-DAD analysis revealed that level of all the detected predominant phenolic compounds was significantly higher in BF (p < 0.05). Through multiple antioxidant assays, BF exhibited higher antioxidant activity than CEE and AqF, except for iron chelating activity (p < 0.05). Antioxidant activity of CEE and fractions were strongly correlated to their phenolic and saponin contents. This study showed that phenolic compounds and saponins could be extracted and partially purified simultaneously from DKSM by employing a simple alcoholic extraction–fractionation procedure. High antioxidative phenolics–saponins rich fraction from DKSM is a potential active ingredient that could be applied in nutraceuticals, functional foods as well as natural food preservatives

Dietary supplementation of defatted kenaf (Hibiscus cannabinus L.) seed meal and its phenolics–saponins rich extract effectively attenuates diet-induced hypercholesterolemia in rats

Kenaf is one of the important commercial fiber crops worldwide and defatted kenaf seed meal (DKSM) is a secondary by-product from the kenaf industry. Thus, efforts to turn this low-cost agricultural waste into value-added functional food ingredients will definitely bring advantageous impacts to the community health, environment and economy. The present study was aimed to investigate the cardioprotective properties of DKSM and its phenolics-saponins rich extract (PSRE) in diet-induced hypercholesterolemic rat model. Hypercholesterolemia was induced in Sprague-Dawley rats via atherogenic diet feeding and dietary interventions were conducted by incorporating DKSM (15% and 30%) and equivalent levels of PSRE (2.3% and 4.6%, respectively, equivalent to the total content of phenolics and saponins in DKSM groups) into the atherogenic diets. After 10 weeks of DKSM and PSRE supplementation, the hepatosomatic index, hepatosteatosis, serum lipid profile, Castelli risk indexes as well as hepatic and renal functions of hypercholesterolemic rats were significantly improved (p 0.05), but superiorly upregulated by PSRE (p < 0.05). The combined results showed that hypercholesterolemia and the atherogenic risk in rats were effectively attenuated by DKSM and PSRE supplementation, possibly via modulations of multiple vital processes in hepatic cholesterol metabolism. Furthermore, phenolics and saponins may be the bioactives conferring DKSM and PSRE with their anti-hypercholesterolemic properties. In conclusion, DKSM and PSRE are prospective cardioprotective functional food ingredients for hypercholesterolemic individuals

Are bioactive-rich fractions functionally richer?

Plant bioresources are relied upon as natural, inexpensive, and sustainable remedies for the management of several chronic diseases worldwide. Plants have historically been consumed for medicinal purposes based on traditional belief, but this trend is currently changing. The growing interest in the medicinal properties of plant bioresources stems from concerns of side effects and other adverse effects caused by synthetic drugs. This interest has yielded a better understanding of the roles of plant bioactive compounds in health promotion and disease prevention, including the underlying mechanisms involved in such functional effects. The desire to maximize the potential of phytochemicals has led to the development of “rich fractions,” in which extracts contain bioactive compounds in addition to elevated levels of the primary compound. Although a rich fraction effectively increases the bioactivity of the extract, the standardization and quality assurance process can be challenging. However, the supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) system is a promising green technology in this regard. Future clinical and pharmacological studies are needed to fully elucidate the implications of these preparations in the management of human diseases, thereby fostering a move toward evidence-based medicine

Are bioactive-rich fractions functionally richer?

Plant bioresources are relied upon as natural, inexpensive, and sustainable remedies for the management of several chronic diseases worldwide. Plants have historically been consumed for medicinal purposes based on traditional belief, but this trend is currently changing. The growing interest in the medicinal properties of plant bioresources stems from concerns of side effects and other adverse effects caused by synthetic drugs. This interest has yielded a better understanding of the roles of plant bioactive compounds in health promotion and disease prevention, including the underlying mechanisms involved in such functional effects. The desire to maximize the potential of phytochemicals has led to the development of "rich fractions," in which extracts contain bioactive compounds in addition to elevated levels of the primary compound. Although a rich fraction effectively increases the bioactivity of the extract, the standardization and quality assurance process can be challenging. However, the supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) system is a promising green technology in this regard. Future clinical and pharmacological studies are needed to fully elucidate the implications of these preparations in the management of human diseases, thereby fostering a move toward evidence-based medicine

Nutrigenomic effects of edible bird's nest on insulin signaling in ovariectomized rats

Estrogen deficiency alters quality of life during menopause. Hormone replacement therapy has been used to improve quality of life and prevent complications, but side effects limit its use. In this study, we evaluated the use of edible bird’s nest (EBN) for prevention of cardiometabolic problems in rats with ovariectomy-induced menopause. Ovariectomized female rats were fed for 12 weeks with normal rat chow, EBN, or estrogen and compared with normal non-ovariectomized rats. Metabolic indices (insulin, estrogen, superoxide dismutase, malondialdehyde, oral glucose tolerance test, and lipid profile) were measured at the end of the experiment from serum and liver tissue homogenate, and transcriptional levels of hepatic insulin signaling genes were measured. The results showed that ovariectomy worsened metabolic indices and disrupted the normal transcriptional pattern of hepatic insulin signaling genes. EBN improved the metabolic indices and also produced transcriptional changes in hepatic insulin signaling genes that tended toward enhanced insulin sensitivity, and glucose and lipid homeostasis, even better than estrogen. The data suggest that EBN could meliorate estrogen deficiency-associated increase in risk of cardiometabolic disease in rats, and may in fact be useful as a functional food for the prevention of such a problem in humans. The clinical validity of these findings is worth studying further

Phenolic rich extract from Clinicanthus nutans attenuates hyperlipidemia-associated oxidative stress in rats

Clinacanthus nutans is used as traditional medicine in Asia but there are limited scientific studies to support its use. In this study, the stem and leaf of C. nutans were extracted using solvents of differing polarities, and their antioxidant capacities were determined using multiple antioxidant assays. The water and aqueous methanolic leaf extracts were further fractionated and their antioxidant capacities and phenolic compositions were tested. Furthermore, the efficacies of the water and aqueous methanolic leaf extracts were tested against hyperlipidemia-induced oxidative stress in rats. Serum and hepatic antioxidant and oxidative stress markers were tested after feeding the rats with high fat diet together with the extracts or simvastatin for 7 weeks. The results indicated that both leaf extracts attenuated oxidative stress through increasing serum antioxidant enzymes activity and upregulating the expression of hepatic antioxidant genes. Multiple phenolic compounds were detected in the extracts and fractions of C. nutans, although protocatechuic acid was one of the most abundant and may have contributed significantly towards the bioactivities of the extracts. However, synergistic effects of different phenolics may have contributed to the overall bioactivities. C. nutans can be a good source of functional ingredients for the management of oxidative stress-related diseases

Comparison of sugar content, mineral elements and antioxidant properties of Heterotrigona itama honey from suburban and forest in Malaysia

Introduction: In Malaysia, Heterotrigona itama sp. (stingless bee) industries start to grow rapidly since 2015 but the study on its health benefit is still lacking. This study was aimed to analyse and compare the sugar content, minerals and antioxidant properties of stingless bee honey collected from forest and suburban area in Malaysia. Methods: Sugar content was determined by HPLC, minerals and heavy metals was determined by Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrometer (ICP-OES) and Atomic Absorption Spectrometer (AAS), total phenolic content (TPC) and total flavonoid content (TFC) by Folin-Ciocalteu and aluminium chloride colorimetry method, respectively. For determining the antioxidant activity of the samples, 2,2-diphenyl-1-(2,4,6-trinitrophenyl) hydrazyl (DPPH), 2,2’-azi-no-bis-3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS) and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assay were used. Results: Fructose, glucose and sucrose are found in all samples in range of 16.03-33.13 g/100g, 8.63-20.72 g/100g and 2.68-34.04 g/100g, respectively. Potassium and sodium were major minerals in all stingless bee honey with an average of 622.36 and 496.01 mg/kg, respectively. Sample from the forest (Sibu, F2) has the highest TPC and TFC with value 520.663±8.119μg GAE/g and 443.25±18.194μg RE/g, respectively. The higher antioxidant activities (DPPH, ABTS, FRAP) also found in samples collected from the forest (F2) with 602.15±12.7 μg TE/g, 575.18±9.38 μg TE/g and 641.36±42.11μg TE/g, respectively. Conclusion: All stingless bee honey studied shown a significant amount of important minerals and antioxidant properties with samples from forest clearly shown significantly higher TPC and TFC as well as the antioxidant activity than samples collected from the suburban area

Colorectal Cancer: A Review of Carcinogenesis, Global Epidemiology, Current Challenges, Risk Factors, Preventive and Treatment Strategies

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second most deadly cancer. Global incidence and mortality are likely to be increased in the coming decades. Although the deaths associated with CRC are very high in high-income countries, the incidence and fatalities related to CRC are growing in developing countries too. CRC detected early is entirely curable by surgery and subsequent medications. However, the recurrence rate is high, and cancer drug resistance increases the treatment failure rate. Access to early diagnosis and treatment of CRC for survival is somewhat possible in developed countries. However, these facilities are rarely available in developing countries. Highlighting the current status of CRC, its development, risk factors, and management is crucial in creating public awareness. Therefore, in this review, we have comprehensively discussed the current global epidemiology, drug resistance, challenges, risk factors, and preventive and treatment strategies of CRC. Additionally, there is a brief discussion on the CRC development pathways and recommendations for preventing and treating CRC. View Full-Tex