A Dried Yeast Fermentate Prevents and Reduces Inflammation in Two Separate Experimental Immune Models

Diverse and significant benefits against cold/flu symptoms and seasonal allergies have been observed with a dried fermentate (DF) derived from Saccharomyces cerevisiae (EpiCor) in multiple published randomized trials. To determine if DF may influence other immune conditions, two separate animal studies were conducted. Study 1 examined the ability of DF to prevent or reduce inflammation when given orally for 14 days to rats prior to receiving 1% carrageenan (localized inflammation model). DF significantly (P < 0.05) reduced swelling at all time points (1, 2, 3, 6, 12, and 24 hours) versus the control. Edema severity and PGE2 levels were reduced by approximately 50% and 25% (P < 0.05), respectively. Study 2 examined the ability of DF to treat established inflammation induced by type-2 collagen in mice over 4 weeks (autoimmune arthritis model). Significantly reduced arthritis scores, antibody response to type-2 collagen, and interferon-gamma levels were observed compared to controls (all parameters P < 0.05). DF favorably impacts multiple acute and potentially chronic immunologic inflammatory control mechanisms and should be further tested in clinical trials

Effectiveness of Hydrogen Rich Water on Antioxidant Status of Subjects with Potential Metabolic Syndrome—An Open Label Pilot Study

Metabolic syndrome is characterized by cardiometabolic risk factors that include obesity, insulin resistance, hypertension and dyslipidemia. Oxidative stress is known to play a major role in the pathogenesis of metabolic syndrome. The objective of this study was to examine the effectiveness of hydrogen rich water (1.5–2 L/day) in an open label, 8-week study on 20 subjects with potential metabolic syndrome. Hydrogen rich water was produced, by placing a metallic magnesium stick into drinking water (hydrogen concentration; 0.55–0.65 mM), by the following chemical reaction; Mg + 2H2O → Mg (OH)2 + H2. The consumption of hydrogen rich water for 8 weeks resulted in a 39% increase (p<0.05) in antioxidant enzyme superoxide dismutase (SOD) and a 43% decrease (p<0.05) in thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) in urine. Further, subjects demonstrated an 8% increase in high density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol and a 13% decrease in total cholesterol/HDL-cholesterol from baseline to week 4. There was no change in fasting glucose levels during the 8 week study. In conclusion, drinking hydrogen rich water represents a potentially novel therapeutic and preventive strategy for metabolic syndrome. The portable magnesium stick was a safe, easy and effective method of delivering hydrogen rich water for daily consumption by participants in the study

Healthy adults supplemented with a nutraceutical formulation containing Aloe vera gel, rosemary and Poria cocos enhances the effect of influenza vaccination in a randomized, triple-blind, placebo-controlled trial

The study objective was to examine the role of a formulation, UP360, containing rosemary and Poria cocos extracts and Aloe vera gel powder, in healthy adults on supporting immune function with influenza vaccination. A 56-day randomized, triple-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel study consisted of a 28-day pre-vaccination period, an influenza vaccination on Day 28 and a 28-day post-vaccination period. Men and women ages 40–80 who had not yet been vaccinated for the flu were randomized to UP360 or Placebo (n = 25/group). At baseline, Days 28 and 56, blood lymphocyte populations, immunoglobulins (Ig), and cytokines were measured, and quality of life (QoL) questionnaires administered. The Wisconsin Upper Respiratory Symptom Survey (WURSS)-24 was completed daily by participants to measure incidence of upper respiratory tract infection (URTIs). In the post-vaccination period, TCR gamma-delta (γδ+) cells, known as γδ T cells, increased with UP360 supplementation compared to Placebo (p &lt; 0.001). The UP360 group had a 15.6% increase in influenza B-specific IgG levels in the post-vaccination period (p = 0.0006). UP360 significantly increased the amount of circulating glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) from baseline at Day 28 (p = 0.0214), an enzyme that is important for neutralizing free radicals. While UP360 supplementation initially decreased levels of anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-1RA in the pre-vaccination period, IL-1RA levels were increased in the post-vaccination period (p ≤ 0.0482). Levels of IL-7 increased from baseline at Day 56 with UP360 supplementation (p = 0.0458). Despite these changes in immune markers, there were no differences in URTI symptoms or QoL between UP360 and Placebo. These results suggest UP360 supplementation was beneficial in eliciting a healthy, robust immune response in the context of vaccination. No changes in subjective measures of URTI illness or QoL demonstrated that participants’ QoL was not negatively impacted by UP360 supplementation. There were no differences in clinical chemistry, vitals or adverse events confirming the good safety profile of UP360. The trial was registered on the International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (ISRCTN15838713)

Safety and efficacy of undenatured type II collagen in the treatment of osteoarthritis OF the knee: a clinical trial

Abstract Previous studies have shown that undenatured type II collagen (UC-II) is effective in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, and preliminary human and animal trials have shown it to be effective in treating osteoarthritis (OA). The present clinical trial evaluated the safety and efficacy of UC-II as compared to a combination of glucosamine and chondroitin (G+C) in the treatment of OA of the knee. The results indicate that UC-II treatment was more efficacious resulting in a significant reduction in all assessments from the baseline at 90 days; whereas, this effect was not observed in G+C treatment group. Specifically, although both treatments reduced the Western Ontario McMaster Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) score, treatment with UC-II reduced the WOMAC score by 33% as compared to 14% in G+C treated group after 90 days. Similar results were obtained for visual analog scale (VAS) scores. Although both the treatments reduced the VAS score, UC-II treatment decreased VAS score by 40% after 90 days as compared to 15.4% in G+C treated group. The Lequesne&apos;s functional index was used to determine the effect of different treatments on pain during daily activities. Treatment with UC-II reduced Lequesne&apos;s functional index score by 20% as compared to 6% in G+C treated group at the end of 90-day treatment. Thus, UC-II treated subjects showed significant enhancement in daily activities suggesting an improvement in their quality of life

An open label pilot study to evaluate the efficacy of Spanish black radish on the induction of phase I and phase II enzymes in healthy male subjects

Abstract Background: Humans are exposed to toxins which accumulate in the body, and are detoxified primarily in the liver. Studies have shown that cruciferous vegetables (such as radishes) may be beneficial to health by aiding detoxification of toxins in the liver. Methods: This single-centre, open-label, pilot study investigated the effect of a dietary supplement containing Spanish Black Radish on hepatic function in healthy males by monitoring the profiles of plasma and urine acetaminophen metabolites and serum hormone concentrations at baseline and after 4 weeks of supplementation. A paired t-test was used to compare pre-and post-treatment of plasma and urine acetaminophen metabolite profiles, serum hormone concentrations and safety end points. Results: Area under the curve (AUC) from 0 to 8 hours for the acetaminophen glucuronide metabolite and unchanged acetaminophen in plasma decreased from baseline to week 4 by 9% (P = 0.004) and 40% (P = 0.010), respectively. The AUC from 0 to 8 hours for acetaminophen sulfate and mercapturate metabolites in the urine increased by 11% (P = 0.010) and 37% (P = 0.024), respectively, from baseline to week 4. The AUC from 0 to 8 hours of serum estradiol-17β decreased by 10% from baseline to week 4 (P = 0.005). All measures of clinical safety remained within acceptable laboratory ranges, however a significant reduction in plasma γ-glutamyl transferase levels was noted after 4 weeks of Spanish Black Radish treatment (P = 0.002)

A randomized, double-blind trial on the bioavailability of two CoQ10 formulations

Oxidized Coenzyme Q10 in plasma was higher (P &lt; 0.001) in subjects receiving CoQH-CF compared to subjects receiving Coenzyme Q10 resulting in a 3.3-fold higher plasma AUC 0-72 h (329% increase). Total CoQ10 reached maximum plasma concentrations 15.5 ± 19.6 h after supplementation with CoQH-CF and 26.5 ± 25.8 h after supplementation with Coenzyme Q10, respectively. Thus, reduced Coenzyme Q10 liquid soft gel formulation was found to be superior to the commercial formulation of Coenzyme Q10 for bioavailability