HISTO-ANATOMICAL AND CHROMATOGRAPHIC RESEARCHES ON ZIZIPHORA CAPITATA L. (LAMIACEAE) SPECIES

Concerning Ziziphora capitata L. (Lamiaceae) species, the paper presents the histo-anatomical analysis of root, aboveground stem and leaf, along with the chromatographic investigations of the polyphenols in the aerial parts. Caffeic acid (126.2 μg/mL) and rutin (171.3 μg/mL) were identified in the 20% methanolic extract of Ziziphorae capitatae herba, by thin-layer chromatography coupled with photodensitometry

A Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Pilot Study to Evaluate the Effect of Calcium Fructoborate on Systemic Inflammation and Dyslipidemia Markers for Middle-Aged People with Primary Osteoarthritis

The objective of this pilot study was to determine whether 15 days of dietary supplementation with calcium fructoborate could acutely modulate inflammatory and lipid blood markers in individuals diagnosed with primary osteoarthritis. During 2 weeks, a placebo-controlled, randomized, double-blind study was conducted on 116 subjects that were initially recruited. Seventy-two subjects started the study, being divided into four groups, and only 60 completed the study as designed. The aim was to compare the effects of calcium fructoborate to placebo on subjects diagnosed with knee primary osteoarthritis. The obtained outcomes were inflammation biomarkers (C-reactive protein, fibrinogen, and erythrocyte sedimentation rate) and lipid markers (triglycerides, total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and HDL cholesterol). No serious adverse events were reported. The calcium fructoborate showed beneficial effect on the inflammatory markers for all groups subjected to the treatment when compared with the placebo group and slight changes in the lipid metabolism. This study suggests that short-term (2 weeks) calcium fructoborate supplementation in patients with osteoarthritis symptoms has a favorable prognosis on inflammation diseases

HISTO-ANATOMICAL AND CHROMATOGRAPHIC RESEARCHES ON CAMPANULA PERSICIFOLIA L. (CAMPANULACEAE) SPECIES

The paper presents the histo-anatomical researches on root, rhizome, aboveground stem and leaf of Campanula persicifolia L. (Campanulaceae) species, together with the thin-layer chromatography analysis of the polyphenols content of Campanulae persicifoliae herba. Chlorogenic acid (108.6 μg/mL) was identified in the 20% methanolic extract of the aerial parts

Oral resveratrol and calcium fructoborate supplementation in subjects with stable angina pectoris: Effects on lipid profiles, inflammation markers, and quality of life

AbstractObjectiveThis study aimed to evaluate the effects of short-term (60-d) oral supplementation with calcium fructoborate, resveratrol, and their combination on the clinical and biological statuses of subjects with stable angina pectoris.MethodsA randomized, double-blinded, active-controlled, parallel clinical trial was conducted in three groups of subjects. Of the total number of subjects included in study (n = 166), 87 completed the 60-d test treatment study period and 29 followed in parallel their usual medical care and treatment. The primary outcomes were inflammation biomarkers (high-sensitivity C-reactive protein), left ventricular function markers (N-terminal prohormone of brain natriuretic peptide), and lipid markers (total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and triacylglycerols). Quality of life was assessed by the Canadian Cardiovascular Society angina class and the number of angina attacks per week.ResultsThere was a significant decrease of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein in all groups at the 30-d and 60-d visits. This decrease was greater (39.7% at 60 d) for group 3 (calcium fructoborate), followed by group 2 (resveratrol plus calcium fructoborate, 30.3% at 60 d). The N-terminal prohormone of brain natriuretic peptide was significantly lowered by resveratrol (group 1, 59.7% at 60 d) and by calcium fructoborate (group 3, 52.6% at 60 d). However, their combination (group 2) was the most effective and induced a decrease of 65.5%. Lipid markers showed slight changes from baseline in all groups. The improvement in the quality of life was best observed for subjects who received the resveratrol and calcium fructoborate mixture (group 2).ConclusionThe results indicate that the combination of resveratrol and calcium fructoborate has beneficial effects in patients with angina (ClinicalTrials.gov, ISRCTN02337806; March 25, 2010)