Effects of Water Quality on Dissolution of Yerba Mate Extract Powders

Yerba mate tea is known as one of the most popular nonalcoholic beverages favoured by South Americans due to its nutrition facts and medicinal properties. The processing of yerba mate tea is found to affect the properties of its final forms. This study presents an investigation into the effects of water sources on the dissolution of yerba mate extract powders. Comparisons were conducted between yerba mate teas prepared by dissolving yerba mate extract powders into tap water and deionized water. Topics to be explored in this work are the major compositions and antioxidant activities, including total phenol content, reducing power, DPPH scavenging activity, and ABTS+• scavenging capacity. It is indicated that there is little difference for antioxidant activities and major constituents of yerba mate teas between both water sources. However, a deeper color is seen in the tap water case, resulting from the reaction between tannic acid and ions. This research finding can be treated as a way to benefit the yerba mate tea processing for applications

Achillea millefolium L. Essential Oil Inhibits LPS-Induced Oxidative Stress and Nitric Oxide Production in RAW 264.7 Macrophages

Achillea millefolium L. is a member of the Asteraceae family and has been used in folk medicine in many countries. In this study, 19 compounds in A. millefolium essential oil (AM-EO) have been identified; the major components are artemisia ketone (14.92%), camphor (11.64%), linalyl acetate (11.51%) and 1,8-cineole (10.15%). AM-EO can suppress the inflammatory responses of lipopolysaccharides (LPS)-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophages, including decreased levels of cellular nitric oxide (NO) and superoxide anion production, lipid peroxidation and glutathione (GSH) concentration. This antioxidant activity is not a result of increased superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activities, but rather occurs as a result of the down-regulation of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) expression, thus reducing the inflammatory response. Therefore, AM-EO can be utilized in many applications, including the treatment of inflammatory diseases in the future

Progression of Kidney Disease in Non-Diabetic Patients with Coronary Artery Disease: Predictive Role of Circulating Matrix Metalloproteinase-2, -3, and -9

<div><p>Background</p><p>Circulating matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2, -3 and -9 are well recognized in predicting cardiovascular outcome in coronary artery disease (CAD), but their risks for chronic kidney disease (CKD) are lacking. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate whether circulating MMP levels could independently predict future kidney disease progression in non-diabetic CAD patients.</p><p>Methods</p><p>The prospective study enrolled 251 non-diabetic subjects referred for coronary angiography, containing normal coronary artery (n = 30) and CAD with insignificant (n = 95) and significant (n = 126) stenosis. Estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was calculated using the CKD-EPI formula. eGFR decline rate was calculated and the primary endpoint was a decline in eGFR over 25% from baseline.</p><p>Results</p><p>The eGFR decline rate (ml/min/1.73 m² per year) in patients with CAD (1.22 [−1.27, 1.05]) was greater than that in those with normal coronary artery (0.21 [−2.63, 0.47], <i>P</i><0.01). The circulating MMP-2, -3 and -9 were independently associated with faster eGFR decline among CAD patients. The mean follow-up period was 8.5±2.4 years, and 39 patients reached the primary endpoint. In multivariate Cox regression model, the adjusted hazard ratios of MMP-2 ≥861 ng/mL, MMP-3 ≥227 ng/mL and MMP-9 ≥49 ng/mL for predicting CKD progression were 2.47 (95% CI, 1.21 to 5.07), 2.15 (1.12 to 4.18), and 4.71 (2.14 to 10.4), respectively. While added to a model of conventional risk factors and baseline eGFR, MMP-2, -3 and -9 further significantly improved the model predictability for CKD progression (c statistic, 0.817). In the sensitivity analyses, the results were similar no matter if we changed the endpoints of a decline of >20% in eGFR from baseline or final eGFR < 60 mL/min/1.73 m².</p><p>Conclusion</p><p>Circulating MMP-2, -3 and -9 are independently associated with kidney disease progression in non-diabetic CAD patients and add incremental predictive power to conventional risk factors.</p></div

MMP risk score in renal and mortality outcomes in patients with stable CAD.

<p>Outcomes contain eGFR decline rate (A), incidence of renal progression (B), and overall mortality rate (C). Abbreviations: CAD, coronary artery disease; eGFR, estimated glomerular filtration rate; MMP, matrix metalloproteinase.</p

Demographic characteristics and laboratory data at baselines among CAD patients stratified by medians of matrix metalloproteinase-2, -3 and -9 levels, respectively.

<p>Medians of baseline plasma MMP-2, MMP-3, and MMP-9 levels were 861 ng/mL, 227 ng/mL, and 49 ng/mL, respectively.</p><p>Comparison between two groups of patients with different MMP-2, -3, and -9 levels by the student’s <i>t</i> test, Pearson <i>x</i>² test, or the Mann-Whitney U test, as appropriate.</p>a<p><i>P</i><0.05;</p>b<p><i>P</i><0.01.</p><p>ACEI, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors; ARB, angiotensin II receptor blockers; CAD, coronary artery disease; CRP, C-reactive protein; DHP, dihydropyridine; eGFR, estimated glomerular filtration rate; HDL, high density lipoprotein; LDL, low density lipoprotein; MMP, matrix metalloproteinase.</p

Comparison of baseline parameters between patients who did and did not reach the endpoint defined by an eGFR decline more than 25% from baseline.

<p>Comparison between two groups of patients by the student’s <i>t</i> test, Pearson <i>x</i>² test, or Mann-Whitney U test, as appropriate.</p><p>ACEI, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors; ARB, angiotensin II receptor blockers; CAD, coronary artery disease; CRP, C-reactive protein; DHP, dihydropyridine; eGFR, estimated glomerular filtration rate; HDL, high density lipoprotein; LDL, low density lipoprotein.</p

Kaplan-Meier analysis of survival curves in CAD patients.

<p>Progression-free (A) and mortality-free (B) survivals are the study endpoints. Difference between patients with MMP-2, MMP-3 and MMP-9 above and below the medians, respectively, by log-rank test. Medians of baseline plasma MMP-2, MMP-3 and MMP-9 levels were 861 ng/mL, 227 ng/mL, and 49 ng/mL, respectively. Abbreviations: CAD, coronary artery disease; MMP, matrix metalloproteinase.</p

Whisker plots showing the 10th, 25th, 50th, 75th and 90th percentiles distribution of eGFR slope.

<p>Difference between patients with MMP-2 (A), MMP-3 (B) and MMP-9 (C) above and below the medians, respectively. Medians of baseline plasma MMP-2, MMP-3 and MMP-9 levels were 861 ng/mL, 227 ng/mL, and 49 ng/mL, respectively. Abbreviations: eGFR, estimated glomerular filtration rate; MMP, matrix metalloproteinase.</p