119 research outputs found
Conjugated linoleic acids (CLA) decrease the breast cancer risk in DMBA-treated rats
The aim of this study was to investigate how supplementation of diet of female Sprague-Dawley rats with different doses of conjugated linoleic acids and for a varied period of time influences breast cancer risk, fatty acids profile and lipids peroxidation in chemically induced mammary tumors. Animals were divided into nine groups with different modifications of diet (vegetable oil, 1.0 or 2.0% of CLA) and period of supplementation, which lasted after (A), before (B) and before and after (BA) carcinogenic agent - 7,12- dimethylbenz[a]anthracene administration at 50th day of life. Mammary adenocarcinomas occurred in all groups, but CLA supplementation decreased the cancer morbidity. Two percent CLA seem to be excessive because of the coexisting cachexia. Two CLA isomers (cis-9, trans-11 and trans-10, cis-12) were detected in tumors but content of rumenic acid was higher. Dietary supplementation significantly influenced some unsaturated fatty acids content (C18:2 n-6 trans, C20:1, C20:5 n-3, C22:2), but the anti- or prooxidant properties of CLA were not confirmed. CLA can inhibit chemically induced mammary tumors development in female rats, but their cytotoxic action seems not to be connected with lipids peroxidation. CLA isomers differ with their incorporation into cancerous tissues and they influence the content of some other fatty acids
Determination of selenium as a biomarker of thyroid cancer by HG-AFS method
A simple and versatile procedure has been developed for the determination of selenium in biological samples for clinical purposes. The procedure consists of microwave sample digestion and the determination of selenium using atomic fluorescence spectrometry with a hydride generation system (HG-AFS). The method allows the determination of selenium in a range of 0.5–100.0 μg L–1 with a detection limit not higher than 0.2 μg L–1 and with good repeatability not exceeding 1%. It was applied for determination of selenium in women’s plasma samples (n = 90) with a suspicion of a thyroid cancer and the control group of women (n = 87). Most of the obtained results were in the range 30.0–60.0 μg L–1 and either did not match the physiological level of selenium in human plasma or indicate moderate selenium deficiency. In the further examinations the thyroid tissues taken from 30 patients were analyzed. In most of the cases the selenium concentration was found to be lower (0.14–1.67 μg g–1 wet weight) than its physiological level in a healthy tissue. On this basis the hypothesis has been drawn that selenium can be considered as an additional marker of the thyroid cancer disease
The impact of training in the field of drug-food interactions on the awareness of this problem among Polish physicians - pilot study
Object of the study
Drug-food interactions can reduce or potentiate the effect of pharmacotherapy, contribute to an increase or decrease in the frequency and severity of adverse drug reactions, impair nutrient absorption or improve their bioavailability. One of the main sources of information on drug-food interactions for patients are physicians.
Aim of the study
The aim of the study was to analyse Polish physicians' knowledge of drug-food interactions before and after training in this area.
Material and methods
The study involved 285 physicians of various specialties. Study participants received a validated questionnaire containing 3 initial questions (asked only before training) and 30 single- or multiple-choice questions (asked twice, before and after training). Trainings were performed in three Polish cities: Gdynia, Kraków and Warsaw.
Results
66 physicians (23%) returned pre- and post-training questionnaires. The mean age of respondents was 44.5 ± 14 years, 65% were female. 80% of participants judged that drug-food interactions can have a high or very high impact on patient safety and the effectiveness of pharmacotherapy. 52% of the respondents declared that while prescribing a drug, they always or almost always inform the patient at what time and how in relation to meals the drug should be taken, 21% admitted that they only provide this information when in their opinion it is relevant. On a scale of 1 - 5, where 1 refers to very low and 5 refers to very high, respondents rated their knowledge of drug-food interactions at an average of 2.6 before training and 3.9 after training. The mean percentage of correct answers to questions testing knowledge of drug-food interactions before and after training was 55% and 73%, respectively (p < 0.05, Chi2 test).
Conclusions
Although survey participants were aware of the importance of drug-food interactions, their knowledge of the topic appeared to be moderate. The low return rate of the questionnaires suggests that the actual level of physicians’ knowledge may be much lower than observed in the survey. The training significantly improved the knowledge of drug-food interactions among the respondents. The survey indicates the need to educate Polish physicians on the proper use of drugs in relation to food
Influence of brassica sprouts on short chain fatty acids concentration in stools of rats with thyroid dysfunction
The aim of the study was to investigate the influence of kohlrabi and broccoli sprouts added to the
diet on the concentrations of short-chain fatty acids in feces samples of rats with thyroid dysfunction. Two models of hypothyroidism were used. The first one was based on the diet with iodine deficiency and the second by sulfadimethoxine addition to the animal drinking water. In most cases, the concentrations of acetic acid, propanoic acid and butanoic acid in stool samples obtained from rats with thyroid dysfunction were insignificantly lower than found in the control group. Moreover, almost in all cases the diet enriched with brassica sprouts insignificantly increased the concentration of fatty acids in investigated material. A significant positive correlation between concentrations of butanoic and acetic acids was found in different groups of rats. In conclusion, the addition of broccoli or kohlrabi sprouts in ratís diet may slightly alleviate the decline of concentrations of some fatty acids in the stool of animals with thyroid dysfunction. Long term effects of this phenomenon should be evaluated in future studies
Optimization of conditions for organic acid extraction from edible plant material as applied to radish sprouts
In recent years, there has been growing interest in
the influence of sprouts on health. Fruit and vegetables are the
main sources of organic acids for humans; however, little is
yet known about organic acids in sprouts. In this study, the
selection of the optimal parameters for extraction of organic
acids from fresh, edible sprouts is reported. Two extraction
techniques: microwave-assisted (MAE) and ultrasound-
assisted were compared. The experimental conditions
were optimized in terms of ext
raction time, temperature,
and composition of extraction solution. To determine the
influence of time and temperature of extraction or sample
cooling, solvents used for extraction, on the analytical signal
in isotachophoretic separation, the methods of experimental
planning fractional factorial design: 3^{k-1} were used (three
factor, three-level design). The optimal conditions for extraction
of organic acids from radish sprouts were MAE, 90 °C;
18 min; and 0.01 M NaOH as a solvent
Ferric reducing ability of plasma and assessment of selected plasma antioxidants in adults with celiac disease
Selenium supplementation of amaranth sprouts influences betacyanin content and improves anti-inflammatory properties via NFκB in murine RAW 264.7 macrophages
Abstract Sprouts contain potent compounds which while influencing crucial transduction pathways in cell reveal anti-inflammatory and anticancer activities. In this study, we report the biological activity for seeds and colourful sprouts of four types of edible amaranth, as amaranth has recently attracted interest due to its appreciable nutritional value. MTT assay conducted for the amaranth seeds and sprouts did not show any adverse effect on the viability of murine RAW 264.7 cells. As amaranth accumulates selenium, the sprouts were supple-mented with this trace element (10 mg/L; 15 mg/L Se as so-dium selenite) while growing. Selenium concentration in sprouts was observed to be significantly correlated with betacyanins content of the tested species. The amounts of Se and betacyanins in sprouts varied for various Amaranth spe-cies. In the present study, Amaranthus cruentus sprouts with the highest betacyanins (19.30 ± 0.57–28.85 ± 2.23 mg of amaranthin/100 g of fresh weight) and high total selenium (22.51 ± 1.57–1044.75 ± 73.08 μg/L in methanol extracts) content prevented NFκB translocation to the cell nucleus and subsequently exerted an anti-inflammatory effect by sig-nificant decreasing inflammatory interleukin 6 production (587.3 ± 34.2–710.0 ± 88.1 pg/mL) in the cell culture of acti-vated RAW 264.7 macrophages (vs LPS control 1520 ± 114 pg/mL)
Dragon fruits as a reservoir of natural polyphenolics with chemopreventive properties
Dragon fruits are a valued source of bioactive compounds with high potential to become a functional food. The aim of the study was to evaluate and compare the chemopreventive potential and chemical composition of fruits harvested in Thailand and Israel. The amount of different compounds in water and methanol extracts and antioxidant activity was investigated. Moreover, cytotoxic activity against cancer and normal cells of skin, prostate, and gastrointestinal origin was performed, accompanied by anti-inflammatory assay based on NO production in RAW 264.7 macrophage model.
Additionally, the quenching properties of polyphenols from fruits were determined by the interaction of the main drug carrier in blood human serum (HSA). The chemometric analysis was used to reveal the relationships between the determined parameters. Dragon fruits harvested in Israel revealed higher antioxidant properties and total content of polyphenols and betacyanins when compared to those from Thailand. The examined fruits of both origins showed significant cytotoxic activity toward colon and prostate cancer cells, with no toxic effect on normal cells, but also no anti-inflammatory effect. Moreover, a high binding ability to HSA was observed for water extracts of dragon fruits. All these predestine dragon fruits are the candidates for the attractive and chemopreventive elements of daily diet
- …