Chapter Green Tea: Just a Drink or Nutraceutical

Electrical engineerin

Green Tea: Just a Drink or Nutraceutical

Electrical engineerin

Evaluating oxidative stress, serological- and haematological status of dogs suffering from osteoarthritis, after supplementing their diet with fish or corn oil

Background: Oxidative stress plays an important role in the pathogenesis of disease, and the antioxidant physiological effect of omega-3 from fish oil may lead to improvement of canine spontaneous osteoarthritis (OA). Methods: In this prospective randomized, controlled, double-blinded study, we assessed haematological and biochemical parameters in dogs with OA following supplementation with either a concentrated omega-3 deep sea fish oil product or corn oil. Blood samples from 77 client-owned dogs diagnosed as having OA were taken before (baseline) and 16 weeks after having orally ingested 0.2 ml/Kg bodyweight/day of deep sea fish oil or corn oil. Circulating malondialdehyde (MDA), glutathione (GSH), non-transferrin bound iron (NTBI), free carnitine (Free-Car), 8-hydroxy-2-deoxyguanosine (8-OH-dG), and serum fatty acids, haemograms and serum biochemistry were evaluated. Differences within and between groups from baseline to end, were analysed using repeated samples T-test or Wilcoxon rank test and independent samples T-test or a Mann-Whitney test. Results: Supplementation with fish oil resulted in a significant reduction from day 0 to day 112 in MDA (from 3.41 +/- 1.34 to 2.43 +/- 0.92 mu mol/L; P <0.001) and an elevation in Free-Car (from 18.18 +/- 9.78 to 21.19 +/- 9.58 mu mol/L; P = 0.004) concentrations, whereas dogs receiving corn oil presented a reduction in MDA (from 3.41 +/- 1.34 to 2.41 +/- 1.01 mu mol/L; P = 0.001) and NTBI (from -1.25 +/- 2.17 to -2.31 +/- 1.64 mu mol/L; P = 0.002). Both groups showed increased (albeit not significantly) GSH and 8-OH-dG blood values. Dogs supplemented with fish oil had a significant reduction in the proportions of monocytes (from 3.84 +/- 2.50 to 1.77 +/- 1.92 %; P = 0.030) and basophils (from 1.47 +/- 1.22 to 0.62 +/- 0.62 %; P = 0.012), whereas a significant reduction in platelets counts (from 316.13 +/- 93.83 to 288.41 +/- 101.68 x 10(9)/L; P = 0.029), and an elevation in glucose (from 5.18 +/- 0.37 to 5.32 +/- 0.47 mmol/L; P = 0.041) and cholesterol (from 7.13 +/- 1.62 to 7.73 +/- 2.03 mmol/L; P = 0.011) measurements were observed in dogs receiving corn oil. Conclusions: In canine OA, supplementation with deep sea fish oil improved diverse markers of oxidative status in the dogs studied. As corn oil also contributed to the reduction in certain oxidative markers, albeit to a lesser degree, there was no clear difference between the two oil groups. No clinical, haematological or biochemical evidence of side effects emerged related to supplementation of either oil. Although a shift in blood fatty acid values was apparent due to the type of nutraceutical product given to the dogs, corn oil seems not to be a good placebo.Peer reviewe

Evaluation of Antimalarial Potential of Aqueous Crude Gymnema Inodorum Leaf Extract against Plasmodium berghei Infection in Mice

Malaria is still a serious cause of mortality and morbidity. Moreover, the emergence of malaria parasite resistance to antimalarial drugs has prompted the search for new, effective, and safe antimalarial agents. For this reason, the study of medicinal plants in discovering new antimalarial drugs is important and remains a crucial step in the fight against malaria. Hence, this study is aimed at investigating the antimalarial activity of Gymnema inodorum leaf extract (GIE) in Plasmodium berghei infected mice. Aqueous crude extract of G. inodorum leaves was prepared in distilled water (DW) and acute toxicity in mice was carried out. The antimalarial activity was assessed in the five groups of ICR mice employing the 4-day suppressive and curative tests. Untreated and positive controls were given DW along with 10 mg/kg of chloroquine, respectively. Any signs of toxicity, behavioral changes, and mortality were not observed in mice given GIE up to 5,000 mg/kg. GIE significantly (P < 0.05) suppressed parasitemia by 25.65%, 38.12%, and 58.28% at 10, 50, and 100 mg/kg, respectively, in the 4-day suppressive test. In the curative test, the highest parasitemia inhibition of 66.78% was observed at 100 mg/kg of GIE. Moreover, GIE prevented packed cell volume reduction and body weight loss compared to the untreated control. Additionally, GIE was able to prolong the mean survival time of infected mice significantly. The results obtained in this study confirmed the safety and promise of G. inodorum as an important source of new antimalarial agents and justify its folkloric use for malaria treatment

Metabolic syndrome, biochemical markers, and body composition in youth living with perinatal HIV infection on antiretroviral treatment.

People living with HIV who are on antiretroviral treatment are at increased risk of developing premature cardiovascular disease. Children with perinatal HIV infection (PHIV) have survived through their adolescence and are entering adulthood. We determined the prevalence of metabolic syndrome, abnormal biochemical markers, and characterized body composition parameters in youth living with perinatal HIV infection. This cross-sectional study was conducted at the Research Institute for Health Sciences, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand from December 2017 to February 2018. PHIV-youths between 15 <25 years of age who were receiving ART were enrolled. Data collection included ART-related history, blood pressure, and anthropometric measurements. Body composition including android, gynoid fat mass, and total body fat were measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Fasting blood was drawn to test for lipid profile, glucose, and high sensitivity c-reactive protein (hsCRP). One hundred and twenty PHIV-youths (48% female) were enrolled. Their mean age and the median duration on ART were 20.3 (SD2.6) and 14.1 (IQR 10.4-14.9) years, respectively; 76 (63%) were on first-line non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors-based regimens. Thirty-three (28%), 74 (62%), and 13 (11%) of PHIV-youths were underweight (BMI < 18.5 kg/m2), normal (BMI 18.5-24.9 kg/m2), and overweight (BMI ≥ 25.0 kg/m2), respectively. The prevalence of metabolic syndrome was 10.6% (95%CI 5.0-16.0). Seventy-six of 113 (67.3%) of PHIV-youths had lipid alteration; the most prevalent types being low HDL (46.9%) and increased triglycerides (27.4%). Overall 43 (35.9%) had increased hsCRP (16.7% with immediate and 19.2% with high risk for CVD). Females had significantly higher percentage of android and gynoid fat, but lower Android to gynoid ratio (AGR) compared to males. There were 77%, 31%, and 21% of PHIV-youths in the overweight, normal weight, and underweight group with AGR in tertile 3, respectively. In conclusion, we documented presence of metabolic syndrome in 10.6% of PHIV-youths on ART. Increase AGR representing abdominal obesity was detected even in youths with normal BMI or underweight

The effectiveness of iodine supplementation during pregnancies in geographical areas of high prevalence of iodine insufficiency

The objective of this study was to determine the effectiveness of routine iodine supplementation among pregnant women in areas of high prevalence of an iodine insufficiency, using WHO criteria to determine the iodine status. A longitudinal study was conducted on pregnant women attending antenatal care at a tertiary hospital. The urine iodine concentration was measured in the first trimester and after 150 μg of iodine supplementation in the third trimester. A total of 327 pregnant women met the inclusion criteria with a complete follow-up. The prevalence of an iodine insufficiency was significantly lower in the third trimester, when compared to the first trimester (21.41% vs 55.35%, p < .001). However, 21.4% of cases still had an iodine insufficiency and 35.17% had an ‘above-requirement’ in the third trimester. In the areas of high prevalence of iodine insufficiency, an iodine supplementation significantly reduces the number of women with insufficiency; however, it was associated with unnecessarily high UICs, leading to the risk of excess iodine.Impact statement What is already known on this subject: Iodine insufficiency is highly prevalent in many geographical areas. Half of the pregnant women in the northern part of Thailand had an iodine insufficiency in the first trimester. What do the results of this study add: Iodine supplementation (daily 150-mcg of potassium iodide) could significantly reduce the number of women with the insufficiency. About one-fifth of women still had an iodine insufficiency in spite of iodine supplementation. Universal supplementation could be associated with unnecessarily high UICs, potentially at risk of iodine excess. What are the implications of these findings for clinical practice and/or further research: Physicians should guard against the occurrence of adverse effect from an iodine excess when there is routine iodine supplementation for pregnant women. Further study is required to establish the best strategy for an iodine supplementation in pregnancy

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<b>Figure 1:</b> Hypoglycemia induced by <i>Plasmodium berghei</i> infection.<div><b>Figure 2:</b> Anti-hypoglycemic effect of aqueous crude extract of <i>G. pentaphyllum</i> leaves.<br></div><div><b>Figure 3:</b> Effects of aqueous crude extract of <i>G. pentaphyllum</i> leaves on BW and MST of mice.<br></div

Kaempferol Addition Increases the Antimalarial Activity of Artesunate in Experimental Mice

Kaempferol (KMF) is a member of flavonol widely found in tea, broccoli, apples, strawberries, and beans. It has been demonstrated to present several pharmacological properties with potent antimalarial activity against Plasmodium berghei-infected mice. Hence, the search for a safe and new antimalarial compound with combinations to delay the development of resistance was the aim of this study. Thus, the therapeutic effect of the combination of KMF and artesunate (ART) in P. berghei-infected mice was evaluated. Combination of KMF and ART in P. berghei ANKA- (PbANKA-) infected ICR mice in a fixed-ratio combination (1 : 1) and fractions of their median effective dose (ED50) was also investigated using the standard 4-day suppressive test. The ED50 levels of KMF and ART in mice infected with PbANKA were 20.06 ± 2.65 and 6.06 ± 1.33 mg/kg, respectively. Moreover, KMF showed promising synergistic combination with ART at the doses of their ED50 and fixed-ratio combination (1 : 1) of their ED50 of 1/2 with combination index (CI) values of 0.86 and 0.47, respectively. Additionally, KMF, ART, and its combination at the doses of their ED50 and fixed-ratio combination (1 : 1) of their ED50 of 1/2 also presented significantly (P<0.001) prolonged mean survival time (MST). The findings of this study showed that a combination of KMF and ART enhanced the antimalarial activity of ART and prolonged MST. This study supports the basis for the selection of KMF as a prospective compound for further consideration as a partner drug for ART