Immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant effects of curcumin

Turmeric is a widely used spice derived from the rhizomes of Curcuma longa. Having been used as a dietary spice, it has drawn scientists’ attention to the possible medicinal benefits of its active compounds called curcuminoids which consist of curcumin, demethoxycurcumin and bisdemethoxycurcmin. Considering wide range of pharmacological properties that curcumin offers, numerous studies have investigated its potency as a therapeutic agent in various diseases such as autoimmune, cardiovascular, neoplastic, pulmonary, neurodegenerative and metabolic diseases. With regard to its wide array of health benefits and published data on the underlying mechanisms of its action, a complex interaction between three main events including inflammation, oxidative stress, and immunity, seems to contribute to different therapeutic roles of this compound. Hence, this review discusses the current knowledge on the anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and immunomodulatory roles of curcumin with the hope of recruiting curcumin as a therapeutic agent in future therapeutic regimen in order to enhance the efficacy of the treatment, as well as decreasing the adverse effects of synthetic chemical drugs

Chrysin reduces proliferation and induces apoptosis in the human prostate cancer cell line pc-3

INTRODUCTION: Honey is a common household product with many medicinal uses described in traditional medicine. Only recently has its antioxidant properties and preventive effects against disease been highlighted. Chrysin is a natural flavone commonly found in honey that has been shown to be an antioxidant agent. In this study, we investigated the antiproliferative and apoptotic effects of honey and chrysin on cultured human prostate cancer cells. METHODS: Cells were cultured in RPMI medium and treated with different concentrations of honey and chrysin for three consecutive days. Cell viability was quantitated by the 3-(4, 5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2, 5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. The percentage of apoptotic cells was determined by flow cytometry using Annexin V-fluorescein isothiocyanate. RESULTS: The MTT assay revealed that both compounds had an antiproliferative effect on PC-3 cells in a dose- and time-dependent manner. The IC50 values for honey and chrysin against PC-3 cells were 2.5% and 24.5% after 48 h and 1.8% and 8.5% after 72 h, respectively. Chrysin induced apoptosis in PC-3 cells, as determined by flow cytometry. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that honey has anti-proliferative effects on prostate cancer cells and the effects are mainly due to chrysin. Therefore, chrysin may be a potential compound for both cancer prevention and treatment. Further in vivo investigation is needed to support the use of chrysin in cancer therapy

Assessment the effect of saffron ethanolic extract (Crocus sativus L.) on oxidative damages in aged male rat liver

Using antioxidant nutrients may be a good diet strategy for the prevention of oxidative stress associated to agerelated disease. We assessed the changes in activities of antioxidant enzymes (superoxide Dismutase-SOD Glutathione-S-Transferase-GST, Catalase-CAT) and the levels of lipid Per-oxidation (Malondialdehyde -MDA) in liver and serum nitric oxide (NO) of rats 2, 10 and 20 months old, and to determine the effect of saffron on the status of selected oxidative stress. The aged rats were given intraperitoneal injection of saffron extract daily for 4-week. Data were analyzed using ANOVA-One way followed by Tukey-Kramer Post-Hoc test for multiple comparisons. The results demonstrated that aging caused significant increase in the levels of serum NO and MDA with a reduction in the activities of SOD, GST and CAT in liver. This study showed that saffron ameliorated increased serum NO and MDA levels and decreased GST activity in liver of 20 months old rats. Therefore, saffron can be effective to protect susceptible aged liver

Dissecting the Antimicrobial Composition of Honey

Honey is a complex sweet food stuff with well-established antimicrobial and antioxidant properties. It has been used for millennia in a variety of applications, but the most noteworthy include the treatment of surface wounds, burns and inflammation. A variety of substances in honey have been suggested as the key component to its antimicrobial potential; polyphenolic compounds, hydrogen peroxide, methylglyoxal and bee-defensin 1. These components vary greatly across honey samples due to botanical origin, geographical location and secretions from the bee. The use of medical grade honey in the treatment of surface wounds and burns has been seen to improve the healing process, reduce healing time, reduce scarring and prevent microbial contamination. Therefore, if medical grade honeys were to be included in clinical treatment, it would reduce the demand for antibiotic usage. In this review, we outline the constituents of honey and how they affect antibiotic potential in a clinical setting. By identifying the key components, we facilitate the development of an optimally antimicrobial honey by either synthetic or semisynthetic production methods

MicroRNA-mediated regulation of Nrf2 signaling pathway: Implications in disease therapy and protection against oxidative stress

MicroRNAs (miRs) are small non-coding pieces of RNA that are involved in a variety of physiologic processes such as apoptosis, cell proliferation, cell differentiation, cell cycle and cell survival. These multifunctional nucleotides are also capable of preventing oxidative damages by modulating antioxidant defense systems in a variety of milieu, such as in diabetes. Although the exact molecular mechanisms by which miRs modulate the antioxidant defense elements are unclear, some evidence suggests that they may exert these effects via nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) signaling pathway. This intracellular mechanism is crucial in the maintenance of the physiologic redox balance by regulating the expression and activity of various cellular antioxidative defense elements and thereby plays a pivotal role in the development of oxidative stress. Any impairment in the Nrf2 signaling pathway may result in oxidative damage-dependent complications such as various diabetic complications, neurological disorders and cancer. In the current review, we discuss the modulatory effects of miRs on the Nrf2 signaling pathway, which can potentially be novel therapeutic targets

Protective Effects of Carvacrol against Oxidative Stress Induced by Chronic Stress in Rat’s Brain, Liver, and Kidney

Restraint stress may be associated with elevated free radicals, and thus, chronic exposure to oxidative stress may cause tissue damage. Several studies have reported that carvacrol (CAR) has a protective effect against oxidative stress. The present study was designed to investigate the protective effects of CAR on restraint stress induced oxidative stress damage in the brain, liver, and kidney. For chronic restraint stress, rats were kept in the restrainers for 6 h every day, for 21 consecutive days. The animals received systemic administrations of CAR daily for 21 days. To evaluate the changes of the oxidative stress parameters following restraint stress, the levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), reduced glutathione (GSH), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), glutathione reductase (GR), and catalase (CAT) activities were measured in the brain, liver, and kidney. In the stressed animals that received vehicle, the MDA level was significantly higher (P<0.001) and the levels of GSH and antioxidant enzymes were significantly lower than the nonstressed animals (P<0.001). CAR ameliorated the changes in the stressed animals as compared with the control group (P<0.001). This study indicates that CAR can prevent restraint stress induced oxidative damage

Phytochemical Properties and Antibacterial Effects of Salvia multicaulis Vahl., Euphorbia microsciadia Boiss., and Reseda lutea on Staphylococcus aureus and Acinetobacter baumanii

Background: Plantshave long served as a rich source of drugs. Givensomemicroorganisms' acquisition of resistance to the current antibiotics, there is a need for discovering new drugs. Objectives: The aim of the present study was to investigate the phytochemical properties and antibacterial effects of Salvia multicaulis Vahl., Euphorbia microsciadia Boiss., and Reseda lutea against Acinetobacter baumanii and Staphylococcus aureus. Methods: In this experimental study, hydroalcoholic (ethanol 70%) plant extracts were prepared by maceration. Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) and minimum bactericidal concentrations (MBCs) were determined by CLSI broth microdilution and Muller-Hinton agar assay for each sample, respectively. Total phenolic content was measured by Folin-Ciocalteu colorimetric assay and expressed in terms of gallic acid equivalent and total flavonoid content by aluminum chloride colorimetric method and in terms of rutin equivalent. Results: Findings showed that 1, 4, and 1 mg/mL were derived as MICs and 4, 16, and 8 mg/mL as MBCs for S. multicaulis Vahl., E. microsciadia Boiss., and R. lutea, respectively, against S. aureus; 2, 8, and 2 mg/mL were derived as MICs and 16, 32, and 16 mg/mL as MBCs for S. multicaulis Vahl. R. lutea, and E. microsciadia Boiss., respectively, against A. baumanii. In addition, E. microsciadia Boiss. and S. multicaulis Vahl. were found to contain the highest total phenolic and flavonoid content, respectively. Conclusions: The studied plants that were collected from Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari Province can be used to produce antibiotics due to their phenols and flavonoids and exert antibacterial effects on the studied bacteria. Keywords Author Keywords:Medicinal Plants; Drug Resistance; Minimum Inhibitory Concentration; Minimum Bactericidal Concentration; Phytochemistr

The effect of banana leaf package on the shelf life of rainbow trout fillet in comparison with plastic bags

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of banana leaf extract on the quality and shelf life of rainbow trout compared to plastic bags at freezing temperature for 40 days. For evaluating this propose, the antioxidant activity of banana leaf extract was assessed. In addition, the shelf life of fish filets was determined by measuring thiobarbituric acid (TBA) and pHof fish. The banana leaves extract showed the highest content of vitamin E (5.8 ± 0.61 mg /g) and carotenoids (12.8 ± 0.1 mg /g). The potential of Cu (II) reduction the extract was 1.76 ± 0.09. The magnitude of modification in TBA and pH of the packed fish with banana leaves were less than the control samples. The present study demonstrated that the use of banana leaf extract will retard lipid oxidation in fish. fillet during freezing storage that may due to its strong antioxidant properties

Honey Supplementation and Exercise: A Systematic Review.

Honey is a natural substance formed primarily of carbohydrates (~80%) which also contains a number of other compounds purported to confer health benefits when consumed. Due to its carbohydrate composition (low glycaemic index, mostly fructose and glucose), honey may theoretically exert positive effects when consumed before, during or after exercise. This review therefore appraised research examining the effects of honey consumption in combination with exercise in humans. Online database (PubMed, MEDLINE, SPORTDiscus) searches were performed, yielding 273 results. Following duplicate removal and application of exclusion criteria, nine articles were reviewed. Large methodological differences existed in terms of exercise stimulus, population, and the nutritional interventions examined. All nine studies reported biochemical variables, with four examining the effects of honey on exercise performance, whilst five described perceptual responses. Acute supplementation around a single exercise session appeared to elicit similar performance, perceptual, and immunological responses compared with other carbohydrate sources, although some performance benefit has been observed relative to carbohydrate-free comparators. When consumed over a number of weeks, honey may dampen immunological perturbations arising from exercise and possibly improve markers of bone formation. More well-controlled research is required to better understand the role for honey in a food-first approach to exercise nutrition

Impact of Metformin on Cancer Biomarkers in Non-Diabetic Cancer Patients: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Clinical Trials

Introduction: Our aim was to investigate and evaluate the influence of metformin on cancer-related biomarkers in clinical trials. Methods: This systematic study was conducted according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines. Major databases, including Scopus, Web of Sciences, PubMed, Ovid-Medline, and Cochrane, were systematically reviewed by February 2020. Clinical trials investigating metformin effects on the evaluation of homeostatic models of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), Ki-67, body mass index (BMI), fasting blood sugar (FBS), and insulin were selected for further analysis. Quality assessment was performed with version 2 of the Cochrane tool for determining the bias risk for randomized trials (RoB 2). Heterogeneity among the included studies was assessed using the Chi-square test. After quality assessment, a random effects model was performed to summarize the data related to insulin, HOMA-IR, Ki-67, and a fixed-effect model for FBS and BMI in a meta-analysis. Results: Nine clinical trials with 716 patients with operable breast and endometrial cancer and 331 with primary breast cancer were involved in the current systematic and meta-analysis study. Systematic findings on the nine publications indicated metformin decreased insulin levels in four studies, FBS in one, BMI in two, Ki-67 in three studies, and HOMA-IR in two study. The pooled analysis indicated that metformin had no significant effect on the following values: insulin (standardized mean differences (SMD) = −0.87, 95% confidence intervals (CI) (−1.93, 0.19), p = 0.11), FBS (SMD = −0.18, 95% CI (−0.30, −0.05), p = 0.004), HOMA-IR (SMD = −0.17, 95% CI (−0.52, 0.19), p = 0.36), and BMI (SMD = −0.13, 95% CI (−0.28, 0.02), p = 0.09). Metformin could decrease Ki-67 in patients with operable endometrial cancer versus healthy subjects (SMD = 0.47, 95% CI (−1.82, 2.75), p = 30.1). According to Egger’s test, no publication bias was observed for insulin, FBS, BMI, HOMA-IR, and Ki-67. Conclusions: Patients with operable breast and endometrial cancer under metformin therapy showed no significant changes in the investigated metabolic biomarkers in the most of included study. It was also found that metformin could decrease Ki-67 in patients with operable endometrial cancer. In comparison to the results obtained of our meta-analysis, due to the high heterogeneity and bias of the included clinical trials, the present findings could not confirm or reject the efficacy of metformin for patients with breast cancer and endometrial cancer