Aphanizomenon flos-aquae (AFA) Extract Prevents Neurodegeneration in the HFD Mouse Model by Modulating Astrocytes and Microglia Activation

Obesity and related metabolic dysfunctions are associated with neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease. Aphanizomenon flos-aquae (AFA) is a cyanobacterium considered a suitable supplement for its nutritional profile and beneficial properties. The potential neuroprotective effect of an AFA extract, commercialized as KlamExtra®, including the two AFA extracts Klamin® and AphaMax®, in High-Fat Diet (HFD)-fed mice was explored. Three groups of mice were provided with a standard diet (Lean), HFD or HFD supplemented with AFA extract (HFD + AFA) for 28 weeks. Metabolic parameters, brain insulin resistance, expression of apoptosis biomarkers, modulation of astrocytes and microglia activation markers, and Aβ deposition were analyzed and compared in the brains of different groups. AFA extract treatment attenuated HFD-induced neurodegeneration by reducing insulin resistance and loss of neurons. AFA supplementation improved the expression of synaptic proteins and reduced the HFD-induced astrocytes and microglia activation, and Aβ plaques accumulation. Together, these outcomes indicate that regular intake of AFA extract could benefit the metabolic and neuronal dysfunction caused by HFD, decreasing neuroinflammation and promoting Aβ plaques clearanc

Microcystins in water and in microalgae

Microcystins have been the subject of increasingly alarming popular and scientific articles, which have taken as their unquestionable foundation the provisional Guideline of 1 μg/L established by the WHO Panel on microcystins levels in water, and mechanically translated by the Oregon government as 1 μg/g of Klamath Aphanizomenon flos aquae microalgae. This article underlines the significant limitations and ultimately scientific untenability of the WHO Guideline on microcystins in water, for being based on testing methodologies which may lead to a significant overestimation of the toxicity of microcystins. I propose criteria for the realization of new experimental studies on the toxicity of microcystins, based on the essential understanding that drinking water is contaminated by whole cyanobacterial microalgae rather than purified microcystins, while it is important to differentiate between water and cyanobacterial supplements. It is indeed a mistake to automatically apply standards that are proper for water to cyanobacterial supplements, as they have different concentrations of the antioxidant substances that inactivate or significantly reduce the toxicity of microcystins, a fact that also require that each cyanobacterial supplement be tested individually and through realistic testing methodologies. Keywords: Microcystins, Cyanobacteria, Klamath algae, Aphanizomenon flos aquae, Spirulina, Chlorella, Water safet

Selective monoamine oxidase B inhibition by an Aphanizomenon flos-aquae extract and by its constitutive active principles phycocyanin and mycosporine-like amino acids

none6noAphanizomenon flos-aquae (AFA) is a fresh water unicellular blue-green alga that has been traditionally used for over 25 years for its health-enhancing properties. Recent studies have shown the ability of a proprietary AFA extract (Klamin(®)) to improve mood, counteract anxiety, and enhance attention and learning. Aim of this study was to test the monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibition activity of the same AFA extract and of its constituents phycocyanin (AFA-PC) and mycosporine-like aminoacids (AFA-MAAs). All compounds showed a dose-dependent selective inhibition of MAO-B activity as compared to MAO-A. The IC50 values of the AFA extract (concentration 10 mg/ml), AFA-PC and AFA-MAAs were 6.4 μl/ml, 1.33 μM and 1.98 μM, respectively, evidencing a mixed-type of inhibition for the AFA extract (Ki 0.99 μl/ml), a non-competitive inhibition for AFA-PC (Ki 1.06 μM) and a competitive inhibition for AFA-MAAs (Ki 0.585 μM). These results are important to explain the neuromodulating properties of the AFA extract Klamin(®), which is rich in phenylethylamine, a general neuromodulator, that would nevertheless rapidly destroyed by MAO-B enzymes without the inhibitory activity of the synergic active principles AFA-PC and AFA-MAAs. The present investigation thus proposes the extract as potentially relevant in clinical areas such as mood disorders and neurodegenerative diseases.restrictedScoglio, Stefano; Benedetti, Yanina; Benvenuti, Francesca; Battistelli, Serafina; Canestrari, Franco; Benedetti, SerenaScoglio, Stefano; Benedetti, Yanina; Benvenuti, Francesca; Battistelli, Serafina; Canestrari, Franco; Benedetti, Seren

Inhibitory effects of Aphanizomenon flos-aquae constituents on human UDP-glucose dehydrogenase activity

The purpose of this study was to investigate the in vitro inhibitory effects of the edible microalga Aphanizomenon flos-aquae (AFA) on human UDP-α-d-glucose 6-dehydrogenase (UGDH) activity, a cytosolic enzyme involved both in tumor progression and in phytochemical bioavailability

APHAMAX® ATTENUATES INFLAMMATORY AND OXIDATIVE STRESS IN 2, 4-DINITROBENZENE SULFONIC ACID-INDUCED COLITIS IN RAT AMELIORATING INTESTINAL FUNCTIONALITY

Accumulating evidences indicate that inflammatory and oxidative stress play an essential role in the pathogenesis and progression of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). In IBD the excessive production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and nitrogen metabolites contribute to tissue injury and could have also a profound impact on gut functions, including motility. We characterised the inflammatory and oxidative condition and the impact on colon motility in an experimental rat model of colitis, the 2, 4-dinitrobenzene sulfonic acid (DNBS)- induced colitis, and we evaluated if oral treatment with a nat- ural extract of Aphanizomenon flos-aquae (AFA) AphaMax®, containing concentrated quantity of AFA-phycocyanins(PCs), compound with a significantly higher antioxidant power than other PCs, can attenuate the inflammatory and oxidative stress and help to recover intestinal motor functionality. Inflamed preparations from DNBS induced colitis rats showed an increase of different inflammatory markers, as MPO activity, a biochemical index for neutrophil infiltration, an increase in the expression of pro inflammatory cytokines and in the levels of marker of oxidative stress as ROS and Nitrites. Inflamed preparations showed also macroscopic and microscopic tissue damages and a marked hypocontractility, as recorded invitro in colonic longitudinal muscle. AphaMax® downregulated in a dose-dependent manner colonic expression of cytokines, IL-1β, IL-6 and iNOS, the activity of MPO and improved anti-oxidant system, inhibiting also NF-κ B activation. The colon injury and the colonic contractility in inflamed tissues were also improved by AphaMax® treatment. Our data reveal that in DNBS-rat model an intense oxidative insult would contribute to tissue damage during chronic intestinal inflammation and that AphaMax®- treatment was able to modulate the redox status by scavenging ROS and reducing the severity of the colitis, contributing also to the recovery of colonic muscle functionalit

Inhibitory effects of Aphanizomenon flos-aquae

The purpose of this study was to investigate the in vitro inhibitory effects of the edible microalga Aphanizomenon flos-aquae (AFA) on human UDP-α-d-glucose 6-dehydrogenase (UGDH) activity, a cytosolic enzyme involved both in tumor progression and in phytochemical bioavailability

Positive Impacts of Aphanizomenon Flos Aquae Extract on Obesity-Related Dysmetabolism in Mice with Diet-Induced Obesity

The present study evaluated the ability of KlamExtra®, an Aphanizomenon flos aquae (AFA) extract, to counteract metabolic dysfunctions due to a high fat diet (HFD) or to accelerate their reversion induced by switching an HFD to a normocaloric diet in mice with diet-induced obesity. A group of HFD mice was fed with an HFD supplemented with AFA (HFD-AFA) and another one was fed with regular chow (standard diet—STD) alone or supplemented with AFA (STD-AFA). AFA was able to significantly reduce body weight, hypertriglyceridemia, liver fat accumulation and adipocyte size in HFD mice. AFA also reduced hyperglycaemia, insulinaemia, HOMA-IR and ameliorated the glucose tolerance and the insulin response of obese mice. Furthermore, in obese mice AFA normalised the gene and the protein expression of factors involved in lipid metabolism (FAS, PPAR-γ, SREBP-1c and FAT-P mRNA), inflammation (TNF-α and IL-6 mRNA, NFkB and IL-10 proteins) and oxidative stress (ROS levels and SOD activity). Interestingly, AFA accelerated the STD-induced reversion of glucose dysmetabolism, hepatic and VAT inflammation and oxidative stress. In conclusion, AFA supplementation prevents HFD-induced dysmetabolism and accelerates the STD-dependent recovery of glucose dysmetabolism by positively modulating oxidative stress, inflammation and the expression of the genes linked to lipid metabolism

The Effect of Experimental Supplementation with the Klamath Algae Extract Klamin on Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a chronic neurobiological condition with onset in childhood. The disorder is characterized by inattention, impulsivity, and/or motor hyperactivity, which often affect the development and social integration of affected subjects. Phenylethylamine (PEA), naturally contained in the Klamath Lake microalgae and concentrated in the Klamin extract, is an endogenous molecule with a general neuromodulatory activity. It functions as an activator for the neurotransmission of dopamine and other catecholamines, and very low concentrations of PEA may be associated with specific psychological disorders such as ADHD. The aim of our study was to evaluate the efficacy of the Klamin extract in treating a group of subjects diagnosed with ADHD. Thirty subjects, aged 6–15, who had been diagnosed with ADHD according to the DSM-IV TR criteria, were enrolled. The supplement was administered to all the subjects, who reported to an ADHD clinic for routine follow-up visits. Observations were made and data collected over a 6-month period. After 6 months of therapy the subjects appeared to show significant improvements based on assessments of their overall functioning, behavioral aspects related to inattention and hyperactivity–impulsivity, attention functions in both the selective and sustained component and executive functions. The study appears to confirm the initial hypothesis that the Klamin extract may positively affect the expression of ADHD symptoms. Additional larger studies on the effects of Klamin on ADHD are needed to further investigate the potential of this extract in ADHD treatment

Herpes Virus, Oral Clinical Signs and QoL: Systematic Review of Recent Data

This manuscript aims to highlight all the clinical features of the herpes virus, with a particular focus on oral manifestations and in the maxillofacial district about Herpes Simplex Virus-1 (HSV-1) and Herpes Simplex Virus-2 (HSV-2). Oral herpes virus is a very common and often debilitating infectious disease for patients, affecting oral health and having important psychological implications. The collection of relevant data comes from the scientific databases Pubmed, Embase; initially this collection obtained an extremely high number of results, 1415. After applying the inclusion and exclusion criteria, as well as a manual screening, the results included in this review were limited to 14. The results were expressed by evaluating all the signs and symptoms that this pathology entails during the study, paying attention to the characteristics linked to the quality of life and the psychological implications. This pathology has numerous therapies, which often make the healing phase of the manifestations of this viral pathology more comfortable. The therapies currently used for the treatment of this viral infection are pharmacological, topical, systemic, or instrumental, for example with laser devices