Bioactive Compounds of Mediterranean Cooked Tomato Sauce (Sofrito) Modulate Intestinal Epithelial Cancer Cell Growth Through Oxidative Stress/Arachidonic Acid Cascade Regulation

Mediterranean diet (MD) is associated with a low incidence of colorectal cancer, but the specific dietary constituents involved and mechanisms related to these beneficial effects are still sparse. Sofrito, a traditional MD preparation, is a mix of foods characteristics of MD such as tomato, onion, garlic, and extra virgin olive oil, which contains many bioactive phenolic compounds and carotenoids. The aim of the present study was to determine the action of these components of sofrito on reactive oxygen species and eicosanoid production as well as the cell growth/cell cycle in adenocarcinoma cell cultures. We observed that hydroxytyrosol, naringenin, naringenin glucuronide, and to a lesser extent lycopene and β-carotene modulate these events in Caco-2 cell cultures. Interestingly, we also found an additive action of these bioactive compounds that could explain these biological actions on concentrations reached after the consumption of a traditional MD

Bioactive compounds of cooked tomato sauce modulate oxidative stress and arachidonic acid cascade induced by oxidized LDL in macrophage cultures

Sofrito is a mix of tomato, onion, garlic, and olive oil, which contains phenolic compounds and carotenoids. Consumption of tomato-based sofrito has been related to a lower risk of cardiovascular events, but the mechanisms behind such beneficial effects remain unclear. This study aimed to analyze the effects of representative sofrito compounds such as naringenin, hydroxytyrosol, lycopene, and β-carotene on mechanisms involved in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. We demonstrated that both phenolic compounds and both carotenoids studied were able to inhibit low density lipoproteins (LDL) oxidation, as well as oxidative stress and eicosanoid production induced by oxidized LDL (oxLDL) in macrophage cultures. These effects were not the consequences of disturbing oxLDL uptake by macrophages. Finally, we observed an additive effect of these sofrito compounds, as well as the activity of a main naringenin metabolite, naringenin 7-O-β-d-glucuronide on LDL oxidation and oxidative stress

Polyphenol fraction of extra virgin olive oil protects against endothelial dysfunction induced by high glucose and free fatty acids through modulation of nitric oxide and endothelin-1

Epidemiological and clinical studies have reported that olive oil reduces the incidence of cardiovascular disease. However, the mechanisms involved in this beneficial effect have not been delineated. The endothelium plays an important role in blood pressure regulation through the release of potent vasodilator and vasoconstrictor agents such as nitric oxide (NO) and endothelin-1 (ET-1), respectively, events that are disrupted in type 2 diabetes. Extra virgin olive oil contains polyphenols, compounds that exert a biological action on endothelial function. This study analyzes the effects of olive oil polyphenols on endothelial dysfunction using an in vitro model that simulates the conditions of type 2 diabetes. Our findings show that high glucose and linoleic and oleic acids decrease endothelial NO synthase phosphorylation, and consequently intracellular NO levels, and increase ET-1 synthesis by ECV304 cells. These effects may be related to the stimulation of reactive oxygen species production in these experimental conditions. Hydroxytyrosol and the polyphenol extract from extra virgin olive oil partially reversed the above events. Moreover, we observed that high glucose and free fatty acids reduced NO and increased ET-1 levels induced by acetylcholine through the modulation of intracellular calcium concentrations and endothelial NO synthase phosphorylation, events also reverted by hydroxytyrosol and polyphenol extract. Thus, our results suggest a protective effect of olive oil polyphenols on endothelial dysfunction induced by hyperglycemia and free fatty acids

Dual Behavior of Long-Chain Fatty Acids and Their Cyclooxygenase/Lipoxygenase Metabolites on Human Intestinal Caco-2 Cell Growth

Etiology of colorectal cancer (CRC) is related, at least in part, with nutritional profile and epidemiological data indicating a key role of dietary fat on CRC pathogenesis. Moreover, inflammation and eicosanoids produced from arachidonic acid might have a pivotal role in CRC development. However, the effect of specific fatty acids (FAs) on intestinal epithelial cell growth is not completely studied now. By this reason, the aim of this work is to unravel the effect of different saturated and unsaturated long-chain fatty acids (LCFA) and some LCFA metabolites on CRC cell line growth and their possible mechanisms of action. Our results demonstrated that oleic acid is a potent mitogenic factor to Caco-2 cells, at least in part, through 10-hydroxy-8-octadecenoic synthesized by lipoxigenase pathway, whereas polyunsaturated FAs such as eicosapentaenoic (EPA) acid has a dual behavior effect depending on its concentration. A high concentration, EPA induced apoptosis through intrinsic pathway, whereas at low concentration induced cell proliferation that could be related to the synthesis of eicosanoids such as prostaglandin E3 and 12-hydroxyeicosapentaenoic acid and the subsequent induction of mitogenic cell signaling pathways (ERK 1/2, CREB, p38α). Thus, this study contributes to understand the complicated relationship between fat ingest and CRC

Effects of the Non-Alcoholic Fraction of Beer on Abdominal Fat, Osteoporosis, and Body Hydration in Women

Abstract: Several studies have shown that binge drinking of alcoholic beverages leads to non-desirable outcomes, which have become a serious threat to public health. However, the bioactive compounds in some alcohol-containing beverages might mitigate the negative effects of alcohol. In beer, the variety and concentration of bioactive compounds in the non-alcoholic fraction suggests that its consumption at moderate levels may not only be harmless but could also positively contribute to an improvement of certain physiological states and be also useful in the prevention of different chronic diseases. The present review focuses on the effects of non-alcoholic components of beer on abdominal fat, osteoporosis, and body hydration in women, conditions selected for their relevance to health and aging. Although beer drinking is commonly believed to cause abdominal fat deposition, the available literature indicates this outcome is inconsistent in women. Additionally, the non-alcoholic beer fraction might improve bone health in postmenopausal women, and the effects of beer on body hydration, although still unconfirmed seem promising. Most of the health benefits of beer are due to its bioactive compounds, mainly polyphenols, which are the most studied. As alcohol-free beer also contains these compounds, it may well offer a healthy alternative to beer consumers. Keywords: hops; malt; health; menopause; polyphenol; phytoestrogen; prenylnarigenin; humulones; ethanol; bioactive

Health Effects of Resveratrol: Results from Human Intervention Trials

The effect of resveratrol (RV) intake has been reviewed in several studies performed in humans with different health status. The purpose of this review is to summarize the results of clinical trials of the last decade, in which RV was determined in biological samples such as human plasma, urine, and feces. The topics covered include RV bioavailability, pharmacokinetics, effects on cardiovascular diseases, cognitive diseases, cancer, type 2 diabetes (T2D), oxidative stress, and inflammation states. The overview of the recent research reveals a clear tendency to identify RV in plasma, showing that its supplementation is safe. Furthermore, RV bioavailability depends on several factors such as dose, associated food matrix, or time of ingestion. Notably, enterohepatic recirculation of RV has been observed, and RV is largely excreted in the urine within the first four hours after consumption. Much of the research on RV in the last 10 years has focused on its effects on pathologies related to oxidative stress, inflammatory biomarkers, T2D, cardiovascular diseases, and neurological disease

Moderate Consumption of Beer (with and without Ethanol) and Menopausal Symptoms: Results from a Parallel Clinical Trial in Postmenopausal Women

The menopausal transition can be a challenging period for women's health and a trigger of uncomfortable symptoms. Beer is the main food source of isoxanthohumol, a precursor of 8-prenylnaringenin, the strongest phytoestrogen identified to date. As phytoestrogens are reported to reduce perimenopausal symptoms, we evaluated if a daily moderate consumption of beer with (AB) and without alcohol (NAB) could improve menopausal symptoms and modify cardiovascular risk factors. A total of 37 postmenopausal women were enrolled in a parallel controlled intervention trial and assigned to three study groups: 16 were administered AB (330 mL/day), 7 NAB (660 mL/day), and 14 were in the control group. After a 6-month follow-up of the 34 participants who finished the trial, both interventions (AB and NAB) significantly reduced the severity of the menopause-related symptoms (p-value AB vs. Control: 0.009; p-value NAB vs. Control: 0.033). Moreover, AB had a beneficial net effect on psychological menopausal discomforts compared to the control group. As the sex hormone profile did not differ significantly between the study groups, the effects of both types of beers (AB and NAB) are attributed to the non-alcoholic fraction of beer. Furthermore, moderate NAB consumption improved the lipid profile and decreased blood pressure in postmenopausal women. View Full-Text Keywords: phytoestrogens; prenylflavonoids; polyphenols; health; menopause; alcohol; cardiovascular risk factor

Prevalence and correlates of cardiovascular health among early adolescents enrolled in the SI! Program in Spain: a cross-sectional analysis.

The Instituto de Salud Carlos III-Fondo de Investigacion Sanitaria (PI19/01704) and the European Regional Development Fund/European Social Fund ("A way to make Europe"/"Investing in your future"), the Fundació la Marató de TV3 (369/C/2016), the ‘la Caixa’ Foundation (LCF/PR/CE16/10700001 and LCF/PR/MS19/12220001), the Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (AGL2016–75329-R), the Generalitat de Catalunya, and the SHE Foundation. The CNIC is supported by the Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII), the Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación, and the Pro CNIC Foundation and is a Severo Ochoa Center of Excellence (SEV-2015-0505).S

Rationale and design of the school-based SI! Program to face obesity and promote health among Spanish adolescents: A cluster-randomized controlled trial

Unhealthy habits in adolescents are increasing at an alarming rate. The school offers a promising environment in which to implement effective preventive strategies to improve adolescents' lifestyle behaviors. The SI! Program is a multilevel multicomponent school-based health-promotion intervention aimed at all stages of compulsory education in Spain. We present the study design of the SI! Program for Secondary Schools, targeting adolescents aged 12 to 16 years. Aim: The main goal of this study is to evaluate the impact of the SI! Program educational intervention on adolescent lifestyle behaviors and health parameters. Methods: The study was designed as a cluster-randomized controlled intervention trial and enrolled 1326 adolescents from 24 public secondary schools in Spain, together with their parents/caregivers. Schools and their students were randomly assigned to the intervention group (the SI! curriculum-based educational program over 2 or 4 academic years) or to the control group (usual curriculum). The primary endpoint will be the change from baseline at 2-year and 4-year follow-up in the composite Ideal Cardiovascular Health (ICH) score, consisting of four health behaviors (body mass index, dietary habits, physical activity, and smoking) and three health factors (blood pressure, total cholesterol, and glucose). Secondary endpoints will include 2-year and 4-year changes from baseline in ICH score subcomponents, the Fuster-BEWAT health scale, adiposity markers (waist circumference and body composition), polyphenol and carotenoid intake, and emotion management. Discussion: The overarching goal of the SI! Program is to instill healthy behaviors in children and adolescents that can be sustained into adulthood. The SI! Program for Secondary School is a comprehensive health-promotion intervention targeting 12-16-year-old adolescents and their immediate environment. The present study addresses the optimal timing and impact of the educational intervention on health in adolescence