Saponins from edible spears of wild asparagus inhibit AKT, p70S6K, and ERK signalling, and induce apoptosis through G0/G1 cell cycle arrest in human colon cancer HCT-116 cells

41 Páginas, 6 Figuras, 1 TablaThe effects of steroidal saponins from edible spears of wild triguero Huetor-Tajar asparagus on some of the oncogenic molecular pathways that are affected in human colon cancer cells were investigated. Reverse-phase chromatography and a new HPLC-MS method were used to respectively isolate and analyse the composition of the steroidal saponins. They were resistant to simulated digestion and, when in contact with HTC-116 human colon carcinoma cells, interfered with extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), S6 kinase (p70S6K, mTOR), and RAC-alpha serine/threonine-protein kinase (AKT) pathways by a downregulation of these proteins. The expressions of cyclins D, E, and A were also decreased, leading to G0/G1 cell cycle arrest. In addition, these steroidal saponins induced typical features of apoptosis by the promotion of caspase-3 activity, poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase 1 (PARP-1) cleavage, and DNA fragmentation. These results offer potential dietary intervention strategy against human colon cancer cells.This study was supported by grants AGL2011-29632 and AGL2011-29008 funded by MICINN. S.L. acknowledges financial support from the Spanish MINECO (JCI-2012-13084, Juan de la Cierva) and the Spanish Research Council (CSIC)/JAE-doc Program (JAEDOC089), a contract cofounded by the European Social Fund (ESF).Peer reviewe

Membrane composition and dynamics: A target of bioactive virgin olive oil constituents

The endogenous synthesis of lipids, which requires suitable dietary raw materials, is critical for the formation of membrane bilayers. In eukaryotic cells, phospholipids are the predominant membrane lipids and consist of hydrophobic acyl chains attached to a hydrophilic head group. The relative balance between saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated acyl chains is required for the organization and normal function of membranes. Virgin olive oil is the richest natural dietary source of the monounsaturated lipid oleic acid and is one of the key components of the healthy Mediterranean diet. Virgin olive oil also contains a unique constellation of many other lipophilic and amphipathic constituents whose health benefits are still being discovered. The focus of this review is the latest evidence regarding the impact of oleic acid and the minor constituents of virgin olive oil on the arrangement and behavior of lipid bilayers. We highlight the relevance of these interactions to the potential use of virgin olive oil in preserving the functional properties of membranes to maintain health and in modulating membrane functions that can be altered in several pathologies. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Membrane Structure and Function: Relevance in the Cell's Physiology, Pathology and Therapy. © 2014 Elsevier B.V.We thank to the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (MICINN) and the European Commission (EC) for financial support (AGL2011-29008 and Marie Curie PERG07-GA-2010-268413). S.L. and B.B. acknowledge financial support from the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC)/JAE-Doc Program, a contract cofounded by the European Social Fund (ESF). S.M. has the benefit of a FPI fellowship (BES-2012-056104) of MICINN.Peer Reviewe

CD4+ and CD8+ T-cell responses in bone marrow to fatty acids in high-fat diets

13 Páginas.-- 5 Figuras.--3 TablasObesity is associated with disruptions in the adaptive immune system; however, dietary fatty acids in high-fat diets (HFDs) that induce obesity have consequences that are currently unclear regarding T-cell maintenance in bone marrow (BM). C57BL/6J mice were randomly assigned to isocaloric HFDs formulated with dietary fats rich in saturated fatty acids (SFAs), monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs), or MUFAs supplemented with eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acids for 20 weeks, followed by an analysis of the immunophenotypic feature of lymphocytes (CD3+) T and their subsets CD4+ and CD8+ T cells in spleen and BM, identification of fatty acids in BM extracellular fluid and analysis of the correspondence between fatty acids with the frequency of T-cell subsets in BM. Splenic CD3+ T cells were reduced irrespective of HFDs. In BM, CD3+ T cells were reduced after HFD-SFAs, while CD4+ T cells were increased after HFDs enriched in MUFAs and CD8+ T cells were reduced irrespective of HFDs. In BM extracellular fluid, the content of palmitic and myristic acids increased after HFD-SFAs and that of oleic acid increased after HFDs enriched in MUFAs. There was a statistical correspondence between HFD-induced changes in fatty acids in BM extracellular fluid and HFD-induced changes in the frequency of CD3+ and CD4+ T cells in BM. These findings reveal an undervalued critical role for dietary fatty acids in the selective acquisition of T-cell subsets in BM, highlighting that oleic acid existing in the surroundings of T-cell niches during HFD-induced obesity could be instrumental in the maintenance of CD4+ T cells.This work was supported by a grant AGL2016-80852-R funded by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 and by “ERDF A way of making Europe.”Peer reviewe

Nurses' perceptions of aids and obstacles to the provision of optimal end of life care in ICU

Contains fulltext : 172380.pdf (publisher's version ) (Open Access

Proceso tradicional de aderezo de aceitunas verdes de mesa. Racionalización del cocido

[EN] In order for olives of the Manzanilla variety to be produced as Spanish-style, they require a previous storage period before their alkaline treatment with NaOH. This holding time prevents the breakage and shedding of the fruit epidermis, but at the same time, causes an increase in the number of olives with surface blemishes and, consequently, loss in product quality. The objectives of this work were to investigate, at industrial scale, different alternatives to the holding period; specifically, the use of low-concentration alkaline solutions before the real alkaline treatment, and the use of alkaline solutions at low temperatures for this alkaline treatment. Basic parameters of the fermentative processes carried out in every treatment were monitored, and commercial quality of the final product was ascertained. The results indicate that both modifications are alternatives to the traditional treatment, and the products obtained applying these modifications have the same or higher quality than those obtained by the traditional process.[ES] Las aceitunas Manzanillas, para su elaboración estilo español, precisan de un periodo previo de reposo de los frutos antes del cocido o tratamiento alcalino con NaOH. Este periodo de reposo evita la rotura y desprendimiento de epidermis de los frutos pero, al mismo tiempo, provoca un aumento en el número de aceitunas con manchas superficiales y, consecuentemente, pérdida de calidad del producto. Los objetivos del presente trabajo fueron investigar, a escala industrial, alternativas al reposo previo; concretamente, la utilización de soluciones alcalinas de baja concentración antes del cocido y realizar este último con soluciones a temperatura reducida. Se analizaron los parámetros fundamentales de los procesos fermentativos obtenidos en cada caso y se determinó la calidad comercial de los productos finales. Los resultados obtenidos indican que ambas modificaciones constituyen alternativas al tratamiento tradicional con las que se obtienen productos de igual o superior calidad.Los autores quieren a agradecer al Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia, Programa Torres Quevedo y a la Coop. Agric. Nstr. Sra. de las Virtudes (NSV, SAC) por la financiación y ayuda prestada en el desarrollo de este trabajo.Peer Reviewe

Hydrothermal treatments enhance the solubility and antioxidant characteristics of dietary fiber from asparagus by-products

33 Páginas; 5 Tablas; 4 FigurasAsparagus by-products were submitted to hydrothermal treatments to improve their solubility and antioxidant capacity. Four severity conditions were applied (logRo 3.05, 3.64, 4.23, 4.82) and two fractions were isolated from each treatment. The solid fibrous residues were enriched in cellulose, and depleted of hemicelluloses and phenolics. Their antioxidant activities were higher than those presented for asparagus bioactive fibers (81–154 vs 21–26 mmol Trolox/Kg) and did not correlate with phenol content. The soluble liquors were rich in phenolics and also contained changeable amounts of mono-, oligo-, and polysaccharides as a function of severity. The majority of the released oligosaccharides (xylooligosaccharides) are considered as prebiotic and their percentage could be optimized by modifying hydrothermal treatment conditions. This fraction presented very high antioxidant activity (131–232 mmol Trolox/Kg), and had a moderate correlation with phenols. Melanoidins are suggested to be present in both fractions. A new fiber fraction with potential prebiotic activity and high antioxidant activity has been obtained from asparagus by-products. Its high solubility in water and a pleasant flavor broaden its applications in food formulations.This research was supported by the project AGL2017-82428-R from MINECO, Spanish Government.Peer reviewe

Combination of quercetin and kaempferol enhances in vitro cytotoxicity on human colon cancer (HCT-116) cells

Colon cancer is one of the most common types of cancer malignancy. Although flavonoids naturally occur as mixtures, little information is available regarding the additive or synergistic biochemical interactions between flavonoids. The objectives of this study were to examine the feasibility of combining two major structurally related flavonoids, quercetin and kaempferol, to affect the cell viability, cell cycle, and proliferation of the human colon cancer HCT-116 cell line. The combination of quercetin and kaempferol exhibited a greater cytotoxic efficacy than did either quercetin or kaempferol alone. This effect was highest and acted in a synergistic fashion in a 2-fold quercetin and 1-fold kaempferol IC50 combination, which also arrested cell growth in the G2/M phase and suppressed proliferation. Our observations support a structure-activity relationship based on the presence of 3'-OH moiety and/or 4'-OH moiety on the B-ring of flavonoids. © 2014 ACG Publications. All rights reserved.This study was supported by grants from the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (AGL2011-29632) and the Junta de Andalucia (P09-CVI-5007). S. Jaramillo-Carmona and S. Lopez acknowledge financial support from Spanish CSIC (JAE-doc Program), contracts co-funded by the ESFPeer Reviewe

Asparagus byproducts as a new source of peroxidases

Soluble peroxidase (POD) from asparagus byproducts was purified by ion exchange chromatographies, and its kinetic and catalytic properties were studied. The isoelectric point of the purified isoperoxidases was 9.1, and the optimum pH and temperature values were 4.0 and 25 C, respectively. The cationic asparagus POD (CAP) midpoint inactivation temperature was 57 C, which favors its use in industrial processes. The Km values of cationic asparagus POD for H2O2 and ABTS were 0.318 and 0.634 mM, respectively. The purified CAP is economically obtained from raw materials using a simple protocol and possesses features that make it advantageous for the potential use of this enzyme in a large number of processes with demonstrated requirements of thermostable POD. The results indicate that CAP can be used as a potential candidate for removing phenolic contaminants. © 2013 American Chemical Society.S.J.-C. and S.L. acknowledge financial support from Spanish CSIC (JAE-doc Program), a contract cofunded by the ESF. S.V.-C. thanks Spanish CSIC for her contract (JAE Pre Program).Peer Reviewe

In vitro toxicity of asparagus saponins in distinct multidrug-resistant colon cancer cells

3 Figuras.-- 1 TablaColorectal cancer is the third most common cancer in the world. Many efforts have focused on finding natural molecules with potential chemo-preventive activity due to their low toxicity compared to synthetic drugs. However, comprehensive information on the bioactive fractions and components is still missing. In this study, we developed a method for the quantitative separation and isolation of saponins from asparagus genotypes consisting of an adsorption chromatography and subsequent liquid chromatographic separation on a reversed-phase column. The saponins isolated were tested for their cytotoxic activity against human colon cancer cell lines, which could develop cross-resistance to a wide variety of chemotherapeutic drugs. Our results showed that Huétor-Tájar asparagus saponins (HTSAP), mainly protodioscin and HTSAP-10 have higher cytotoxic activity than HTSAP-1, HTSAP-6, and HTSAP-8. This study links the potential anticancer effect of asparagus to specific saponins and unveils the triguero Huétor-Tájar asparagus as a nutraceutical particularly in colon cancer therapies.Sergio López acknowledges the financial support from the Spanish MINECO (JCI‐2012‐13084, Juan de la Cierva, MINECO) and the ‘V Own Research Plan’ of the University of Seville (VPPI‐US) for his research contracts. These contracts are cofunded by the European Social Fund

Chapter 8 - Asparagus

Nutritional Composition and Antioxidant Properties of Fruits and Vegetables provides an overview of the nutritional and anti-nutritional composition, antioxidant potential, and health benefits of a wide range of commonly consumed fruits and vegetables. The book presents a comprehensive overview on a variety of topics, including inflorescence, flowers and flower buds (broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage), bulb, stem and stalk (onion, celery, asparagus, celery), leaves (watercress, lettuce, spinach), fruit and seed (peppers, squash, tomato, eggplant, green beans), roots and tubers (red beet, carrots, radish), and fruits, such as citrus (orange, lemon, grapefruit), berries (blackberry, strawberry, lingonberry, bayberry, blueberry), melons (pumpkin, watermelon), and more. Each chapter, contributed by an international expert in the field, also discusses the factors influencing antioxidant content, such as genotype, environmental variation and agronomic conditions.This work was financed by the Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación of Spain Proyect AGL2017-82428-