Flavonoids and Other Polyphenols Act as Epigenetic Modifiers in Breast Cancer.

Breast cancer is a common cancer that occurs due to different epigenetic alterations and genetic mutations. Various epidemiological studies have demonstrated an inverse correlation between breast cancer incidence and flavonoid intake. The anti-cancer action of flavonoids, a class of polyphenolic compounds that are present in plants, as secondary metabolites has been a major topic of research for many years. Our review analysis demonstrates that flavonoids exhibit anti-cancer activity against breast cancer occurring in different ethnic populations. Breast cancer subtype and menopausal status are the key factors in inducing the flavonoid\u27s anti-cancer action in breast cancer. The dose is another key factor, with research showing that approximately 10 mg/day of isoflavones is required to inhibit breast cancer occurrence. In addition, flavonoids also influence the epigenetic machinery in breast cancer, with research demonstrating that epigallocatechin, genistein, and resveratrol all inhibited DNA methyltransferase and altered chromatin modification in breast cancer. These flavonoids can induce the expression of different tumor suppressor genes that may contribute to decreasing breast cancer progression and metastasis. Additional studies are required to confirm the contribution of epigenetic modifications by flavonoids to breast cancer prevention

Beyond antioxidants: the cellular and molecular interactions of flavonoids and how these underpin their actions on the brain

The consumption of flavonoid-rich foods and beverages has been suggested to limit the neurodegeneration associated with a variety of neurological disorders and to prevent or reverse normal or abnormal deteriorations in cognitive performance. Flavonoids mediate these effects via a number of routes, including a potential to protect neurons against injury induced by neurotoxins, an ability to suppress neuroinflammation and a potential to promote memory, learning and cognitive function. Originally, it was thought that such actions were mediated by the antioxidant capacity of flavonoids. However, their limited absorption and their low bioavailability in the brain suggest that this explanation is unlikely. Instead, this multiplicity of effects appears to be underpinned by three separate processes: first, through their interactions with important neuronal and glial signalling cascades in the brain, most notably the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/Akt and mitogen-activated protein kinase pathways that regulate pro-survival transcription factors and gene expression; second, through an ability to improve peripheral and cerebral blood flow and to trigger angiogenesis and neurogenesis in the hippocampus; third, by their capacity to directly react with and scavenge neurotoxic species and pro-inflammatory agents produced in the brain as a result of both normal and abnormal brain ageing. The present review explores the potential inhibitory or stimulatory actions of flavonoids within these three systems and describes how such interactions are likely to underlie neurological effects

Antiprotozoal activity of flavonoids from Eupatorium arnottianum

Dichloromethane and ethanol extracts of Eupatorium arnottianum were evaluated for invitroleishmanicidal activity. The dichloromethane extract produced 80% and 85% of growthinhibition on both Leishmania mexicana and Leishmania amazonensis promastigotes respectively,at a concentration of 100 μg/mL. At the same concentration, the ethanol extract inhibited thegrowth of L. mexicana and L. amazonensis promastigotes in 62% and 65% respectively. Bioassayguidedfractionation of these extracts led to the isolation and identification of flavonoids nepetin,eupatilin, jaceosidin, eriodictyol and hyperoside as bioactive compounds against both species ofLeishmania with IC50 values <10 μg/mL, with nepetin being the most active compound againstboth Leishmania species (IC50 values <2 μg/mL). On Trypanosoma cruzi epimastigotes, jaceosidin,eupatilin and nepetin were found to be the most active flavonoids, with IC50 values 0.06, 0.89 and2.94 μg/mL respectively. It was observed by transmission electron microscopy that eupatilin andjaceosidin induced intense cytoplasmic vacuolization on L. mexicana promastigotes, followedby parasite destruction. Nepetin induced a mild vacuolization, although the morphology ofparasites was preserved. On T. cruzi epimastigotes, eupatilin and jaceosidin induced a moderatevacuolization and some kinetoplast swelling while nepetin did not induce any significant effectson parasites. At the ultrastructural level, the differential effects of eupatilin and jaceosidin onboth trypanosomatids may indicate that these molecules affect selectively certain targets onLeishmania spp. We conclude that plants from the Eupatorium genus could be an importantsource of compounds (flavonoids) with leishmanicidal and trypanocidal activity, thus constitutingan interesting option for the treatment of parasitic diseases.Fil: Clavin, Maria Liliana. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Química y Metabolismo del Fármaco. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica. Instituto de Química y Metabolismo del Fármaco; Argentina. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica. Departamento de Farmacología. Cátedra de Farmacognosia; ArgentinaFil: Cazorla, Silvia Ines. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Estudios de la Inmunidad Humoral Prof. Ricardo A. Margni. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica. Instituto de Estudios de la Inmunidad Humoral Prof. Ricardo A. Margni; Argentina. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica. Departamento de Microbiología, Inmunología y Biotecnología. Cátedra de Inmunología; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Investigaciones en Microbiología y Parasitología Médica. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Instituto de Investigaciones en Microbiología y Parasitología Médica; ArgentinaFil: Spina Zapata, Renata María. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mendoza. Instituto de Histología y Embriología de Mendoza Dr. Mario H. Burgos. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Facultad de Cienicas Médicas. Instituto de Histología y Embriología de Mendoza Dr. Mario H. Burgos; ArgentinaFil: Sosa, Miguel Angel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mendoza. Instituto de Histología y Embriología de Mendoza Dr. Mario H. Burgos. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Facultad de Cienicas Médicas. Instituto de Histología y Embriología de Mendoza Dr. Mario H. Burgos; ArgentinaFil: Malchiodi, Emilio Luis. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Estudios de la Inmunidad Humoral Prof. Ricardo A. Margni. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica. Instituto de Estudios de la Inmunidad Humoral Prof. Ricardo A. Margni; Argentina. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica. Departamento de Microbiología, Inmunología y Biotecnología. Cátedra de Inmunología; ArgentinaFil: Martino, Virginia Susana. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Química y Metabolismo del Fármaco. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica. Instituto de Química y Metabolismo del Fármaco; Argentina. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica. Departamento de Farmacología. Cátedra de Farmacognosia; ArgentinaFil: Frank, Fernanda María. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Estudios de la Inmunidad Humoral Prof. Ricardo A. Margni. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica. Instituto de Estudios de la Inmunidad Humoral Prof. Ricardo A. Margni; Argentina. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica. Departamento de Microbiología, Inmunología y Biotecnología. Cátedra de Inmunología; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Investigaciones en Microbiología y Parasitología Médica. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Instituto de Investigaciones en Microbiología y Parasitología Médica; ArgentinaFil: Muschietti, Liliana Victoria. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Química y Metabolismo del Fármaco. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica. Instituto de Química y Metabolismo del Fármaco; Argentina. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica. Departamento de Farmacología. Cátedra de Farmacognosia; Argentin

Comparison of extraction methods for analysis of flavonoids in onions

Onions are known to contain high levels of flavonoids and a comparison of the efficiency, reproducibility and detection limits of various extraction methods has been made in order to develop fast and reliable analytical methods for analysis of flavonoids in onions. Conventional and classical methods are time- and solvent-consuming and the presence of light and oxygen during sample preparation facilitate degradation reactions. Thus, classical methods were compared with microwave (irradiation) extraction, ultrasonic liquid extraction and accelerated solvent extraction

Development of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in the presence of different patterns of Trifolium repens shoot flavonoids

We tested the effects of the flavonoid 3-methoxi-5,6,7,8-hydroxy-4'hydroxy flavone (NMHTV) isolated from shoots of non arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) inoculated clover, and of the flavonoids 5,6,7,8-hydroxy-3-methoxy flavone (MH-1); 5,6,7,8-hydroxy-4'- hydroxy flavone (MH-2); and 5,7-hydroxy-3,4'-methoxy flavone (MH-3); isolated from AM clover (Trifolium repens) shoots, on spore germination, hyphal length, hyphal branches and the number of cluster of auxiliary cells or the number of secondary spores (Presymbiotic stage) and on the number of entry points and the percentage of AM colonized root of tomato (Lycopersicum esculentum) by the AM fungi Gigaspora rosea, Giaspora margarita, Glomus mosseae and Glomus intraradices (Symbiotic stage). Non significant effects of the flavonoids isolated from the shoot of mycorrhizal colonized clover on the presymbiotic and symbiotic stages of Gigaspora and Glomus endophytes were found. The flavonoid NMHTV isolated from non AM clover shoot, did not affect the percentage of germination of spores but significantly increased (P < 0.05) the other steps of the presymbiotic stage of Gi. margarita spores when 2 μM concentration was used. The symbiotic stage of Gi. margarita was also significantly increased when 2 μM of the flavonoid NMHTV was applied. This flavonoid had no effect on the presymbiotic development of G. mosseae, G. intraradices and Gi. rosea except when 8 μM concentration was used, which inhibited the hyphal length of Gi. rosea. These results suggest the possible implication of the flavonoid NMHTV in the susceptibility of tomato roots to the AM formation by Gi. margarita. The absence of stimulation of the AM presymbiotic and symbiotic stages in tomato by exogenous application of the newly synthesized flavonoids MH-1, MH-2, and MH-3, in clover shoots after AM colonization, indicated that the autorregulation of the AM symbiosis can be, at least partially, due to the disappearance of flavonoids in AM colonized plants that stimulated the AM symbiosis.Fil: Scervino, Jose Martin. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Departamento de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental; ArgentinaFil: Ponce, María Alejandra. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Centro de Investigaciones en Hidratos de Carbono. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Centro de Investigaciones en Hidratos de Carbono; ArgentinaFil: Della Mónica, Ivana Florencia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Centro de Investigaciones en Hidratos de Carbono. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Centro de Investigaciones en Hidratos de Carbono; ArgentinaFil: Vierheilig, Horst. Universitat Fur Bodenkultur Wien; Austria. Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas. Estación Experimental del Zaidín; EspañaFil: Ocampo, Juan Antonio. Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas. Estación Experimental del Zaidín; EspañaFil: Godeas, Alicia Margarita. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Departamento de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentin

EVALUATION OF THE ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITY OF THE FLAVONOIDS ISOLATED FROM HELIOTROPIUM SINUATUM RESIN USING ORACFL, DPPH AND ESR METHODOLOGIES

Indexación: Web of Science; Scielo.The antioxidant capacity has been determined for a number of flavonoid compounds from Heliotropium sinuatum, a plant that grows in arid areas in the north of Chile. The methodologies used were: ORAC(FL) (oxygen radical absorbance capacity - fluorescein), DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl) bleaching and electron spin resonance (ESR). These compounds were studied in homogeneous and heterogeneous media. The results showed that the 7-o-methyleriodictiol and 3-o-methylisorhamnetin are those with the highest antioxidant capacity.http://ref.scielo.org/m82cz

The impact of fruit flavonoids on memory and cognition

There is intense interest in the studies related to the potential of phytochemical-rich foods to prevent age-related neurodegeneration and cognitive decline. Recent evidence has indicated that a group of plant-derived compounds known as flavonoids may exert particularly powerful actions on mammalian cognition and may reverse age-related declines in memory and learning. In particular, evidence suggests that foods rich in three specific flavonoid sub-groups, the flavanols, anthocyanins and/or flavanones, possess the greatest potential to act on the cognitive processes. This review will highlight the evidence for the actions of such flavonoids, found most commonly in fruits, such as apples, berries and citrus, on cognitive behaviour and the underlying cellular architecture. Although the precise mechanisms by which these flavonoids act within the brain remain unresolved, the present review focuses on their ability to protect vulnerable neurons and enhance the function of existing neuronal structures, two processes known to be influenced by flavonoids and also known to underpin neuro-cognitive function. Most notably, we discuss their selective interactions with protein kinase and lipid kinase signalling cascades (i.e. phosphoinositide-3 kinase/Akt and mitogen-activated protein kinase pathways), which regulate transcription factors and gene expression involved in both synaptic plasticity and cerebrovascular blood flow. Overall, the review attempts to provide an initial insight into the potential impact of regular flavonoid-rich fruit consumption on normal or abnormal deteriorations in cognitive performance