Fucoidan possesses various biological activities, such as anticoagulant, immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory, potential antioxidant, and others. In this study, we investigated the effect of fucoidan on high-fat diet-induced obesity, inflammation, and gut microbiota in Institute of Cancer Research mice. Mice were gavaged with 50 mg/(kg·d) (Fuc0.5 group) or 250 mg/(kg·d) (Fuc2.5 group) of fucoidan for 5 weeks. Fucoidan alleviated obesity and tissue damage by decreasing body weight and body mass index, decreasing body weight gain, improved organ index, liver steatosis, and improved the structure of the small intestine. In addition, fucoidan decreased total cholesterol, triglyceride, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and increased high-density lipoprotein cholesterol. Moreover, fucoidan reduced serum lipopolysaccharide concentrations, tumor necrosis factor-α, and total bile acid. Furthermore, fucoidan improved the structure of gut microbiota and significantly increased the abundance (Shannon diversity index, evenness, and Faecalibacterium prausnitzii) determined by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis and quantitative PCR. In conclusion, our study provides a scientific basis for fucoidan as a functional food for modulating the gut microbiota and protecting against obesity.

Polysaccharides in brown algae, including the kelp Laminaria japonica, are economically important to both food and pharmaceutical industries. The meth…

Scientific Reports -

Currently, there is no proven causal association between the incidence or severity of human CDI and the presence of trehalose metabolism variants. Furthermore, microbial metabolism reduces trehalose bioavailability, potentially removing this competitive advantage for C. difficile trehalose metabolis …

Trehalose is a non-reducing disaccharide consisting of two glucose molecules linked by a 1–1 glycosidic bond. Trehalose can play a role in organ detoxification, antioxidant enzyme activity, reducing lipid peroxidation and reducing the secretion of inflammatory factors TNF-, IL-1β, Il-6, thereby inhibiting liver damage. Because of its role, this study aims to determine the effect of trehalose administration on liver damage through the IL-6 expression pathway with experimental post-test design with control group design. This research was conducted using samples of old rats, namely Wistar rats (Rattus novergicus). The old rats used were 21 male species which were then divided into 3 groups, namely the old control group, the old rat group that was given sucrose, and the old rat group that was given trehalose. Then observed for 8 weeks, namely in March - May 2021 at the Faculty of Medicine, Hasanuddin University Makassar. The results obtained from the 3 groups showed a significant value that the administration of trehalose sugar in elderly mice had an effect on reducing the inflammatory factor IL-6 because it activated autophagy in macrophages thereby reducing cytokine production and vascular inflammation so as to be able to restore all aging mice to a level like observed in young mice. It is also known that aged rat liver, which is characterized by ER UPR activation and inflammatory signaling, decreases nicotinamide and UDP-N-acetyl-hexosamines, and reduces proteasome activity. Therefore, trehalose can be an effective therapeutic strategy against age-related disorders of proteostasis in the liver.

Introduction: Anti-inflammatory compounds are effective in improving the symptoms of inflammatory bowel diseases such as ulcerative colitis. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of aloe vera extract on the inflammatory factors affecting acetic acid-induced ulcerative colitis. Materials and Methods: 32 male Wistar rats are divided in ...

ABSTRACTBackground: Acrylamide, an industrial chemical found in many industrial applications as well as for chemical and environmental purposes. The Aloe vera plant Known for many years and was known and used for its health, beauty, medicinal and skin care properties. The name Aloe vera derives from the Arabic word “Alloeh” meaning “shining bitter substance,” while “vera” in Latin means “true.” 2000 years ago.Objective: The aim of the study was to evaluate the role of the Aloe vera extract and its influence on experimental lesions in the jujenal mucosa caused by Acrylamide.Materials and Method: Thirty adult female albino rats were used and divided equally into three groups (10 rat/eachgroup): (I)control group. (II)Acrylamide treated group (5 mg/kg/day). (III) Acrylamide&Aloe vera treatedgroup (0.4 ml/100g).The experiment extended for 3 weeks, thejejunum samples were collected, prepared and studded by light microscope and scanning electron microscope.Results: This study revealed that acrylamide administration to rats induces pathological changes in the jejunum in the form of the fused villi;irregular mucosal folds; cellular infiltration and thickened discontinued muscularis externa, with electron microscopic study there were areas of erosion and ulceration of the villi with loss of the normal picture . Administration of Aloe vera gel restored the normal architecture of the villi and crypts with normal appearance of most layers, scanning electron microscopy showed intact epithelium withgoblet cells openings discharging mucus.Conclusion:Acrylamide markedly affect the jujenal mucosa as seen by light and electron microscope, Aloe vera gel administration can protect the mucosa from this harmful effect.Keywords: Acrylamide, Aloe vera, jejunum, Rats.

Autophagy attenuation has been found in neurodegenerative diseases, aging, diabetes mellitus, and atherosclerosis. In experimental models of neurodegenerative diseases, the correction of autophagy in the brain reverses neuronal and behavioral deficits and hence seems to be a promising therapy for neuropathologies. Our aim was to study the effect of an autophagy inducer, trehalose, on brain autophagy and behavior in a genetic model of diabetes with signs of neuronal damage (db/db mice). A 2% trehalose solution was administered as drinking water during 24 days of the experiment. Expressions of markers of autophagy (LC3-II), neuroinflammation (IBA1), redox state (NOS), and neuronal density (NeuN) in the brain were assessed by immunohistochemical analysis. For behavioral phenotyping, the open field, elevated plus-maze, tail suspension, pre-pulse inhibition, and passive avoidance tests were used. Trehalose caused a slight reduction in increased blood glucose concentration, considerable autophagy activation, and a decrease in the neuroinflammatory response in the brain along with improvements of exploration, locomotor activity, anxiety, depressive-like behavior, and fear learning and memory in db/db mice. Trehalose exerted some beneficial peripheral and systemic effects and partially reversed behavioral alterations in db/db mice. Thus, trehalose as an inducer of mTOR-independent autophagy is effective at alleviating neuronal and behavioral disturbances accompanying experimental diabetes.

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Trehalose is added in drug formulations to act as fillers or improve aerosolization performance. Its characteristics as a carrier molecule have been e…

Glucosamine use, smoking and risk of incident chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: A large prospective cohort study

In this study, it was demonstrated that trehalose which was administered orally to aged rats for four weeks, upregulated SIRT1 in kidneys. In addition, trehalose attenuated lipid peroxidation and inf...

(2021). Fucoidan as an Autophagy Regulator: Mechanisms and Therapeutic Potentials for Cancer and Other Diseases. Nutrition and Cancer. Ahead of Print.

Osteoarthritis (OA) and osteoporosis (OP) are common among older women, especially postmenopausal women. Glucosamine (GlcN) is a common medication for OA, but it may induce insulin resistance and β-cell dysfunction, especially if ovarian hormones are lacking. Raloxifene (RLX) is a selective estrogen receptor modulator and also an OP drug. Previously, we found that estrogen could improve GlcN-induced insulin resistance in ovariectomized (OVX) rats. Here, we further hypothesized that RLX, similarly to estrogen, can ameliorate GlcN-induced insulin resistance in OVX rats. We used GlcN to induce insulin resistance in OVX rats as a model for evaluating the protective effects of RLX in vivo. We used a pancreatic β-cell line, MIN-6, to study the mechanisms underlying the effect of RLX in GlcN-induced β-cell dysfunction in vitro. Increases in fasting plasma glucose, insulin, and homeostasis model assessments of insulin resistance in OVX Sprague Dawley rats treated with GlcN were reversed by RLX treatment (n = 8 in each group). Skeletal muscle GLUT-4 increased, liver PEPCK decreased, pancreatic islet hypertrophy, and β-cell apoptosis in OVX rats treated with GlcN was ameliorated by RLX. The negative effects of GlcN on insulin secretion and cell viability in MIN-6 cells were related to the upregulation of reticulum (ER) stress-associated proteins (C/EBP homologous protein, phospho-extracellular signal-regulated kinase, phospho-c-JunN-terminal kinase), the expression of which was reduced by RLX. Pretreatment with estrogen receptor antagonists reversed the protective effects of RLX. GlcN can induce insulin resistance, β-cell dysfunction, and apoptosis in OVX rats and increase ER stress-related proteins in β-cells, whereas RLX can reverse these adverse effects. The effects of RLX act mainly through estrogen receptor α; therefore, RLX may be a candidate drug for postmenopausal women with OA and OP.

Trehalose, a sugar from fungi, mimics starvation due to a block of glucose transport and induces Transcription Factor EB- mediated autophagy, likely supported by the upregulation of progranulin. The pro-autophagy effects help to remove pathological proteins and thereby prevent neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease. Enhancing autophagy also contributes to the resolution of neuropathic pain in mice. Therefore, we here assessed the effects of continuous trehalose administration via drinking water using the mouse Spared Nerve Injury model of neuropathic pain. Trehalose had no effect on drinking, feeding, voluntary wheel running, motor coordination, locomotion, and open field, elevated plus maze, and Barnes Maze behavior, showing that it was well tolerated. However, trehalose reduced nerve injury-evoked nociceptive mechanical and thermal hypersensitivity as compared to vehicle. Trehalose had no effect on calcium currents in primary somatosensory neurons, pointing to central mechanisms of the antinociceptive effects. In IntelliCages, trehalose-treated mice showed reduced activity, in particular, a low frequency of nosepokes, which was associated with a reduced proportion of correct trials and flat learning curves in place preference learning tasks. Mice failed to switch corner preferences and stuck to spontaneously preferred corners. The behavior in IntelliCages is suggestive of sedative effects as a “side effect” of a continuous protracted trehalose treatment, leading to impairment of learning flexibility. Hence, trehalose diet supplements might reduce chronic pain but likely at the expense of alertness.

Decontamination of air, soil, and water polluted with dangerous mercury, cadmium, arsenic, and chromium by plants is called phytoremediation. As a living plant, Aloe vera was used to clean up the soil, water and air contaminated with dangerous heavy metals and gas. Aloe vera plant and the waste powder occurred from aloe vera gel processing, were applied for phytoremediation in which Aloe vera was proposed as a cost-effective plant-based approach of environmental remediation. Bioleaching is a process of extracting metals from their ores through the use of living microorganisms. Endophytic bacteria in Aloe vera gel could be used as bioleaching of heavy metals. Furthermore the detoxification of heavy metals and hepato-therapeutic effects by Aloe vera was focused specially on hepatic fibrosis and chronic kidney diseases. Case reports showed the suppression of gall bladder hypertrophy and ureteral stone by aloe vera supplements.

Diffuse alveolar injury and pulmonary fibrosis (PF) are the main causes of death of Covid-19 cases. In this study a low molecular weight fucoidan (LMW…

Regular use of glucosamine was significantly related with decreased risk of lung cancer and lung cancer mortality, based on data from this nationwide prospective cohort study.

In current study, we have investigated the anti-oral cancer effects of developed functional beverage, which integrates fucoidan complex (FC) with natu…

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) comprise the most prevalent causes of morbidity and mortality in both men and women worldwide. CVDs are associated with several risk factors such as hyperlipidemia, dia...

Aloe vera is a functional food with various pharmacological functions, including an immune-modulating effect. Until now, A. vera has never been studie…

Aloe barbadensis Miller, commonly known as Aloe vera has been used since time immemorial for treatment of various diseases such as cancer, inflammator…

Within the human intestinal tract, dietary, microbial- and host-derived compounds are used as signals by many pathogenic organisms, including Clostridioides difficile. Trehalose has been reported to enhance virulence of certain C. difficile ribotypes; ...