Glyconutrients

Gastrointestinal dysmotility is a common cause of functional dyspepsia. Fucoidan and laminarin possess many physiological properties, however, their relative abilities in regulating gastrointestinal motility have not been illustrated yet. In this study, we aimed to investigate the regulatory effect of fucoid

Liver ischemia-reperfusion (IR) injury is a common pathological process in liver surgery. Ferroptosis, which is closely related to lipid peroxidation, has recently been confirmed to be involved in the pathogenesis of IR injury. However, the development of drugs that regulate ferroptosis has been slow, and a complete understanding of the mechanisms underlying ferroptosis has not yet been achieved. Fucoidan (Fu) is a sulfated polysaccharide that has attracted research interest due to its advantages of easy access and wide biological activity.

Trehalose significantly abates myocardial hypertrophy and pressure overload-induced cardiomyocyte apoptosis in mice. The cardioprotective effect of trehalose on enhanced autophagy is attributed, at least in part, to the promotion of autophagic degradation of GATA4.

Pesticide exposure can pose a serious risk to nontarget animals. Cartap is being broadly used in agricultural fields. The toxic effects of cartap on the levels of hepatotoxicity and neurotoxicity have not been properly studied in mammalian systems. Therefore, the present work focused on the effect of cartap on the liver and brain of Wistar rats and made an assessment of the ameliorating potential of A. vera. The experimental animals were divided into 4 groups, comprising six rats in each: Group 1—Control; Group 2—A. vera; Group 3—Cartap; and Group 4—A. vera + Cartap. The animals orally given cartap and A. vera were sacrificed after 24 h of the final treatment and histological and biochemical investigations were conducted in liver and brain of Wistar rats. Cartap at sublethal concentrations caused substantial decreases in CAT, SOD, and GST levels in the experimental rats. The activity levels of transaminases and phosphatases in cartap group were also found to be substantially altered. The AChE activity was recorded as decreasing in RBC membrane and brain of the cartap-treated animals. The TNF-α and IL-6 level in serum were increased expressively in the cartap challenged groups. Histological investigation of liver showed disorganized hepatic cords and severely congested central veins due to cartap. However, the A. vera extract was observed to significantly protect against the effects of cartap toxicity. The protective impact of A. vera against cartap toxicity may be due to the existence of antioxidants in it. These findings suggest that A. vera may be developed as a potential supplement to the appropriate medication in the treatment of cartap toxicity.

Background: Humans with hypertensive heart disease are more likely to experience heart failure, arrhythmia, myocardial infarction, and sudden death, and it is crucial to treat this condition. Fucoidan (FO) is a natural substance derived from marine algae that has antioxidant and immunomodulatory activities. FO has also been shown to regulate apoptosis. However, whether FO can protect against cardiac hypertrophy is unknown.Methods: We investigated the effect of FO in hypertrophic models in vivo and in vitro. C57BL/6 mice were given an oral gavage of FO (300 mg/kg/day) or PBS (internal control) the day before surgery, followed by a 14-day infusion of Ang II or saline. AC-16 cells were treated with si-USP22 for 4 h and then treated with Ang II (100 nM) for 24 h. Systolic blood pressure (SBP) was recorded, echocardiography was used to assess cardiac function, and pathological changes in heart tissues were assessed by histological staining. Apoptosis levels were detected by TUNEL assays. The mRNA level of genes was assessed by qPCR. Protein expression was detected by immunoblotting.Results: Our data showed that USP22 expression was lowered in Ang II-infused animals and cells, which could promote cardiac dysfunction and remodeling. However, treatment with FO significantly upregulated the expression of USP22 and reduced the incidence of cardiac hypertrophy, fibrosis, inflammation, and oxidative responses. Additionally, FO treatment lowered p53 expression and apoptosis while incre...

Aloe vera is a perennial, succulent cacti with cosmopolitan distribution. This plant holds a long history of usages in recovering different

Angiogenesis and metastasis represent two challenging targets to combat cancer development in the later stages of its progression. Numerous studies have indicated the important role of natural products in blocking tumor angiogenesis signaling pathways in several advanced tumors. In recent years, the marine polysaccharides fucoidans emerged as promising anticancer compounds showing potent antitumor activity in both in vitro and in vivo models of different types of cancers. The objective of this review is to focus on the antiangiogenic and antimetastatic activities of fucoidans with special emphasis on preclinical studies. Independently from their source, fucoidans inhibit several angiogenic regulators, primarily vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). A glance towards fucoidans’ ongoing clinical trials and pharmacokinetic profile is provided to present the main challenges that still need to be addressed for their bench-to-bedside translation.

The 10% trehalose spray improved salivary pH, unstimulated salivary flow rate, and the quality-of-life dimensions linked with physical, pain/discomfort, and psychological signs. The clinical efficacy of 10% trehalose spray was equivalent with CMC-based saliva substitutes for relieving radiation-indu …

Mushrooms have been evaluated for their nutritional and medicinal properties for centuries. We evaluated the biological activities of commercial products of Cordyceps Sinensis (CS), Agaricus blazei (AB), and Immune Assist (IA) (all produced by Aloha Medicinals). Immune Assist (IA) is made from extract of six species of medical mushrooms: Agaricus blazei - Cordycepssinensis - Grifola frondosa - Ganoderma lucidum - Coriolus versicolor - Lentinula edodes. The antioxidant evaluation showed that CS had strong OH scavenging properties and moderate reducing power, while its DPPH scavenging ability was weak. AB displayed remarkable ·OH scavenging properties, moderate reducing power, and modest DPPH scavenging activity, similar to IA. Also, CS, AB and IA displayed significant antigenotoxic effects in human peripheral blood cells against H2O2-induced DNA damage. Further, the cytotoxicity of CS, AB, and IA to HS-5 (bone marrow stroma cells), MCF-7 (human breast epithelial cell line), and MDA-MB-231 (human breast carcinoma cell line) were assessed using MTT assay. AB and IA could inhibit the proliferative action of mentioned cancer cell lines after 72h in a dose-dependent manner, while there were no effects on HS-5 cell lines proliferation, while CS did not show anti-proliferative/cytotoxic activity on cancer cell lines. Current findings remain a significant challenge for the usage of medicinal mushrooms in the field of cancer prevention/treatment, and thus an active area of future research.

Dry eye disease (DED) is common in postmenopausal women. This study evaluated efficacy of a 3-month daily treatment with artificial tears containing t…

Introduction: Diabetics usually suffer from chronic complications, including microvascular and macrovascular disorders. The capillaries supplying the sexual organs affect normal sexual functions. The erectile process has been shown to be impaired in diabetics. Vascular damage in diabetics may be associated with decreased testosterone production, sperm count, testicular weight, and seminiferous tubule diameter. In this study, we investigated the effects of Aloe vera gel extract (from Sistan and Baluchistan in Iran) on male genital in streptozocin-induced diabetic rats. Methods: Of twenty-four male Wistar rats, diabetes was induced in 12 rats by intraperitoneal injection of a single dose of STZ. The rats were divided into four groups. The first and third groups received saline (NaCl) daily by gavage. The second and fourth groups received aloe vera gel extract daily by gavage. The treatments were continued for 30 days. At the end of the treatment period, blood samples were collected and serum glucose and testosterone levels were measured by photometric methods. Histological examinations were performed on the prostate and testes. Results: Mean weight index, serum levels of glucose and testosterone, mean sperm count, germline thickness, and seminiferous tubule diameter improved significantly in the diabetes +Aloe vera group. Conclusion: We concluded that consumption of Aloe vera gel extract improved sexual complications in type 1 diabetic rats.

Kidney fibrosis is closely associated with the progression of chronic kidney disease (CKD). Furthermore, copper-containing secretory amine oxidases, such as lysyl oxidase (LOX) and LOX-like 1-4 (LOXL1-4), play pivotal roles in the regulation of extracellular components and facilitate fibrosis. In th …

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) as environmental-influenced disorders, are a major concern and the leading cause of death worldwide. A range of therapeutic approaches has been proposed, including conventional and novel methods. Natural compounds offer a promising alternative for CVD treatment due to …

Spinal cord injury (SCI) leads to long-term and permanent motor dysfunctions, and nervous system abnormalities. Injury to the spinal cord triggers a signaling cascade that results in activation of the inflammatory cascade, apoptosis, and Zn(II) ion homeostasis. Trehalose (Tre), a nonreducing disacch …

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 BACKGROUND  Trehalose is a naturally occurring disaccharide, which has been identified as an autophagy inducer and exhibits protective effect in cardiovascular diseases such as myocardial infraction and atherosclerosis. However, the functional role of trehalose in abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) remains undefined.  METHODS  To study the effect of trehalose in AAA, trehalose (1 g/kg per day) were given for 14 continuous days in a mouse model of elastase-induced abdominal aortic aneurysm. On day 14, ultrasound was performed to measure aortic diameter before the abdominal aortas were harvested and processed for further analysis. Verhoeff-Van Gieson staining and TUNEL staining were performed on paraffin sections to evaluate vascular histology and apoptosis, immunofluorescence staining and Western-blot were performed to evaluate expression of autophagy markers.  RESULTS  Echocardiography and in situ pictures demonstrated that trehalose attenuated infrarenal aorta dilation. Verhoeff-Van Gieson staining showed elastin degradation was improved in trehalose-treated group. Compared with vehicle-treated mice, trehalose treatment restored smooth muscle cell contractile phenotype with increased α-SMA, Calponin and Myh11 expression. Furthermore, trehalose also attenuated cell apoptosis and leukocytes infiltration. Importantly, trehalose induced autophagy with decrease SQSTM1/p62 accumulation, increased lamp2 expression and LC3B conversion.  CONCLUSION  Trehalose attenuated AAA progression with decreased inflammation and restored SMC contractile phenotype by inducing autophagy. These results demonstrated the therapeutic potential of trehalose in AAA.

This study aimed to investigate the potential benefits Gum Arabic/Acacia Senegal (GA) in mitigating the harmful effects of cisplatin (CP) on spermatog…

Background To investigate the ameliorative effects of glucosamine (GS), chondroitin sulphate (CS) and glucosamine plus chondroitin sulphate (GC) on rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in rats, and to explore the mechanism of GS, CS and GC in improving RA based on the gut microbiota. Methods RA rat models were effectively developed 14 days after CFA injection, and then garaged with GS, CS and GC. Body weight and paw volume of rats were monitored at multiple time points at the beginning of CFA injection. Until D36, serum and ankle tissue specimens were used to measure levels of circulating inflammatory factors (TNF-α, IL-1β, MMP-3, NO and PGE2) and local inflammatory indicators (TLR-4 and NF-κB). On D18, D25, and D36, intergroup gut microbiota was compared using 16S rRNA gene sequencing and bioinformatics analysis. We also performed the correlation analysis of gut bacteria, joint swelling and inflammatory indicators. Results GC, rather than GS and CS, could reduce right paw volumes, levels of TLR-4 and NF-κB in synovial tissues. In addition, enriched genera in RA model rats screened out by LEfSe analysis could be inhibited by GC intervention, including potential LPS-producing bacteria (Enterobacter, Bacteroides, Erysipelotrichaceae_unclassified and Erysipelotrichaceae_uncultured) and some other opportunistic pathogens (Esherichia_Shigella, Nosocomiicoccus, NK4A214_group, Odoribacter, Corynebacterium and Candidatus_Saccharimonas.etc.) that positively correlated with pro-inflammatory cytokines, right paw volume, and pathology scores. Furthermore, the gut microbiota dysbiosis was observed to recover before alleviating joint swelling after interventions. Conclusions GC could inhibit potential LPS-producing bacteria and the activation of TLR-4/NF-κB pathway in RA rats, thus alleviating RA-induced joint injury.

Trehalose is a naturally occurring, non-reducing disaccharide comprising two covalently-linked glucose molecules. It possesses unique physiochemical properties, which account for multiple biological roles in a variety of prokaryotic and eukaryotic organisms. In the past few decades, intensive resear …

Purpose: SYSADOAs (symptomatic slow-acting drugs for osteoarthritis) are a heterogeneous group of drugs that have the ability to modify the symptoms of osteoarthritis (OA) slowly and independently of NSAIDs, analgesics or any other therapeutic option. The main drugs included in this group are glucosamine (sulphate or hydrochloride) (GS) and chondroitin sulphate (CS), widely prescribed for the treatment of OA in some countries. Although the efficacy of GS and CS for the treatment of OA remains controversial, several human, animal and laboratory studies have suggested that both drugs show anti-inflammatory properties that could reduce the risk of several diseases.

To evaluate the efficacy and safety of chondroitin sulfate and/or glucosamine hydrochloride in alleviating symptoms and improving the dysfunction of Kashin-Beck disease (KBD) patients.

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) as environmental-influenced disorders, are a major concern and the leading cause of death worldwide. A range of therape…

Trehalose is a naturally occurring, non-reducing disaccharide comprising two covalently-linked glucose molecules. It possesses unique physiochemical properties, which account for multiple biological roles in a variety of prokaryotic and eukaryotic organisms. In the past few decades, intensive research on trehalose has uncovered its functions, and extended its uses as a sweetener and stabilizer in the food, medical, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic industries. Further, increased dietary trehalose consumption has sparked research on how trehalose affects the gut microbiome. In addition to its role as a dietary sugar, trehalose has gained attention for its ability to modulate glucose homeostasis, and potentially as a therapeutic agent for diabetes. This review discusses the bioactive effects of dietary trehalose, highlighting its promise in future industrial and scientific contributions.

Bioactivities of fucoidan, a class of marine algal polysaccharides, vary depending on the original algal species. The aim of this study was toexplore …

Recognizing the composition and modulation of the microbiome, a viable therapeutic tool for multi-targeted therapy is a new strategy that has recently been explored. Glucosamine (GS) is being studied for its prebiotic potential in addition to being the most abundant and naturally occurring amino monosaccharide. The current study focuses on glucosamine’s prebiotic potential by assessing the stability of various GS concentrations (1% - 5%) in the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) and its ability to be fermented by the gut microbiota. The results showed that GS stimulated the most growth in L. acidophilus even after a longer incubation time than B. bifidum and L. acidophilus growth was concentration-dependent, with maximum growth at 3% with a simultaneous decrease in pH (5.6 - 1.7). The decrease in GS concentration with time also represented the growth of bacterial species, demonstrating the species’ utilization of GS. Furthermore, at 3%, GS also represented the prebiotic index of 1.9. In addition, the concentration of GS in various simulated GIT fluids was estimated in both fast and fed conditions to examine GS stability at various levels in the gut. The results showed that GS remained unaffected and non-digestible in all of the simulated GIT fluids (salivary, gastric, intestinal, and colonic), but there was a slight decrease in GS concentration (2.8%) in the fasted state of gastric fluid due to low pH levels (1.6). As a result, the findings are conclusive and suggest that GS possesses prebiotic properties.

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