Olive Leaf Extract as a Hypoglycemic Agent in Both Human Diabetic Subjects and in Rats

Julio Wainstein,Tali Ganz,Mona Boaz,Yosefa Bar Dayan,Eran Dolev,Zohar Kerem,Zecharia Madar 한국식품영양과학회 2012 Journal of medicinal food Vol.15 No.7

Olive tree (Olea europaea L.) leaves have been widely used in traditional remedies in European and Mediterranean countries as extracts, herbal teas, and powder. They contain several potentially bioactive compounds that may have hypoglycemic properties. To examine the efficacy of 500 mg oral olive leaf extract taken once daily in tablet form versus matching placebo in improving glucose homeostasis in adults with type 2 diabetes (T2DM). In this controlled clinical trial, 79 adults with T2DM were randomized to treatment with 500 mg olive leaf extract tablet taken orally once daily or matching placebo. The study duration was 14 weeks. Measures of glucose homeostasis including Hba1c and plasma insulin were measured and compared by treatment assignment. In a series of animal models, normal, streptozotocin (STZ) diabetic, and sand rats were used in the inverted sac model to determine the mechanism through which olive leaf extract affected starch digestion and absorption. In the randomized clinical trial, the subjects treated with olive leaf extract exhibited significantly lower HbA1c and fasting plasma insulin levels; however, postprandial plasma insulin levels did not differ significantly by treatment group. In the animal models, normal and STZ diabetic rats exhibited significantly reduced starch digestion and absorption after treatment with olive leaf extract compared with intestine without olive leaf treatment. Reduced digestion and absorption was observed in both the mucosal and serosal sides of the intestine. Though reduced, the decline in starch digestion and absorption did not reach statistical significance in the sand rats. Olive leaf extract is associated with improved glucose homeostasis in humans. Animal models indicate that this may be facilitated through the reduction of starch digestion and absorption. Olive leaf extract may represent an effective adjunct therapy that normalizes glucose homeostasis in individuals with diabetes.

Alcohol Drinks Induce Acute Lowering in Circulating l-Arginine in Obese and Type 2 Diabetic Subjects

Assaf Buch,Tali Ganz,Julio Wainstein,Suzan Gilad,Rona Limor,Gabi Shefer,Mona Boaz,Naftali Stern 한국식품영양과학회 2022 Journal of medicinal food Vol.25 No.6

Since low serum l-arginine (Arg) and high asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) can predict microvascular complications in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), we tested whether Arg and ADMA are affected by diet and physical activity in overweight/obese and T2DM subjects. We tested the effects on serum Arg and ADMA of single loads of dextrose, protein, fat, or alcohol (∼300 calories each); one episode of physical exercise; and 12 weeks of standard lifestyle modification (dietary and physical activity counseling). Alcohol drink was followed by ∼30% lowering in Arg. Arg and ADMA increased after a protein load but remained stable after glucose or fat load or 30 min of treadmill walk. Following 12 weeks of lifestyle modification, ADMA declined only in subjects achieving weight loss >5%. In conclusion, alcohol is a previously unrecognized acute suppressor of serum Arg. Lifestyle modification lowers ADMA in subjects who achieve weight loss >5%. Clinical Trial Registration Number: NCT04406402.

The Optimal Reconfiguration of Distributed Systems Based on Ring Networks

Su Chong Joo,C. M. Krishna,A. Ganz 대한전자공학회 1995 JTC-CSCC : Joint Technical Conference on Circuits Vol.- No.-

Band Gap Engineering of Paradigm MOF-5

Yang, Li-Ming,Fang, Guo-Yong,Ma, Jing,Ganz, Eric,Han, Sang Soo American Chemical Society 2014 Crystal Growth & Design Vol.14 No.5

<P>Recently, metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) have demonstrated great potential in photocatalysis and luminosity applications. However, most MOFs are dielectrics with substantial band gaps which limits applications of MOFs in the visible-light region. In this paper, we systematically tune the band gap of paradigm MOF-5 by substituting new atoms for the corner elements (X<SUB>4</SUB>Y), in computer simulations using density functional theory. The new proposed materials are labeled X<SUB>4</SUB>Y–MOF-5 (X = Zn, Cd, Be, Mg, Ca, Sr, Ba; Y = O, S, Se, Te). These new materials have band gaps ranging from 1.7 to 3.6 eV. The underlying mechanism of tunability of band gap can be ascribed to the electronic states of chalcogen atoms (O, S, Se, Te) in the X<SUB>4</SUB>Y nodes and carbon atoms in the BDC linkers. The substantial tunability of band gap leads to a large absorption range covering the visible spectrum. These proposed new materials may be useful for future applications in visible-light promoted photocatalysis or luminosity. The tunability of other properties such as bulk modulus, chemical bonding, and optical properties were also investigated. These novel materials may also be useful for devices in nanoelectronics or optoelectronics.</P><P>The band gap of paradigm MOF-5 is tuned by substituting new atoms for the corner elements (X<SUB>4</SUB>Y) using DFT calculations. The underlying mechanism of the tunability of band gap can be ascribed to the electronic states of chalcogen atoms in the X<SUB>4</SUB>Y nodes and carbon atoms in the BDC linkers, and leads to a large optical absorption range covering the visible spectrum.</P><P><B>Graphic Abstract</B> <IMG SRC='http://pubs.acs.org/appl/literatum/publisher/achs/journals/content/cgdefu/2014/cgdefu.2014.14.issue-5/cg500243s/production/images/medium/cg-2014-00243s_0011.gif'></P><P><A href='http://pubs.acs.org/doi/suppl/10.1021/cg500243s'>ACS Electronic Supporting Info</A></P>

Demographic Analysis of Lumbar Pedicle Diameters in a Diverse Population

Joseph Albano,Jonathon Lentz,Robert Stockton,Vincent DePalma,Michael Markowitz,Maximillian Ganz,Gus Katsigiorgis,Kanwarpaul Grewal 대한척추외과학회 2019 Asian Spine Journal Vol.13 No.3

Study Design: Retrospective chart review. Purpose: We sought to determine the differences in pedicle diameter (PD) in the lumbar spine between various races: ‘Asian,’ ‘Black,’ ‘White,’ and ‘Other.’ These data could aid in perioperative planning during instrumented spinal fusion. Overview of Literature: Recent literature underscores the importance of understanding diverse pedicle isthmus morphology to perform successful transpedicular procedures. These studies suggest that more detailed and reliable measurements of pedicles should be undertaken. However, none of the current literature comprehensively compares average PDs between diverse racial populations with a standardized study design. Methods: Coronal cuts of 5,060 lumbar spine pedicles were inspected to obtain their transverse outer cortical PD as measured through the isthmus at L1–L5. Data were collected and categorized on the basis of patient-reported race. We examined average PD and PD range at each level for each race. To determine the significance, we used a mixed analysis of variance and a post hoc analysis. Results: The Asian cohort consistently had a significantly smaller PD at L1–L5 than Blacks or Whites (p<0.001), as did the ‘Other’ group compared with Blacks (p<0.001) and Whites (p=0.032). At L1–L2, the ‘Other’ group showed the least variability in PD. At L3–L5, the Asian population showed the smallest range, and the Black population had the largest variability in PD except at L5. There was a significant difference in PD between the various races. Conclusions: The Asian population consistently has significantly smaller pedicles in the lumbar spine than the Black or White populations. This information could prove useful for surgical planning. We suggest using preoperative computed tomography for pedicle screw templating as a safe method for pedicle screw instrumentation with the highest pullout strength given the wide range of PD in the Black population and the variability of PD between races.

A Fundamental Understanding of Catechol and Water Adsorption on a Hydrophilic Silica Surface: Exploring the Underwater Adhesion Mechanism of Mussels on an Atomic Scale

Mian, Shabeer Ahmad,Yang, Li-Ming,Saha, Leton Chandra,Ahmed, E.,Ajmal, Muhammad,Ganz, Eric American Chemical Society 2014 Langmuir Vol.30 No.23

<P>Mussels have a remarkable ability to bond to solid surfaces under water. From a microscopic perspective, the first step of this process is the adsorption of dopa molecules to the solid surface. In fact, it is the catechol part of the dopa molecule that is interacting with the surface. These molecules are able to make reversible bonds to a wide range of materials, even underwater. Previous experimental and theoretical efforts have produced only a limited understanding of the mechanism and quantitative details of the competitive adsorption of catechol and water on hydrophilic silica surfaces. In this work, we uncover the nature of this competitive absorption by atomic scale modeling of water and catechol adsorbed at the geminal (001) silica surface using density functional theory calculations. We find that catechol molecules displace preadsorbed water molecules and bond directly on the silica surface. Using molecular dynamics simulations, we observe this process in detail. We also calculate the interaction force as a function of distance, and observe a maximum of 0.5 nN of attraction. The catechol has a binding energy of 23 kcal/mol onto the silica surface with adsorbed water molecules.</P><P><B>Graphic Abstract</B> <IMG SRC='http://pubs.acs.org/appl/literatum/publisher/achs/journals/content/langd5/2014/langd5.2014.30.issue-23/la500800f/production/images/medium/la-2014-00800f_0011.gif'></P><P><A href='http://pubs.acs.org/doi/suppl/10.1021/la500800f'>ACS Electronic Supporting Info</A></P>