Cinnamomum cassia on Arterial Stiffness and Endothelial Dysfunction in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: Outcomes of a Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial

Jesu´s S. Delgadillo-Centeno,Fernando Grover-Pa´ez,Sandra O. Herna´ndez-Gonza´lez,Marı´a G. Ramos-Zavala,David Cardona-Mu¨ ller,Alicia Lo´pez-Castro,Sara Pascoe-Gonza´lez 한국식품영양과학회 2023 Journal of medicinal food Vol.26 No.6

Cinnamomum cassia is a medicinal plant whose use has demonstrated benefits on body weight, blood pressure, glucose, and lipids. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of C. cassia on arterial stiffness and endothelial dysfunction (ED) in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial was carried out in 18 subjects aged 40–65 years, with a diagnosis of T2DM of one year or less since diagnosis and treated with Metformin 850 mg daily. Patients were randomly assigned to receive either C. cassia or a placebo in 1000 mg capsules, thrice a day, before each meal for 12 weeks. At baseline and after 12 weeks of intervention, brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity and Flow Mediated Dilation were measured, as well as body weight, body mass index (BMI), blood pressure (BP), fasting glucose (FG), glycated hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), total cholesterol, high density lipoprotein cholesterol, low density lipoprotein cholesterol, and very low density lipoprotein cholesterol, respectively, triglycerides, creatinine, and transaminases. The Mann–Whitney U test for differences between groups and the Wilcoxon signed-rank test for intragroup differences were used, and a P ≤ .05 was considered statistically significant. After C. cassia administration, statistically significant reductions in body weight (81.4 ± 10.4 kg vs. 79.9 ± 9.0 kg, P = .037), BMI (30.6 ± 4.2 kg/m2 vs. 30.1 ± 4.2 kg/m2, P = .018), and HbA1c (53 ± 5.4 mmol/mol vs. 45 ± 2.1 mmol/mol, P = .036) were observed. No changes statistically significant on arterial stiffness, ED, FG, BP, and lipids were observed. C. cassia administration decreases body weight, BMI, and HbA1c without statistically significant changes on arterial stiffness, ED, FG, BP, and lipids. CTR Number: NCT04259606

Biochemical characterization of a semi-purified aspartic protease from sea catfish Bagre panamensis with milk-clotting activity

Idalia Osuna-Ruiz,Marı´a Fernanda Espinoza-Marroquin,Jesu´ s Aaro´n Salazar-Leyva,Emyr Pen˜a,Carlos Alfonso A ´ lvarez-Gonza´lez,Isaura Ban˜uelos-Vargas,Emmanuel Martı´nez-Montan˜o 한국식품과학회 2019 Food Science and Biotechnology Vol.28 No.6

Pepsin from stomach of Bagre panamensis wassemi-purified and biochemically characterized. The acidproteolytic activity and purification fold were 3875 U/mgprotein and 91.85, respectively, after purification process. The optimum pH and temperature for semi-purified proteasewere 2–3 and 65 C, respectively. The enzymeactivity was stable after heating proteases at 50 C for120 min, but only 30% residual activity was detected afterheating at 65 C for 30 min. SDS-PAGE analysis showedtwo proteins bands after dialysis (26.1 and 38.6 kDa). Onlythe band of 38.6 kDa had proteolytic activity, which wasinhibited using pepstatin A. Organic solvents, surfactantsand reducing agents affect the proteolytic activity at differentextent; however, metal ions or EDTA have noimpact on protease activity. The semi-purified proteaseexhibited milk coagulant activity, with a maximum activityat 45 C. The obtained results highlight the potentialbiotechnological use of B. panamensis pepsin.

Partial Molecular Characterization of Arctium minus Aspartylendopeptidase and Preparation of Bioactive Peptides by Whey Protein Hydrolysis

Cecilia V. Cimino,Marı´a Laura Colombo,Constanza Liggieri,Mariela Bruno,Sandra Vairo-Cavalli 한국식품영양과학회 2015 Journal of medicinal food Vol.18 No.8

In this article, we report the cloning of an aspartic protease (AP) from flowers of Arctium minus (Hill) Bernh. (Asteraceae) along with the use of depigmented aqueous flower extracts, as a source of APs, for the hydrolysis of whey proteins. The isolated cDNA encoded a protein product with 509 amino acids called arctiumisin, with the characteristic primary structure organization of typical plant APs. Bovine whey protein hydrolysates, obtained employing the enzyme extracts of A. minus flowers, displayed inhibitory angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) and antioxidant activities. Hydrolysates after 3 and 5 h of reaction (degree of hydrolysis 2.4 and 5.6, respectively) and the associated peptide fraction with molecular weight below 3 kDa were analyzed by sodium dodecyl sulfate–polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization/time of flight mass spectrometry, and reverse phase-high-performance liquid chromatography. The results obtained in this study demonstrate the viability of using proteases from A. minus to increase the antioxidant and inhibitory ACE capacity of whey proteins.

Experimental and numerical study of turbulent mixing in a model of a polymerization reactor

Xavier Ingle`s,Jordi Pallares,Marı´a Teresa Larre,Luis Me´ndez,Francesc Xavier Grau 한국공업화학회 2013 Journal of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry Vol.19 No.4

In this study the turbulent mixing in a model of a polymerization reactor is analyzed experimentally and numerically. The model corresponds to a zone of an autoclave reactor equipped with a stirrer. Two different configurations of the stirrer, with different arrangement of the paddles, have been considered. The mixing process has been monitored by following the time-evolution of injections of a passive scalar through the different inlets of the model. The time-evolution of the mixing quality in a laboratory scale model of the reactor has been measured using water and the Planar Laser Induced Fluorescence (PLIF)technique. Numerical simulations of the flow and of the mixing processes were carried out and results of the evolution of the mixing are compared successfully with measurements. The mixing processes are dominated by the flow topology generated by the rotation of the stirrer. Superimposed to the tangential flow, secondary flows divide the length of the reactor in different zones. It has been found that macro mixing in each individual zone is a relatively fast process and that the mixing rates within each zone are very similar. However, the mixing rate between different zones is a relatively slow process.

Changes in the nutritional composition and antioxidant capacity of chia seeds (Salvia hispanica L.) during germination process

Marı´a del Carmen Beltra´n-Orozco,Alfonso Martı´nez-Olguı´n,Marı´a del Carmen Robles-Ramı´rez 한국식품과학회 2020 Food Science and Biotechnology Vol.29 No.6

This study aimed to evaluate the influence ofgermination on the content of protein, lipids, fiber, ashes,tryptophan, vitamin C, total phenolic and total flavonoidcompounds, as well as on the protein digestibility andantioxidant activity of chia seeds germinated for 1, 2, 3,and 4 days. The results showed that germination for 2 daysaugmented the protein content of chia seeds by 13% whilefiber, tryptophan, total phenolic and flavonoid contentsincreased by 46%, 93%, 300%, and 197%, respectively,after 4 days of germination. Vitamin C was not detected indry seeds but increased up to 2.33 mg/100 g at fourth dayof germination. The antioxidant capacity increasedapproximately 100% but protein digestibility decreased by14% at day 4 of germination. Germination can be a goodmethod to increase the nutritional and nutraceuticalpotential of chia seed for its use in the design of functionalfoods.

Cytotoxic Activity of the Methanolic Extract of Turnera diffusa Willd on Breast Cancer Cells

Marı´a del Carmen Avelino-Flores,Marı´a del Carmen Cruz-Lo´pez,Fabiola E. Jime´nez-Montejo,Julio Reyes-Leyva 한국식품영양과학회 2015 Journal of medicinal food Vol.18 No.3

Turnera diffusa Willd, commonly known as Damiana, is employed in traditional medicine as a stimulant, aphrodisiac, and diuretic. Its leaves and stems are used for flavoring and infusion. Damiana is considered to be safe for medicinal use by the FDA. Pharmacological studies have established the hypoglycemic, antiaromatase, prosexual, estrogenic, antibacterial, and antioxidant activity of T. diffusa. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the possible cytotoxic effect of extracts and organic fractions of this plant on five tumor cell lines (SiHa, C-33, Hep G2, MDA-MB-231, and T-47D) and normal human fibroblasts. The results show that the methanolic extract (TdM) displayed greater activity on MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells (with an IC50 of 30.67 μg/mL) than on the other cancer cell lines. Four organic fractions of this extract exhibited activity on this cancer cell line. In the most active fraction (F4), two active compounds were isolated, arbutin (1) and apigenin (2). This is the first report of a cytotoxic effect by T. diffusa on cancer cells. The IC50 values suggest that the methanolic extract of T. diffusa has potential as an anticancer therapy

Agave Fructans: Their Effect on Mineral Absorption and Bone Mineral Content

Marı´a Isabel Garcı´a-Vieyra,Alicia Del Real,Mercedes G. Lo´pez 한국식품영양과학회 2014 Journal of medicinal food Vol.17 No.11

In this study we investigate the effect that Agave fructans as new prebiotics have on mineral absorption improvement. Forty-eight 12-week-old C57BL/6J mice were used in this study. Forty mice were ovariectomized and eight were sham-operated controls. Mice were fed standard diets or diets supplemented with 10% Agave fructans or 10% inulin fructans. Calcium and magnesium were evaluated as well as their excretion in feces. Osteocalcin levels were also measured; femur structure was studied by scanning electron microscopy. Other parameters, such as food intake, body weight, glucose, and short-chain fatty acid content, were recorded. Calcium in plasma and bone increased in Agave fructan groups (from 53.1 to 56 and 85 mg/L and from 0.402 to 0.474 and 0.478 g/g, respectively) and osteocalcin increased in all fructan groups (> 50%). Scanning electron microscopy showed that fructans were able to mitigate bone loss. In conclusion, we demonstrated that supplementation with Agave fructans prevents bone loss and improves bone formation.

Transcriptional profile of processing machinery of 30 end of mRNA in Trichomonas vaginalis

Miguel A ´ ngel Del-Moral-Stevenel,Alma Villalobos-Osnaya,Mavil Lo´pez-Casamichana,Laura Itzel Quintas-Granados,Ce´sar Lo´pez-Camarillo,Jose´ Manuel Ferna´ndez Sa´nchez,Selene Zarate-Guerra,Marı´a Eli 한국유전학회 2015 Genes & Genomics Vol.37 No.4

Trichomonas vaginalis is the causative agent of trichomonosis, a sexually transmitted disease (STD) that affects over 180 million people worldwide. This parasite is capable to infect the urogenital tract of women and men, both microenvironments might affect the expression of key genes that may be involved in the parasite pathogenesis. The processing of 30 end of mRNA promotes mRNA stability in many eukaryotes, however in T. vaginalis this molecular machinery is under research. By means of an in silico analysis we identified putative proteins of the 30 end mRNA processing machinery of T. vaginalis, and by RTPCR assays we evaluated the expression of eight of these genes in a female and male T. vaginalis isolates. According to the in silico analysis, the T. vaginalis 30 end mRNA processing machinery, comprises a similar complex and protein factors that those described in Homo sapiens, Arabidopsis thaliana, Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Entamoeba histolytica. The complex contains several subcomplexes, including cleavage and polyadenylation specificity factor (CPSF), cleavage stimulation factor (CstF), cleavage factor I (CFIm) and cleavage factor II (CFIIm). We demonstrated that genes tvpsf2p, tvcfi25, tvcpsf160, tvcpsf73, tvfip1, tvpap1, tvpc4 and tvpabp are expressed in male or female T. vaginalis isolates. Besides we identify two different isoforms of TvPC4. T. vaginalis genome contains most of genes encoding for 30 end mRNA processing, which may be transcriptionally active and could be involved in the capping, splicing, cleavage and polyadenylation of mRNAs in this parasite. Further studies are necessary to elucidate the biological meaning of our findings.

Quercetin and Epigallocatechin Gallate in the Prevention and Treatment of Obesity: From Molecular to Clinical Studies

Catalina Carrasco-Pozo,Marı´a Jose Cires,Martin Gotteland 한국식품영양과학회 2019 Journal of medicinal food Vol.22 No.8

Obesity is a worldwide epidemic, which is characterized by the excess accumulation of adipose tissue and to an extent that impairs both the physical and psychosocial health and well-being. There are several weight-loss strategies available, including dietary modification, pharmacotherapy, and bariatric surgery, but many are ineffective or not a long-term solution. Bioactive compounds present in medicinal plants and plant extracts, like polyphenols, constitute the oldest and most extensive form of alternative treatments for the prevention and management of obesity. Their consumption is currently increasing in the population due to the high cost, potential adverse effects, and limited benefits of the currently available pharmaceutical drugs. A great number of studies has explored how dietary polyphenols can interfere with the different mechanisms associated with obesity development. They suggest that these compounds can decrease energy and food intake, lipogenesis, and preadipocyte differentiation and proliferation, while increasing energy expenditure, lipolysis, and fat oxidation. Both quercetin, one of the most common dietary flavonols in the western diet, and epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), the most abundant polyphenol in green tea, exhibit antiobesity effects in adipocyte cultures and animal models. However, the extrapolation of these potential benefits to obese humans remains unclear. Although quercetin supplementation does not seem to exert any beneficial effects on body weight, this polyphenol could prevent the obesity-associated mortality by reducing cardiovascular disease risk. An important consideration for the design of further trials is the occurrence of gene polymorphisms in key enzymes involved in flavanol metabolism, which determines a subject's sensitivity to catechins and seems, therefore, crucial for the success of the antiobesity intervention. Although the evidence supporting antiobesity effects is more consistent in EGCG than with quercetin studies, they could still be beneficial by reducing the cardiovascular risk of obese subjects, rather than inducing body weight loss.

Enzyme activity and partial characterization of proteases obtained from Bromelia karatas fruit and compared with Bromelia pinguin proteases

Libier Meza-Espinoza,Marı´a de los A ´ ngeles Vivar-Vera,Marı´a de Lourdes Garcı´a-Magan˜a,Sonia G. Sa´yago-Ayerdi,Alejandra Chaco´n-Lo´pez,Eduardo M. Becerrea-Verdı´n,Efigenia Montalvo-Gonza´lez 한국식품과학회 2018 Food Science and Biotechnology Vol.27 No.2

The enzymatic activity and partial characterization of proteases from Bromelia karatas fruits were evaluated and compared with Bromelia pinguin proteases. The specific activity increased twofold after partial purification in both proteases. Partially purified proteases from Bromelia karatas showed good specific activity at pH 6.0–8.0 and residual activity of 70–100% for 60 min at 37–60 C, similar to Bromelia pinguin proteases. The Km value of proteases from Bromelia karatas was higher (253.32 lM) than that of Bromelia pinguin proteases (234.94 lM). The use of specific protease inhibitors indicated the presence of cysteine and serine proteases. Proteases with molecular weight of 66.2–97 and 21–31 kDa were detected. Bromelia karatas proteases registered 73% hydrolysis using a soy protein concentrate, similar to the enzyme activity of Bromelia pinguin proteases and commercial bromelain. These results demonstrate that Bromelia karatas proteases could be a potential alternative protease in the food industry.