Research - Polyphenols
Polyphenols are a large class of chemical compounds found in plants eg
Spices - Cloves, star anise, capers, curry powder, cumin, cinnamon, ginger
Dried herbs - Peppermint, sage, oregano, rosemary, thyme, basil, lemon verbena, parsley, marjoram
Drinks - Green tea, black tea, red wine, cocoa
Berries - Black chokeberry, black elderberry, low bush blueberry, plum, cherry, blackcurrant, blackberry, strawberry, raspberry, prune, black grapes.
Seeds - Flaxseed, celery seeds
Nuts - Almond, pecan, walnut chestnut, hazelnut,
Olives - Black olives, green olives
Vegetables - Globe artichokes, red chicory, green chicory, red onion, spinach, broccoli, curly endive,
Fruits - Apples, apple juice, pomegranate juice, peach, blood orange juice, lemon juice, apricot, quince.
Oils - Extra-virgin olive oil, rapeseed (canola) oil
Spices - Cloves, star anise, capers, curry powder, cumin, cinnamon, ginger
Dried herbs - Peppermint, sage, oregano, rosemary, thyme, basil, lemon verbena, parsley, marjoram
Drinks - Green tea, black tea, red wine, cocoa
Berries - Black chokeberry, black elderberry, low bush blueberry, plum, cherry, blackcurrant, blackberry, strawberry, raspberry, prune, black grapes.
Seeds - Flaxseed, celery seeds
Nuts - Almond, pecan, walnut chestnut, hazelnut,
Olives - Black olives, green olives
Vegetables - Globe artichokes, red chicory, green chicory, red onion, spinach, broccoli, curly endive,
Fruits - Apples, apple juice, pomegranate juice, peach, blood orange juice, lemon juice, apricot, quince.
Oils - Extra-virgin olive oil, rapeseed (canola) oil
Protective effect of polyphenols in an inflammatory process associated with experimental pulmonary fibrosis in mice
Abstract
Polyphenols have been described to have a wide range of biological activities, and many reports, published during recent years, have highlighted the beneficial effects of phenolic compounds, illustrating their promising role as therapeutic tools in several acute and chronic disorders. The purpose of study was to evaluate, in an already-assessed model of lung injury caused by bleomycin (BLM) administration, the role of resveratrol and quercetin, as well as to explore the potential beneficial properties of a mango leaf extract, rich in mangiferin, and a grape leaf extract, rich in dihydroquercetin (DHQ), on the same model. Mice were subjected to intra-tracheal administration of BLM, and polyphenols were administered by oral route immediately after BLM instillation and daily for 7 d. Treatment with resveratrol, mangiferin, quercetin and DHQ inhibited oedema formation and body weight loss, as well as ameliorated polymorphonuclear infiltration into the lung tissue and reduced the number of inflammatory cells in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. Moreover, polyphenols suppressed inducible nitric oxide synthase expression, and prevented oxidative and nitroxidative lung injury, as shown by the reduced nitrotyrosine and poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase levels. The degree of apoptosis, as evaluated by Bid and Bcl-2 balance, was also suppressed after polyphenol treatment. Finally, these natural products down-regulated cyclo-oxygenase-2, extracellular signal-regulated kinase phosphorylated expression and reduced NF-κBp65 translocation. Our findings confirmed the anti-inflammatory effects of resveratrol and quercetin in BLM-induced lung damage, and highlight, for the first time, the protective properties of exogenous administration of mangiferin and DHQ on experimental pulmonary fibrosis.
Source : British Journal of Nutrition
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Managing Hypertension by Polyphenols
Salvador Fernández-Arroyo1, Jordi Camps1, Javier A. Menendez2, Jorge Joven1
Abstract
Some polyphenols, obtained from plants of broad use, induce a favorable endothelial response in hypertension and beneficial effects in the management of other metabolic cardiovascular risks. Previous studies in our laboratories using the calyces of Hibiscus sabdariffa as a source of polyphenols show that significant effects on hypertension are noticeable in humans only when provided in high amounts. Available data are suggestive in animal models and ex vivo experiments, but data in humans are difficult to acquire. Additionally, and despite the low bioavailability of polyphenols, intervention studies provide evidence for the protective effects of secondary plant metabolites. Assumptions on public health benefits are limited by the lack of scientific knowledge, robust data derived from large randomized clinical trials, and an accurate assessment of the bioactive components provided by common foodstuff. Because it is likely that clinical effects are the result of multiple interactions among different polyphenols rather than the isolated action of unique compounds, to provide polyphenol-rich botanical extracts as dietary supplements is a suggestive option. Unfortunately, the lack of patent perspectives for the pharmaceutical industries and the high cost of production and release for alimentary industries will hamper the performance of the necessary clinical trials. Here we briefly discuss whether and how such limitations may complicate the extensive use of plant-derived products in the management of hypertension and which steps are the necessary to deal with the predictable complexity in a possible clinical practice.
Source : Planta Medica
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The flavanol (−)-epicatechin prevents stroke damage through the Nrf2/HO1 pathway
This work was supported in part by grants from the National Institutes of Health (AT001836, AA014911, AT002113, and NS046400) and from the American Heart and Stroke Association to S.D.
Zahoor A Shah1,7, Rung-chi Li1,7, Abdullah S Ahmad1, Thomas W Kensler2, Masayuki Yamamoto2,3,4, Shyam Biswal2,5 and Sylvain Doré1,6
- 1Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- 2Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- 3Center for Tsukuba Advanced Research Alliance, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Japan
- 4Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Japan
- 5Department of Oncology, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- 6Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- The flavanol (−)-epicatechin prevents stroke damage through the Nrf2/HO1 pathway This work was supported in part by grants from the National Institutes of Health (AT001836, AA014911, AT002113, and NS046400) and from the American Heart and Stroke Association to S.D.
Zahoor A Shah1,7, Rung-chi Li1,7, Abdullah S Ahmad1, Thomas W Kensler2, Masayuki Yamamoto2,3,4, Shyam Biswal2,5 and Sylvain Doré1,6 - 1Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- 2Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- 3Center for Tsukuba Advanced Research Alliance, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Japan
- 4Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Japan
- 5Department of Oncology, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- 6Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
Abstract
Epidemiologic studies have shown that foods rich in polyphenols, such as flavanols, can lower the risk of ischemic heart disease; however, the mechanism of protection has not been clearly established. In this study, we investigated whether epicatechin (EC), a flavanol in cocoa and tea, is protective against brain ischemic damage in mice. Wild-type mice pretreated orally with 5, 15, or 30 mg/kg EC before middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) had significantly smaller brain infarcts and decreased neurologic deficit scores (NDS) than did the vehicle-treated group. Mice that were posttreated with 30 mg/kg of EC at 3.5 hours after MCAO also had significantly smaller brain infarcts and decreased NDS. Similarly, WT mice pretreated with 30 mg/kg of EC and subjected to N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA)-induced excitotoxicity had significantly smaller lesion volumes. Cell viability assays with neuronal cultures further confirmed that EC could protect neurons against oxidative insults. Interestingly, the EC-associated neuroprotection was mostly abolished in mice lacking the enzyme heme oxygenase 1 (HO1) or the transcriptional factor Nrf2, and in neurons derived from these knockout mice. These results suggest that EC exerts part of its beneficial effect through activation of Nrf2 and an increase in the neuroprotective HO1 enzyme.
Source : Journal of Cerebral Blood Flow and Metabolism
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Inverse association between habitual polyphenol intake and incidence of cardiovascular events in the PREDIMED study
A. Tresserra-Rimbaua, b,E.B. Rimmc, d, e, A. Medina-Remóna, b, M.A. Martínez-Gonzálezb, f, R. de la Torreb, g, D. Corellab, h, J. Salas-Salvadób, i, E. Gómez-Graciab, j, J. Lapetrab, k, F. Arósb, l, M. Fiolb, m, E. Rosb, n,L. Serra-Majemb, o, X. Pintób, p, G.T. Saezb, q, J. Basorab, r, J.V. Sorlíb, s, J.A. Martínezb, t, E. Vinyolesb, u, V. Ruiz-Gutiérrezb, v, R. Estruchb, w, R.M. Lamuela-Raventósa, b, , ,
Abstract
Background and aims
Epidemiologic and biological evidence supports an inverse association between polyphenol consumption and the risk of cardiovascular disease. However, no previous studies have prospectively evaluated the relationship between polyphenol intake and the incidence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in such a comprehensive way. The aim was to evaluate the association between intakes of total polyphenol and polyphenol subgroups, and the risk of major cardiovascular events (myocardial infarction, stroke or death from cardiovascular causes) in the PREDIMED study.
Methods and results
The present work is an observational study within the PREDIMED trial. Over an average of 4.3 years of follow-up, there were 273 confirmed cases of CVD among the 7172 participants (96.3%) who completed a validated 137-item food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) at baseline. Polyphenol consumption was calculated by matching food consumption data from the FFQ with the Phenol-Explorer database on polyphenol content of each reported food. After multivariate adjustment, a 46% reduction in risk of CVD risk was observed comparing Q5 vs. Q1 of total polyphenol intake (HR = 0.54; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.33–0.91; P-trend = 0.04). The polyphenols with the strongest inverse associations were flavanols (HR = 0.40; CI 0.23–0.72; P-trend = 0.003), lignans (HR = 0.51; CI 0.30–0.86; P-trend = 0.007), and hydroxybenzoic acids (HR = 0.47; CI 0.26–0.86; P-trend 0.02).
Conclusion
Greater intake of polyphenols, especially from lignans, flavanols, and hydroxybenzoic acids, was associated with decreased CVD risk. Clinical trials are needed to confirm this effect and establish accurate dietary recommendations. International Standard Randomized Controlled Trial Number: 35739639.
Source : Nutrition + Metabolism + Cardiovascular Disease
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