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This article is an editorial that explores the role of dietary bioactive compounds in preventing chronic diseases. It discusses the impact of these compounds on various biological processes and their potential to improve human health. The article includes detailed reviews on the functions of bioactive substances, such as garlic, in disease prevention and treatment. It also highlights the importance of lifestyle interventions and the use of probiotics in promoting health and preventing conditions like osteoarthritis and gestational diabetes mellitus. Overall, the article emphasizes the potential of dietary active compounds in reducing the risk of chronic diseases and promoting a healthier life. [Extracted from the article]

Background: Fisetin, a natural potent flavonoid, has various beneficial, pharmacological activities. In this study, we investigated expression changes of the fisetin regulating genes in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-treated RAW264.7 cells and explored the role of fisetin in inflammation and autophagy. Methods and results: Microarray analysis identified 1,071 genes that were regulated by fisetin in LPS-treated RAW264.7 cells, and these genes were mainly related to the process of immune system response. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and Bio-Plex analysis indicated that fisetin decreased the expression and secretion of several inflammatory cytokines in cells administered with LPS. Western blot analysis and immunofluorescence assay showed that fisetin decreased microtubule-associated protein 1 light-chain 3B (LC3B) and lysosome-associated membrane protein 1 (LAMP1) expression in LPS-treated cells, while the autophagy inhibitor chloroquine (CQ) could partially reverse this effect. In addition, fisetin reduced the elevated expression of p-PI3K, p-AKT and p-mTOR induced by LPS in a concentration-dependent manner. Conclusions: Fisetin diminished the expression and secretion of inflammatory cytokines and facilitated autophagosome- lysosome fusion and degradation in LPS-treated RAW264.7 cells via inhibition of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway. Overall, the results of this study provide new clues for the anti-inflammatory mechanism of fisetin and explain the crosstalk between autophagy and inflammation to some extent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a manifestation of metabolic syndrome closely linked to dyslipidemia and gut microbiome dysbiosis. Bilberry anthocyanins (BA) have been reported to have preventive effects against metabolic syndrome. This study aimed to investigate the protective effects and mechanisms of BA in a Western diet (WD)-induced mouse model. The results revealed that supplementation with BA attenuated the serum levels of aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c), fat content in liver, 2-thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) and α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) caused by WD. Furthermore, gut microbiota characterized by 16S rRNA sequencing revealed that BA reduced remarkably the ratio of Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes (F/B) and modified gut microbiome. In particular, BA increased the relative abundance of g_Akkermansia and g_Parabacteroides. Taken together, our data demonstrated that BA might ameliorate WD-induced NAFLD by attenuating dyslipidemia and gut microbiome dysbiosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stress is a part of everyday life, but excessive stress can be related to diverse diseases. Recently, oral intake of a non-centrifuged cane sugar, Kokuto, was reported to produce potential anti-stress effects in humans. However, the molecular components associated with the anti-stress property of Kokuto remain mostly unknown. Therefore, we focused on the non-sugar component (NSC) fractions of Kokuto, and investigated how serum corticosterone level (used as a stress marker) and antioxidant activity were affected in restraint-stressed mice treated with NSC fractions obtained from the elusion on HP-20 resin with 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100% aqueous methanol (MeOH) solutions. Among the four NSC fractions, the 50% MeOH fraction showed a high content of phenolic compounds and high antioxidant activity. Moreover, oral administration of the 50% MeOH fraction suppressed both corticosterone secretion into the serum and reduction of antioxidant activity in serum and liver in restraint-stressed mice. Component analysis of the 50% MeOH fraction identified five antioxidative phenolic compounds: p-hydroxybenzaldehyde, p-hydroxyacetophenone, schaftoside, isoschaftoside, and p-coumaric acid. Phenolic compounds detected in the NSC fractions of Kokuto might contribute to the anti-stress property of Kokuto. In addition, this research provides more understanding of potential health benefits offered by the constituents of Kokuto. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses a study on the anti-proliferation activity and molecular mechanisms of loquat tea extract (LTE) centering on mitochondria dysfunction pathway using HL-60 cells as target cells. Topics discussed include the extraction and characterization of loquat tea, the key role of mitochondrion in the regulation of apoptosis and LTE's suppression of the proliferation of HL-60 cell by inducing mitochondrial dysfunction.

Mistletoe is a traditional medicinal plant containing bioactive phenolic compounds with, for example, anti-cancer effects. We prepared extracts rich in phenolic compounds using a high-temperature batch extraction (HTBE) method. The mistletoes used in this study belonged to the genera Scurrula, Dendrophtoe and Macrosolen, which are typical plants in Indonesia. As a result of experiments regarding antioxidant activity measured by the ABTS method, along with polyphenolic profiles in each extract, we found an extract from S. oortiana showing a high antioxidant activity of 51 µmol TEAC/g extract as well as high content of phenolic compounds (289 mg GAE/g extract) among the mistletoe extracts obtained by HTBE. Candidate compounds responsible for the effect were quercetin 4'-0-β-glucopyranoside and gallic acid; other phenolic compounds such as catechin, epicatechin, rutin and quercetin partly contributed to the antioxidant effect of mistletoe extracts obtained by HTBE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We obtained anti-allergic oligosaccharides from a sweet potato-shochu distillery by-product (SDB). Oral administration of oligosaccharides A and B in SDB to ovalbumin/aluminum-sensitized mice for 4 weeks resulted in a significant decrease in serum IgE concentration. The release of β-hexosaminidase from rat basophilic leukemia cell line RBL-2H3 was also suppressed by the addition of oligosaccharides A and B to the cell culture. The molecular weights of oligosaccharides A and B were about 730 and 530, respectively, determined from the retention time on Bio-Gel P-2. Oligosaccharide A was composed of galactose, glucose and uronic acid in a molar ratio of 2:1:1. Oligosaccharide B was composed of galactose, glucose and arabinose (1:1:1 molar ratio) or galactose, glucose and uronic acid (1:1:1 molar ratio), showing that oligosaccharide B is a heterogeneous mixture of other oligosaccharides. Oligosaccharides A and B exhibited growth-stimulating activity with Bifidobacterium lactis BB-12. The present results indicate that the oligosaccharides in SDB are promising ingredients for the effective control of allergic diseases via suppression of IgE production and inhibition of basophilic leukemia cells degranulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a study which examines the role of quercetin hydroxyl groups in their bioactivities. In this study, the ability to inhibit cell proliferation and cause apoptosis in human leukemia (HL-60) cells of the quercetin hydroxyl groups were evaluated. Findings suggest that quercetin hydroxyl groups help increase the level of intracellular superoxide, consequently inhibiting cell proliferation and inducing apoptosis in HL-60 cells.

The hydroxyl groups of flavonoids are important for their bioactive functions and also prone to oxidation to quinones. To block the potential oxidation of quercetin, and generate a stronger bioactive compound, we synthesized acetyl and methyl derivatives of quercetin, 3,7,3′,4′-O-tetraacetylquercetin (4Ac-Q) and 3,7,3′,4′-O-tetramethylquercetin (4Me-Q), which substituted the hydroxyl groups of quercetin with acetyl or methyl groups at the 3,7,3′,4′ positions of quercetin, and then evaluated the ability to cause cell proliferation inhibition and apoptosis in HL-60 cells. The results revealed that 4Ac-Q and quercetin, but not 4Me-Q, significantly inhibit cell proliferation by caspase-mediated apoptosis when characterized by DNA fragmentation, activation of caspase-3 and PARP cleavage while 4Me-Q lost this ability. Interestingly, 4Ac-Q revealed stronger apoptotic activity than parent quercetin via a ROS-independent pathway. These findings provide a valuable strategy to increase the sensitivity of human leukemia HL-60 cells toward apoptosis by modifying quercetin structure. © 2009 International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article reports on results of a study of the involvement of the stabilization of p53 in quercetin-induced cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in hepG2 cells. A description of the study design and method is presented. The study found that quercetin inhibited the proliferation of HepG2 cells through the induction of cell cycle arrest and apoptosis.

The article examines the effect of a koji (Aspergillus awamori mut.) extract on the caffeoylquinic acid derivatives purified from sweetpotato (Ipomoea batatas L.) leaves. The mass product of caffeic acid is developed. The results suggest that the production of caffeic acid from plant resources containing caffeoylquinic acid derivatives is possible.

Anthocyanins are the chemical components that give the intense color to many fruits and vegetables, such as blueberries, red cabbages and purple sweet potatoes. Extensive studies have indicated that anthocyanins have strong antioxidant activities. To investigate the mechanism of anthocyanidins as an anticancer food source, six kinds of anthocyanidins representing the aglycons of most anthocyanins, were used to examine their effects on tumor promotion in mouse JB6 cells, a validated model for screening cancer chemopreventive agents and elucidating the molecular mechanisms. Of the six anthocyanins tested, only those with an ortho-dihydroxyphenyl structure on the B-ring suppressed 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA)-induced cell transformation and activator protein-1 transactivation, suggesting that the ortho-dihydroxyphenyl may contribute to the inhibitory action. Delphinidin, but not peonidin, blocked the phosphorylation of protein kinases in the extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase (ERK) pathway at early times and the c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) signaling pathway at later times. p38 kinase was not inhibited by delphinidin. Furthermore, two mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) specific inhibitors (SP600125 for JNK and UO126 for ERK) could specifically block the activation of JNK and ERK and cell transformation. Those results demonstrate that anthocyanidins contribute to the inhibition of tumorigenesis by blocking activation of the MAPK pathway. These findings provide the first molecular basis for the anticarcinogenic action of anthocyanidins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]