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Hypercholesterolemia plays a pivotal role in the development and progression of cardiovascular diseases, and its prevention seems to be a crucial healthcare strategy to ameliorate these conditions. Subjects with mild hypercholesterolemia are frequently advised against using cholesterol-lowering drugs due to potential side effects, with an emphasis instead on prioritizing dietary adjustments and lifestyle modifications as the primary strategy. In this context, the use of dietary supplements based on medicinal plants may be recommended as a complementary approach to managing elevated cholesterol levels. The aim of this study was to investigate the safety and potential therapeutic effectiveness of a standardized formulation containing extracts from garlic and onions in addressing the health concerns of individuals with slightly elevated cholesterol levels. A controlled, randomized, double-blind, two parallel-group study was conducted over 8 weeks, with clinical visits scheduled at baseline, weeks 2 and 4, as well as at the end of the study. The results revealed significant reductions in both low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and total cholesterol levels among participants who received the extract. Additionally, improvements in blood pressure, as well as in oxidative and inflammatory markers were observed, thus suggesting its potential as a valuable therapeutic intervention for managing mild hypercholesterolemia.

Background: Propyl propane thiosulfonate (PTSO) is an organosulfur compound from Allium spp. that has shown interesting antimicrobial properties and immunomodulatory effects in different experimental models. In this sense, our aim was to evaluate its effect on an experimental model of obesity, focusing on inflammatory and metabolic markers and the gut microbiota. Methods and results: Mice were fed a high-fat diet and orally treated with different doses of PTSO (0.1, 0.5 and 1 mg/kg/day) for 5 weeks. PTSO lessened the weight gain and improved the plasma markers associated with glucose and lipid metabolisms. PTSO also attenuated obesity-associated systemic inflammation, reducing the immune cell infiltration and, thus, the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines in adipose and hepatic tissues (Il-1ẞ, Il-6, Tnf-α, Mcp-1, Jnk-1, Jnk-2, Leptin, Leptin R, Adiponectin, Ampk, Ppar-α, Ppar-γ, Glut-4 and Tlr-4) and improving the expression of different key elements for gut barrier integrity (Muc-2, Muc-3, Occludin, Zo-1 and Tff-3). Additionally, these effects were connected to a regulation of the gut microbiome, which was altered by the high-fat diet. Conclusion: Allium-derived PTSO can be considered a potential new tool for the treatment of metabolic syndrome.

Limosilactobacillus reuteri INIA P572 is a strain able to produce the antimicrobial compound reuterin in dairy products, exhibiting a protective effect against some food-borne pathogens. In this study, we investigated some probiotic properties of this strain such as resistance to gastrointestinal passage or to colonic conditions, reuterin production in a colonic environment, and immunomodulatory activity, using different in vitro and in vivo models. The results showed a high resistance of this strain to gastrointestinal conditions, as well as capacity to grow and produce reuterin in a human colonic model. Although the in vitro assays using the RAW 264.7 macrophage cell line did not demonstrate direct immunomodulatory properties, the in vivo assays using a Dextran Sulphate Sodium (DSS)-induced colitic mice model showed clear immunomodulatory and protective effects of this strain.

Pyruvate is a normal constituent of the body that participates in carbohydrate metabolism and functions as a scavenger of free radicals. Calcium pyruvate monohydrate (CPM) is a more stable derivative that has proved its anti-inflammatory effect in experimental colitis, among other disorders, and that could also be considered a source of calcium. Thus, it would be useful for the treatment of diseases with an inflammatory component and a high prevalence of osteoporosis like the irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). The aim of the present study is to evaluate the effects of CPM in a rat model of chronic post-inflammatory visceral pain induced by deoxycholic acid (DCA) that resembles IBS. Rats were administered DCA for three days intracolonically and then treated daily with CPM (40 and 100 mg/kg) or gabapentin (70 mg/kg) (positive control) by oral gavage for 17 days. The treatments reduced the visceral hypersensitivity measured by response to colorectal distension and referred pain. DCA induced changes in the colonic immune response characterized by increased expression of the cytokine Il-1β and the inducible enzyme Cox-2, which was reduced by the treatments. DCA also decreased the gut expression of the mucins Muc-2 and Muc-3, which was normalized by CPM, whereas gabapentin only increased significantly Muc-3. Moreover, DCA increased the expression of Tlr3, which was decreased to basal levels by all the treatments. However, the serotonin receptor Htr-4, which was also elevated, was not affected by any of the treatments, indicating no effect through this signalling pathway. In conclusion, CPM ameliorated the visceral hypersensitivity and the referred pain caused by DCA, being as effective as the control drug. Furthermore, it improved the immune status of the animals, which could contribute to the visceral analgesia and the regeneration of the intestinal epithelial barrier integrity.

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is characterized by chronic inflammation of the intestine that compromises the patients’ life quality and requires sustained pharmacological and surgical treatments. Since their etiology is not completely understood, non-fully-efficient drugs have been developed and those that have shown effectiveness are not devoid of quite important adverse effects that impair their long-term use. In this regard, a growing body of evidence confirms the health benefits of flavonoids. Flavonoids are compounds with low molecular weight that are widely distributed throughout the vegetable kingdom, including in edible plants. They may be of great utility in conditions of acute or chronic intestinal inflammation through different mechanisms including protection against oxidative stress, and preservation of epithelial barrier function and immunomodulatory properties in the gut. In this review we have revised the main flavonoid classes that have been assessed in different experimental models of colitis as well as the proposed mechanisms that support their beneficial effects.