Search

Aim: This bioinformatics study aims to identify the potential key genes influenced by cocoa extraction treatment on colon cancer cell line HT-29 after 24h. Background: Cocoa consumption has been claimed to have beneficial effects on human body including protection against diseases such as different types of cancers. However, the mechanisms behind this is still remained to be studied. Methods: The microarray dataset (GSE94154) from GEO, was the source for differentially expressed genes (DEGs) extraction through GEO2R analysis. The comparison was between 3 controls of colorectal cell line HT-29 and 3 ones incubated with 500 ^g cocoa extraction after 24 h. Afterwards, the top significant DEGs were assigned for protein-protein interaction network construction and analysis by Cytoscape v 3.7.0. and the related applications. Results: The findings indicate that there are 222 up-regulated and 28 down-regulated genes among 250 top-ranked DEGs in cocoa incubated group. What is more, centrality analysis of the DEGs network identified 10 hub-bottlenecks that ISG15, MX 1, and STAT1 were among the significant differential expression genes with the contribution in type 1 interferon signaling pathway, positive regulation of erythrocyte differentiation, and negative regulation of viral genome replication. Conclusion: In conclusion, the underlying mechanisms of cocoa treatment could be clarified by its up-regulatory and modulatory effect on prominent genes of tumor suppressor family. In other words, valuable clues for future clinical studies of cocoa health benefits are highlighted as anticancer agent in this study once validation studies are carried out. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains the leading cause of death today. Many of the biochemical alterations associated with the pathophysiology of CVD can be modified by adequate intakes of bioactive nutrients through a correct diet or supplementation. Recently, there has been growing public and clinical interest in cocoa polyphenols (CPs) and omega-3 (ω-3) fatty acids. A plethora of nutritional intervention trials and experimental studies demonstrates that consumption of these bioactive food compounds is beneficial to promote cardiovascular health. The purpose of this review is to summarize the major cardioprotective effects of CPs and ω-3 fatty acids, providing a scientific rationale for incorporating the combination of these molecules as a nutritional intervention in the prevention of CVD. Although several studies have shown the individual cardioprotective nature of these compounds, a combination treatment with CPs and ω-3 fatty acids may be a promising approach to enhance the preventive value of these molecules and reduce cardiovascular risk factors associated with aging. Therefore, this article also reviews some of the key studies on the interaction between CPs and the metabolism of ω-3 fatty acids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Dietary saturated fatty acids are always being hotly debated. Palm olein rich in saturated fatty acids (45.98%) is often considered as being atherogenic nutritionally. There is a lack of information on effects of dietary oil by partially replacing with palm olein on human health. Methods: A randomized controlled trial with 88 participants has been conducted to elucidate the effect of palm olein on cardiovascular risk factors. Results: By comparing the soybean oil group (saturated fatty acids amounted to 23.31%) with the cocoa butter group (saturated fatty acids amounted to 93.76%), no significant difference was found (p > 0.05) in physiological parameters, serum oxidative stress levels, inflammatory factor, glucose metabolism, and lipid profiles of subjects, which are all cardiovascular risk factors. Although results showed that intervention time can influence the cardiovascular risk factors significantly (p < 0.05), there is no relationship between intervention time and dietary oil type. Conclusion: Therefore, partial replacement of dietary oil by palm olein may not affect cardiovascular risk factors in healthy young adults. There are differences between our research and previous researches, which may be due to the different amount of palm olien in diet. Our research will provide a solid foundation for the application of palm olein in human diets and in the food industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plants have been a good source of therapeutic agents for thousands of years; an impressive number of modern drugs used for treating human diseases are derived from natural sources. The Theobroma cacao tree, or cocoa, has recently garnered increasing attention and become the subject of research due to its antioxidant properties, which are related to potential anti-cancer effects. In the past few years, identifying and developing active compounds or extracts from the cocoa bean that might exert anti-cancer effects have become an important area of health- and biomedicine-related research. This review provides an updated overview of T. cacao in terms of its potential anti-cancer compounds and their extraction, in vitro bioassay, purification, and identification. This article also discusses the advantages and disadvantages of the techniques described and reviews the processes for future perspectives of analytical methods from the viewpoint of anti-cancer compound discovery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The purpose of this research was to study the effectiveness of the overall dietary intervention rather than a single nutrient on children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Methods: This is a randomized controlled trial conducted at a child psychiatry clinic in Iran. Participants were 106 children and adolescents with ADHD. One group received methylphenidate plus dietary recommendations, while the other group only received methylphenidate. ADHD DSM-IV checklist was used to assess inattentiveness and hyperactivity/impulsivity scores at baseline and at the end of the trial. Results: The results revealed no significant difference between the two groups regarding mean age, gender ratio, body mass index, baseline inattentiveness score, and baseline hyperactivity score. Linear regression analysis considering the covariant variables showed that the inattentive score at the end of the trial was significantly associated with the mean change of favorite diet scores. Conclusion: This is the first clinical trial examining the effect of overall dietary characteristics rather than a single nutrient on the children formally diagnosed with ADHD. According to the results, un-favorite diet had no effects on inattentive or hyperactivity/impulsivity score. Encouraging the children with ADHD to increase their intake of recommended diet markedly improves their attention. Trial registration: The trial was registered at the Iranian Clinical Trials Registry (Irct ID: IRCT201311303930N29). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]