Search

Helicobacter pylori (HP) is among the most common pathogens causing infection in humans worldwide. Oxidative stress and gastric inflammation are involved in the progression of HP-related gastric diseases, and they can be targeted by integrating conventional antibiotic treatment with polyphenol-enriched natural products. In this work, we characterised three different propolis extracts and evaluated their stability under in vitro simulated gastric digestion, compared to their main constituents alone. The extract with the highest stability to digestion (namely, the dark propolis extract, DPE) showed a minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) lower than 1 mg/mL on HP strains with different virulence factors. Finally, since urease is one of the virulence factors contributing to the establishment of a microenvironment that promotes HP infection, we evaluated the possible inhibition of this enzyme by using molecular docking simulations and in vitro colorimetric assay, showing that galangin and pinocembrin may be involved in this activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Balsamita major (Asteraceae), known as costmary, is a medicinal plant rich of ethnobotanical interest in particular in Europe and Middle East, known and used since Greek and Roman times. The aim of the present study was to characterize the phenolic pattern of B. major leaves cultivated in Italy, and to measure the overall anti-radical (DPPH) and antioxidant activity (ORAC) during the growth cycle of the plant. Total polyphenols and total hydroxycinnamic acid derivatives were abundant in the leaves collected at all the growth stages, only decreasing in the flowering stage; flavonoids reached the highest content in the very early growth stage. Chlorogenic acid and 3,5-O-dicaffeoylquinic acid resulted to be the main phenolic constituents in all the extracts; their concentrations were highest at the late and early growth stages, respectively. Glycosilated flavonoids were found to be the abundant in all the extracts and quercetin resulted the main flavonoid aglycone, with the highest content in the very early growth stage. Both DPPH and ORAC tests registered good antiradical and antioxidant properties for all the extracts. Thus, B. major is worthy of further investigation, being an interesting source of antioxidant compounds, for pharmaceutical, nutraceutical and cosmetic purposes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copaifera langsdorffii Desf. has been used in the traditional medicine of Brazil for centuries to treat a wide range of conditions, including infections, wounds and inflammation. The aim of this study is to compare the effects of C. langsdorffii bark oleoresin and a methanolic extract of the fruit for their anti-Helicobacter pylori (HP) activity and gastroprotective effects. We analyzed the in vitro anti-HP activity against three HP strains: CCUG 39500 (cagA+) and two clinical isolates, G21 and 10 K (cagA + and cagA–, respectively). The effect of C. langsdorffii products on IL-6 release in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated human peripheral blood mononuclear cells was also evaluated. Finally, the toxicity of the samples was evaluated in vitro and in vivo. Both the samples showed an interesting anti-HP activity, acting on different virulence strains, with the oleoresin reaching a minimum bactericidal concentration of 98 μg/ml against cagA– strain. Moreover, an interesting reduction in IL-6 release was observed, which could be helpful for reducing HP-induced inflammation, thus, preventing complications such as ulcer and irritation of the gastric mucosa. Toxicity was not observed up to 2000 µg/ml. Even if more studies must be conducted, this work supports the use of C. langsdorffii in the management of HP-related gastric disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sedum genus includes more than 400 different species, many of which having ethnobotany interest. The skin healing is one of the most common therapeutic indication of Sedum spp. In this work, for the first time, we compared five different Sedum species grown in two sites of community importance in Emilia Romagna (Italy): Sedum acre L., Sedum album L., Sedum hispanicum L., Sedum rupestre L. and Sedum sexangulare L., analysing their total phenolic and flavonoid content, their antiradical capacity and the in vitro healing activity on human keratinocytes. Total phenolic content of the five species ranged from 35.41 ± 1.18 to 90.22 ± 1.03 µg gallic acid equivalent/mg of dry extract, being S. rupestre the richest one. Total flavonoid content ranged from 22.39 ± 0.51 to 47.93 ± 2.82 µg rutin equivalent/mg of extract and S. album resulted the species with the highest flavonoid content. Antiradical capacity was found to be related to the phenolic content of the extracts. All the extracts were active in wound healing assay and each one showed different kinetic of action and concentration-activity relationship. This study proposes few investigated Sedum species grown in Italy as promising agents for skin healing and suggests further phytochemical and biological investigations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aims of the study were to evaluate the effects of chocolate and propolis-enriched diets on rabbit spermatogenesis, sperm motility, and ultrastructure following bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) treatment. Thirty-two New Zealand White rabbits were divided into four groups. The LPS-Propolfenol® group received propolis (500 mg/kg/day) in their diet for 15 days, while the LPS-chocolate group was fed 70% cacao chocolate (1 g/1 kg/day) for the same period. Following the diet treatments, rabbits in the LPS-Propolfenol® and LPS-chocolate groups, and an LPS group received a single intraperitoneal dose of 50μg/kg LPS, and the control group received only saline. Kinematic sperm traits were evaluated with a computer assisted sperm analyzer (CASA) system, and ultrastructural characteristics were examined by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Testicular and epididymal tissues were observed by light microscopy and TEM and multiplex real time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay was used to detect and quantify toll-like receptor-4 (TLR-4) gene expression. The values of the analyzed semen parameters of rabbits treated with LPS-Propolfenol® and LPS-chocolate did not show any variations compared with the control group, but they were lower in rabbits treated only with LPS. Alterations observed in the testicular tissue of LPS treated-rabbits were not detected in specimens from the LPS-chocolate and LPS-Propolfenol® groups, which showed normal spermatogenesis. The TLR-4 mRNA expression was similar in controls, in LPS treated, and in LPS-chocolate groups, but it was significantly ( p < 0.01) decreased in LPS-Propolfenol® rabbits. In conclusion, a chocolate and propolis-enriched diet showed a protective effect on the spermatogenetic process of buck rabbits following LPS treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]