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Wound healing occurs in three sequential phases: hemostasis and inflammation, proliferation, and remodeling. Inflammation, the earliest phase, is considered a critical period for wound healing because immune cells remove damaged tissues, foreign debris, and remaining dead tissue. Wound healing would be delayed without inflammation, and this phase is affected by antioxidation capacity. Therefore, we hypothesized that genistein, which has an antioxidant effect, might modulate the wound healing process by altering the inflammatory response. After three days of acclimation, mice were divided into three groups: control, 0.025% genistein, and 0.1% genistein. After two weeks of an experimental diet, skin wounds were induced. Wounded skin areas were imaged, and the healing rate calculated. To measure lipid peroxidation, antioxidant enzyme expression and activity, and pro-inflammatory cytokine expression, skin and liver tissues were harvested at 12, 24, 48, and 72 h. Genistein did not affect body weight. The rate of wound closure in mice fed genistein was significantly faster than in the control group during the early stage of wound healing, especially in first three days. Cu, Zn-SOD and Mn-SOD expression in wound skin tissue in the 0.1% genistein group was lower than in the control group. However, CAT expression did not differ among groups. We also found that genistein modulated NF-κB and TNF-α expression during the early stage of wound healing. The genistein group had significantly lower hepatic lipid peroxidation and higher SOD, CAT, and GPx activities than the control group. These results suggest that genistein supplementation reduces oxidative stress by increasing antioxidant capacity and modulating proinflammatory cytokine expression during the early stage of wound healing., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Emerging evidence has shown that flavonoids extracted from Artemisia have beneficial effects on metabolic disorders. However, whether and how jaceosidin ameliorates insulin resistance and diabetic nephropathy in type 2 diabetes mellitus is largely unknown. For 8 weeks, db/db diabetic mice were fed with or without jaceosidin. Oral jaceosidin supplementation reduced fasting blood glucose levels and insulin resistance through the upregulation of insulin receptor downstream pathways in the liver and skeletal muscles. While jaceosidin did not noticeably alter kidney filtration function, this dietary intervention contributed to attenuating the accumulation of advanced glycation end products in diabetic kidneys. The levels of VEGF-a (vascular endothelial growth factor-a) proteins in the diabetic kidneys were markedly diminished by jaceosidin treatments, which increased the expression and activity of Cu (copper) and Zn-SOD (zinc-superoxide dismutase). Therefore, it is suggested that jaceosidin supplementation elicits antidiabetic effects and treats diabetic nephropathy by augmenting insulin signaling, suppressing fibrosis, and enhancing antioxidant activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] Rubus coreanus Miquel (RCM) was investigated for anti-tumourigenic effect. [•] Ripe and unripe RCM reduced prostate tumour growth. [•] RCM reduced cell proliferation and induced apoptosis. [•] RCM reduced oxidative stress in tumour tissue by increase of antioxidant enzyme activity. [•] The anti-tumourigenic mechanism or RCM relied on enhancement of antioxidant capacities. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]