Search

Lycopene is a dietary antioxidant known to prevent skin photodamage. This study aimed to examine age-dependent presence of this carotenoid on the surface of the facial skin and in the serum as well as to measure the same parameters during supplementation with lycopene. Serum samples and samples from facial skin surface were obtained from 60 young (under 25 years old) and 60 middle-aged (over 50 years old) volunteers. Similar samples were taken from 15 middle-aged subjects during 4-week supplementation with lycopene (7 mg/day). Serum lycopene levels and isomer profiles were analyzed by HPLC. Lycopene in desquamated corneocytes and the sebum from facial skin surface was determined using lycopene-specific fluorescent monoclonal antibodies. The results demonstrated that there was no age-related difference in serum lycopene levels, but a higher proportion of (all-E)-lycopene was detected in the "young" group (37.5% vs 26.2% in the "middle-aged" group; p  <   0.0001). "Young" volunteers also had a higher lycopene level in both corneocytes ( p  =   0.0071) and the sebum ( p  =   0.0139) from the skin surface. Supplementation with lycopene resulted in a sharp increase of lycopene concentrations in both serum and skin surface samples. There was also a clear change in the pattern of lycopene isomers in the serum manifested by a significant increase in the proportion of (all-E)-lycopene (from 22.1% to 44.0% after supplementation, p  <   0.0001). It can be concluded that dietary supplementation with lycopene results in its accumulation in the serum and skin. This process is accompanied by significant changes in the circulating lycopene isomer profile which becomes similar to that typical for young individuals., Competing Interests: Lycotec Ltd developed GA Lycopene, which is evaluated in this study. Ivan M. Petyaev and Nigel H. Kyle are employees of Lycotec; Dmitry V. Pristensky, Marina P. Chernyshova, Marina V. Lozbiakova, and Yuriy K. Bashmakov are independent scientists who collaborate with, but are not, and have never been employees of Lycotec; Natalya E. Chalyk, Victor A. Klochkov, Victoria V. Blinova, Tatiana M. Bogdanova, Alexei A. Iljin, Larisa S. Sulkovskaya and are employees of the Institute of Cardiology in Saratov, Russian Federation; Elena Y. Morgunova, Nailya A. Zigangirova and Valeriy V. Tsibezov are employees of the Gamaleya Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology in Moscow, Russian Federation. There have never been any financial relationships between Lycotec and these collaborating organisations.

Oxidative stress and antioxidant deficiency play a pivotal role in initiation, development, and outcomes of cardiovascular disease. Pharmacokinetic parameters as well as the impact of highly bioavailable lycopene on cardiovascular variables, markers of inflammation and oxidation were investigated during a 30-day clinical trial in patients with coronary vascular disease. The patients were randomized into two major groups and were supplemented with a single 7 mg daily dose of lycopene ingested either in the form of lactolycopene (68 patients) or in the form of lycosome-formulated GA lycopene (74 patients). The endpoints included cardiovascular function parameters, serum lipids, and four markers of oxidative stress and inflammation. Ingestion of lycosome-formulated lycopene increased serum lycopene levels by 2.9- and 4.3-fold, respectively, after 2 and 4 weeks of the trial, whereas supplementation with lactolycopene upregulated serum lycopene by half-fold only after 4 weeks of ingestion. Lycosome formulation of lycopene resulted by the end of the trial in a threefold reduction in Chlamydia pneumoniae IgG and reduction to the same degree of the inflammatory oxidative damage marker. The decrease in oxidized LDL caused by lycosome-formulated lycopene was fivefold. Moreover, supplementation with lycosome-formulated lycopene was accompanied by a significant increase in tissue oxygenation and flow-mediated dilation by the end of the observational period. In contrast, lactolycopene did not cause any significant changes in the parameters studied. Therefore, enhanced bioavailability of lycopene promotes its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory functions and endorses a positive effect of lycopene on cardiovascular system.

Ingestion of a single dose of alcohol, ranging from the intake of a moderate amount alcohol to binge drinking, is the most frequent form of alcohol consumption with poorly understood medical consequences and obscure prophylactics. The study was aimed to determine whether lycosome formulated phosphatidylcholine (PC-Lyc) containing two highly bioavailable antioxidants (PC and lycopene) ingested shortly before the alcohol-containing beverage may alleviate the biochemical markers of liver damage and parameters of biological oxidation associated with the intake of a moderate amount of alcohol. Healthy middle-aged volunteers were requested to consume a moderate amount of alcohol - 0.5 ml/kg or 1.0 ml/kg shortly after ingestion of a capsule containing 450 mg of regular phosphatidylcholine (PC, n=10), PC-Lyc (n=10), or placebo pill (PP, n=10). Serum levels of ethanol (EtOH), acetaldehyde (AA), liver-specific enzymes, total antioxidant capacity of serum (TAC), oxidized LDL (LDL-Px), and malonic dialdehyde (MDA) were measured at 1, 2.5, and 5 hours after dosing with alcohol. Ingestion of PC regardless of the formulation used had no effect on serum EtOH concentration dynamics. However, volunteers supplemented with PC-Lyc showed a better clearance of AA in serum as compared to other groups. There was a reduction in serum TAC values by 18.5% and 16.1% in both placebo groups ingesting 0.5 and 1.0 ml/kg of alcohol, respectively, at the end of observational period. This decline was preventable by supplementation of volunteers with PC and especially with PC-Lyc. Moreover, PC-Lyc promoted a reduction of serum MDA and reversed an increase in serum LDL-Px. In addition, ingestion of alcohol at 1.0 ml/kg dose caused a transient increase in serum alanine-aminotransferase activity which was abolished by both formulations of PC. Therefore, combinatory lycosomal formulation of PC and lycopene may prevent some metabolic abnormalities associated with single intake of moderate amount of alcohol. This trial is registered with ACTRN12617001335381.

Context: Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is an omega-3 fatty acid essential for cardiovascular health, brain development, and reproductive function. Due to hydrophobicity and low DHA bioavailability, new microencapsulated DHA formulations are under development., Aim: This study aims to evaluate DHA pharmacokinetics (PKs) and biological oxidation parameters in volunteers ingesting a newly developed lutein-containing lycosomal formulation of DHA (LF-DHA)., Materials and Methods: A total of 32 healthy volunteers (40-65 years old) with signs of oxidative stress (OS) and subclinical hypoxia were orally supplemented for a month with 250 mg of regular DHA (1 st group) or a combination of lutein (7.0 mg) and zeaxanthin (1.4 mg) (2 nd group). The third group received regular DHA (250 mg) co-ingested with lutein/zeaxanthin (7.0/1.4 mg), whereas the 4 th group was given LF-DHA containing lutein/zeaxanthin (7.0/1.4 mg). PK, OS, and oxygenation parameters were analyzed., Results: LF-DHA improved the PKs of DHA enhancing its serum concentrations time dependently by 34.6% and 94.1% after 2 nd and 4 th weeks, respectively. DHA and lutein ingested either alone or simultaneously as two separate formulations reduced the levels of OS markers. However, LF-DHA inhibited the malonicdialdehyde (MDA) and oxidized low-density lipoprotein values were better than other formulations. LF-DHA also enhanced the plasma oxygen and tissue oxygen saturation. This effect was significantly higher than in other groups., Conclusion: LF-DHA eliminates the need in high-dose DHA supplementation protocols and confers a higher DHA bioavailability, thereby improving the parameters of biological oxidation and tissue respiration in affected individuals., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest.

Objective: To determine if ingestion of lycosome-formulated dark chocolate (DC) containing astaxanthin (ASTX) improves bioavailability of ASTX and affects markers of hypoxia and oxidative stress in aging individuals., Design: Randomized, blinded, four-arm, prospective study., Settings: Lycotec Ltd, Cambridge, United Kingdom and Institute of Cardiology, Saratov, Russian Federation., Participants: 32 healthy individuals aged 60-70 years with confirmed signs of oxidative stress (increased serum levels of oxidized LDL and malonic dialdehyde) randomized into four study groups (8 volunteers each)., Intervention: Volunteers of first group were given orally 10 gr of dark chocolate (DC). Individuals from the second group received 7 mg of astaxanthin (ASTX). Third group of volunteers was supplemented with 10 gr of DC and 7 mg of ASTX ingested simultaneously as two separate formulations. Last group of the individuals was given 10 gr of a lycosomal formulation of DC containing 7 mg of co-crystalized ASTX (L-DC-ASTX), a newly developed highly bioavailable nutraceutical composition of DC containing 2 groups of antioxidants (cocoa flavanols and ASTX). All formulations were given orally, once daily for a month., Measurements: Serum ASTX was measured by high-performance liquid chromatography. Nitric oxide, malonic dialdehyde and oxidized LDL were quantified spectrophotometrically. Oxygenation parameters were evaluated by near-infrared spectroscopy., Results: One month ingestion of singular formulation of ASTX lead to a 20 fold buildup in serum ASTX level whereas the 4 week ingestion of L-DC-ASTX formulation was accompanied by more prominent accumulation of ASTX in serum (a 40 fold increase over the basal values) at the same daily dose of ASTX. Both antioxidants taken separately decreased serum levels of oxidized LDL and malonic dialdehyde. However effect of L-DC-ASTX formulation was more prominent. ASTX ingested alone caused a borderline increase (p=0.054) in serum nitric oxide (NO) levels, whereas DC ingestion lead to small but statistically significant increase in serum NO concentration. Higher values of NO level were seen after co-ingestion of DC and ASTX, especially in case of L-DC-ASTX formulation suggesting additive/synergistic effects of DC and ASTX on nitric oxide production. These changes were in agreement with the increase in plasma oxygen transport and tissue oxygen saturation seen in the volunteers supplemented with L-DC-ASTX formulation., Conclusion: The nutraceutical formulation of DC and ASTX with an enhanced bioavailability of ASTX can be efficiently used for the correction of oxidative status in aging individuals., Competing Interests: All authors declare no conflict of interest involved

This work was undertaken to examine the possibility of preparing polyclonal antibodies to diminazene by using colloidal gold nanoparticles as an antigen carrier and adjuvant. The antibodies prepared by us were used for immunodot determination of diminazene in calf-blood plasma. The immunochemical results agreed with those obtained by high-performance liquid chromatographic estimation of diminazene content in animal biological fluids.

The effectiveness of an in vivo synthesis of antibodies to clenbuterol with the use of gold nanoparticles as a carrier was evaluated. For comparison, conjugates of clenbuterol with bovine serum albumin were used in immunization. The serum titer was determined by an ELISA. The antibodies were tested by an immunodot assay with immunogold markers. With both techniques we obtained specific and relatively high-titer antibodies to clenbuterol. It was found that the antibodies obtained with the use of gold nanoparticles were not inferior in titer to those obtained to the conjugates of clenbuterol with the protein but surpassed them in specificity.

The study was aimed at evaluating the effectiveness of liposomal, micellar, and water-soluble drug forms of diminazene for its localization in cells and selective accumulation at the sites of aggregation of pathogenic organisms. Pharmacological and dynamic properties of a new injection micellar diminazene preparation were experimentally determined. These properties were compared with the same parameters obtained for the water-soluble and liposomal diminazene aceturate drug forms. The drug forms studied may be arranged in the following order of decreasing effectiveness of accumulation of diminazene in red and white blood cells and in murine organs: liposome form, micellar form, and water-soluble form.