- 1. Cytotoxic effect of Agaricus bisporus and Lactarius rufus β-d-glucans on HepG2 cells.
The cytotoxic activity of β-d-glucans isolated from Agaricus bisporus and Lactarius rufus fruiting bodies was evaluated on human hepatocellular carcinoma cells (HepG2). NMR and methylation analysis suggest that these β-d-glucans were composed of a linear (1→6)-linked and a branched (1→3), (1→6)-linked backbone, respectively. They both decreased cell viability at concentrations of up to 100μgmL<sup>-1</sup>, as shown by MTT assay. The amount of LDH released and the analysis of cell morphology corroborated these values and also showed that the β-d-glucan of L. rufus was more cytotoxic to HepG2 cells than that of A. bisporus. The treatment of HepG2 cells with L. rufus and A. bisporus β-d-glucans at a dose of 200μgmL<sup>-1</sup> for 24h promoted an increase of cytochrome c release and a decrease of ATP content, suggesting that these polysaccharides could promote cell death by apoptosis. Both β-d-glucans were tested against murine primary hepatocytes at a dose of 200μgmL<sup>-1</sup>. The results suggest that the L. rufus β-d-glucan was as cytotoxic for hepatocytes as for HepG2 cells, whereas the A. bisporus β-d-glucan, under the same conditions, was cytotoxic only for HepG2 cells, suggesting cell selectivity. These results open new possibilities for use of mushroom β-d-glucans in cancer therapy.
Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved....(more)
Pires AD, et al. Int J Biol Macromol 2013 Mar 26;58C:95-103.
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- 2. Multiple headspace-solid-phase microextraction: an application to quantification of mushroom volatiles.
Multiple headspace-solid phase microextraction (MHS-SPME) followed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and flame ionization detection (GC-FID) was applied to the identification and quantification of volatiles released by the mushroom Agaricus bisporus, also known as champignon. MHS-SPME allows to perform quantitative analysis of volatiles from solid matrices, free of matrix interferences. Samples analyzed were fresh mushrooms (chopped and homogenized) and mushroom-containing food dressings. 1-Octen-3-ol, 3-octanol, 3-octanone, 1-octen-3-one and benzaldehyde were common constituents of the samples analyzed. Method performance has been tested through the evaluation of limit of detection (LoD, range 0.033-0.078 ng), limit of quantification (LoQ, range 0.111-0.259 ng) and analyte recovery (92.3-108.5%). The results obtained showed quantitative differences among the samples, which can be attributed to critical factors, such as the degree of cell damage upon sample preparation, that are here discussed. Considerations on the mushrooms biochemistry and on the basic principles of MHS analysis are also presented.
Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved....(more)
Costa R, et al. Anal Chim Acta 2013 Apr 3;770:1-6.
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- 3. Safety assessment of the post-harvest treatment of button mushrooms (Agaricus bisporus) using ultraviolet light.
Wild mushrooms are an excellent source of vitamin D. The presence of vitamin D in mushrooms is attributed to sunlight exposure, which catalyzes the conversion of fungal ergosterol to vitamin D2via a series of photochemical/thermal reactions. Mushroom growers now incorporate UV light treatments during processing to produce mushrooms with levels of vitamin D that compare to those in wild mushrooms. Presented herein is a comprehensive review of information relevant to the safety of introducing vitamin D mushrooms, produced using UV light technologies, to the food supply. Historical reference to the use of UV light for production of vitamin D is discussed, and studies evaluating the nutritional value and safety of vitamin D mushrooms are reviewed. Traditional safety evaluation practices for food additives are not applicable to whole foods; therefore, the application of substantial equivalence and history-of-safe-use is presented. It was demonstrated that vitamin D in mushrooms, produced using UV light technologies, are equivalent to vitamin D in mushrooms exposed to sunlight, and that UV light has a long-history of safe use for production of vitamin D in food. Vitamin D mushrooms produced using UV light technologies were therefore considered safe and suitable for introduction to the marketplace.
Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved....(more)
Simon RR, et al. Food Chem Toxicol 2013 Jun;56:278-89.
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- 4. Dietary supplementation with Agaricus blazei murill extract prevents diet-induced obesity and insulin resistance in rats.
OBJECTIVE:
Dietary supplement may potentially help to fight obesity and other metabolic disorders such as insulin-resistance and low-grade inflammation. The present study aimed to test whether supplementation with Agaricus blazei murill (ABM) extract could have an effect on diet-induced obesity in rats.
DESIGN AND METHODS:
Wistar rats were fed with control diet (CD) or high-fat diet (HF) and either with or without supplemented ABM for 20 weeks.
RESULTS:
HF diet-induced body weight gain and increased fat mass compared to CD. In addition HF-fed rats developed hyperleptinemia and insulinemia as well as insulin resistance and glucose intolerance. In HF-fed rats, visceral adipose tissue also expressed biomarkers of inflammation. ABM supplementation in HF rats had a protective effect against body weight gain and all study related disorders. This was not due to decreased food intake which remained significantly higher in HF rats whether supplemented with ABM or not compared to control. There was also no change in gut microbiota composition in HF supplemented with ABM. Interestingly, ABM supplementation induced an increase in both energy expenditure and locomotor activity which could partially explain its protective effect against diet-induced obesity. In addition a decrease in pancreatic lipase activity is also observed in jejunum of ABM-treated rats suggesting a decrease in lipid absorption.
CONCLUSIONS:
Taken together these data highlight a role for ABM to prevent body weight gain and related disorders in peripheral targets independently of effect in food intake in central nervous system.
Copyright © 2012 The Obesity Society....(more)
Vincent M, et al. Obesity (Silver Spring) 2013 Mar;21(3):553-61.
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- 5. Dietary Supplementation With Agaricus Blazei Murill Extract Prevents Diet-Induced Obesity and Insulin Resistance in Rats.
Dietary supplement may potentially help to fight obesity and other metabolic disorders such as insulin-resistance and low-grade inflammation. The present study aimed to test whether supplementation with Agaricus blazei murill (ABM) extract could have an effect on diet-induced obesity in rats. Wistar rats were fed with control diet (CD) or high-fat diet (HF) and either with or without supplemented ABM for 20 weeks. HF diet-induced body weight gain and increased fat mass compared to CD. In addition HF-fed rats developed hyperleptinemia and insulinemia as well as insulin resistance and glucose intolerance. In HF-fed rats, visceral adipose tissue also expressed biomarkers of inflammation. ABM supplementation in HF rats had a protective effect against body weight gain and all study related disorders. This was not due to decreased food intake which remained significantly higher in HF rats whether supplemented with ABM or not compared to control. There was also no change in gut microbiota composition in HF supplemented with ABM. Interestingly, ABM supplementation induced an increase in both energy expenditure and locomotor activity which could partially explain its protective effect against diet-induced obesity. In addition a decrease in pancreatic lipase activity is also observed in jejunum of ABM-treated rats suggesting a decrease in lipid absorption. Taken together these data highlight a role for ABM to prevent body weight gain and related disorders in peripheral targets independently of effect in food intake in central nervous system....(more)
Vincent M, et al. Obesity (Silver Spring) 2012 Jun 7.
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- 6. Oral Treatment with Extract of Agaricus blazei Murill Enhanced Th1 Response through Intestinal Epithelial Cells and Suppressed OVA-Sensitized Allergy in Mice.
To clarify the mechanism of the antiallergic activity of Agaricus blazei Murill extract (ABME), the present paper used an in vivo allergy model and an in vitro intestinal gut model. During OVA sensitization, the serum IgE levels decreased significantly in ABME group. Interleukin (IL)-4 and -5 produced from OVA-restimulated splenocytes was significantly decreased, and anti-CD3ε/CD28 antibody treatment also reduced IL-10, -4, and -5 production and increased IFN-γ production in ABME group. These results suggest that oral administration of ABME improves Th1/Th2 balance. Moreover, a coculture system constructed of Caco-2 cells and splenocytes from OT-II mice or RAW 264.7 cells indicated that the significant increases in IFN-γ production by ABME treatment. Therefore, it was concluded that the antiallergic activity of ABME was due to the activation of macrophages by epithelial cells and the promotion of the differentiation of naïve T cells into Th1 cells in the immune....(more)
Bouike G, et al. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med 2011;2011.
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- 7. Agaricus blazei Murill extract abrogates CCl4-induced liver injury in rats.
Agaricus blazei Murill (ABM) is enriched with polysaccharides, lipids, vitamins, fibers and minerals. Many studies have shown that ABM possesses immune-enhancing and anti-tumor effects. However, little is known about its protective effects on liver function. We employed carbon tetrachloride (CCl(4)) to induce hepatic fibrosis in a rat model to examine the protective effects of ABM on the liver in this study. The experiments included non-treatment control, CCl(4)-only control, and treatment with 200 mg and 2,000 mg of ABM extracts (per kilogram rat weight). All groups other than the non-treatment control were treated with intraperitoneal injections of CCl(4) twice a week. Experimental and control rats were tube-fed with experimental ABM extracts or double-distilled water, respectively, on the remaining four days each week. The whole experimental protocol lasted 8 weeks; blood and liver samples were collected for biochemical and tissue histochemical analysis. Plasma alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase, and the activities of the anti-oxidative enzymes glutathione peroxidase, superoxide dismutase and catalase in the liver were measured. We found that high-dose ABM treatment reduced hepatic necrosis and fibrosis caused by CCl(4) in comparison with the CCl(4) control group. ALT and AST activities in the sera collected from ABM-treated rats were lower than those in the CCl(4) control rats. These results suggested that ABM extract was capable of either enhancing liver recovering from CCl(4) damage or attenuating CCl(4) toxicity. Results of anti-oxidative enzyme activity analysis showed no apparent differences among ABM-treated groups and CCl(4) control groups, indicating that removal of free radicals does not explain the protective/recovery effects observed in this study....(more)
Wu MF, et al. In Vivo 2011 Jan-Feb;25(1):35-40.
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- 8. Possible reduction of hepatoma formation by Smmu 7721 cells in SCID mice and metastasis formation by B16F10 melanoma cells in C57BL/6 mice by Agaricus blazei murill extract.
Agaricus blazei Murill extract (ABM) has been reported to possess antitumor effects. In this study, the role of ABM in tumor growth and metastasis in vivo was evaluated in experimental Smmu 7721 hepatoma cells in severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) mice and B16F10 melanoma cells lung metastasis in C57BL/6 mice. For the tumor growth model, the size of the liver tumor mass was about 10 mm to 20 mm in the control group. In comparison with the control group, the tumor mass seem to grow slowly with ABM treatment, especially at the high dose. For the tumor metastasis model, after a six-week treatment, the survival rates of B6 mice were 0%, 30%, 10% and 50% for control group, low, median and high concentration ABM treatment groups, respectively. The survival rate showed that pretreatment of C57BL/6 (B6) mice with ABM lengthened their lifespan after tumor cell inoculation, which supports the notion that ABM successfully reduced lung metastasis formation by B16F10 melanoma cells. The treatment effect was dependent on the concentration of ABM for tumor growth and metastasis in these models....(more)
Wu MF, et al. In Vivo 2011 May-Jun;25(3):399-404.
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- 9. Effects of Agaricus blazei Murill extract on immune responses in normal BALB/c mice.
Agaricus blazei Murill (ABM) has shown particularly strong results in treating and preventing cancer and has also traditionally been used as a food source in Brazil. However, the exact immune responses regarding the phagocytosis of macrophage and, the activity of natural killer (NK) cells in normal mice after exposure to ABM extract was unclear. The goal of this study was to investigate whether or not ABM extract can promote immune responses in normal BALB/c mice. BALB/c mice were treated with different doses of ABM extract for different time periods. The results indicated that ABM extract significantly promoted the proliferation of splenocytes both in vitro and in vivo. ABM extract promoted the levels of interleukein-6 (IL-6) and, interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) but reduced the levels of IL-4 in vitro and in vivo. The percentage of macrophages with phagocytosis after ABM extract treatment increased and these effects were of dose-dependent manners, both in vitro and in vivo. YAC-1 target cells were killed by NK cells from the mice after treatment with ABM extract at 3 and 6 mg/kg/day for up to 14 days at target cell ratios of 25:1 and 50:1. Taken together, these results show that ABM extract promoted immunomodulations in normal BALB/c mice in vitro and in vivo....(more)
Tang NY, et al. In Vivo 2009 Sep-Oct;23(5):761-6.
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- 10. The mushroom Agaricus blazei Murill extract normalizes liver function in patients with chronic hepatitis B.
BACKGROUND:
Hepatitis B is a global health problem. Use of complementary and alternative medicine has been popular among patients with hepatitis B. This 1-year open-label pilot study aims to observe whether Agaricus blazei Murill extract improves liver function in patients with hepatitis B.
METHODS:
This study involved 12 months of clinical observation. Four (4) patients with hepatitis B who met the criteria (1) aged between 20 and 65 years; (2) being Chinese; (3) having been a hepatic B carrier (HBAg(+)) for more than 3 years; (4) alanine aminotransferase > 100 IU/L; and (5) not taking lamivudine, alpha-interferon, or other drugs for hepatitis participated in the study with informed consent. The enrolled patients were given Agaricus blazei Murill (ABM) extract of 1500 mg daily for 12 months. The level of alanine aminotransferase was taken as the major outcome measurement.
RESULTS:
At the end of the study, the mean level of aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase decreased from 246.0 (+/- standard deviation [SD] 138.9) to 61.3 (+/- SD 32.6) IU/L and 151.0 (+/- SD 86.9) to 46.1 (+/- SD 22.5) IU/L, respectively.
CONCLUSIONS:
Our initial observation seems to indicate the potential benefit of ABM extract in normalizing liver function of patients with hepatitis B. Controlled studies with larger samples should be conducted in the future....(more)
Hsu CH, et al. J Altern Complement Med 2008 Apr;14(3):299-301.
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- 11. Effects of Agaricus blazei Murill extract on sensitivity to chemotherapeutic agents in HeLa cells and its resistant sublines.
Agaricus blazei Murill (ABM; Japanese name: Kawahiratake or Agarikusutake) extract is a widely used dietary supplement. However, limited information is available on the effects of the extract on the effectiveness of the chemotherapeutic agents. In this study, we examined the effects of ABM extract (Kyowa Wellness Co., Ltd.) on sensitivity to chemotherapeutic agents, paclitaxel and doxorubicin as MDR1/P-glycoprotein substrates, and cisplatin and 5-fluorouracil as non-substrates, in human cervical carcinoma HeLa cells, and paclitaxel-resistant and cisplatin-resistant derivatives (HeLa/TXL and HeLa/CDDP, respectively). The extract had no growth inhibitory effects on HeLa and the resistant cells at concentrations ranging from 7.6 × 10(-4) μ g/ml to 8.0 × 10(2)μ g/ml, indicating no remarkable cytotoxic activity in vitro. In the presence of 0.1, 0.5, and 1 μ g/ml of ABM extract, sensitivity to paclitaxel, cisplatin and 5-fluorouracil did not change in HeLa, HeLa/TXL and HeLa/CDDP cells. However, the extract reduced sensitivity to doxorubicin in HeLa/TXL and HeLa/CDDP cells in a concentration-dependent manner. In conclusion, the concomitant use of ABM extract minimally affected sensitivity to various chemotherapeutic agents in HeLa cells and resistant sublines in vitro....(more)
Takara K, et al. J Diet Suppl 2008;5(3):283-92.
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- 12. The mushroom Agaricus Blazei Murill in combination with metformin and gliclazide improves insulin resistance in type 2 diabetes: a randomized, double-blinded, and placebo-controlled clinical trial.
BACKGROUND:
Complementary and alternative medicine use in adults with type 2 diabetes is popular. Although most of the herbs and supplements appear to be safe, there is still insufficient evidence that demonstrates their definitive beneficial effects. This study was done to determine whether the supplement of Agaricus blazei Murill extract improves insulin resistance in type 2 diabetes.
MATERIALS AND METHODS:
This study was a clinical randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Of a population of 536 registered diabetes patients with 72 subjects (1) aged between 20 and 75 years, (2) being Chinese, (3) having type 2 diabetes for more than 1 year, and (4) having been taking gliclazide and metformin for more than 6 months were enrolled in this study. The enrolled patients were randomly assigned to either receiving supplement of Agaricus blazei Murill (ABM) extract or placebo (cellulose) 1500 mg daily for 12 weeks. Homeostasis model assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) was used as the major outcome measurement.
RESULTS:
At the end of the study, subjects who received supplement of ABM extract (n = 29) showed significantly lower HOMA-IR index (3.6[standard deviation, 2.5] versus 6.6[standard deviation, 7.4], p = 0.04) than the control group (n = 31). The plasma adiponectin concentration increased 20.0(standard deviation, 40.7)% in the ABM group after 12 weeks of treatment, but decreased 12.0(20.0)% among those taking the placebo (p < 0.001).
CONCLUSIONS:
Supplement of ABM extract improves insulin resistance among subjects with type 2 diabetes. The increase in adiponectin concentration after taking AMB extract for 12 weeks might be the mechanism that brings the beneficial effect. Studies with longer periods of follow-up should be conducted in the future....(more)
Hsu CH, et al. J Altern Complement Med 2007 Jan-Feb;13(1):97-102.
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- 13. Therapy of myeloma in vivo using marine phospholipid in combination with Agaricus blazei Murill as an immune respond activator.
Mushroom (Agaricus blazei Murill) extract has been reported to possess antitumor effects through immune activation. Here, we investigated the beneficial effects of combining A. blazei extract with marine phospholipids in comparison to A. blazei extract alone on myeloma sp2 tumor suppression when orally administrated. The experimental groups designed for sp2 tumor bearing BALB/c nu/nu mice were drinks of: (1)control; (2)1.0 mg/mL squid phospholipid liposome alone; (3)0.5 mg/mL A. blazei Murill water extract alone; (4)1.0 mg/mL squid phospholipid liposome with 0.5 mg/mL A. blazei Murill water extract in the form of those simple mixture; and (5)1.0 mg/mL squid phospholipid liposome with 0.5 mg/mL A. blazei Murill water extract partially encapsulated. Orally administrated volumes amounted to approximately 5 mL per day per mouse for all groups. A. blazei Murill water extract alone and squid phospholipid alone served groups show moderate tumor suppression with total administrations of approximately 105 mg/mouse for squid phospholipid through out the experimental term. When both A. blazei Murill water extract and squid phospholipid were administrated simultaneously in a simple mixture form, promotional effect on cancer tumor suppression was observed. And when A. blazei Murill water extract was partially encapsulated in the squid phospholipid liposomes with total administrations being 105 mg/mouse for squid phospholipid, effect on cancer tumor suppression was more pronounced. Though there was no statistically significant difference in tumor sizes between the simple mixture form administrated group i.e. group (4) and the partially encapsulated form administrated group i.e. group (5), the tumor vanished mouse was seen in the partially encapsulated form administrated group. Thus it was concluded that combinational administration of the A. blazei Murill water extract and the marine phospholipid may be useful in myeloma sp2 therapy....(more)
Murakawa K, et al. J Oleo Sci 2007;56(4):179-88.
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- 14. Potential of chlorophyll-rich feed ingredients to improve detection of fecal contamination in the abattoir.
The use of fecal fluorescence to improve detection of contamination of carcasses in the abattoir was previously reported. However, incidents of false negatives can result when animals are offered diets that contain little chlorophyll (e.g., concentrate). Here, we investigated the potential of incorporating a high-chlorophyll-containing feed ingredient (concentrated alfalfa extract; CAE) into the diets of sheep and cattle to improve fecal fluorescence intensity. The sheep experiment evaluated the fecal fluorescence of animals from pasture, when fed a concentrate-barley straw diet and when the concentrate diet incorporated CAE (100 g of dry matter a day). Fecal chlorophyll and metabolite content was highest on the pasture-fed animals and increased significantly over the concentrate diet when CAE was included. Subsequently fluorescent intensity was increased from 15,000 to 36,000 arbitrary units for concentrate and CAE-concentrate diets, respectively, compared with 59,000 for the pasture-fed animals. The cattle experiment investigated the potential of CAE to improve fluorescence of feces from a concentrate diet as well as a silage diet at two levels of incorporation (75 and 150 g CAE/kg of dry matter intake). This study also determined the fluorescence of digesta and carcass contamination in the abattoir on a subset of carcasses. In agreement with the sheep study, CAE significantly improved fluorescence of feces and digesta when added to a concentrate diet, but had little effect on improving fecal fluorescence from the silage-fed animals. This was thought to be related to greater chlorophyll degradation in the rumen or/and the dark nature of the silage feces acting as a quencher of emitted fluoresced light. Incorporating high-chlorophyll-containing plant ingredients into ruminant concentrate diets will improve detection of fecal contamination by reducing false-negative readings. However, they will have little effect on false-positive readings due to the range of wavelengths emitted by natural chlorophyll and its metabolites. Implications and potential solutions for this are discussed....(more)
Lee MR, et al. J Food Prot 2013 Mar;76(3):516-22.
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- 15. Effects of an aqueous alfalfa extract on production performance, egg quality and lipid metabolism of laying hens.
The present study was conducted to evaluate the effect of an aqueous alfalfa extract (AAE) on production performance, egg quality and lipid metabolism of laying hens between 28 and 36 weeks of age. Four groups of commercial hens (Hy-Line Brown) were fed with diets containing 0, 0.05%, 0.1% and 0.15% AAE. Dietary AAE had no effect on egg production parameters (p > 0.05). Shell strength was increased (linear and quadratic effects; p < 0.05) with gradient addition of AAE. Furthermore, shell strength was notably higher (p < 0.05) in 0.1% and 0.15% AAE groups than the control group. With an exception of serum low and high density lipoprotein cholesterol, serum total triglycerides and liver cholesterol concentration (day 42), lipid indices in yolk, serum and liver were lowered (linear and quadratic effects; p < 0.05) at day 42 and day 56 as AAE in diets increased, as well as the enzyme activities of acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC) and β-hydroxy-β-methylglutaryl-CoA (HMG-CoA) reductase. In relation to the control group, cholesterol and triglycerides in yolk, liver and serum and serum very low density lipoprotein cholesterol were lower in 0.15% AAE-treated birds at day 42 and day 56. It also significantly decreased activities of ACC, HMG-CoA reductase and fatty acid synthetase (FAS) at day 56. The 0.1% AAE decreased triglycerides in yolk, liver and serum, as well as the activities of ACC and FAS at day 56. These data suggest that dietary AAE could be applied to improve egg shell quality and modify the lipid status of laying hens and eggs....(more)
Deng W, et al. J Anim Physiol Anim Nutr (Berl) 2012 Feb;96(1):85-94.
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- 16. In vitro and in vivo antioxidant activity of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) on carbon tetrachloride intoxicated rats.
The present study was conducted to determine whether lyophilized aqueous extract of alfalfa, or Medicago sativa L. could exert antioxidant activity against carbon tetrachloride-induced oxidative stress and liver injury in rats. The hepatoprotective activity of alfalfa extract was determined by assessing the levels of serum transaminases, ALP, bilirubin and lipid profile. Further, the effect of the test substance on malondialdehyde (MDA), an end product of lipid peroxidation; antioxidant liver enzyme non-protein sulfhydryl (NP-SH); and total protein (TP) were also studied. Serum transaminase, ALP, bilirubin level, lipid profile and liver MDA were significantly elevated and the antioxidant status in liver NP-SH and TP contents were declined in animals treated with CCl (4) alone. Pretreatment with alfalfa and silymarin for three weeks prior to the administration of CCl (4) significantly prevented the increase in the serum levels of hepatic marker, LDL, VLDL levels enzymes and reduced oxidative stress indicated by elevated NP-SH and TP concentration. The histopathological examination of the livers also showed that the alfalfa extract reduced the incidence of liver lesions induced by CCl (4). The in vitro antioxidant assessment of alfalfa extract on DPPH and carotene-linoleic assays demonstrated a moderate antioxidant potential. Results suggest that the alfalfa extract possesses hepatoprotective and antioxidative stress properties possibly through its antioxidant phytochemical constituents and substantiates its use in various liver disorders as a hepatoprotector....(more)
Al-Dosari MS. Am J Chin Med 2012;40(4):779-93.
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- 17. Effects of dietary polysavone (Alfalfa extract) and chlortetracycline supplementation on antioxidation and meat quality in broiler chickens.
1. A total of 360 1-d-old male commercial Arbor Acre broiler chickens were randomly assigned to 5 groups (6 replicates of 12 birds each) to evaluate the dietary effects of polysavone (0·5, 1·0 and 1·5 g/kg), a natural extract from alfalfa, and 0·15 g/kg chlortetracycline (CTC) on growth performance, antioxidation and meat quality of broiler chickens. 2. Over the 6-week study, feed intake increased significantly with CTC supplementation and final body weight (BW) was significantly higher for 1·0 g/kg polysavone and 0·15 g/kg CTC treatments. Feed:gain ratio was not significantly affected by the dietary treatments. 3. At 3 weeks of age, serum total superoxide dismutase (T-SOD) activity for all polysavone treatments was significantly higher than controls, liver T-SOD activity in 1·5 g/kg polysavone group was significantly higher than the control and CTC groups, and serum glutathione peroxidase (GSHPx) activity for 1·5 g/kg polysavone and liver GSHPx activity in all polysavone groups were significantly higher than CTC. 4. At 6 weeks of age, serum and liver T-SOD activity in 1·5 g/kg polysavone group and liver GSHPx activity for all polysavone treatments were higher significantly than the control and CTC groups, and serum malondialdehyde (MDA) content for all polysavone treatments was significantly lower than CTC. 5. Breast muscle T-SOD activity and pH value at 6 weeks of age were significantly higher and MDA content was significantly lower in 1·0 and 1·5 g/kg polysavone groups than in the control and CTC groups. Breast muscle shear force was significantly lower in l·5 g/kg polysavone group compared with the control, and drip loss for all polysavone treatments was significantly lower than CTC. 6. It was indicated that polysavone modulates antioxidation and modifies meat quality, but with no adverse effect on performance of broiler chickens, and that CTC can be beneficial to performance but has no beneficial effect on antioxidant function or meat quality....(more)
Dong XF, et al. Br Poult Sci 2011 Jun 1;52(3):302-9.
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- 18. Contribution of exopeptidases to formation of nonprotein nitrogen during ensiling of alfalfa.
The experiment was conducted to investigate the exopeptidase classes in alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) leaves, and to determine their contribution to the formation of nonprotein nitrogen (NPN) components during ensiling. Six classes of inhibitors that included bestatin (aminopeptidase inhibitor), potato carboxypeptidase inhibitor (PCI, carboxypeptidase inhibitor), 1,10-phenanthroline (dipeptidase inhibitor), diprotin A (dipeptidyl-peptidase inhibitor), butabindide (tripeptidyl-peptidase inhibitor), and dipeptide Phe-Arg (peptidyl-dipeptidase inhibitor) were used. To determine the contribution of each exopeptidase to the formation of NPN products, aqueous extracts of fresh alfalfa were fermented to imitate the proteolytic process of ensiled alfalfa and to ensure that each class of exopeptidase inhibitor would have immediate contact with the proteases in the alfalfa extract. Five classes of exopeptidases; namely, aminopeptidase, carboxypeptidase, dipeptidase, dipeptidyl-peptidase, and tripeptidyl-peptidase, were shown to be present in alfalfa leaves, each playing a different role in alfalfa protein degradation. Aminopeptidase, carboxypeptidase, and dipeptidase were the main exopeptidases contributing to the formation of NH(3)-N. Among the 5 exopeptidases, tripeptidyl-peptidase appeared to be the principal exopeptidase in hydrolyzing forage protein into peptides, whereas carboxypeptidase and dipeptidase appeared to be more important in contributing to the formation of amino acid-N. Dipeptidyl-peptidase and tripeptidyl-peptidase did not play a role in the formation of NH(3)-N or amino acid-N. Dipeptidase, carboxypeptidase, and tripeptidyl-peptidase were the principal exopeptidases for hydrolyzing forage protein into NPN during ensilage, and treatment with a mixture of the 5 inhibitors reduced the total NPN concentration in the fermented alfalfa extract to about 45% of that in the control after 21 d of fermentation....(more)
Tao L, et al. J Dairy Sci 2011 Aug;94(8):3928-35.
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- 19. Effect of polysavone (alfalfa extract) on abdominal fat deposition and immunity in broiler chickens.
Two hundred 1-day-old male commercial Arbor Acres broiler birds were randomly distributed to a control group and a polysavone group (5 replicates of 20 birds each) to investigate the influence of polysavone, a natural extract from alfalfa, on abdominal fat deposition and immunity in broiler chickens. Birds in the control group were supplied with a basal diet, and 0.06% polysavone was added to the basal diet of birds in the polysavone group. Body weight and feed consumption for each replicate were recorded weekly. At 3, 4, 5, and 6 wk of age, 4 birds from each replicate were randomly selected for blood and organ sampling. Polysavone had no significant effect on feed intake, BW, or feed:gain ratio in the experimental period, and it decreased the abdominal fat weights at 5 and 6 wk of age. Polysavone improved (P <0.05) the relative thymus and spleen weights at 6 wk of age and the bursa weights at 4 and 5 wk of age compared with the control group. At 4 and 6 wk of age, the proliferation of T and B lymphocytes in the polysavone group was significantly greater (P <0.05) than that in the control group. When birds were 4 and 5 wk of age, polysavone resulted in a significant increase (P <0.05) in serum anti-Newcastle disease virus hemagglutination inhibition antibody titer. These results showed that polysavone may decrease abdominal fat deposition and enhance immunity without an adverse effect on the performance of broiler chickens....(more)
Dong XF, et al. Poult Sci 2007 Sep;86(9):1955-9.
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- 20. A review of the cardiovascular benefits and antioxidant properties of allicin.
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a category of chronic noncommunicable diseases causing high global mortality and has been a heavy social burden in many countries. In the search of chemicals that arise from natural food source, allicin is one such ingredient from garlic that was discovered with the potential to provide beneficial effects to the cardiovascular system. From the pharmacokinetic studies, allicin is known to be hydrophobic and can be readily absorbed through the cell membrane without inducing any damage to the phospholipid bilayer and then rapidly metabolized to exert pharmacological effects that are important to the cardiovascular system. It was found to provide cardio-protective effects by inducing vasorelaxation and alleviating various pathological conditions of CVD, including cardiac hypertrophy, angiogenesis, platelet aggregation, hyperlipidemia and hyperglycemia. Allicin was also discovered to further protect the cardiovascular system by enhancing the antioxidant status by lowering the level of reactive oxygen species and stimulating the production of glutathione. Other pharmacological benefits such as anticancer and antimicrobial activities were also discussed. It is concluded that allicin can be potentially developed into a health product for the cardiovascular system. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd....(more)
Chan JY, et al. Phytother Res 2013 May;27(5):637-46.
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- 21. Study on the stability and antioxidant effect of the Allium ursinum watery extract.
BACKGROUND:
Organosulfur compounds usually present a reduced stability especially in the presence of oxygen. This research aimed to study the stability and antioxidant potential of the Allium ursinum watery extract.
RESULTS:
The decrease of the antioxidant capacity verifies an exponential relation which may be formally associated to a kinetically pseudomonomolecular process. The exponential regression equation allows the half-life of the degradation process to be determined, this being 14 hours and 49 minutes in a watery environment at room temperature.
CONCLUSIONS:
The watery extract of Allium ursinum changes its proprieties in time. This might be explained by the network of hydrogen bonds in a watery environment which has a protective effect on the dissolved allicin molecule....(more)
Putnoky S, et al. Chem Cent J 2013 Feb 1;7(1):21.
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- 22. HPLC-MTT assay: Anticancer activity of aqueous garlic extract is from allicin.
A strategy using reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), thin layer chromatography (TLC), mass spectrometry (MS), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), chemical synthesis, and MTT (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) cell viability assay to identify allicin as the active anticancer compound in aqueous garlic extract (AGE) is described. Changing the pH of AGE from 7.0 to 5.0 eliminated interfering molecules and enabled a clean HPLC separation of the constituents in AGE. MTT assay of the HPLC fractions identified an active fraction. Further analysis by TLC, MS, and NMR verified the active HPLC fraction as allicin. Chemically synthesized allicin was used to provide further confirmation. The results clearly identify the active compound in AGE as allicin....(more)
Lee J, et al. Anal Biochem 2013 May 15;436(2):187-9.
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- 23. Effect of porphobilinogen on the formation of garlic green pigments.
BACKGROUND:
Garlic (Allium sativum L.) bulb is processed into various forms such as crushed garlic, garlic juice, granules, dehydrated garlic pieces and garlic powder. However, greening is often a major problem when garlic is crushed, since it affects the appearance and quality of the resulting product. Therefore study of the formation mechanism of garlic green pigments is very important for garlic processing.
RESULTS:
The effect of porphobilinogen (PBG) on the formation of garlic green pigments was investigated in this study. As the storage time increased, there was a significant positive correlation between garlic greening and PBG content at low temperature (4 °C). PBG content decreased significantly during the garlic greening process. When treated with respiration inhibitor, both garlic greening strength and PBG content decreased as the concentration of respiration inhibitor increased. The green colour was generated when extracted PBG and allicin mixed thoroughly.
CONCLUSION:
There was a clear relationship between PBG content and garlic greening. As a provider of pyrrolyl compounds, PBG plays an important role in the formation of garlic green pigments. © 2013 Society of Chemical Industry.
© 2013 Society of Chemical Industry....(more)
Mou C, et al. J Sci Food Agric 2013 Jan 25.
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- 24. 3D pancreatic carcinoma spheroids induce a matrix-rich, chemoresistant phenotype offering a better model for drug testing.
BACKGROUND:
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is the fourth most common cause of cancer related death. It is lethal in nearly all patients, due to an almost complete chemoresistance. Most if not all drugs that pass preclinical tests successfully, fail miserably in the patient. This raises the question whether traditional 2D cell culture is the correct tool for drug screening. The objective of this study is to develop a simple, high-throughput 3D model of human PDAC cell lines, and to explore mechanisms underlying the transition from 2D to 3D that might be responsible for chemoresistance.
METHODS:
Several established human PDAC and a KPC mouse cell lines were tested, whereby Panc-1 was studied in more detail. 3D spheroid formation was facilitated with methylcellulose. Spheroids were studied morphologically, electron microscopically and by qRT-PCR for selected matrix genes, related factors and miRNA. Metabolic studies were performed, and a panel of novel drugs was tested against gemcitabine.
RESULTS:
Comparing 3D to 2D cell culture, matrix proteins were significantly increased as were lumican, SNED1, DARP32, and miR-146a. Cell metabolism in 3D was shifted towards glycolysis. All drugs tested were less effective in 3D, except for allicin, MT100 and AX, which demonstrated effect.
CONCLUSIONS:
We developed a high-throughput 3D cell culture drug screening system for pancreatic cancer, which displays a strongly increased chemoresistance. Features associated to the 3D cell model are increased expression of matrix proteins and miRNA as well as stromal markers such as PPP1R1B and SNED1. This is supporting the concept of cell adhesion mediated drug resistance....(more)
Longati P, et al. BMC Cancer 2013 Feb 27;13:95.
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- 25. Latent inhibition of a conditioned taste aversion in fetal rats.
The etiology of schizophrenia's cognitive symptoms may have its basis in prenatal alterations of glutamate N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor functioning. Therefore, the current study investigated the effects of ketamine (an NMDA receptor blocking drug) on both a conditioned taste aversion (CTA) and latent inhibition (LI; a model of attentional capacity) in rat fetuses. We first sought to determine if a CTA could be diminished by nonreinforced preexposure to a CS in fetal rats (i.e., LI). We injected E18 pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats with 100% allicin (garlic taste) or an equal volume of saline. Some of the pregnant dams also received ketamine (100 mg/kg, i.p.). One day later (E19), the dams received a second injection of the CS, followed by either lithium chloride (the US) or saline. Finally, on E21 pups received oral lavage with allicin and observations of ingestive orofacial motor responses were recorded. When allicin had been paired with LiCl in utero, E21 fetuses exhibited a conditioned suppression of orofacial movements, indicative of an aversion to this taste. Preexposure to the garlic taste on E18 produced a LI of this CTA. Ketamine significantly disrupted the formation of the CTA and had some impact on LI. However, the direct effect of ketamine on LI is less certain since the drug also blocked the original CTA. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Dev Psychobiol....(more)
Mickley GA, et al. Dev Psychobiol 2013 Mar 26.
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- 26. Epigallocatechin-3-gallate is a potent phytochemical inhibitor of intimal hyperplasia in the wire-injured carotid artery.
OBJECTIVE:
Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), a catechin gallate ester, is the major component of green tea and has been demonstrated to inhibit tumor growth as well as inhibit smooth muscle cell migration. We evaluated the effect of the phytochemicals resveratrol, allicin, sulforaphane (SFN), and EGCG on intimal hyperplasia in the carotid artery injury model.
METHODS:
Intimal hyperplasia was induced in carotid arteries of adult Sprague-Dawley rats with a wire injury. Experimental animals received intraperitoneal injections of one of the four phytochemicals daily beginning 1 day prior to surgery and continued for up to 4 weeks. Control animals were administered saline. Carotid specimens were harvested at 2 weeks and subjected to quantitative image analysis. In addition, EGCG specimens were analyzed for cell proliferation, immunohistochemistry, and Western blot analysis.
RESULTS:
Quantitative image analysis showed significant phytochemical suppression of intimal hyperplasia at 2 and 4 weeks postoperatively with EGCG (62% decrease in intimal area). Significant decreases were also noted at 2 weeks for SFN (56%) and resveratrol (44%), whereas the decrease with allicin (24%) was not significant. Quantification of intimal hyperplasia by intima:media ratio showed similar results. Cell proliferation assay of specimens demonstrated suppression by EGCG. Immunohistochemical staining of EGCG-treated specimens showed extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) suppression but not of the c-jun N-terminal kinase or p38 pathways. Western blot analysis confirmed reduced ERK activation in arteries treated with EGCG.
CONCLUSIONS:
Intraperitoneal injection of the phytochemicals EGCG, SFN, resveratrol, and allicin have suppressive effects on the development of intimal hyperplasia in the carotid artery injury model, with maximal effect due to EGCG. The mechanism of EGCG action may be due to inhibition of ERK activation. EGCG may affect a common pathway underlying either neoplastic cellular growth or vascular smooth muscle cellular proliferation.
Copyright © 2013 Society for Vascular Surgery. Published by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved....(more)
Orozco-Sevilla V, et al. J Vasc Surg 2013 Mar 25.
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- 27. Is allicin able to reduce Campylobacter jejuni colonization in broilers when added to drinking water?
Reducing Campylobacter shedding on the farm could result in a reduction of the number of human campylobacteriosis cases. In this study, we first investigated if allicin, allyl disulfide, and garlic oil extract were able to either prevent C. jejuni growth or kill C. jejuni in vitro. Allyl disulfide and garlic oil extract reduced C. jejuni numbers in vitro below a detectable level at a concentration of 50 mg/kg (no lower concentrations were tested), whereas allicin reduced C. jejuni numbers below a detectable level at a concentration as low as 7.5 mg/kg. In further experiments we screened for the anti-C. jejuni activity of allicin in a fermentation system closely mimicking the broiler cecal environment using cecal microbiota and mucus isolated from C. jejuni-free broilers. During these fermentation experiments, allicin reduced C. jejuni numbers below a detectable level after 24 h at a concentration of 50 mg/kg. In contrast, 25 mg/kg of allicin killed C. jejuni in the first 28 h of incubation, but anti-C. jejuni activity was lost after 48 h of incubation, probably due to the presence of mucin in the growth medium. This had been confirmed in fermentation experiments in the presence of broiler cecal mucus. Based on these results, we performed an in vivo experiment to assess the prevention or reduction of cecal C. jejuni colonization in broiler chickens when allicin was added to drinking water. We demonstrated that allicin in drinking water did not have a statistically significant effect on cecal C. jejuni colonization in broilers. It was assumed, based on in vitro experiments, that the activity of allicin was thwarted by the presence of mucin-containing mucus. Despite promising in vitro results, allicin was not capable of statistically influencing C. jejuni colonization in a broiler flock, although a trend toward lower cecal C. jejuni numbers in allicin-treated broilers was observed....(more)
Robyn J, et al. Poult Sci 2013 May;92(5):1408-18.
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- 28. Short-term heating reduces the anti-inflammatory effects of fresh raw garlic extracts on the LPS-induced production of NO and pro-inflammatory cytokines by downregulating allicin activity in RAW 264.7 macrophages.
Garlic has a variety of biologic activities, including anti-inflammatory properties. Although garlic has several biologic activities, some people dislike eating fresh raw garlic because of its strong taste and smell. Therefore, garlic formulations involving heating procedures have been developed. In this study, we investigated whether short-term heating affects the anti-inflammatory properties of garlic. Fresh and heated raw garlic extracts (FRGE and HRGE) were prepared with incubation at 25°C and 95°C, respectively, for 2h. Treatment with FRGE and HRGE significantly reduced the LPS-induced increase in the pro-inflammatory cytokine concentration (TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6) and NO through HO-1 upregulation in RAW 264.7 macrophages. The anti-inflammatory effect was greater in FRGE than in HRGE. The allicin concentration was higher in FRGE than in HRGE. Allicin treatment showed reduced production of pro-inflammatory cytokines and NO and increased HO-1 activity. The results show that the decrease in LPS-induced NO and pro-inflammatory cytokines in RAW 264.7 macrophages through HO-1 induction was greater for FRGE compared with HRGE. Additionally, the results indicate that allicin is responsible for the anti-inflammatory effect of FRGE. Our results suggest a potential therapeutic use of allicin in the treatment of chronic inflammatory disease....(more)
Shin JH, et al. Food Chem Toxicol 2013 Apr 11.
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- 29. Effects of selected bioactive natural products on the vascular endothelium.
SUMMARY: The endothelium, a highly active structure, regulates vascular homeostasis through the release of numerous vasoactive factors that control vascular tone and vascular smooth cell proliferation. A larger number of medicinal plants and their isolated chemical constituents have been shown to beneficially affect the endothelium. For example, flavonoids in black tea, green tea and concord grape cause a vasodilation possibly through their anti-oxidant properties. Allicin, a byproduct of the enzyme allinase, has been proposed to be the main active metabolite and responsible for most of the biological activities of garlic including a dose-dependent dilation on the isolated coronaries. Thymoquinone, the principal phytochemical compound found in the volatile oil of the black seed, and the hawthorn extract have also been shown to improve aging-related impairment of endothelium-dependent relaxations in animal models. In this review, we explore the effect of some of the natural products including Camellia sinensis (Black tea and green tea), Vitis labrusca (Concord grape), Allium sativum (Garlic), and Nigella sativa (Black seed) and Crataegus ssp. (Hawthorn extract). The molecular mechanisms behind these potential therapeutic effects are also discussed....(more)
Ahmad A, et al. J Cardiovasc Pharmacol 2013 Apr 17.
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- 30. Safety of purified decolorized (low anthraquinone) whole leaf Aloe vera (L) Burm. f. juice in a 3-month drinking water toxicity study in F344 rats.
Decolorized (purified, low anthraquinone) whole leaf Aloe vera (L.) Burm. f. juice was administered at concentrations of 0%, 0.5%, 1% and 2% in the drinking water of F344Du® rats for 3months without any adverse effect. The no-observed-adverse-effect level (NOAEL) in this study was considered to be >2%w/v (>1845mg/kg bodyweight/day for males and >2920mg/kg bodyweight for females). The test material contained total anthraquinones at <0.1parts per million. In the present study there was a complete absence of any histological alteration in samples from the cecum, colon (proximal, mid and distal regions). Similar concentrations of non-decolorized (unpurified, high anthraquinone) Aloe vera extracts tested in other studies have resulted in an increased incidence and severity of diarrhea and colon adenomas and carcinomas. The results of this study supports the assertion that the high levels of anthraquinone present in orally administered, non-purified whole leaf Aloe vera extract may be responsible for the adverse effects observed on the colon....(more)
Shao A, et al. Food Chem Toxicol 2013 Mar 14;57C:21-31.
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- 31. Toxicologic assessment of a commercial decolorized whole leaf aloe vera juice, lily of the desert filtered whole leaf juice with aloesorb.
Aloe vera, a common ingredient in cosmetics, is increasingly being consumed as a beverage supplement. Although consumer interest in aloe likely stems from its association with several health benefits, a concern has also been raised by a National Toxicology Program Report that a nondecolorized whole leaf aloe vera extract taken internally by rats was associated with intestinal mucosal hyperplasia and ultimately malignancy. We tested a decolorized whole leaf (DCWL) aloe vera, treated with activated charcoal to remove the latex portion of the plant, for genotoxicity in bacteria, acute/subacute toxicity in B6C3F1 mice, and subchronic toxicity in F344 rats. We found this DCWL aloe vera juice to be nongenotoxic in histidine reversion and DNA repair assays. Following acute administration, mice exhibited no adverse signs at 3- or 14-day evaluation periods. When fed to male and female F344 rats over 13 weeks, DCWL aloe led to no toxicity as assessed by behavior, stools, weight gain, feed consumption, organ weights, and hematologic or clinical chemistry profiles. These rats had intestinal mucosal morphologies-examined grossly and microscopically-that were similar to controls. Our studies show that oral administration of this DCWL aloe juice has a different toxicology profile than that of the untreated aloe juice at exposures up to 13 weeks....(more)
Sehgal I, et al. J Toxicol 2013;2013:802453.
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- 32. Aloe vera extract reduces both growth and germ tube formation by Candida albicans.
Due to the increased number of immunocompromised patients, the infections associated with the pathogen of the genus Candida have significantly increased in recent years. To grow, Candida albicans may form a germ tube extension from the cells, which is essential for virulence. In this work, we studied the effect of crude glycolic extract of Aloe vera fresh leaves (20% w/v) on growth and germ tube formation by C. albicans. The C. albicans growth was determined in the presence of different concentrations of A. vera extracts in Sabouraud dextrose broth medium. In the presence of A. vera extract (10% v/v), the pronounced inhibition in the C. albicans growth (90-100%) was observed. This inhibition occurred parallel to the decrease in the germ tube formation induced by goat serum. Our results demonstrated that A. vera fresh leaves plant extract can inhibit both the growth and the germ tube formation by C. albicans. Our results suggest the possibility that A. vera extract may be used as a promising novel antifungal treatment....(more)
Bernardes I, et al. Mycoses 2012 May;55(3):257-61.
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- 33. Aloe vera extract activity on human corneal cells.
CONTEXT:
Ocular diseases are currently an important problem in modern societies. Patients suffer from various ophthalmologic ailments namely, conjunctivitis, dry eye, dacryocystitis or degenerative diseases. Therefore, there is a need to introduce new treatment methods, including medicinal plants usage. Aloe vera [Aloe barbadensis Miller (Liliaceae)] possesses wound-healing properties and shows immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory or antioxidant activities.
MATERIALS AND METHODS:
NR uptake, MTT, DPPH• reduction, Griess reaction, ELISA and rhodamine-phalloidin staining were used to test toxicity, antiproliferative activity, reactive oxygen species (ROS) reduction, nitric oxide (NO) and cytokine level, and distribution of F-actin in cells, respectively.
AIM:
The present study analyzes the effect of Aloe vera extracts obtained with different solvents on in vitro culture of human 10.014 pRSV-T corneal cells.
RESULTS:
We found no toxicity of ethanol, ethyl acetate and heptane extracts of Aloe vera on human corneal cells. No ROS reducing activity by heptane extract and trace action by ethanol (only at high concentration 125 µg/ml) extract of Aloe vera was observed. Only ethyl acetate extract expressed distinct free radical scavenging effect. Plant extracts decreased NO production by human corneal cells as compared to untreated controls. The cytokine (IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α and IL-10) production decreased after the addition of Aloe vera extracts to the culture media.
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS:
Aloe vera contains multiple pharmacologically active substances which are capable of modulating cellular phenotypes and functions. Aloe vera ethanol and ethyl acetate extracts may be used in eye drops to treat inflammations and other ailments of external parts of the eye such as the cornea....(more)
Wo?niak A, et al. Pharm Biol 2012 Feb;50(2):147-54.
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- 34. Changes in Serum Electrolytes, Urea, and Creatinine in Aloe Vera-treated Rats.
This study was carried out to investigate the effect of Aloe vera extract (AvE) on serum electrolytes, urea, and creatinine as indices of renal function in Sprague-Dawley rats. Twelve male Sprague-Dawley rats weighing between 80 and 130 g were used. Rats were divided into two groups: The control and the test groups (n=6). The test group received 1 ml of AvE daily for 28 days. Both the groups fed on standard rat chow and water ad libitum. The results showed a decrease in serum levels of sodium, and potassium, but an increase in the serum levels of bicarbonate, urea, and creatinine in the test group. The changes seen were, however, statistically insignificant, except for the serum levels of sodium and creatinine (P<0.05). It is thus concluded that AvE impairs renal handling of electrolytes with consequent hyponatremia and hypercreatinemia. However, this might be of therapeutic value in conditions associated with hypernatremia....(more)
Saka W, et al. J Young Pharm 2012 Apr;4(2):78-81.
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- 35. Aloe barbadensis Miller mediated green synthesis of mono-disperse copper oxide nanoparticles: optical properties.
In this paper, we report on the synthesis of nanostructured copper oxide particles by both chemical and biological method. A facile and efficient synthesis of copper oxide nanoparticles was carried out with controlled surface properties via green chemistry approach. The CuO nanoparticles synthesized are monodisperse and versatile and were characterized with the help of UV-Vis, PL, FT-IR, XRD, SEM, and TEM techniques. The particles are crystalline in nature and average sizes were between 15 and 30 nm. The morphology of the nanoparticles can be controlled by tuning the amount of Aloe vera extract. This new eco-friendly approach of synthesis is a novel, cheap, and convenient technique suitable for large scale commercial production and health related applications of CuO nanoparticles....(more)
Gunalan S, et al. Spectrochim Acta A Mol Biomol Spectrosc 2012 Nov;97:1140-4.
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