0000000000226087
AUTHOR
Luisa Fernanda González Arbeláez
Cardioprotection and natural polyphenols: An update of clinical and experimental studies
Myocardial ischemia is the leading cause of death worldwide. Despite better outcomes with early coronary artery reperfusion strategies, morbidity and mortality remain significant. The principal myocardial hallmark of myocardial ischemia is cell death and the associated impairment of cardiac contractility. In this way, the use of extracts from medicinal plants versus synthetic drugs to mitigate post-ischemic damage constitutes an alternative. Despite their proven beneficial effects in cardiovascular disorders, the use of many plants is questioned. Our aim is to update the clinical and experimental studies about the actions of medicinal plants and polyphenol-enriched extracts against ischemia…
Cacao extract enriched in polyphenols prevents endocrine-metabolic disturbances in a rat model of prediabetes triggered by a sucrose rich diet.
Cocoa extracts rich in polyphenols are used as potential agent for treating diabetes. Cocoa polyphenols have been proved to ameliorate important hallmarks of type-2 diabetes (T2D). They can regulate glucose levels by increasing insulin secretion, promoting β-cell proliferation and a reduction of insulin resistance. In addition, epidemiological evidence indicates that consumption of flavonoid decreases the incidence of T2D.T2D is preceded by a prediabetic state in which the endocrine-metabolic changes described in T2D are already present. Since epidemiological evidence indicates that consumption of flavonoid decreases its incidence, we evaluated possible preventive effects of polyphenol-enri…
Ex Vivo Treatment with a Polyphenol-Enriched Cocoa Extract Ameliorates Myocardial Infarct and Postischemic Mitochondrial Injury in Normotensive and Hypertensive Rats
Our objective was to determine the effects of a polyphenol-enriched cocoa extract (PCE) on myocardial postischemic alterations in normotensive (Wistar rats, W) and spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). Isolated hearts were submitted to 110 min of perfusion or 20 min stabilization, 30 min global ischemia, and 60 min reperfusion (R). Other hearts were treated with PCE at the onset of R. Infarct size, the reduced glutathione (GSH), and the expression of phospho-Akt, P-GSK-3β, and P-eNOS were assessed. In isolated mitochondria, the Ca2+-mediated response of mitochondrial permeability transition pore (mPTP), membrane potential (δψm), and superoxide production were determined. PCE decreased infa…
Antioxidant activity and cardioprotective effect of a nonalcoholic extract of Vaccinium meridionale Swartz during ischemia-reperfusion in rats
Our objective was to assess the antioxidant properties and the effects against the reperfusion injury of a nonalcoholic extract obtained by fermentation from the Colombian blueberry, mortiño (Vaccinium meridionale Swartz, Ericaceae). Antioxidant properties were assessed by in vitro systems. To examine the postischemic myocardial function, isolated rat hearts were treated 10 min before ischemia and during the first 10 min of reperfusion with the extract. To analyze the participation of nitric oxide (NO), other experiments were performed in the presence of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) inhibition with NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME). In cardiac tissue thiobarbituric acid reactive subs…
Effect of an Ilex paraguariensis (yerba mate) extract on infarct size in isolated rat hearts: the mechanisms involved
Tea made from Ilex paraguariensis (IP) dried and minced leaves is a beverage widely consumed by large populations in South America as a source of caffeine (stimulant action) and for its medicinal properties. However, there is little information about the action of IP on the myocardium in the ischemia-reperfusion condition. Therefore, the objective of this study was to examine the effects of an aqueous extract of IP on infarct size in a model of regional ischemia. Isolated rat hearts were perfused by the Langendorff technique and subjected to 40 min of coronary artery occlusion followed by 60 min of reperfusion (ischemic control hearts). Other hearts received IP 30 μg mL-1 during the first 1…