0000000001192407
AUTHOR
Daniela Butera
Nutraceutical Value of Pantelleria Capers (Capparis spinosa L.)
Abstract: Unopened flower buds of Capparis spinosa L. (capers), generally used in the Mediterranean area as food flavoring, are known to be a good source of bioactive compounds. The aim of this work was to evaluate the nutraceutical value of salt-fermented capers collected from different areas of Pantelleria Island (Italy), testing their methylglyoxal and glyoxal trapping capacity and antioxidant activity by 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl hydrazyl (DPPH), [2,2-azinobis(3-ethylben- zothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid)] diammonium salt (ABTS), and oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) assays. Hydrophilic extracts were also characterized by high-performance liquid chromatography–electrospray ionization/ma…
Antioxidant activity of Sicilian Pistachio (Pistacia vera, L. var. Bronte) nut extracts and its bioactive components
Pistacia vera L. is the only species of Pistacia genus producing edible nuts. This paper investigates the antioxidant potential of a Sicilian variety of pistachio nut by chemical as well as biological assays and measured antioxidant vitamins and a number of antioxidant polyphenols in either the hydrophilic and/or the lipophilic nut extract. In accordance with the majority of foods, the total antioxidant activity, measured as a TAA test, was much higher (50-fold) in the hydrophilic than in the lipophilic extract. Substantial amounts of total phenols were measured. The hydrophilic extract inhibited dose- dependently both the metal-dependent and -independent lipid oxidation of bovine liver mic…
Antioxidant activity of sicilian caper (Capparis spinosa L.) and its bioactive compounds
Kinetics of the lipoperoxyl radical-scavenging activity of indicaxanthin in solution and unilamellar liposomes
Abstract The reaction of the phytochemical indicaxanthin with lipoperoxyl radicals generated in methyl linoleate methanol solution by 2,20-azobis(2,4-dimethylvaleronitrile), and in aqueous soybean phosphatidylcholine unilamellar liposomes by 2,20-azobis(2- amidinopropane)hydrochloride, was studied. The molecule acts as a chain-terminating lipoperoxyl radical scavenger in solution, with a calculated inhibition constant of 3.63 £ 105M21 s21, and a stoichiometric factor approaching 2. Indicaxanthin incorporated in liposomes prevented lipid oxidation, inducing clear-cut lag periods and decrease of the propagation rate. Both effects were concentration-dependent, but not linearly related to the p…
Betanin inhibits myeloperoxidase/nitrite-mediated peroxidation of human low density lipoprotein
Antioxidant activities of sicilian prickly pear (Opuntia ficus indica) fruit extracts and reducing properties of its betalains: betanin and indicaxanthin.
Sicilian cultivars of prickly pear (Opuntia ficus indica) produce yellow, red, and white fruits, due to the combination of two betalain pigments, the purple-red betanin and the yellow-orange indicaxanthin. The betalain distribution in the three cultivars and the antioxidant activities of methanolic extracts from edible pulp were investigated. In addition, the reducing capacity of purified betanin and indicaxanthin was measured. According to a spectrophotometric analysis, the yellow cultivar exhibited the highest amount of betalains, followed by the red and white ones. Indicaxanthin accounted for about 99% of betalains in the white fruit, while the ratio of betanin to indicaxanthin varied fr…
Oral supplements of vitamin E improve measures of oxidative stress in plasma and reduce oxidative damage to LDL and erythrocytes in β-thalassemia intermedia patients
Fifteen beta-thalassemia intermedia patients, not requiring chronic transfusional therapy, were monitored in order to check their antioxidant status, and the lipid oxidation products in plasma, LDL, and erythrocytes before and during a 9-month oral treatment with 600 mg/day vitamin E. The low level of vitamin E, and high level of malondialdehyde in plasma clearly tended to normalize after three months (P < .001), and were quite similar to control after six months. The abnormally low level of vitamin E in LDL and the four times higher than control basal level of conjugated dienes (LDL-CD), were not modified after three months of treatment. Significant changes of LDL-VE (P < .05) and of the b…
Cytoprotective effects of the antioxidant phytochemical indicaxanthin in beta-thalassemia red blood cells
Antioxidant phytochemicals are investigated as novel treatments for supportive therapy in beta-thalassemia. The dietary indicaxanthin was assessed for its protective effects on human beta-thalassemic RBCs submitted in vitro to oxidative haemolysis by cumene hydroperoxide. Indicaxanthin at 1.0-10 microM enhanced the resistance to haemolysis dose-dependently. In addition, it prevented lipid and haemoglobin (Hb) oxidation, and retarded vitamin E and GSH depletion. After ex vivo spiking of blood from thalassemia patients with indicaxanthin, the phytochemical was recovered in the soluble cell compartment of the RBCs. A spectrophotometric study showed that indicaxanthin can reduce perferryl-Hb ge…
The cervical fracture as first symptom of multiple myeloma: A case report
Introduction: Multiple Myeloma (MM) is a clonal disorder characterized by proliferation and accumulation of malignant plasma cells in the bone marrow. Bone disease occurs in approximately 80% of patients with newly diagnosed MM. The cervical spine is the least common site of disease involvement. Case presentation: A 60-year-old female patient was referred to the Department of Neurosurgery for bone pain. A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan showed a pathological fracture of the sixth cervical vertebra (C6). The laboratory tests and the bone marrow examination led to a diagnosis of IgA Ï MM (Durie Salmon stage IIIA). The patient underwent a cervical arthrodesis and started systemic Bortez…
Exposure to malondialdehyde induces an early redox unbalance preceding membrane toxicity in human erythrocytes.
This work investigated the oxidative injury to human red blood cells (RBCs) by the exposure to exogenous malondialdehyde (MDA), in a physiological environment. When a 10% RBC suspension was incubated in autologous plasma, in the presence of 50 microM MDA, 30% of MDA entered into the cells. A time-course study showed that MDA caused early (30-120 min) and delayed (3-18 h) effects. MDA caused a fast depletion of reduced glutathione, and loss of the glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase activity, followed by a decrease of HbO2. Accumulation of methemoglobin, and formation of small amounts of hemichrome were later evident. Also, an HbO2-derived fluorescent product was measured in the membrane. The …
Bone metabolism and oxidative stress in post-menopausal women
Cytoprotective effects of indicaxanthin in beta-thalassemia red blood cells
Betanin protects endothelial cell dysfunction produced by activated HL-60
Increased resistance to oxidation of betalain-enriched human low density lipoproteins
Betalains are natural pigments recently considered as compounds with potential antioxidative properties. In this work, ex vivo plasma spiking of pure either betanin or indicaxanthin, followed by isolation of low density lipoprotein (LDL), and measurement of its resistance to copper-induced oxidation, has been used to research if these betalains can bind to LDL and prevent oxidation of LDL lipids. When pooled human plasma from 10 healthy volunteers was incubated in the presence of 25-100 microM either betanin or indicaxanthin, incorporation of both compounds in LDL was observed, with a maximum binding of 0.52 +/- 0.08, and 0.51 +/- 0.06 nmoles of indicaxanthin and betanin, respectively, per …
Potential role of Vitamin K2 plasma levels determination in Alzheimer's Disease
Supplementation with cactus pear (Opuntia ficus-indica) fruit decreases oxidative stress in healthy humans: a comparative study with vitamin C.
Background: Cactus pear (Opuntia ficus-indica) fruit contains vitamin C and characteristic betalain pigments, the radical-scavenging properties and antioxidant activities of which have been shown in vitro. Objective: We investigated the effects of short-term supplementation with cactus pear fruit compared with vitamin C alone on total-body oxidative status in healthy humans. Design: In a randomized, crossover, double-treatment study, 18 healthy volunteers received either 250 g fresh fruit pulp or 75 mg vitamin C twice daily for 2 wk, with a 6-wk washout period between the treatments. Before (baseline) and after each treatment, 8-epiprostaglandin F2α (8-epi-PGF2α) and malondialdehyde in plas…
GERD patients: a risk group for xerostomia and oral lesions? A case-control syudy
The immunological implications of the new Vitamin D metabolism
Vitamin D is actually a neurohormone whose pleiotropic activities encompass regulation of calcium-phosphate metabolism, cell proliferation and immunomodulation. Starting from a cutaneous compound, 2 hydroxylation steps are required to produce the active form of vitamin D3, named calcitriol [1, 25-(OH)2-cholecalciferol]. The second hydroxylation step may occur at different tis- sues and cell types, including kidney, lung, prostate, brain, immune cells and placenta. Based on the advancing knowledge of Cytochrome P450 functions, a new conception of Vitamin D metabolism emerged. It implies that, depending on the site where the second hydroxylation step occurs, the active hormone can act as a ca…
Saliva variations in gastro-oesophageal reflux disease.
Abstract Objectives The protective role of saliva in the case of oesophageal exposition to gastric acid has long been studied but some contradictions still remain. The main end-point of this study was to evaluate if a qualitative and quantitative alteration in salivary secretion exists in patients affected by GERD. Methods One hundred and twenty patients (T group) with clinically and endoscopically diagnosed GERD, and 98 healthy subjects (C group) have been evaluated; salivary tests (i.e. basal flow rate, stimulated flow rate, pH, [Na + ] and [K + ]) were performed, socio-demographical variables and oral GERD-related symptoms were taken into account. SPSS 10.5 software was used for statisti…
Elevated cerebrospinal fluid and plasma homocysteine levels in ALS
Background: High cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and plasma levels of homocysteine (HC) have been reported in certain neurodegenerative disorders, such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s diseases and, recently, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Objectives: To assay the CSF and plasma levels of HC in ALS patients and controls, and to evaluate the relationship between HC levels and clinical variables of the disease. Methods: Cerebrospinal fluid from sixty-nine (M/F 1.87) and plasma from sixty-five ALS patients (M/F 1.83) were taken and stored at −80°C until use. Controls (CSF = 55; plasma = 67) were patients admitted to our hospital for neurological disorders with no known relationship to HC changes…
Vitamin D in malaria: more hypotheses than clues
Abstract Vitamin D is a secosteroid hormone regulating calcium and phosphate metabolism, immune response and brain development. Low blood 25(OH)D levels have been reported in patients affected by infectious diseases caused by parasites, including malaria. Despite the high effectiveness of antimalarials, malaria is burdened with high morbidity and mortality, and the search for additional therapies is rapidly growing. Furthermore, available preventive measures have proved to be barely effective so far. Finding new prevention and therapy tools is a matter of urgency. Studies on animal models and humans have hypothesized some mechanisms by which the hormone can influence malaria pathogenesis, a…
BETANIN INHIBITS MPO-NITRITE-MEDIATED PEROXIDATION OF HUMAN LOW-DENSITY LIPOPROTEINS
Distribution of betalain pigments in red blood cells after consumption of cactus pear fruits and increased resistance of the cells to ex vivo induced oxidative hemolysis in humans.
Betalain pigments are bioavailable phytochemicals recently acknowledged as natural radical scavengers. This work, which extends previous research on the postabsorbitive fate of dietary betalains, investigated the distribution of betanin and indicaxanthin in red blood cells (RBCs) isolated from healthy volunteers (n = 8), before and during the 1-8 h interval after a cactus pear fruit meal, and the potential antioxidative activity of the pigments in these cells. A peak concentration of indicaxanthin (1.03 +/- 0.2 microM) was observed in RBCs isolated at 3 h after fruit feeding, whereas the concentration at 5 h was about half, and even smaller amounts were measured at 8 h. Indicaxanthin was no…
COULD SALIVA CHANGES PLAY A CASUAL ROLE IN GERD?A CASE CONTROL STUDY.
Absorption, excretion, and distribution of dietary antioxidant betalains in LDLs: potential health effects of betalains in humans
Background: Betalains were recently identified as natural antioxidants. However, little is known about their bioavailability from dietary sources. Objective: The objective was to evaluate the bioavailability of betalains from dietary sources. Design: The plasma kinetics and urinary excretion of betalains were studied in healthy volunteers (n 8) after a single ingestion of 500 g cactus pear fruit pulp, which provided 28 and 16 mg indicaxanthin and betanin, respectively. The incorporation of betalains in LDL and the resistance of the particles to ex vivo–induced oxidation was also researched. Results: Betanin and indicaxanthin reached their maximum plasma concentrations 3 h after the fruit me…
Absorption and distribution in erytrocytes and low density lipoproteins of betalains from cactus pear (Opuntia ficus indica) in healthy humans. Potential health effects of the dietary betalains
Vitamin E and endurance exercise.
Bioactive components of caper (Capperis spinosa L.) from Sicily and antioxidant effects in a red meat simulated gastric digestion
An increasing body of evidence on the association between adherence to the Mediterranean diet and healthy status is being accumulated. Floral buds of Capparis spinosa L. are commonly used in the Mediterranean cuisine as flavoring for meat and other foods. The present study evaluated bioactive components and antioxidant activity of Sicilian capers stabilized in salt. Whereas alpha-tocopherol was absent, low levels of gamma-tocopherol and vitamin C were measured. With reference to one serving size (8.6 g of capers), rutin was 13.76 mg, isothiocyanates, recently acknowledged as anticarcinogen phytochemicals, were 42.14 micromol, total phenols were 4.19 mg of gallic acid equivalents (GAE), and …
Betanin inhibits myeloperoxidase/nitrite-mediated peroxidation of low density lipoprotein.
bone metabolism and oxidative stress in post-menopausal women
Reaction of melatonin with hemoglobin-derived oxoferryl radicals and inhibition of the hydroperoxide-induced hemoglobin denaturation in red blood cells
Melatonin has been shown to act as a radical scavenger in various chemical and biological model systems in vitro. Kinetic evidence is now provided showing that melatonin inhibits the irreversible degradation of hemoglobin (Hb), when incubated with red blood cells exposed to the oxidant activity of cumene hydroperoxide (cumOOH). A decrease of heme loss and accumulation of soluble methemoglobin (met-Hb) are explained in terms of the interaction of the indoleamine with perferryl Hb ( . Hb[Fe IV = O]), a highly reactive Hb-derived radical species responsible for the irreversible Hb degradation. A kinetic study, in pure chemical solution, showed that melatonin can effectively reduce the oxoferry…
Clinical utility of HFABP in myocardial infarction
Assessing chest pain patients presenting to the emergency area (EA) is still a clinical challenge, as acute myocardial infarction (AMI) diagnosis is not adjudicated in the majority of patients. New generation high sensitivity troponin assays (hs-cTn) still present some limitations, thus, novel biomarkers to early rule-in and rule- out myocardial infarction in chest pain patients presenting to the EA are sought after. Among all, heart- type fatty acid binding protein (h-FABP) has been largely investigated. Studies performed on HFABP in these patients present marked heterogeneity. However, it can be stated that HFABP is clearly not a reliable marker for AMI diagnosis, neither as a stand-alone…
Antioxidant Activity of Sicilian Pistachio (Pistacia veraL. Var. Bronte) Nut Extract and Its Bioactive Components
Pistacia vera L. is the only species of Pistacia genus producing edible nuts. This paper investigates the antioxidant potential of a Sicilian variety of pistachio nut by chemical as well as biological assays and measured antioxidant vitamins and a number of antioxidant polyphenols in either the hydrophilic and/or the lipophilic nut extract. In accordance with the majority of foods, the total antioxidant activity, measured as a TAA test, was much higher (50-fold) in the hydrophilic than in the lipophilic extract. Substantial amounts of total phenols were measured. The hydrophilic extract inhibited dose-dependently both the metal-dependent and -independent lipid oxidation of bovine liver micr…
Absorption and distribution in erythrocytes and low density lipoproteins of betalains from cacus pear (Opuntia Ficus Indica) in healthy humans. Potential health effects of the dietary betalains
ABSTRACT Background: Betalains were recently identified as natural antioxidants. However, little is known about their bioavailability from dietary sources. Objective: The objective was to evaluate the bioavailability of betalains from dietary sources. Design: The plasma kinetics and urinary excretion of betalains were studied in healthy volunteers (n = 8) after a single ingestion of 500 g cactus pear fruit pulp, which provided 28 and 16 mg indicaxanthin and betanin, respectively. The incorporation of betalains in LDL and the resistance of the particles to ex vivo-induced oxidation was also researched. Results: Betanin and indicaxanthin reached their maximum plasma concentrations 3 h after t…