Search results for " Ben"
showing 10 items of 1402 documents
The roles of gut microbiota and circadian rhythm in the cardiovascular protective effects of polyphenols
2019
Polyphenols are secondary metabolites of plants that have been widely studied for their health benefits as antioxidants. In the last decade, several clinical trials and epidemiological studies have shown that long-term consumption of polyphenol-rich diet protects against chronic diseases such as cancers and cardiovascular diseases. Current cardiovascular studies have also suggested an important role of gut microbiota and circadian rhythm in the pathogenesis metabolic and cardiovascular diseases. It is known that polyphenols can modulate the composition of core gut microbiota and interact with circadian clocks. In this article, we summarize recent findings, review the molecular mechanisms an…
Are the Myokines the Mediators of Physical Activity-Induced Health Benefits?
2016
BACKGROUND: The concept of the muscle as a secretory organ, developed during the last decades, partially answers to the issue of how the crosstalk between skeletal muscle and distant tissues happens. The beneficial effects of exercise transcend the simple improved skeletal muscle functionality: systemic responses to exercise have been observed in distal organs like heart, kidney, brain and liver. Increasing data have accumulated regarding the synthesis, the kinetics of release and the biological roles of muscular cytokines, now called myokines. The most recent techniques have meaningfully improved the identification of the muscle cell secretome, but several issues regarding the extent of se…
Development of novel functional ingredients: Need for testing systems and solutions with Caenorhabditis elegans
2016
Abstract Background Nutrition is increasingly understood as a means of maintaining health and well-being and the market for functional foods keeps growing in double-digits. Functional nutrition is seen by many as the interphase between food and pharmaceuticals. In fact, players from both sides are increasingly making moves in the form of strategic alliances, M&A operations and co-investments which are bringing the two realms closer together. Food regulations to prove safety of novel ingredients or to support health claims are every day more stringent and the general public is also increasingly informed about the science, risks and benefits of what they eat. All this presents a magnificent o…
Association of leisure time physical activity and NMR-detected circulating amino acids in peripubertal girls: A 7.5-year longitudinal study
2017
AbstractThis study investigated the longitudinal associations of physical activity and circulating amino acids concentration in peripubertal girls. Three hundred ninety-six Finnish girls participated in the longitudinal study from childhood (mean age 11.2 years) to early adulthood (mean age 18.2 years). Circulating amino acids were assessed by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. LTPA was assessed by self-administered questionnaire. We found that isoleucine, leucine and tyrosine levels were significantly higher in individuals with lower LTPA than their peers at age 11 (p < 0.05 for all), independent of BMI. In addition, isoleucine and leucine levels increased significantly (~15%) fro…
Multifaceted Health Benefits of Mangifera indica L. (Mango): The Inestimable Value of Orchards Recently Planted in Sicilian Rural Areas
2017
Historically, Mangifera indica L. cultivations have been widely planted in tropical areas of India, Africa, Asia, and Central America. However, at least 20 years ago its spreading allowed the development of some cultivars in Sicily, an island to the south of Italy, where the favourable subtropical climate and adapted soils represent the perfect field to create new sources of production for the Sicilian agricultural supply chain. Currently, cultivations of Kensington Pride, Keitt, Glenn, Maya, and Tommy Atkins varieties are active in Sicily and their products meet the requirements of local and European markets. Mango plants produce fleshy stone fruits rich in phytochemicals with an undispute…
Does iris(in) bring bad news or good news?
2017
Irisin, a novel myokine produced in response to physical activity, promotes white-to-brown fat transdifferentiation. The name irisin referred to the ancient Greek goddess Iris, the messenger who delivered (bad) news from the gods. In mice, it has been demonstrated that irisin plays a key role in metabolic regulation, energy expenditure and glucose homeostasis. New findings from various studies carried out in both animals and humans suggest that irisin might also have other favorable effects, such as increasing bone cortical mass, preventing hepatic lipid accumulation, and improving cognitive functions, thus mediating many exercise-induced health benefits. However, data on the role and funct…
Synergistic action of CB1 and 5-HT2B receptors in preventing pilocarpine-induced status epilepticus in rats
2019
Abstract Endocannabinoids (eCBs) and serotonin (5-HT) play a neuromodulatory role in the central nervous system. Both eCBs and 5-HT regulate neuronal excitability and their pharmacological potentiation has been shown to control seizures in pre-clinical and human studies. Compelling evidence indicates that eCB and 5-HT systems interact to modulate several physiological and pathological brain functions, such as food intake, pain, drug addiction, depression, and anxiety. Nevertheless, there is no evidence of an eCB/5-HT interaction in experimental and human epilepsies, including status epilepticus (SE). Here, we performed video-EEG recording in behaving rats treated with the pro-convulsant age…
Whole grain consumption and human health
2020
Whole grains have been associated with a number of health benefits. We systematically reviewed existing meta-analyses of observational studies and evaluated the level of evidence for their putative effects based on pre-selected criteria. Of the 23 included studies, we found convincing evidence of an inverse association between whole grain consumption and risk of type-2 diabetes and colorectal cancer; possible evidence of decreased risk of colon cancer and cardiovascular mortality with increased whole grain intake, as well as increased risk of prostate cancer. Limited or insufficient evidence was available for all other outcomes investigated. Overall findings are encouraging for a positive e…
Oxidative and endoplasmic reticulum stress is impaired in leukocytes from metabolically unhealthy vs healthy obese individuals.
2017
BACKGROUND: Oxidative stress and inflammation are related to obesity, but the influence of metabolic disturbances on these parameters and their relationship with endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress is unknown. Therefore, this study was performed to evaluate whether metabolic profile influences ER and oxidative stress in an obese population with/without comorbidities. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: A total of 113 obese patients were enrolled in the study; 29 were metabolically healthy (MHO), 53 were metabolically abnormal (MAO) and 31 had type 2 diabetes (MADO). We assessed metabolic parameters, proinflammatory cytokines (TNF alpha and IL-6), mitochondrial and total reactive oxygen species (ROS) produc…
Lorcaserin bidirectionally regulates dopaminergic function site-dependently and disrupts dopamine brain area correlations in rats
2020
Abstract Lorcaserin, which is a selective agonist of serotonin2C receptors (5-HT2CRs), is a new FDA-approved anti-obesity drug that has also shown therapeutic promise in other brain disorders, such as addiction and epilepsy. The modulation of dopaminergic function might be critical in the therapeutic effect of lorcaserin, but its exact effect is unknown. Here, we studied the effect of the peripheral administration of lorcaserin on the ventral tegmental area (VTA), the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNc) dopaminergic neural activity, dopamine (DA) dialysis levels in the nucleus accumbens and striatum and on DA tissue levels in 29 different rat brain regions. Lorcaserin (5–640 μg/kg, i.v.) m…