Chemical composition of white (Morus alba), red (Morus rubra) and black (Morus nigra) mulberry fruits

Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine简介

Probiotics are defined as live microorganisms that, when administered in adequate amounts, confer a health benefit on the host, including the gastrointestinal tract. While this beneficial effect was originally thought to stem from improvements in the intestinal microbial balance, there is now substantial evidence that probiotics can also provide benefits by modulating immune functions. In animal models, probiotic supplementation is able to provide protection from spontaneous and chemically induced colitis by downregulating inflammatory cytokines or inducing regulatory mechanisms in a strain-specific manner. In animal models of allergen sensitization and murine models of asthma and allergic rhinitis, orally administered probiotics can strain-dependently decrease allergen-specific IgE production, in part by modulating systemic cytokine production. Certain probiotics have been shown to decrease airway hyperresponsiveness and inflammation by inducing regulatory mechanisms. Promising results have been obtained with probiotics in the treatment of human inflammatory diseases of the intestine and in the prevention and treatment of atopic eczema in neonates and infants. However, the findings are too variable to allow firm conclusions as to the effectiveness of specific probiotics in these conditions.

/pdf/probiotics-and-immunity-16j2cffmgr.pdf

Probiotics and immunity

Summary
Phenolic compounds are secondary metabolites widely found in fruits, mostly represented by flavonoids and phenolic acids. The growing interest in these substances is mainly because of their antioxidant potential and the association between their consumption and the prevention of some diseases. The health benefits of these phytochemicals are directly linked to a regular intake and their bioavailability. Studies have shown the importance of the regular consumption of fruits, especially for preventing diseases associated with oxidative stress. In the present review, the most recent articles dealing with polyphenols in fruits are reviewed, focusing on their occurrence, main methods of extraction, quantification and antioxidant assays. In addition, the health benefits and bioaccessibility/bioavailability of phenolic compounds in fruits are addressed.

Phenolic compounds in fruits – an overview

Anti-inflammatory activity of extracts from fruits, herbs and spices

Determination of total phenolic and flavonoid contents in selected fruits and vegetables, as well as their stimulatory effects on mouse splenocyte proliferation

Anti-inflammatory effects of 27 selected terpenoid compounds tested through modulating Th1/Th2 cytokine secretion profiles using murine primary splenocytes.

Anti-inflammatory and anti-apoptotic effects of strawberry and mulberry fruit polysaccharides on lipopolysaccharide-stimulated macrophages through modulating pro-/anti-inflammatory cytokines secretion and Bcl-2/Bak protein ratio

Strawberry, loquat, mulberry, and bitter melon juices exhibit prophylactic effects on LPS-induced inflammation using murine peritoneal macrophages

Bitter foods are generally recognized as anti-inflammatory agents in traditional Chinese medicine. To verify the anti-inflammatory effects of some bitter compounds in foods or plants, five bitter compounds, aloperine, amygdalin, berberine, crotaline, and naringenin, were selected and added to primary mouse splenocytes in the absence or presence of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) under four different in vitro experimental models. Anti-inflammatory cytokine secretions such as interleukin (IL)-10 and pro-inflammatory cytokines such as IL-6 as well as tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α were determined using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The results showed that all selected bitter compounds except amygdalin exhibited apparent cytotoxic effects. On the basis of changes in the secretion profiles between anti- and pro-inflammatory cytokines, the five selected bitter compounds demonstrated anti-inflammatory activities via modulating either IL-6/IL-10 or TNF-α/IL-10 ratios at noncytotoxic doses. Berberine and naringenin treatments showed the strongest potential for anti-inflammation among the five selected bitter compounds. Berberine especially displayed strong anti-inflammatory activity in both preventive and repair manners.

Jin-Yuarn Lin

Papers

Determination of total phenolic and flavonoid contents in selected fruits and vegetables, as well as their stimulatory effects on mouse splenocyte proliferation

Anti-inflammatory effects of 27 selected terpenoid compounds tested through modulating Th1/Th2 cytokine secretion profiles using murine primary splenocytes.

Anti-inflammatory and anti-apoptotic effects of strawberry and mulberry fruit polysaccharides on lipopolysaccharide-stimulated macrophages through modulating pro-/anti-inflammatory cytokines secretion and Bcl-2/Bak protein ratio

Strawberry, loquat, mulberry, and bitter melon juices exhibit prophylactic effects on LPS-induced inflammation using murine peritoneal macrophages

Five Bitter Compounds Display Different Anti-inflammatory Effects through Modulating Cytokine Secretion Using Mouse Primary Splenocytes in Vitro