Oxidative stress is the main factor responsible for the induction of diabetic renal fibrosis. Thus, improving the state of oxidative stress can effectively prevent the further deterioration of diabetic nephropathy (DN). Previous research has shown that formononetin (FMN), a flavonoid with significant antioxidant activity and Sirt1 activation effect, can improve diabetic renal fibrosis. However, the exact mechanisms underlying the effect of FMN on diabetic renal fibrosis have yet to be elucidated. In this study, we carried out in vivo experiments in a db/db (diabetic) mouse model and demonstrated that FMN activated the nuclear factor E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2)/antioxidant response element (ARE) signaling pathway and improved oxidative stress by increasing levels of sirtuin-1 (Sirt1) protein level in renal tissue. We also found that this process reversed the up-regulation of fibronectin (FN) and intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1) and led to an improvement in renal insufficiency. In vitro results further showed that FMN significantly reversed the upregulation of FN and ICAM-1 in glomerular mesangial cells (GMCs) exposed to high glucose. FMN also promoted the expression of Nrf2 and widened its nuclear distribution. Thus, our data indicated that FMN inhibited hyperglycemia-induced superoxide overproduction by activating the Nrf2/ARE signaling pathway. We also found that FMN up-regulated the expression of Sirt1 and that Sirt1 deficiency could block the activation of the Nrf2/ARE signaling pathway in GMCs induced by high glucose. Finally, we found that Sirt1 deficiency could reverse the down-regulation of FN and ICAM-1 induced by FMN. Collectively, our data demonstrated that FMN up-regulated the expression of Sirt1 to activate the Nrf2/ARE signaling pathway, improved oxidative stress in DN to prevent the progression of renal fibrosis. Therefore, FMN probably represents an efficient therapeutic option of patients with DN.

/pdf/formononetin-activates-the-nrf2-are-signaling-pathway-via-352kaudy10.pdf

Formononetin Activates the Nrf2/ARE Signaling Pathway Via Sirt1 to Improve Diabetic Renal Fibrosis.

Oxidative stress plays a relevant role in the progression of chronic conditions, including cardiometabolic diseases. Several Cameroonian plants, including spices, are traditionally used as herbal medicines for the treatment of diseases where oxidative stress contributes to insulin resistance, like type 2 diabetes mellitus. This study evaluated the antioxidant capacity and the effects on oxidative-stress-induced impairment of glucose uptake of 11 Cameroonian spice extracts. H2O2-induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) production by human HepG2 cells was significantly reduced by 8/11 extracts. The most effective extracts, Xylopia parviflora, Echinops giganteus, and Dichrostachys glomerata, showed a concentration-dependent ROS-scavenging activity, which involved Nrf2 translocation into the nucleus. Xylopia parviflora, Tetrapleura tetraptera, Dichrostachys glomerata, Aframomum melegueta, and Aframomum citratum extracts showed the highest antioxidant capacity, according to oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) (2.52-88 μM Trolox Eq/g of extract), ferric-reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) (40.23-233.84 mg gallic acid Eq/g of extract), and total phenol (8.96-32.96% mg gallic acid Eq/g of extract) assays. In HepG2 cells, glucose uptake was stimulated by 4/11 extracts, similarly to insulin and metformin. H2O2-induced oxidative stress reduced glucose uptake, which was rescued by pretreatment with Xylopia aethiopica, Xylopia parviflora, Scorodophloeus zenkeri, Monodora myristica, and Dichrostachys glomerata extracts. The ROS-scavenging ability of the spice extracts may reside in some secondary metabolites observed by phytochemical profiling (reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to a diode array detector (HPLC-UV-DAD)). Further studies are needed to better clarify their biological activities and potential use to control oxidative stress and promote insulin sensitivity.

Oxidative stress modulation by cameroonian spice extracts in HepG2 cells: Involvement of Nrf2 and improvement of glucose uptake

In Cameroon, local plants are traditionally used as remedies for a variety of ailments. In this regard, several papers report health benefits of Cameroonian spices, which include antioxidant and anti-microbial properties, whereas gastric anti-inflammatory activities have never been previously considered. The present study investigates the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities of hydro-alcoholic extracts of eleven Cameroonian spices in gastric epithelial cells (AGS and GES-1 cells). The extracts showed antioxidant properties in a cell-free system and reduced H2O2-induced ROS generation in gastric epithelial cells. After preliminary screening on TNFα-induced NF-κB driven transcription, six extracts from Xylopia parviflora, Xylopia aethiopica, Tetrapleura tetraptera, Dichrostachys glomerata, Aframomum melegueta, and Aframomum citratum were selected for further studies focusing on the anti-inflammatory activity. The extracts reduced the expression of some NF-κB-dependent pro-inflammatory mediators strictly involved in the gastric inflammatory process, such as IL-8, IL-6, and enzymes such as PTGS2 (COX-2), without affecting PTGS1 (COX-1). In conclusion, the selected extracts decreased pro-inflammatory markers by inhibiting the NF-κB signaling in gastric cells, justifying, in part, the traditional use of these spices. Other molecular mechanisms cannot be excluded, and further studies are needed to better clarify their biological activities at the gastric level.

/pdf/dietary-cameroonian-plants-exhibit-anti-inflammatory-h8cfhagmvr.pdf

Dietary Cameroonian Plants Exhibit Anti-Inflammatory Activity in Human Gastric Epithelial Cells.

Metabolic syndrome includes a cluster of risk factors for many pathological conditions, including hyperglycemia, abdominal obesity, hyperlipidemia, and hypertension Adansonia digitata L (also known as baobab) is used in traditional African Medicine and recent studies showed that it improves the metabolism of carbohydrates and lipids The aim of this study is to investigate the mechanisms of action associated with the beneficial effects of extracts from the edible parts of baobab (fruit pulp, leaves, raw and toasted seeds), evaluating their inhibitory activity against: alpha-amylase, alpha-glucosidase, angiotensin-converting enzyme, 3-hydroxy-3-methyl-glutaryl-coenzyme A reductase, and pancreatic lipase Baobab fruit pulp and leaf extracts resulted to be the most active ones and were then tested on the differentiation process of SW-872 human liposarcoma cells to mature adipocytes The addition of these latter extracts did not affect triglyceride accumulation, indicating a neutral impact on this parameter The findings here reported help to explain the growing amount of evidence on the biological properties of baobab and provide suggestions about their use in food and nutraceutical fields

https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/25/12/2858/pdf

Hydromethanolic Extracts from Adansonia digitata L. Edible Parts Positively Modulate Pathophysiological Mechanisms Related to the Metabolic Syndrome.

High consumption of fruit and vegetables has an inverse association with cardiometabolic risk factors. This study aimed to chemically characterize the hydroethanolic extract of P. domestica subsp. syriaca fruit pulp and evaluate its inhibitory activity against metabolic enzymes and production of proinflammatory mediators. Ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography high-resolution mass spectrometry(UHPLC-HRMS) analysis showed the presence of hydroxycinnamic acids, flavanols, and glycoside flavonols, while nuclear magnetic resonance(NMR) analysis showed, among saccharides, an abundant presence of glucose. P. domestica fruit extract inhibited α-amylase, α-glucosidase, pancreatic lipase, and HMG CoA reductase enzyme activities, with IC50 values of 7.01 mg/mL, 6.4 mg/mL, 6.0 mg/mL, and 2.5 mg/mL, respectively. P. domestica fruit extract inhibited lipopolysaccharide-induced production of nitrite, interleukin-1 β and PGE2 in activated J774 macrophages. The findings of the present study indicate that P. domestica fruit extracts positively modulate in vitro a series of molecular mechanisms involved in the pathophysiology of cardiometabolic diseases. Further research is necessary to better characterize these properties and their potential application for human health.

https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/14/2/340/pdf?version=1642173274

Hydroethanolic Extract of Prunus domestica L.: Metabolite Profiling and In Vitro Modulation of Molecular Mechanisms Associated to Cardiometabolic Diseases

Cardiovascular diseases are the greatest cause of death globally and are frequently associated with type 2 diabetes mellitus and metabolic syndrome, a condition including visceral obesity, hypertension, elevated triglycerides and low HDL cholesterol and hyperglycaemia. Several medicinal plants, including spices, are used in Cameroon as herbal medicines and are traditionally employed for the treatment of several ailments such as diabetes and related diseases. In this study, we chemically characterized eleven Cameroonian spice extracts and evaluated their effects on some enzyme activities relevant to carbohydrate and lipid digestion and cardio-metabolic diseases. Hydroethanolic spice extracts were characterized by GC-MS analysis and screened for their ability to modulate the activity of α-glucosidase, α-amylase, pancreatic lipase, 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase and angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE). Among the spice extracts tested, those from Xylopia parviflora showed the widest inhibitory spectrum, with a relevant effect on all enzyme activities. Dichrostachys glomerata and Aframomum citratum extracts were more selective. The selected and strong activity of some plants, such as that of Aframomum citratum on pancreatic lipase and that of Xylopia aethiopica on ACE, suggests their specific use in obesity and hypertension, respectively. Chemical analysis indicated that for some spice extracts such as Xylopia parviflora and Aframomum citratum their secondary metabolites (chlorogenic acid, pimaric acid, and catechin and its derivatives) could potentially justify the biological properties observed. Our findings clearly show significant inhibition of cardio-metabolic enzymes by hydroethanolic Cameroonian spice extracts, suggesting the potential usefulness of nutraceuticals derived from these plants to develop novel management strategies for obesity and diabetes complications.

Hydroethanolic plant extracts from Cameroon positively modulate enzymes relevant to carbohydrate/lipid digestion and cardio-metabolic diseases.

This study aimed to investigate the effect of a combined jump and sprint training program, two sessions a week for 6 weeks, on sprinting, change of directions (COD) and jumping performance in semi-professional soccer players. Twenty soccer players were enrolled in this randomized controlled trial (age 20 ± 2 years, body mass 74.3 ± 5.9 kg). Players were randomized into two groups such as training group (TG, n = 10 players) or control group (CG, n = 10 players). Physical tests were performed before and after 6 weeks of training such as sprint 10 m, sprint 30 m, 505-COD test and standing long jump (LJ). The two groups performed the same training except for the combined jump and sprint training performed twice a week by TG. After 6 weeks of training, between-group analysis reported statistical difference in favor of the TG in sprint 10 m (p = 0.015, η2 = 0.295, large), sprint 30 m (p < 0.001, η2 = 0.599, large), in 505-COD (p = 0.026, η2 = 0.154, large), and LJ (p = 0.025, η2 = 0.027, small). These data indicate that combined sprint and jump training, when performed twice a week, for the duration of 6 weeks, in addition to the regular team training, can improve specific physical performance in male soccer players. This study has shown that a volume increment of 10% after 3 weeks of training can be a suitable training dose progression and that a combination of 64–70 jumps and 675–738 m of sprinting training per session can yield benefits in sprint, COD and jump performance.

Lorenzo Bossi

Papers

Oxidative stress modulation by cameroonian spice extracts in HepG2 cells: Involvement of Nrf2 and improvement of glucose uptake

Hydroethanolic plant extracts from Cameroon positively modulate enzymes relevant to carbohydrate/lipid digestion and cardio-metabolic diseases.

The effect of two sessions of combined jump and sprint training per week on fitness parameters in soccer players. A randomized controlled trial