Dietary phytochemicals and their potential effects on obesity: a review.

Obesity is a multifactorial disease characterized by an excessive weight for height due to an enlarged fat deposition such as adipose tissue, which is attributed to a higher calorie intake than the energy expenditure. The key strategy to combat obesity is to prevent chronic positive impairments in the energy equation. However, it is often difficult to maintain energy balance, because many available foods are high-energy yielding, which is usually accompanied by low levels of physical activity. The pharmaceutical industry has invested many efforts in producing antiobesity drugs; but only a lipid digestion inhibitor obtained from an actinobacterium is currently approved and authorized in Europe for obesity treatment. This compound inhibits the activity of pancreatic lipase, which is one of the enzymes involved in fat digestion. In a similar way, hundreds of extracts are currently being isolated from plants, fungi, algae, or bacteria and screened for their potential inhibition of pancreatic lipase activity. Among them, extracts isolated from common foodstuffs such as tea, soybean, ginseng, yerba mate, peanut, apple, or grapevine have been reported. Some of them are polyphenols and saponins with an inhibitory effect on pancreatic lipase activity, which could be applied in the management of the obesity epidemic.

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Natural inhibitors of pancreatic lipase as new players in obesity treatment.

Obesity is reaching global epidemic proportions as a result of factors such as high-calorie diets and lack of physical exercise. Obesity is now considered to be a medical condition, which not only contributes to the risk of developing type 2 diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular disease and cancer, but also negatively affects longevity and quality of life. To combat this epidemic, anti-obesogenic approaches are required that are safe, widely available and inexpensive. Several plants and mushrooms that are consumed in traditional Chinese medicine or as nutraceuticals contain antioxidants, fibre and other phytochemicals, and have anti-obesogenic and antidiabetic effects through the modulation of diverse cellular and physiological pathways. These effects include appetite reduction, modulation of lipid absorption and metabolism, enhancement of insulin sensitivity, thermogenesis and changes in the gut microbiota. In this Review, we describe the molecular mechanisms that underlie the anti-obesogenic and antidiabetic effects of these plants and mushrooms, and propose that combining these food items with existing anti-obesogenic approaches might help to reduce obesity and its complications.

Anti-obesogenic and antidiabetic effects of plants and mushrooms

Phytochemicals exert antiviral activity and may play a potential therapeutic role in hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. In this work, we aimed to isolate NS3 inhibitors from traditional Indian medicinal plants that were found, in our earlier study, to inhibit HCV NS3 protease activity and to evaluate their potential to inhibit HCV replication. A potent inhibitory effect of NS3 catalytic activity was obtained with Embelia ribes plant extracts. Quercetin, a ubiquitous plant flavonoid, was identified as the active substance in the fractioned extract. It was found to inhibit NS3 activity in a specific dose-dependent manner in an in vitro catalysis assay. Quercetin inhibited HCV RNA replication as analysed in the subgenomic HCV RNA replicon system. It also inhibited HCV infectious virus production in the HCV infectious cell culture system (HCVcc), as analysed by the focus-forming unit reduction assay and HCV RNA real-time PCR. The inhibitory effect of quercetin was also obtained when using a model system in which NS3 engineered substrates were introduced in NS3-expressing cells, providing evidence that inhibition in vivo could be directed to the NS3 and do not involve other HCV proteins. Our work demonstrates that quercetin has a direct inhibitory effect on the HCV NS3 protease. These results point to the potential of quercetin as a natural nontoxic anti-HCV agent reducing viral production by inhibiting both NS3 and heat shock proteins essential for HCV replication.

Suppression of hepatitis C virus by the flavonoid quercetin is mediated by inhibition of NS3 protease activity

Obesity is a global health problem. It is also known to be a risk factor for the development of metabolic disorders, type 2 diabetes, systemic hypertension, cardiovascular disease, dyslipidemia, and atherosclerosis. In this study, we screened crude extracts from 400 plants to test their anti-obesity activity using porcine pancreatic lipase assay (PPL; triacylglycerol lipase, EC 3.1.1.3) in vitro activity. Among the 400 plants species examined, 44 extracts from plants, showed high anti-lipase activity using 2,4-dinitrophenylbutyrate as a substrate in porcine pancreatic lipase assay. Furthermore, 44 plant extracts were investigated for their inhibition of lipid accumulation in 3T3-L1 cells. Among these 44 extracts examined, crude extracts from 4 natural plant species were active. Salicis Radicis Cortex had the highest fat inhibitory activity, whereas Rubi Fructus, Corni Fructus, and Geranium nepalense exhibited fat inhibitory capacity higher than 30% at 100 μg/mL in 3T3-L1 adipocytes, suggesting anti-obesity activity. These results suggest that four potent plant extracts might be of therapeutic interest with respect to the treatment of obesity.

https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/13/2/1710/pdf

Screening of crude plant extracts with anti-obesity activity.

activity. Results: Extracts from 2 herbs, Prunella vulgaris L. (Labiatae) and Rheum palmatum L. (Polygonaceae), at a concentration of 200 μg/mL, significantly inhibited PPL—by 74.7% and 53.8%, respectively. Quercetin exhibited better activity (27.4%) than all the other phytochemicals at a final concentration of 25 μg/mL in the assay system, followed by luteolin, with an activity of 17.3%. Conclusion: The results support the view that herbs represent a rich source of anti-lipase compounds. The screening of the methanolic extracts of 37 Chinese medicinal plants in vitro led to the identification of several extracts with potential activity against PPL, in particular, P. vulgaris and R. palmatum. We also found that several monomeric chemicals in these herbs exhibited good or moderate activity against PPL. To the best of our knowledge, these traditional Chinese herbal medicines or phytochemicals have not been previously screened for their lipase inhibitory activity. [J Chin Med Assoc 2010;73(6):319–324]

Screening for Anti-lipase Properties of 37 Traditional Chinese Medicinal Herbs

Vibration control of composite structures coupled with distributed masses under random excitations is a significant issue. In this paper, partial and ordinary differential coupling equations are obtained from a periodic sandwich plate coupled with supported masses under random excitation. An analytical solution to the coupling equations is proposed, and the stochastic response adjustability of the system with various periodic distributions of geometrical and physical parameters is studied. Spatial periodic layer thickness and core modulus of the sandwich plate are considered based on the active–passive periodicity strategy. The periodically distributed masses are supported on the plate by coupling springs and dampers. Partial and ordinary differential coupling equations for the system including the periodic sandwich plate and supported masses are derived and then converted into unified ordinary differential equations for multi-mode coupling vibration. Generalized system stiffness, damping and mass are functions of the periodic parameters. Expressions of frequency response function and response spectral density of the system are obtained. Numerical results show the response adjustability via the spatially periodic geometrical and physical parameters. The results have the potential for application to dynamic control or optimization of sandwich structure systems.

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Response Adjustability Analysis of Partial and Ordinary Differential Coupling System for Visco-Elastomer Sandwich Plate Coupled with Distributed Masses under Random Excitation via Spatial Periodicity Strategy

The parametrically excited instability of the spatially periodic visco-elastomer sandwich plate with supported masses under quadrilateral longitudinal temporal harmonic excitations is studied. The improvability of the parametrically excited instability by periodic distribution parameters is explored. The direct eigenvalue analysis approach for solving the parametrically excited stability problem of the periodic sandwich plate system under longitudinal harmonic excitations is proposed. The spatial periodic distribution of facial layer thickness and core layer modulus of the sandwich plate is considered. The non-linear partial differential equations of longitudinal and transverse coupling motions of the periodic visco-elastomer sandwich plate with supported masses under biaxial longitudinal boundary excitations are derived. The longitudinal displacements of the sandwich plate are separated into two parts and the longitudinal boundary excitations relevant to symmetric part are incorporated into the sandwich plate system. Then the partial differential equations with boundary excitations are converted into parametrically excited system equations and further converted into ordinary differential equations with time-varying parameters, which describe the parametrically excited vibration with multi-mode coupling of the periodic sandwich plate system. The fundamental perturbation solution to the equations is expressed as the product of periodic and exponential parts based on the Floquet theorem. The ordinary differential equations with harmonic parameters are converted into a set of algebraic equations using the harmonic balance method. Then the parametrically excited instability of the periodic sandwich plate system is determined directly by matrix eigenvalues. The overall instability characteristics of parametrically excited vibration with multi-mode coupling of the system under longitudinal harmonic excitations are illustrated by numerical results on unstable regions. The parametrically excited instability can be improved by the spatially periodic distribution of geometrical and physical parameters. The proposed approach is applicable to general sandwich structures with spatial distribution parameters in multi-mode-coupling parametrically excited vibrations for overall instability analysis on continuous frequency band. 

Parametrically Excited Instability of Periodic Visco-Elastomer Sandwich Plate with Supported Masses under Quadrilateral Longitudinal Harmonic Excitations

Vibration control of composite structures with distributed masses under random loadings is a significant issue. Adjustability of dynamic characteristics including response spectrum peaks and valleys is important for structural vibration control. The vibration control design in space contains structure and conformation designs which combination results in periodic composite structures. In the present paper, spatial periodicity control design is proposed. Stochastic response adjustable performance of a visco-elastomer sandwich plate with harmonic distribution of geometrical and physical parameters and distributed supported masses under random base motion loading is studied. Both facial layer thickness and core layer modulus of the sandwich plate are considered as harmonic distribution in length and width directions as well as periodically distributed masses. Partial differential equations of coupling motions of the sandwich plate system are derived and converted into ordinary differential equations for multi-mode coupling vibration. Generalized stiffness, damping, and mass coefficients are functions of the harmonic distribution parameters. An analysis solution with frequency response function and response spectral density expressions of the sandwich plate system is obtained. Numerical results are given to show the response adjustable performance through the harmonic geometrical and physical parameters and distributed masses. The results have a potential application to stochastic vibration control or dynamic optimization design of smart composite structure systems.

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/00202940221105086

Response adjustable performance of a visco-elastomer sandwich plate with harmonic parameters and distributed supported masses under random loading

Structural anomaly diagnosis, such as damage identification, is a continuously interesting issue. Artificial neural networks have an excellent ability to model complex structure dynamics. In this paper, an artificial neural network model is used to describe the relationship between structural responses and anomalies such as stiffness reduction due to damages. Random acceleration and displacement responses as generally measured data are used as the input to the artificial neural network, and the output of the artificial neural network is the anomaly severity. The artificial neural network model is set up by training and then validated using random vibration responses with different structural anomalies. The structural anomaly diagnosis method based on the artificial neural network model using random acceleration and displacement responses is applied to a five-story building structure under random base excitations (seismic loading). Anomalies in the structure are denoted by stiffness reduction. Structural anomaly diagnosis using random acceleration responses is compared with that using random displacement responses. The numerical results show the effects of different random vibration responses used on the accuracy of predicting stiffness reduction. The actual incomplete measurements include intensive noise, finite sampling time length, and limited measurement points. The effects of the incomplete measurements on the accuracy of predicting results are also discussed.

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Zhi-Gang Ruan

Papers

Screening for Anti-lipase Properties of 37 Traditional Chinese Medicinal Herbs

Response Adjustability Analysis of Partial and Ordinary Differential Coupling System for Visco-Elastomer Sandwich Plate Coupled with Distributed Masses under Random Excitation via Spatial Periodicity Strategy

Parametrically Excited Instability of Periodic Visco-Elastomer Sandwich Plate with Supported Masses under Quadrilateral Longitudinal Harmonic Excitations

Response adjustable performance of a visco-elastomer sandwich plate with harmonic parameters and distributed supported masses under random loading

Comparative Study of Structural Anomaly Diagnosis Based on ANN Model Using Random Displacement and Acceleration Responses with Incomplete Measurements