Identification of a polyphenol and its antioxidant properties from the roasting reaction of alginic acid.

The radical scavenging activity of marine polysaccharides was enhanced by their high-temperature treatment (roasting reaction model). The product obtained from alginic acid exhibited maximum activity, and a radical scavenger, alginetin, was identified in the product. Its antioxidant activities were examined by chemical methods, which confirmed that it possessed a stoichiometrically greater antioxidant capacity than that of Trolox.

Bioactivity of alginetin, a caramelization product of pectin: Cytometric analysis of rat thymic lymphocytes using fluorescent probes.

Alginetin is the major product formed from pentoses and hexurionic acids. Alginetin is producted by cooking process of food including pection, a naturally-occurring polysacharride found in many plants. However, the biological interaction and toxicity of alginetin are not known at all. The aim of the present study was to investigate the cellular actions of alginetin on rat thymic lymphocytes. The effects of alginetin on the cell were examined using flow cytometry with fluorescent probes. Alginetin increased cellular content of non-protein thiols ([NPT]i) and elevated intracellular Zn2+ levels ([Zn2+]i). Chelation of intracellular Zn2+ reduced the effect of alginetin on [NPT]i, and chelation of external Zn2+ almost completely diminished alginetin-induced elevation of [Zn2+]i, indicating that alginetin treatment increased Zn2+ influx. Increased [NPT]i and [Zn2+]i levels in response to alginetin were positively correlated. Alginetin protected cells against oxidative stress induced by hydrogen peroxide and Ca2+ overload by calcium ionophore. It is considered that the increases in [NPT]i and [Zn2+]i are responsible for the cytoprotective activity of alginetin because NPT attenuates oxidative stress and Zn2+ competes with Ca2+. Alginetin may be produced during manufacturing of jam, which may provide additional health benefits of jam.

Effects of Temperature on the Composition and Xanthine Oxidase Inhibitory Activities of Caffeic Acid Roasting Products.

The high-temperature treatment of caffeic acid by a model reaction for the processing of foods by roasting enhanced its xanthine oxidase (XO) inhibitory activity. The thermal reaction products included various oligomeric compounds, whose structures were determined as being produced via the intermediate 4-vinylcatechol. Measurements of their XO inhibitory activities were also carried out. Among the identified oligomers, the coupling products of caffeic acid and vinylcatechol, which were mainly produced at 140-170 °C, presented stronger XO inhibitory activities than the other types of oligomers produced. Further reacted compounds, which were mainly formed at 200 °C by the addition or elimination of catechol unit in the oligomers, displayed weaker activities. These results indicated that thermal enhancement of the XO inhibitory activity of caffeic acid can be explained by the differences in the XO inhibitory activities of the various constituents of the thermal reaction products. Caffeic acid and its derivatives are polyphenols found widely distributed in foods. Moreover, XO inhibition is closely related to the prevention of the life-style-related disease gout. The results suggest that a simple roasting process (170 °C) can lend useful human-health-related functionalities to caffeic acid containing foods such as coffee.

Radical Scavenging Properties of Roasted Egoma (Perilla frutescens var. frutescens) Oils and Identification of Their Characteristic Scavengers.

The radical scavenging activity of commercially available roasted (deep colored) and unroasted (light colored) egoma (Perilla frutescens var. frutescens) oils was evaluated by the DPPH radical scavenging method. The antiradical activity of roasted oils was higher than that of unroasted oils, and the activity of methanol-water extracts from the roasted egoma oils was significantly higher than that of unroasted oils. The antiradical activity of the methanol-water fractions was strongly correlated to that of whole oils (r=0.72) and the color depth of oils (r=0.93), which was an index of roasting. Fractionation of the methanol-water extract of a roasted egoma oil according to molecular size using ultra membrane filters revealed that the fraction under 3 kDa had the strongest radical scavenging activity. Subsequent preparative HPLC separation using an ODS column also revealed that the second fraction was the most active. Our HPLC analytical method for DPPH radical scavengers in complex mixtures detected four strong radical scavenger peaks in the fraction. Among the detected peaks, two peaks were determined to be derived from rosmarinic acid and luteolin by comparison with the retention times and UV spectra of the authentic samples, and the other two compounds could not be identified because no characteristic UV spectra were observed. These identified polyphenols (rosmarinic acid and luteolin) have been reported to be present in the non-oily part of egoma seeds. They probably migrated to the oily part during the egoma oil roasting process.

Safety of ASP0113, a cytomegalovirus DNA vaccine, in recipients undergoing allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation: an open-label phase 2 trial.

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection/reactivation is a serious complication after hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT). The DNA vaccine ASP0113 contains two plasmids encoding CMV antigens (glycoprotein B and tegument phosphoprotein 65) that stimulate humoral and cellular immunity. Between June 2013 and February 2014, Astellas conducted a phase 2, open-label, uncontrolled, three-center trial to investigate the safety and tolerability of ASP0113 in Japanese patients undergoing HCT for hematologic disorders. Ten patients aged 22-61 years were enrolled; nine received at least one dose of ASP0113. Six patients received all five doses of ASP0113 5 mg at intervals before and after HCT. Pre-emptive antiviral therapy was allowed. One patient died following relapse of primary disease. All patients had serious adverse events deemed unrelated to ASP0113. CMV viremia (assessed by CMV antigenemia) occurred in seven patients, who then received anti-CMV therapy. No patients developed CMV end-organ disease. Adverse events associated with ASP0113 injection included pyrexia (three patients), skin reactions [injection site pain, injection site tenderness, and erythema (two patients each); and rash, injection site erythema, injection site induration, and injection site swelling (one patient each)], and hyperuricemia (one patient). ASP0113 was well tolerated in Japanese HCT recipients. Further studies should evaluate its efficacy and safety. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01903928.