ABSTRACT
The aim of the present study was to evaluate the ability of fish collagen peptides (FCP) derived from the skin of great hammerhead shark (Sphyrna mokarran) in attenuating the high fat diet-alcohol induced hyperlipidemia. The oral supplementation of FCP in high fat diet-alcohol fed experimental rats confirmed the regulation of body weight to normal level. The FCP treated group revealed the efficient lipid lowering ability by enhancing the cholesterol metabolism. Western blot analysis of the lipid metabolic enzymes revealed that the oral-intake of FCP has down-regulated the expression levels of fatty acid synthase and 3-Hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA reductase (HMGCR). Simultaneously, the expression levels of Lecithin-cholesterol acyltransferase (LCAT) in liver was up-regulated. Histopathology analysis of liver tissues demonstrated that the FCP treated group maintained normal liver parenchyma with moderate inflammatory infiltration, whereas the statin treated group developed centrilobular fibrosis, atrophy of hepatocytes and moderate inflammatory infiltration. Oral dietary supplementation of FCP enhanced the activity levels of both superoxide dismutase and catalase enzymes and, lowered the levels of lipid peroxidation in liver tissues. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13197-021-05118-0.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition (EMT) is the conversion of epithelial cells into mesenchymal phenotype generally observed during embryogenesis and wound healing as well as in malignant transformation. Several signaling pathways and transcription factors associated with EMT have been explored. Dietary phytochemicals that are multi-targeted agents which interfere with these pathways, assume preventive potential against pathologic EMT. OBJECTIVE: The present review aims to provide a detailed description of the nature and characteristics of EMT in physiological and pathophysiological conditions and the scope of phytochemicals in its prevention. METHOD: Details regarding the initiation, progression as well as prevention of pathologic EMT and metastasis and recent patents on preventive phytochemicals were obtained from PubMed literatures and patent databases. RESULTS: The phenotypic changes during EMT are regulated by transcription factors like Snail, Slug, Twist and Zeb, which are activated through diverse signaling pathways of TGF-ß, NF-kB, Wnt and Notch. s phytocompounds that are potent enough to interfere with these signaling pathways, which in turn prevent pathological implications of EMT. Present review also discusses 28 recent patents on those phytocompounds. CONCLUSION: EMT is a significant pharmacological target for developing preventive agents to combat pathological conditions like malignancy. Many of the phytochemicals cited in this review are being enrolled for different phases of clinical trials for their efficacy. In spite of the major limitations regarding bioavailability, sensitivity and tolerance of these compounds, their synthetic analogs, formulations and efficient drug delivery systems are also being attempted which will hopefully generate productive and promising results in near future.
