Determination of the regulatory properties of Yucca schidigera extracts on the biochemical parameters and plasma hormone levels associated with obesity

ABSTRACT Yucca schidigera Ortgies, Asparagaceae, is a herbaceous plant. Due to the high saponin content the powdered branches and leaves are used as natural food additive for human and animal. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of Y. schidigera extracts on plasma leptin, ghrelin, adiponectin, insulin, thyroid hormones and some biochemical parameters in mice fed a high-fat diet. Male Swiss Albino mice were divided into seven equal groups. Group I (negative control group) was given standard diet; Group II was given high-fat diet; Group III was given high-fat diet with carboxymethylcellulose; Groups IV–VII were given hexane, petroleum ether, ethyl acetate, and methanol extracts of Y. schidigera and high-fat diet via gastric gavage for 60 days. High-fat diet significantly increased plasma leptin, insulin, free T3 hormone, glucose, cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein, triacylglyceride, aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase levels, and significantly decreased plasma ghrelin, adiponectin and free T4 hormone levels. On the other hand, hormone levels, lipid profile and biochemical parameters were improved by the administration of the PE extract. Y. schidigera extracts could be used as preventive medicine in nutritional disorders via regulating energy metabolism and hormonal functions.

The effects of dietary boron compounds in supplemented diet on hormonal activity and some biochemical parameters in rats.

The aims of this study were to clarify the effects of dietary boric acid or borax, as a boron (B) source, on hormonal status (leptin, insulin, triiodothyronine (T3), and thyroxine) and some biochemical parameter levels as glucose, carnitine, nonesterified fatty acids, and betahydroxybutyric acid in rats. A total of 30 Sprague-Dawley male rats were divided into three equal groups: the animals in the first group (control) were fed with a standard rodent diet containing 6.4 mg B/kg, and the animals in the experimental group were fed with a standard rodent diet added with boric acid and borax (100 mg B/kg) throughout the experimental period of 28 days. The B compounds especially borax decreased leptin, insulin, and glucose levels, whereas increased T3 and carnitine levels in plasma. In addition, body weight of rats was found to be low in the boric acid group at the end of 4 weeks. Consequently, our results demonstrate that B supplementation (100 mg/kg) in diet decreases body weight, leptin, and insulin, whereas increases T3 levels in plasma, so enhances the metabolic activity of rats. Between the B compounds used in this study, it was found that borax had a greater effect on hormonal status than boric acid.

Changes in serum asymmetric dimethylarginine and endothelial markers levels with varying periods of hemodialysis.

Asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) as a uremia toxin is accumulated in end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients. Elevated ADMA level has been shown to be predictive of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) and all-cause mortality in ESRD. Therefore, we investigated the effect of prolonged hemodialysis (HD) treatment on the levels of serum ADMA, arginine, nitric oxide (NO), soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (sICAM-1) and soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (sVCAM-1). Seventy-five patients (M/F = 40/35) with chronic renal failure (CRF) and who were on HD were divided into five groups with differing treatment periods of HD; from 6 to 24 months to 97-120 months. Fifteen apparently healthy subjects acted as controls. The serum levels of ADMA, sICAM-1 and sVCAM-1 were increased in all patient groups compared to the control group. No significant difference was observed when the patient groups were compared in terms of HD treatment periods. Nitric oxide levels were lower in the three groups who were treated for periods of 49-72, 73-96, 97-120 months compared to the control group. The L-arginine to ADMA ratio was decreased in all patient groups compared to controls. Consequently, our investigations have shown that in HD continued for more than 4 years NO levels began to decrease significantly and the levels of serum ADMA, sICAM-1 and sVCAM-1 levels increased although this increase was not affected by the period in which hemodialysis treatment was applied.