Plant-based foods containing cell wall polysaccharides rich in specific active monosaccharides protect against myocardial injury in rat myocardial infarction models.

Many cohort studies have shown that consumption of diets containing a higher composition of foods derived from plants reduces mortality from coronary heart disease (CHD). Here, we examined the active components of a plant-based diet and the underlying mechanisms that reduce the risk of CHD using three rat models and a quantitative proteomics approach. In a short-term myocardial infarction (MI) model, intake of wheat extract (WE), the representative cardioprotectant identified by screening approximately 4,000 samples, reduced myocardial injury by inhibiting apoptosis, enhancing ATP production, and maintaining protein homeostasis. In long-term post-MI models, this myocardial protection resulted in ameliorating adverse left-ventricular remodelling, which is a predictor of heart failure. Among the wheat components, arabinose and xylose were identified as active components responsible for the observed efficacy of WE, which was administered via ingestion and tail-vein injections. Finally, the food components of plant-based diets that contained cell wall polysaccharides rich in arabinose, xylose, and possibly fucose were found to confer protection against myocardial injury. These results show for the first time that specific monosaccharides found in the cell wall polysaccharides in plant-based diets can act as active ingredients that reduce CHD by inhibiting postocclusion steps, including MI and heart failure.

Syringin from stem bark of Fraxinus rhynchophylla protects Abeta(25-35)-induced toxicity in neuronal cells.

The medicinal herb Jinpi, derived from the dried stem barks of Fraxinus rhynchophylla belonging to Oleaceae is widely used as a variety of Korean folk remedies for anti-inflammatory, febricide, antidiarrhea, and antileukorrhea diseases. In the course of screening antidementia agents from natural products, F. rhynchophylla showed significant inhibitory activity toward Abeta(25-35)-induced neuronal cell death. An active principle was isolated and identified as syringin. When the neuroblastoma cells were exposed to 50 microM Abeta(25-35), 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) reduction rate (survival rate) decreased to 60.21 +/- 2.16% over control while syringin treated ones recovered cell viability up to 79.12 +/- 1.39% at 20 microM. In addition, 20 microM syringin almost completely removed Abeta(25-35)-induced reactive oxygen species. The neuroprotective effect of syringin seemed to be originated from the reduction of apoptosis since decrease in caspase-3 activity and expression, reduction in cleaved PARP, and DNA fragmentation were observed. These results suggest that F. rhynchophylla and syringin are expected to be useful for preventing Abeta(25-35)-induced neuronal cell damage.