Bioavailability of bioactive compounds in Hibiscus sabdariffa beverage as a potential anti-inflammatory.

The absorption and metabolism of bioactive compounds (BCs) in a Hibiscus sabdariffa drink (HbD) were evaluated by the in vivo bioavailability of organic acids (OA) and phenolic compounds (PC's). An acute single-blind clinical study in humans was conducted. Twelve volunteers consumed a HbD and a control drink (CD). Urine and plasma samples were taken after consuming both beverages. OA and PC's of the beverages (HbD and CD) and the biological samples (urine and plasma) were characterized by HPLC-DAD-MS. Thirthy-eight compounds in HbD and four CD were detected and quantified, equivalent to 937.37 mg and 1.22 mg per 60 mL, respectively. Hibiscus acid was the most abundant OA in both drinks. Additionally, hydroxycinnamic acids, flavonoids, anthocyanins, and anthocyanidins were also detected in HbD, although their amount represented 10% of the total BCs. 25 different metabolites were identified, 15 in urine and 23 in plasma. The microbiota extensively biotransformed PCs and their amount was lower than organic acids, particularly hibiscus acid and hydroxycitric acid. The colonic metabolites derived from PCs and organic acids would be behind the anti-inflammatory bioactivity described for Hibiscus sabdariffa L. (Malvaceae family). However, further studies are necessary to evaluate the metabolites responsible for their anti-inflammatory activity.

A Nutrigenetic Strategy for Reducing Blood Lipids and Low-Grade Inflammation in Adults with Obesity and Overweight.

The pathogenesis of obesity and dyslipidemia involves genetic factors, such as polymorphisms related to lipid metabolism alterations predisposing their development. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of a nutrigenetic intervention on the blood lipid levels, body composition, and inflammation markers of adults with obesity and overweight. Eleven genetic variants associated with dyslipidemias in Mexicans were selected, and specific nutrigenetic recommendations for these polymorphisms were found. One hundred and one adults were recruited and assigned to follow either a standard or nutrigenetic diet for eight weeks. Anthropometric, biochemical, body composition, and inflammation markers were evaluated through standardized methods. Weighted genetic risk scores (wGRSs) were computed using the study polymorphisms. After intervention, both diets significantly decreased the anthropometric parameters and body composition (p < 0.05). Only the nutrigenetic diet group showed significant reductions in VLDL-c (p = 0.001), triglycerides (p = 0.002), TG:HDL (p = 0.002), IL-6 (p = 0.002), and TNF-α (p = 0.04). wGRSs had a high impact on the ΔTGs and ΔVLDL-c of both groups (standard diet: ΔTGs: Adj R2 = 0.69, p = 0.03; ΔVLDL-c: Adj R2 = 0.71, p = 0.02; nutrigenetic diet: ΔTGs: Adj R2 = 0.49, p = 0.03 and ΔVLDL-c: R2 = 0.29, p = 0.04). This nutrigenetic intervention improved lipid abnormalities in patients with excessive body weight. Hence, nutrigenetic strategies could be coadjuvant tools and enhance the standard dietary treatment for cardiometabolic diseases.

Lipid-Related Genetic Variants for Personalized Dietary Interventions: A Systematic Review.

Dyslipidemias are known risk factors for chronic diseases. Precision nutrition interventions are designed according to characteristics, such as diet, phenotype, and genotype. This systematic review aims to define a panel of genetic variants associated with lipid abnormalities that could be later used in nutrigenetic intervention studies. A systematic review is conducted following the PRISMA-P. Studies published from January 2010 to December 2020 in English language and humans are included from PubMed and ScienceDirect databases. Articles that demonstrate a strong association between polymorphisms (single nucleotide variation) of genes involved in lipid metabolism and increased risk for dyslipidemia are included. A total of 3031 articles are screened, but only 51 articles fulfill the inclusion criteria. The genes included are FABP2, MTTP related to CM synthesis and secretion; LPL, LIPC involved in triglyceride hydrolysis; CETP, APOA1, LCAT, ABCA1, and APOA5 related to lipoprotein metabolism, and APOE, LDLR, SCARB1, APOC3 involved in lipid clearance. In this systematic review, genetic variants related to chylomicron synthesis, triglyceride hydrolysis, lipoprotein metabolism, and lipid clearance demonstrate a strong association with lipid abnormalities, which can be used to design precision nutrition interventions that may help to prevent and treat dyslipidemia effectively.

In Vitro Gastrointestinal Digestion Affects the Bioaccessibility of Bioactive Compounds in Hibiscus sabdariffa Beverages.

Hibiscus sabdariffa possess great versatility to be used as an ingredient for a whole range of products with natural-based ingredients, which are growing in popularity due to the health benefits of bioactive compounds (BC). Therefore, the objective of this study was to characterize the BC content in Hibiscus beverages and to evaluate their in vitro bioaccessibility. Results showed significant differences (p < 0.05) in the total contents of BC prior to the in vitro intestinal digestion. Hibiscus acid was the most abundant compound identified. Thirty-five compounds were identified in the Hibiscus beverage at the initial stage, while a maximum of 15 compounds were quantified in the different fractions of gastrointestinal digestion. After digestion, significant differences were found compared with the initial content of BC. That phenolic acids were the less bioaccessible group, while flavonoids were the most diverse. Principal components analysis showed different clusters and changes in the profiles of BC present at the initial stage and those bioaccessible, showing that intestinal digestion significantly affects the BC profile of the beverage.

A Systematic Review of Medical Cannabinoids Dosing in Human.

PURPOSE: This systematic review assesses currently available clinical information on which cannabinoids and what range of doses have been used to achieve positive effects in a diversity of medical context. METHODS: The data were collected according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses protocol guidelines. Inclusion criteria were articles that assessed administration of any cannabinoid to any clinical population, reported in the ClinicalTrials.gov or PubMed databases, that involved a comparison with other treatment or placebo and a result measurement to assess the effectiveness or ineffectiveness of the cannabinoid. Exclusion criteria were review or letter; articles not in the English language; not full-text articles; not a clinical trial, case report, case series, open-label trial, or pilot study; administration in animals, in vitro, or in healthy participants; cannabinoids administered in combination with other cannabinoids (except for cannabidiol [CBD] or tetrahydrocannabinol [THC]) or as whole cannabis extracts; no stated concentration; inhalation or smoke as a route of administration; and no results described. The articles were assessed by the risk of bias. FINDING: In total, 1668 articles were recovered, of which 55 studies met the inclusion criteria for 21 diseases. Positive effects were reported in clinical studies: 52% with THC (range, 0.01-0.5 mg/kg/d [0.62-31 mg/d]), 74% with CBD (range, 1-50 mg/kg/d [62-3100 mg/d]), 64% with THC-CBD (mean, 1:1.3 mg/kg/d [ratio, 1:1]), and 100% with tetrahydrocannabivarin (THCV) (0.2 mg/kg/d). IMPLICATIONS: THC, CBD, and THCV can regulate activity in several pathologies. New studies of cannabinoids are highly encouraged because each patient is unique and requires a unique cannabinoid medication.

Personalized Dietary Recommendations Based on Lipid-Related Genetic Variants: A Systematic Review.

Background: Obesity and dyslipidemias are risk factors for developing cardiovascular diseases, the leading causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. The pathogenesis of these diseases involves environmental factors, such as nutrition, but other aspects like genetic polymorphisms confer susceptibility to developing obesity and dyslipidemias. In this sense, nutrigenetics is being used to study the influence of genetic variations on the circulating lipid responses promoted by certain nutrients or foods to provide specific dietary strategies considering the genetic factors in personalized nutrition interventions. Objective: To identify throughout a systematic review the potential nutrigenetic recommendations that demonstrate a strong interaction between gene-diet and circulating lipid variations. Methods: This systematic review used the PRISMA-Protocol for manuscript research and preparation using PubMed and ScienceDirect databases. Human studies published in English from January 2010 to December 2020 were included. The main results were outcomes related to gene-diet interactions and plasmatic lipids variation. Results: About 1,110 articles were identified, but only 38 were considered to fulfill the inclusion criteria established based on the reported data. The acquired information was organized based on gene-diet interaction with nutrients and components of the diet and dietary recommendation generated by each interaction: gene-diet interaction with dietary fats, carbohydrates or dietary fiber, gene-diet interaction with nutraceutical or dietary supplementation, and gene-diet interaction with proteins. Conclusion: Findings included in this systematic review indicated that a certain percentage of dietary macronutrients, the consumption of specific amounts of polyunsaturated or monounsaturated fatty acids, as well as the ingestion of nutraceuticals or dietary supplements could be considered as potential strategies for the development of a wide range of nutrigenetic interventions since they have a direct impact on the blood levels of lipids. In this way, specific recommendations were identified as potential tools in developing precision diets and highlighted the importance of personalized nutrition. These recommendations may serve as a possible strategy to implement as dietary tools for the preventive treatment and control alterations in lipid metabolism. Systematic Review Registration: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?ID=CRD42021248816, identifier [CRD42021248816].

A Proof-of-Concept for Epigenetic Therapy of Tissue Fibrosis: Inhibition of Liver Fibrosis Progression by 3-Deazaneplanocin A.

The progression of fibrosis in chronic liver disease is dependent upon hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) transdifferentiating to a myofibroblast-like phenotype. This pivotal process is controlled by enzymes that regulate histone methylation and chromatin structure, which may be targets for developing anti-fibrotics. There is limited pre-clinical experimental support for the potential to therapeutically manipulate epigenetic regulators in fibrosis. In order to learn if epigenetic treatment can halt the progression of pre-established liver fibrosis, we treated mice with the histone methyltransferase inhibitor 3-deazaneplanocin A (DZNep) in a naked form or by selectively targeting HSC-derived myofibroblasts via an antibody-liposome-DZNep targeting vehicle. We discovered that DZNep treatment inhibited multiple histone methylation modifications, indicative of a broader specificity than previously reported. This broad epigenetic repression was associated with the suppression of fibrosis progression as assessed both histologically and biochemically. The anti-fibrotic effect of DZNep was reproduced when the drug was selectively targeted to HSC-derived myofibroblasts. Therefore, the in vivo modulation of HSC histone methylation is sufficient to halt progression of fibrosis in the context of continuous liver damage. This discovery and our novel HSC-targeting vehicle, which avoids the unwanted effects of epigenetic drugs on parenchymal liver cells, represents an important proof-of-concept for epigenetic treatment of liver fibrosis.

Transcript levels of Toll-Like Receptors 5, 8 and 9 correlate with inflammatory activity in Ulcerative Colitis.

BACKGROUND: Dysregulation of innate immune response by Toll-Like Receptors (TLRs) is a key feature in Ulcerative Colitis (UC). Most studies have focused on TLR2, TLR3, and TLR4 participation in UC. However, few studies have explored other TLRs. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the mRNA profiles of TLR1 to 9 in colonic mucosa of UC patients, according to disease activity. METHODS: Colonic biopsies were taken from colon during colonoscopy in 51 patients with Ulcerative Colitis and 36 healthy controls. mRNA levels of TLR1 to 9, Tollip, inflammatory cytokines IL6 and TNF were assessed by RT-qPCR with hydrolysis probes. Characterization of TLR9 protein expression was performed by Immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: Toll-like receptors TLR8, TLR9, and IL6 mRNA levels were significantly higher in the colonic mucosa from UC patients (both quiescent and active) as compared to healthy individuals (p < 0.04). In the UC patients group the TLR2, TLR4, TLR8 and TLR9 mRNA levels were found to be significantly lower in patients with quiescent disease, as compared to those with active disease (p < 0.05), whereas TLR5 showed a trend (p = 0.06). IL6 and TNF mRNA levels were significantly higher in the presence of active disease and help to discriminate between quiescent and active disease (p < 0.05). Also, IL6 and TNF mRNA positively correlate with TLRs mRNA with the exception for TLR3, with stronger correlations for TLR5, TLR8, and TLR9 (p < 0.0001). TLR9 protein expression was mainly in the lamina propria infiltrate. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates that TLR2, TLR4, TLR8, and TLR9 expression increases in active UC patients, and that the mRNA levels positively correlate with the severity of intestinal inflammation as well as with inflammatory cytokines.