Tomatoes have natural anti-thrombotic effects.

The prevention of arterial thrombotic diseases has a high priority in developed countries. An inappropriate diet may be an important risk factor for thrombotic events. The daily intake of an anti-thrombotic diet may offer a convenient and effective way of prevention. The aim of the present study was to test tomato extracts for anti-thrombotic effects and to identify those varieties that have such an effect. A shear-induced platelet-function test (haemostatometry) was used to test anti-thrombotic potential in vitro. Extracts from those tomato varieties that showed a significant anti-thrombotic activity in vitro were further assessed in vivo, using a laser-induced thrombosis test in mice. One tomato variety (KG99-4) showed significant anti-thrombotic activity both in vitro and in vivo. KG99-4 inhibited not only platelet-rich thrombus formation but also had a thrombolytic effect. It is concluded that haemostatometry can detect and classify the anti-thrombotic potential of fruits and vegetables and offers a simple way of screening for such effects.

Effects of tomato juice consumption on plasma and lipoprotein carotenoid concentrations and the susceptibility of low density lipoprotein to oxidative modification.

Effects of tomato juice supplementation on the carotenoid concentration in lipoprotein fractions and the oxidative susceptibility of LDL were investigated in 31 healthy Japanese female students. These subjects were randomized to one of three treatment groups; Control, Low and High. The Control, Low and High groups consumed 480 g of a control drink, 160 g of tomato juice plus 320 g of the control drink, and 480 g of tomato juice, providing 0, 15 and 45 mg of lycopene, respectively, for one menstrual cycle. The ingestion of tomato juice, rich in lycopene but having little beta-carotene, increased both lycopene and beta-carotene. Sixty-nine percent of lycopene in plasma was distributed in the LDL fraction and 24% in the HDL fraction. In the Low group, the lycopene concentration increased 160% each in the VLDL+IDL, LDL and HDL fractions (p<0.01). In the High group, the lycopene concentration increased 270% each in the VLDL+IDL and LDL fractions, and 330% in the HDL fraction (p<0.01). Beta-carotene also increased 120% and 180% in LDL fractions of the Low and the High groups, respectively. Despite these carotenoid increases in LDL, the lag time before oxidation was not prolonged as compared with that of the Control group. The propagation rate decreased significantly after consumption in the High group. Multiple regression analysis showed a positive correlation between lag time changes and changes in the alpha-tocopherol concentration per triglyceride in LDL, and a negative correlation between propagation rate changes and changes in the lycopene concentration per phospholipid in LDL. These data suggest that alpha-tocopherol is a major determinant in protecting LDL from oxidation, while lycopene from tomato juice supplementaion may contribute to protect phospholipid in LDI, from oxidation. Thus, oral intake of lycopene might be beneficial for ameliorating atherosclerosis.

Structural features of arabinogalactan-proteins from the fruit of Lycium chinense Mill.

In addition to the other arabinogalactan-proteins (AGPs) (Cp-1-C and -D) already reported, two kinds of AGP (Cp-2-B and Hp-2-C) were obtained from the fruit of Lycium chinense Mill. The ratio of arabinose to galactose was approximately 1:1 in both samples, and the carbohydrate was linked O-glycosidically to serine in Cp-2-B, and to both serine and threonine residues of the protein in Hp-2-C. The weight-average molecular weight was 71,000 for Cp-2-B and 120,000 for Hp-2-C. Both samples also contained non-reducing terminal 3-O- and 4-O-substituted galacturonic acids. The ratio of 6-O-substituted galactose (linear part) and 3,6-di-O-substituted galactose (branching point) was almost unity in both samples, being obviously different from the case of Cp-1-C (predominant in the branching domain) and Cp-1-D (predominant in the linear domain). These results offer fresh insight into the grouping of the AGPs, based on the ratio of 6-O- and 3,6-di-O-substituted galactosyl residues.

Liver injury suppressing compounds from avocado (Persea americana).

To evaluate the protective activity of fruits against liver injury, 22 different fruits were fed to rats with liver damage caused by D-galactosamine, a powerful liver toxin. As measured by changes in the levels of plasma alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST), avocado showed extraordinarily potent liver injury suppressing activity. Five active compounds were isolated and their structures determined. These were all fatty acid derivatives, of which three, namely, (2E,5E,12Z,15Z)-1-hydroxyheneicosa-2,5,12,15-tetraen-4-one, (2E,12Z,15Z)-1-hydroxyheneicosa-2,12,15-trien-4-one, and (5E,12Z)-2-hydroxy-4-oxoheneicosa-5,12-dien-1-yl acetate, were novel.

Analysis of molecular species of glycolipids in fruit pastes of red bell pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) by high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry.

Five major glycolipid classes (acylated steryl glucoside, steryl glucoside, monogalactosyldiacylglycerol, digalactosyldiacylglycerol, and glucocerebroside) from fruit pastes of red bell pepper were separated by silica gel column chromatography. The molecular species of each glycolipid were separated and characterized by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with on-line mass spectrometry using atmospheric pressure chemical ionization. The molecular species of steryl glucoside were beta-sitosteryl and campesteryl glucosides, and those of the acylated steryl glucoside were their fatty acid esters. The dilinolenoyl species was predominant in monogalactosyldiacylglycerol in addition to small amounts of another five molecular species, whereas digalactosyldiacylglycerol consisted of seven molecular species varying in their degree of unsaturation. The glucocerebroside class contained at least seven molecular species, which were characterized by proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy.

Protection by quercetin and quercetin 3-O-beta-D-glucuronide of peroxynitrite-induced antioxidant consumption in human plasma low-density lipoprotein.

Effect of quercetin and its conjugated metabolite quercetin 3-O-beta-D-glucuronide (Q3GA), on peroxynitrite-induced consumption of lipophilic antioxidants in human plasma low-density lipoprotein (LDL) was measured to estimate the role of dietary flavonoids in the defense system against oxidative modification of LDL based on the reaction of nitric oxide and superoxide anion. Synthesized peroxynitrite-induced consumption of endogenous lycopene beta-carotene and alpha-tocopherol was effectively suppressed by adding quercetin aglycone into LDL solution. Q3GA also inhibited the consumption of these antioxidants effectively. These results indicate that dietary quercetin is capable of inhibiting peroxynitrite-induced oxidative modification of LDL in association with lipophilic antioxidants present within this lipoprotein particle.

Antidiabetic effect of an acidic polysaccharide (TAP) from Tremella aurantia and its degradation product (TAP-H).

Continuous oral administration of the acidic polysaccharide (TAP) solution (0.5 g/l) and the TAP-H (degradation products of TAP) solution (1.5 g/l) instead of water for 10 weeks were found to depress plasma glucose increases in diabetes using genetically non-insulin-dependent diabetic model (KK-Ay) mice. TAP and TAP-H significantly lowered levels of insulin, total-cholesterol and triglyceride in the blood of the mice. In excretion to feces, TAP and TAP-H significantly increased the total bile acid, while the cholesterol content of both groups was less than that of the control. Furthermore, TAP and TAP-H significantly decreased the plasma lipoperoxide level. The study shows that TAP and TAP-H have an antidiabetic effect on diabetes model mice.

Structural features of an anti-diabetic polysaccharide (TAP) from Tremella aurantia.

The structure of an anti-diabetic polysaccharide (TAP) obtained from the fruiting bodies of Tremella aurantia was investigated by methylation analysis, Smith degradation, partial acid hydrolysis, 13C-NMR spectrometry, and enzymatic digestion. The results suggested that TAP was composed of (1-->3)-linked alpha-D-mannopyranosyl residues as a backbone, some of which were substituted at position 2 with (1-->3)-linked beta-D-xylopyranose side chains and with beta-D-glucopyransyluronic acid at position 4 linked to terminal alpha-D-mannopyranose.

Accumulation of quercetin conjugates in blood plasma after the short-term ingestion of onion by women.

Quercetin is a typical flavonoid present mostly as glycosides in plant foods; it has attracted much attention for its potential beneficial effects in disease prevention. In this study, we examined human volunteers after the short-term ingestion of onion, a vegetable rich in quercetin glucosides. The subjects were served diets containing onion slices (quercetin equivalent: 67.6-93.6 mg/day) with meals for 1 wk. Quercetin was only found in glucuronidase-sulfatase-treated plasma, and its concentration after 10 h of fasting increased from 0.04 +/- 0.04 microM before the trial to 0.63 +/- 0.72 microM after the 1-wk trial. The quercetin content in low-density lipoprotein (LDL) after glucuronidase-sulfatase treatment corresponded to <1% of the alpha-tocopherol content. Human LDL isolated from the plasma after the trial showed little improvement of its resistance to copper ion-induced oxidation. It is therefore concluded that conjugated metabolites of quercetin accumulate exclusively in human blood plasma in the concentration range of 10(-7) approximately 10(-6) M after the short-term ingestion of vegetables rich in quercetin glucosides, although these metabolites are hardly incorporated into plasma LDL.

Carotenoids in human blood plasma after ingesting paprika juice.

We investigated the presence of different carotenoids in male human subject after the ingestion of paprika juice, and identified capsanthin, capsanthone, cucurbitaxanthin A, 11-cis-capsanthin, lutein and zeaxanthin in the human plasma. These results suggest that capsanthone and 11-cis-capsanthin might be as important as capsanthin for human health.

Prevention of N-methylnitrosourea-induced colon carcinogenesis in rats by oxygenated carotenoid capsanthin and capsanthin-rich paprika juice.

Epidemiological and animal studies have provided evidence that dietary carotenoids may reduce the risk of certain types of cancer. An inhibitory activity of oxygenated carotenoid capsanthin, a potent antioxidant, and paprika juice rich in capsanthin (3.54 mg/100 ml) against colon carcinogenesis was investigated in F344 rats. In Experiment I (short-term assay), six rats each were given a gavage of 5 mg, 0.2 mg, or 0.008 mg capsanthin six times a week for Weeks 2-6 after receiving three intrarectal doses of 4 mg N-methylnitrosourea in Week 1. The number of colonic aberrant crypt foci, preneoplastic lesions, at Week 6 was significantly fewer (by 42%) in the 0.2 mg capsanthin group, but not in other groups, than the control group. In Experiment II (long-term assay), five groups of 30 or 25 rats each received an intrarectal dose of 2 mg N-methylnitrosourea three times a week for Weeks 1-3, and had either of 10 p.p.m. or 2 p.p.m. capsanthin solutions, 1:2.5 and 1:16.7 diluted solution of paprika juice (containing 10 p.p.m. or 2 p.p.m. capsanthin), and tap water (control fluid) as drinking fluid throughout the experiment. The experimental groups were fed 0.2 mg or 0.04 mg capsanthin/day/rat. The colon cancer incidence at Week 30 was significantly lower in the highly diluted paprika juice group (40%), but not in the moderately diluted paprika juice group (60%) and the capsanthin solution groups (68% and 68%) than the control group (83%). The results suggested that paprika juice may affect colon carcinogenesis. However, capsanthin alone failed to inhibit colon tumorigenesis, in spite of suppression of aberrant crypt foci formation in the short-term assay. Further studies are needed to explain this discrepancy.

A lectin from an edible mushroom Pleurotus ostreatus as a food intake-suppressing substance.

In an experiment in which rats were allowed free access to food and water, the rats did not eat the diet containing a mushroom Pleurotus ostreatus even if they were emaciated. A P. ostreatus lectin (POL) was isolated from the mushroom as the food intake-suppression principle. In hemagglutination inhibition assays, Me-alphaGalNAc was the most potent inhibitor among the monosaccharides tested. Among all the sugars tested, 2'-fucosyllactose (Fucalpha1-->2Galbeta1-->4Glc) was the strongest inhibitor and its inhibitory potency was five times greater than that of Me-alphaGalNAc. POL exhibited a binding ability to bovine submaxillary mucin (BSM) and asialo-BSM and the other glycoproteins were inert to the binding. The food intake-suppressing activity of POL was dependent on the dose. The diet containing 0.1% POL caused a 50% decrease in the food intake of rats against the control.

Effect of a polysaccharide (TAP) from the fruiting bodies of Tremella aurantia on glucose metabolism in mouse liver.

An acidic polysaccharide (TAP) obtained from the fruiting bodies of Tremella aurantia significantly increased the activities of glucokinase, hexokinase, and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, and decreased the activity of glucose-6-phosphatase in normal and diabetic mouse liver after intraperitoneal administration, while the glycogen content in the liver was reduced. Furthermore, TAP lowered the plasma cholesterol level in normal and diabetic mice.

Two novel diterpenoids, erinacines H and I from the mycelia of Hericium erinaceum.

Novel diterpenoids, erinacines H (1) and I (3), were isolated from the cultured mycelia of Hericium erinaceum. The structures of the compounds were determined by interpretation of the spectral data. Erinacine H showed stimulating activity of nerve growth factor (NGF)-synthesis.

Chemoprevention by the oxygenated carotenoid beta-cryptoxanthin of N-methylnitrosourea-induced colon carcinogenesis in F344 rats.

Beta-cryptoxanthin (betaCx), one of 4 major carotenoids in the blood, was investigated for anticarcinogenic activity in F344 rats. Four groups of 25 rats each received an intrarectal dose of 2 mg of N-methylnitrosourea 3 times a week for 5 weeks, and were fed the diet supplemented with 0 ppm (control), 25 ppm, 5 ppm or 1 ppm betaCx throughout the experiment. The colon cancer incidence at week 30 was significantly lower in the betaCx (25 ppm) diet group, but not in the betaCx (5 ppm) and betaCx (1 ppm) diet groups, than in the control diet group: 68%, 84%, 80% vs. 96%. The results suggested that dietary betaCx may affect colon carcinogenesis after accumulation in the colonic mucosa, perhaps due to absorption from the colon as well as the small intestine.

The effect of feeding carrots on immunoglobulin E production and anaphylactic response in mice.

Carrot juice was administered orally to BALB/c mice immunized intraperitoneally with dinitrophenylated (DNP)-OVA for about 1 month. The titers of DNP-specific IgE, DNP-specific IgG, and the levels of total IgE in mouse sera were determined. The DNP-specific IgE production by mice fed carrot juice was significantly inhibited. On the other hand, the DNP-specific IgG production and the level of total IgE in mice fed carrot juice were not significantly different from those in control mice. We also examined the effect of feeding carrots on immediate-type hypersensitivity. One hour after antigen stimulation, the ears of mice fed carrots swelled less than those of control mice. Furthermore, the rise in serum histamine in the mice fed carrots under active systemic anaphylaxis was lower than in controls. We then examined the pattern of cytokine production by spleen cells from mice followed by restimulation with DNP-OVA in vitro. The spleen cells from the mice fed carrots produced more interferon-gamma than those from the control group. In contrast, the spleen cells from the mice fed carrots produced less interleukin-4 than those from the control group. Furthermore, the interleukin-12 production of the spleen cells from mice fed carrots was also higher than that of the control group. These findings suggest that feeding carrots improves the helper T cell (Th)1/Th2 balance, inhibiting specific IgE production and antigen-induced anaphylactic response.

Absorption and distribution of lycopene in rat colon.

Colonic absorption and distribution of lycopene, which inhibited rat colon carcinogenesis in our previous studies, were investigated in Sprague-Dawley rats. Three groups of six rats each with or without a single-barreled colostomy at the mid colon were given a single intragastric or intracolonic dose of 0.2 mL of corn oil containing 12 mg of lycopene. Twenty-four hours later, all rats were sacrificed and the blood and some tissues were collected. The contents of lycopene in the samples were assayed by HPLC. Lycopene was detected in an appreciable amount in the liver, but only in trace amount in the serum of all rats treated with an intracolonic dose of lycopene and in rats with an intragastric dose. After an intragastric lycopene treatment, lycopene was detected in the mucosa of the proximal colon and of the distal colon of the colostomized rats, whose distal colon had been excluded from the fecal stream. A large amount of lycopene was recovered in the feces. None was detected in any sample from the control rats treated with an intragastric or intracolonic dose of plain corn oil. The results suggest that lycopene is absorbed from the colon and also from the small intestine. It might be concluded that both ways of absorption contribute to a comparative amount of lycopene accumulation in the colon mucosa after ingestion of this carotenoid.

Amelioratory effect of dietary ingestion with red bell pepper on learning impairment in senescence-accelerated mice (SAMP8).

The effect of dietary red bell pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) on learning performance was studied in the senescence-accelerated mouse (SAM). An experimental diet, which contained 20% (w/w) lyophilized powder of red bell pepper, was fed to SAMP8 mice. The mice that received the experimental diet showed much better acquisition in passive avoidance tasks as compared with a control group given a common diet. This indicated that the dietary ingestion of red bell pepper ameliorated the learning impairment in SAMP8.

Protective effect of dietary tomato against endothelial dysfunction in hypercholesterolemic mice.

The effects of dietary ingestion of tomato were studied in mice that had been made hypercholesterolemic by feeding atherogenic diets. Mice which had been fed on the atherogenic diet without tomato for 4 months had significantly increased plasma lipid peroxide, and the vaso-relaxing activity in the aorta induced by acetylcholine (ACh) was harmed when compared with mice fed on a common commercial diet. On the other hand, mice which had been fed on the atherogenic diet containing 20% (w/w) lyophilized powder of tomato showed less increase in the plasma lipid peroxide level, and ACh-induced vaso-relaxation was maintained at the same level as that in normal mice. These results indicate that tomato has a preventive effect on atherosclerosis by protecting plasma lipids from oxidation.

The influence of psychotic states on the autonomic nervous system in schizophrenia.

Abnormal autonomic activity in patients with schizophrenia has been reported, but how psychotic states influence the autonomic nervous system (ANS) has remained unclear due to methodological limitations. The influence of psychotic states on ANS activity in patients with schizophrenia was investigated using a recently developed method of analysis based on heart rate variability which assesses cardiac sympathetic and parasympathetic function separately. Cardiac autonomic function (CAF), together with psychotic states, was assessed at the beginning and the end of an 8-week study period in 53 patients with chronic schizophrenia. The CAF in age- and sex-matched control subjects was also examined. There were no significant differences between the patients and the control subjects in the mean R-R interval (RRI) or in the indices of the sympathetic and the parasympathetic function. In the patients who changed in psychotic states, the parasympathetic index was significantly decreased without significant changes in the sympathetic index when their psychotic states were more pronounced, suggesting psychotic states suppressed the parasympathetic function without affecting the sympathetic function. In these patients, the mean RRI was smaller when their psychotic states were more pronounced. Our results demonstrate that psychotic states affect the ANS, suggesting a relationship between cerebral cognitive and peripheral ANS activities, and that this is presumably mediated through the parasympathetic nervous system. These findings are discussed in comparison with previous reports on the CAF in schizophrenia.