Potential therapeutic effects of crocin.

Crocin, a natural bioactive compound derived from saffron (Crocus sativus) and other Crocus genera, has gained significant attention recently due to its potential therapeutic properties. The multifaceted nature of crocin's biological effects has piqued the interest of researchers and health enthusiasts, prompting further investigations into its mechanisms of action and therapeutic applications. This review article comprehensively explores the emerging evidence supporting crocin's role as a promising ally in protecting against metabolic disorders. The review covers the molecular mechanisms underlying crocin's beneficial effects and highlights its potential applications in preventing and treating diverse pathological conditions. Understanding the mechanisms through which crocin exerts its protective effects could advance scientific knowledge and offer potential avenues for developing novel therapeutic interventions. As we uncover the potential of crocin as a valuable ally in the fight against disorders, it becomes evident that nature's palette holds remarkable solutions for enhancing our health.

Effect of crocin and treadmill exercise on oxidative stress and heart damage in diabetic rats.

Diabetes increases the production of free radicals and inflammatory agents in the heart tissue and alters the expression of genes associated with the induction of apoptosis. Considering the importance of common cardiovascular disorders in diabetes, this study investigated the effect of eight weeks of aerobic exercise and crocin use, as well as tissue damage and oxidative stress caused by diabetes in the hearts of adult rats. Streptozotocin 50 mg/kg was injected as a single dose intraperitoneally to cause the diabetes. After 72 hours, a glucometer monitored blood glucose levels, and blood glucose above 250 mg/dl was considered diabetes. Continuous treadmill exercise was performed for eight weeks by placing the animal on the treadmill. Next, the animals were anesthetized, and samples were taken from the hearts and frozen in liquid nitrogen. Then, superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), and malondialdehyde (MDA) were measured in the cardiac tissue. Finally, the hearts of half of the animals were immediately immersed in a formalin solution for histological changes. According to our findings, diabetes increased lipid peroxidation, characterized by increased MDA levels in the control diabetes group and decreased SOD and GPx levels (P <0.05). It also changes the balance of expression of genes associated with apoptosis control, increased Bcl-2-associated X (Bax) expression, and decreased Bcl-2 expression (P <0.05). Also, we observed the induction of apoptosis in cardiac tissue. Using eight weeks of continuous exercise and administration of crocin significantly reduced blood sugar levels and lipid peroxidation and increased the activity of antioxidant enzymes and Bcl-2 gene expression compared to the diabetes control group. In addition, continuous exercise and crocin improved the oxidative stress parameters in the control group. This study showed that diabetes could cause oxidative stress and heart dysfunction. Moreover, simultaneously and separately, aerobic exercise with a treadmill and crocin administration can reduce these disorders and prevent apoptosis in the heart tissue.

Concurrent exercise training and Murf-l and Atrogin-1 gene expression in the vastus lateralis muscle of male Wistar rats

INTRODUCTION: The present study was to determine the effect of 8-week of the concurrent exercise training on Murf-l and Atrogin-1 Gene Expression of the vastus lateralis muscle in male Wistar rats. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This study was conducted as an experimental project consisting of four groups of 35 two-month-old male Wistar rats. The animals were randomly divided in 4 groups: (1) endurance training, (2) resistance training, (3) combined training, and (4) control. The animals in the training groups took part in training programs for 8-week. 48h after the last exercise session, the Murf-1 and Atrogin-1 genes of the vastus lateralis muscle were examined through the use of qPCR method. RESULTS: The results obtained from this study revealed that after 8-week of endurance exercise, Murf-1 and Arogin-1 gene expression significantly increased compared to the control group (p = 0.04 and p = 0.043). In contrast, in the resistance training group, the gene expression of Murf-1 and Atrogin-1 decreased significantly in comparison with the control group (p = 0.02 and p = 0.04). In addition, the concurrent training group showed no difference in Murf-1 and Atrogin-1 gene expression after 8-week of exercise compared to that of the control group (p = 0.43 and p = 0.38). CONCLUSIONS: Based on the results of the present research, it can be expressed that resistance training prevents muscular atrophy by decreasing Murf-1 and Atrogin-1 gene expression. Conversely, endurance exercises cause an increase in the expression of these genes, thereby leading to atrophy in the muscles. The results also showed that concurrent exercises do not have a meaningful effect on muscular atrophy

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Do ACE and CKMM gene variations have potent effects on physical performance in inactive male adolescents?

We studied to ascertain whether the ACE and/or CKMM genotypes independently influence the baseline level of some sport performances in 613 inactive male adolescents (mean ± SD age: 13.24 ± 0.28 years). All DNA samples were extracted and genotyped for ACE I/D and CKMM A/G polymorphisms using a PCR based procedure. One-way analysis of covariance was used to examine the discrepancies in the research phenotypes among various ACE and CKMM polymorphisms. The comparisons of genotype and allele frequencies between adolescents with the best and the worst performances were calculated and analyzed by the Chi square test. All procedures were approved by Medical University Ethics Committee. Written informed consent signed and approved by all subject`s parents were obtained. We observed the effect of the ACE and CKMM polymorphisms on VO2max (P = 0.001 & P = 0.001 respectively). ACE and CKMM genotypes differed between groups (< 90th vs. ≥ 90) in the multi-stage 20 m shuttle run (P = 0.001 and 0.001). ACE allele frequencies differed between groups (< 90th vs. ≥ 90) in the multi-stage 20-m shuttle run (P = 0.001). This study suggests that the ACE and CKMM polymorphisms influence the endurance performance phenotype in non-trained adolescent males.

Association between the PPARa and PPARGCA gene variations and physical performance in non-trained male adolescents.

The purpose of the research was to examine if some genetic variations are associated with some endurance, power and speed performances (multi-stage 20-m shuttle run, standing broad jump, 20 m sprint test and Abalakov jump) in a group of 586 non-trained male adolescents (mean ± SD age: 13.20 ± 0.25 years). Polymorphisms in PPARa and PPARGC1A implicated in physical performance traits were analyzed. DNA was extracted and the samples were genotyped for PPARa and PPARGC1A polymorphisms by a PCR based method followed by gel electrophoresis. The discrepancies in the study phenotypes among variations of the PPARa and PPARGC1A polymorphisms were analyzed by one-way analysis of covariance (ANCOVA), after age, weight and height adjustment. To examine whether the genotype and allele frequencies between adolescents with high and low performances were different, we divided them into two groups: ≥ 90th and < 90th of the percentile. The genotype and allele frequencies between adolescents with high and low performances were compared with the Chi square test. Our analysis demonstrated the effects of the PPARa and PPARGC1A polymorphisms only on [Formula: see text] (p = 0.010 and p = 0.010 respectively). Also, we observed significant differences in PPARa and PPARGC1A genotypes (p = 0.034 and p = 0.024) or allele frequencies (p = 0.031 and p = 0.001) between groups for the multi-stage 20-m shuttle run test. Findings of this research suggest that both the PPARa and PPARGC1A polymorphisms are associated with estimating endurance-related phenotype and endurance capacity in male non-athletes adolescents.

The response of circulating omentin-1 concentration to 16-week exercise training in male children with obesity.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effects of the 16-week exercise training program on serum omentin-1 in relation to change in insulin resistance in obese male children. METHODS: Thirty-two obese male children, aged 9-12 years, were randomly assigned into Exercise Group (ExG; n = 16) and Control Group (CG; n = 16). ExG participated in a 16-week exercise training program which combined various forms of aerobic activities and resistance training. Body composition, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), fasting glucose and insulin, homeostasis model assessment estimate of insulin resistance (HOMA2-IR), blood lipids and serum omentin-1 were assessed before and after 16 weeks of training. RESULTS: Exercise training significantly decreased body mass (7.5%), BMI (7.6%), WC (4.3%), body fat % (15%), fasting insulin (18.5%), total cholesterol (TC) (5.4%), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) (17%) and triglyceride (TG) (7.4%) compared to CG. Between-groups comparison showed a considerable exercise-induced upregulation in omentin-1 (ES = 89; P < 0.05) levels. Furthermore, in ExG serum omentin-1 levels were significantly increased from 24.5 ± 8.4 to 35.9 ± 9.3 ng/ml (45%; P < 0.001) after the training program, which was accompanied with significantly decreased fasting insulin (P < 0.001). The changes in omentin-1 concentrations correlated with the changes in BMI (r = -0.67, P < 0.001), WC (r = -0.62, P = 0.002), body fat % (r = -0.50, P = 0.004), insulin (r = -0.65, P = 0.001), HOMA2-IR (r = -0.60, P = 0.004), TC (r = -0.53, P = 0.004) and LDL-C (r = -0.51, P = 0.004) in ExG. BMI (ß = -0.50, P = 0.009) and fasting insulin (ß = -0.54, P = 0.006) changes were found to be independent predictors of omentin-1 increment in multiple regression analysis. CONCLUSION: Exercise training resulted in a significant increase in serum omentin-1 concentrations in children with obesity. The findings suggest that exercise-induced changes in omentin-1 may be associated with the beneficial effects of exercise on reduced insulin and weight lost.

Mannose-binding lectin 2 gene polymorphism and susceptibility to upper respiratory tract infection among endurance athletes.

The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of mannose-binding lectin 2 (MBL2)-exon-1 gene polymorphisms on upper respiratory tract infection (URTI) incidence among endurance athletes. To this end, 100 healthy elite male athletes participating in the study were classified as either healthy or prone to frequent URTI. Blood samples, DNA isolation, multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and conventional PCR-RFLP were performed. Genomic DNA was extracted from peripheral leukocytes of whole blood samples using the QIAmp DNA Blood Mini Kit. For comparison of the distribution of genotypes between two groups and for estimating odds ratios (OR) for URTI susceptibility in relation to the MBL2-exon-1 polymorphism, Pearson's chi-square and logistic regression method were used, respectively. The MBL2-exon-1 genotype distribution differed between athletes with URTI and healthy athletes (χ(2) = 7.81, p = 0.02). The AO and AO + OO genotypes of MBL2 were observed at a greater frequency in the illness-prone group compared with the healthy group (34.04% vs. 11.32%). In conclusion, findings from this study have identified a potential role of genetic variation in influencing the risk for URTI in athletic populations and single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the MBL2-exon-1 genes were associated with an altered risk profile. These measures may have a predictive value in the identification of individuals who are more likely to experience recurrent infections when exposed to high physical stress in the areas of athletic endeavour.

The effect of Zingiber officinale R. rhizomes (ginger) on plasma pro-inflammatory cytokine levels in well-trained male endurance runners.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of ginger on the concentrations of plasma interleukin-1ß (IL-1ß), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) in welltrained male endurance runners. To this end, twenty-eight high-level endurance runners were randomly assigned to two groups (control and experimental). They performed the same weekly training volume for 12 weeks. The Bruce treadmill test was used three days before the start of the 12-week training period and after weeks 6 and 12 to evaluate the physiological effects of training and ginger administration. After completing the first 6-week period of exercise training protocol, two groups received 500 mg capsules of ginger powder and placebo, respectively, three times a day for the second 6-week period. Blood samples were collected before (resting blood sample) and after the Bruce treadmill test. IL-1ß, IL-6 and TNF-α were assayed using standard commercial ELISA kits. Two-way repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to determine significant differences between control and experimental plasma IL-6, IL-1ß and TNF-α concentration means of pre- and post-test periods. The IL-1ß, IL-6 and TNF-α concentrations at the end of week 12/weeks 6 and 12 between two training groups were significantly different (p = 0.01, p = 0.01, and p = 0.01). In the experimental group alone, there were also significant differences in the mean IL-1ß, IL-6 and TNF-α concentrations at the end of weeks 6 and 12 (p = 0.01, p = 0.01, and p = 0.01). Our findings indicated that post-exercise plasma elevations of several pro-inflammatory cytokines can be attenuated by a six-week ginger administration period.

The effect of aerobic training on CXL5, tumor necrosis factor α and insulin resistance index (HOMA-IR) in sedentary obese women.

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effects of a 12-week training program on serum CXC ligand 5, tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) and insulin resistance index in obese sedentary women. To this end, twenty-four obese sedentary women were evaluated before and after a 12-week exercise program including a brief warm-up, followed by ~45 min per session of aerobic exercise at an intensity of 60-75% of age-predicted maximum heart rate (~300 kcal/day), followed by a brief cool down, five times per week. After the exercise program, body weight, waist circumference, waist to hip ratio, percentage body fat mass, fasting glucose and insulin of participants were decreased. Furthermore, serum CXCL5 levels were significantly decreased from 2693.2 ±375.8 to 2290.2 ±345.9 pg/ml (p < 0.001) after the training program, which was accompanied with significantly decreased HOMA-IR (p < 0.001) and TNF-α (p < 0.001). Exercise training induced weight loss resulted in a significant reduction in serum CXCL5 concentrations and caused an improvement in insulin resistance in obese sedentary women.

The effect of tapering period on plasma pro-inflammatory cytokine levels and performance in elite male cyclists.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of two different tapering period lengths on the concentration of plasma interleukin- 6 (IL-6), interleukin (IL-1ß) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and performance in elite male cyclists. To this end, after completing 8 weeks progressive endurance exercise, twenty four high-level endurance cyclists were randomly assigned to one of two groups: a control group of cyclists (n = 12) continued performing progressive weekly training volume for 3 weeks while a taper group of cyclists (n = 12) proceeded with a 50% reduction in weekly training volume relative to the control group. A simulated 40 min time trial (40TT) performance ride was used as the criterion index of performance before and after the tapering period to evaluate the physiological and performance effects of each protocol. Blood samples were collected immediately post-40TT from all participants at the beginning of week 1, and the end of weeks 4, 8, 9 and 11. IL-1ß, IL-6 and TNFα were assayed using a standard commercial ELISA kits (Quantikine; R & D Systems, Minneapolis, MN). The mean time to complete the 40TT in the taper group decreased significantly (p < 0.01) after both 1 and 3 weeks with reduced training volume relative to the control group. There were significant reductions in (p < 0.001) IL-1ß, IL-6 and TNFα concentrations in the taper group relative to the control group at the end of the 3 week tapering period, but not at the end of the 1 week tapering period. These results demonstrate that both a 1 and a 3 week taper period will result in improved physical performance in trained cyclists but only a 3 week taper period will result in attenuation of post-exercise pro- inflammatory cytokines when compared to those continuing a more intense training regimen. Key pointsThe excessive endurance exercise-induced elevations in pro-inflammatory cytokines would, in turn, stimulate the release of anti-inflammatory cytokines.Elevations in pro-inflammatory cytokines indicate athletes are highly susceptible to infections.1and 3-week taper periods will reduce circulating pro-inflammatory cytokine levels thereby possibly limiting the chances of infection and potentially reducing the effects of these cytokines in inducing fatigue-like symptoms in athletes.