Current Functional Foods - Volume 2, Issue 1, 2024

Due to its therapeutic characteristics, the Rutaceae family plant Aegle marmelos is one of the most important plants. The bilwa is used to treat a range of illnesses. The existence of this plant dates back to the age of the dinosaurs. The plant has a wide range of pharmacological properties, including the ability to heal wounds, act as an antipyretic, prevent diarrhoea, treat ulcers and constipation, exhibit radioprotective action, exert anti-arthritis activity, anti-thyroid activity, immunomodulatory activity, anti-fungal activity, anti-microbial activity, antioxidant activity, analgesic action, and cytoprotective action. The goal of this review is to summarise the molecular and scientific knowledge available regarding Aegle marmelos, including its phytochemical properties, pharmacological potential, and pharmacognostic traits. Data are acquired using Google, PubMed, Scholar, and other online sources.

Background: Diabetes is a metabolic disease characterized by hyperglycemia. Persistent hyperglycemia can cause Diabetic nephropathy (DN). It is a major microvascular complication that leads to chronic kidney disease (CKD) that progressively develops into end-stage renal disease (ESRD). It is the most debilitating condition that affects 15-25% of patients with type I diabetes and approximately 30-40% with type II diabetes worldwide.

Purpose: In this review, we aim at various inflammatory mediators and different inflammatory pathways involved in the progression of DN with special emphasis on phytoconstituents which gives protection against DN by acting on these mediators and pathways.

Methods: The literature was searched for the key words: inflammation, anti-inflamatory, phytoconstitutents/ phytochemicals, diabetic nephropathy, clinical and preclinical studies.

Results: The various epidemiological, preclinical, and clinical evidence showed a close relationship between inflammatory response and progression of DN, as such, there is no effective treatment for DN, therefore, there is an unmet need for novel therapeutic approaches to treat them. From ancient times, phytochemicals, also known as phytonutrients, are the bioactive nutrients found in plants and foods, which have proven potentially useful for human well-being. Phytochemicals have demonstrated a promising therapeutic role in nephropathy, principally through the regulation of oxidative stress and inflammation.

The medicinal plants discussed at this moment and their active isolated components seem promising for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases viz. Disease (HD) in Huntington, Alzheimer's disease (AD), and Parkinson's disease (PD). These compounds can lay the groundwork for a new pharmacological approach to treatment, as patients tolerate herbal compounds more easily because they are relatively more protective than synthetic drugs. Meanwhile, there are anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, altered tau phosphorylation, anti-amyloidogenic, decreased aggregation of neurofibrillary tangles, and anticholinesterase processes in natural compound structures, including flavonoids, polyphenols, triterpenes, tannins, alkaloids and so on. We have summarized the pathogenesis and mechanism of different natural/bioactive components for treating HD, AD, and PD. An herbal source with well-established antioxidant and neuroprotective activity showed favourable impacts in both in vivo and in vitro studies against the symptoms of neurodegenerative diseases. The future outlook of herbal medicine can allow us to research their synergistic interactions, the action of multiple targets, and the elucidation of complex mechanisms of neuroprotective properties. However, in future scientific research on bioactive compounds, the efficacy of their active ingredients should be investigated to discover their neuroprotective therapeutic potential. Also, the mechanisms of action of herbal extracts and active ingredients remain to be clarified appropriately.

Diabetes is spread all over the world and frequently causes side effects, such as neuropathy, eye disease, kidney disease, and cardiovascular disease. The patient's life span is shortened by these problems. Numerous fruits and vegetables contain the naturally active flavonoid rutin. It has several medicinal benefits, including anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anticancer properties. Different researches suggest that rutin may be useful in treating these problems. The purpose of this study was to investigate the connection between the administration of rutin and the complications of diabetes. According to this study, rutin has both preventive and therapeutic effects on the side effects of diabetes as it lowers oxidative stress, inflammation and apoptosis in animal models. To completely comprehend the preventive and therapeutic benefits of rutin in diabetic patients, more clinical study is necessary.

Background: Hypothyroidism is marked by increased Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH) levels and decreased T3 (tri-iodothyronine) and T4 (tetra-iodothyronine/thyroxine) levels. Hypothyroidism-induced obesity has been linked to various metabolism-related abnormalities like slowed down basal metabolic rate (BMR). Momordica charantia Linn. fruit has traditionally been used for reducing obesity.

Objective: Administration of Momordica charantia Linnaeus extracts for the treatment of hypothyroidism-induced obesity in mice and study of related biochemical parameters and thyroid histology.

Methods: Hypothyroidism-induced obesity was induced by administering methimazole to the mice for 21 consecutive days and then investigating the disease reversal properties of Momordica charantia aqueous extract, alcoholic extracts, and standard drug thyroxine following their administration to mice for 21 consecutive days. Blood sampling was done to obtain the biochemical parameters normal values, hypothyroidism-induced obesity levels, and levels after treatment with the test extracts. Various biochemical parameters like thyroid profile {TSH, T3, and T4} and lipid profile {Total cholesterol (TC), total triglycerides (TGs), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), and very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL)} and physical parameters like body weight, waist circumference, and food and water intake were measured. Liver and heart were dissected from the mice of each group for oxidative stress measurement by estimation of serum Glutathione (GSH), Malondialdehyde (MDA), and Catalase levels. The thyroid gland was dissected from the mice of each group for histopathological analysis.

Results: Serum MDA levels had significantly increased (p < 0.001), whereas the values of GSH and catalase had decreased significantly (0.001) in hypothyroid obese mice. The standard and test groups showed attenuation of MDA levels (p < 0.0001) and elevation of GSH (p < 0.0001) and catalase levels (p < 0.0001) back toward normal measurements. After the induction of hypothyroid obesity, the thyroid profile and lipid profile both had disturbed significantly and the levels of TSH, TC, TGs, and VLDL elevated, whereas the levels of T3, T4 hormones, and HDL decreased significantly. After the treatment with the test plant extracts and standard drug, the levels of TSH, (p < 0.0001) TC (p < 0.05), TGs (0.0001), and VLDL (p < 0.0001) attenuated and the levels of T3 (p < 0.0001), T4 (p < 0.0001), and HDL (p < 0.0001) elevated back towards the normal range. Histopathological analysis and the hypothyroid obese group thyroid showed significant shrinkage of thyroid globule size wise and a significant decrease in colloid levels when compared with the control group, whereas the standard and test groups showed reversal of the thyroid globule size back towards normal.

Conclusion: The plant extracts can be used as a safe herbal treatment for hypothyroid obesity.

Bifidobacteria, known as probiotics with a broad range of bioactivities, are ordinarily used in the dairy industry to enrich dairy products naturally. Due to the oxygen-sensitive nature of bifidobacteria, the application of this probiotic into dairy products has faced some limitations. On the other hand, in the recent decade, postbiotics, defined as bioactive metabolites derived from probiotics, have caught attention. In this regard, the bioactive metabolites of bifidobacteria, the possibility of use of bifidobacterial postbiotic, and their role in human health are discussed.

Background: Bifidobacteria is a commercial probiotic that is widely used in industries. However, due to its oxygen-sensitive nature, industries have faced some limitations during the addition of the products. Recently it was stated that the metabolites secreted by bifidobacteria have a key role in improving health.

Objective: The possibility of a postbiotic replacement for probiotics in dairy industries and its effect on health are discussed.

Methods: the keywords including postbiotic, probiotic, dairy, bifidobacteria, inactivated bifidobacteria, bifidobacteria metabolites, the effect of bifidobacteria on psychology, human health, cancer, and inflammation are searched on Google Scholar as well as more than 600 research and review articles are read.

Results: Bifidobacteria could change gut bacteria positively and improve health directly. Also, the metabolites produced by bifidobacteria indirectly have wide-range effects on health.

Conclusion: Due to the anaerobic nature of bifidobacteria, applying a postbiotic / non-viable form of bifidobacteria is a sagacious option in dairy products.

Aegle marmelos (A. marmelos) appears to be a significantly used ayurvedic medicine. This is a brilliantly composed nutritious fruit with carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins like riboflavin, thiamine, niacin, fatty acids, and minerals. Scientific studies have proved that A. marmelos has phytochemicals: carotenoids, phenolic, alkaloids, pectins, tannins, coumarins, flavonoids and terpenoids. Recent research on the effects of A. marmelos proved its anticancer, antimicrobial, cardioprotective, antidiabetic, and hepatoprotective activities. Extracts of various parts of plants such as leaves, bark, stems, fruits, and pulp subjected to preclinical studies conducted on cell lines showed apoptosis induction, inhibition of cell cycle and inhibition of proliferation of cells. Anti-cancer activity of A. marmelos was studied on selected cell lines of lung cancer, breast cancer, colon cancer and leukaemia. A. marmelos reported significant inhibitory effect on cell proliferation in cell line studies on A549, Ehrlich Ascites Carcinoma, MNU, DMBA, MCF-7, k562 cells, t-lymphoid Jurkat cells, b lymphoid Raji cells, erythroleukemic Hel cells, melanoma Colo 38 cells which supports the anticancer potential of it. Imperatorin has shown an antiproliferative effect on several cancer cell lines. The hydroethanolic extract of A. marmelos leaves showed a decrease in cell viability on A549 Human lung cancer cell line which works by fold change over control of the β-Catenin-m RNA and Wnt-mRNA expression of A549 and tumour growth suppression in DMBA induced carcinogenesis in rats. In human promyelocytic leukaemia, HL-60 cells, imperatorin from A. marmelos has caused cytochrome c-dependent apoptosis. Drugs interfere with the proliferative and survival signals that suppress the growth of K562 cells by blocking BCR-ABL1. Proper awareness, development of formulation and consumption of it make this drug scale up commercially.