Current Pharmaceutical Biotechnology - Volume 20, Issue 2, 2019

Background: Neurological disorders represent a high influence in our society throughout the world. Although the symptoms arising from those diseases are well known, the causes and mechanisms are complex and depending on multiple factors. Some food components consumed as part of our diet have been studied regarding their incidence in different common neurological diseases such as Alzheimer disease, major depression, Parkinson disease, autism and schizophrenia among others. Objective: In this review, information has been gathered on the main evidences arising from studies on the most promising food components, related to their therapeutic potential, as part of dietary supplements or through the diet, as an alternative or a complement of the traditional drug treatments. Those food components include vitamins, minerals, fatty acids, carotenoids, polyphenols, bioactive peptides, probiotics, creatine and saponins. Results: Many in vitro and in vivo animal studies, randomized and placebo control trials, and systematic reviews on the scientific results published in the literature, have been discussed, highlighting the more recent advances, also with the aim to explore the main research needs. Particular attention has been paid to the mechanisms of action of the compounds regarding their anti-inflammatory, antioxidative properties and neuronal protection. Conclusion: More research is needed to prove the therapeutic potential of the food components based on scientific evidence, also on intervention studies to demonstrate the improvement of neuronal and cognitive impairments.

Background: Sexual dysfunction and infertility are conditions with high prevalence in the general population. Nutritional factors have been reported to have an impact on sexual and reproductive health. Objective: The aim of this review is to summarize the data on nutritional factors that have influence on male and female sexual and reproductive function, including nutritional status, specific foods (e.g. dairy food), nutrients and other food components and dietary supplements. Method: A literature search was performed using Cochrane Library, Medline and Science Direct databases without time limitations. Results: Obesity has a negative influence on male fertility, and weight loss improves male fertility. Food insufficiency is associated with increased sexual risk behaviours, more significant in women. Regarding macronutrients and group foods, trans-fatty acids, high glycemic index food, high carbohydrate diet and high animal protein intake prejudices fertility; omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, low glycemic index food and low carbohydrate diet, vegetable proteins and antioxidants improve fertility. Isoflavones have a negative impact on men fertility and improve sexual health of menopausal women. Whole milk improves women fertility, but men benefit from skim milk. Concerning dietary supplements, there is weak evidence sustaining efficacy, and the most promising supplements are yohimbine, vitamin B, L-arginine and vitamin D. Conclusion: The compiled results indicate that despite the multifactorial etiology of sexual/ reproductive dysfunction, nutritional factors may affect the sexual and reproductive health in both men and women. However, it is necessary to further study to clarify this association and simultaneously improve the approach and treatment of patients with sexual and/or reproductive problems.

Introduction: The field of nutritional psychiatry is a fast-growing one. Although initially, it focused on the effects of vitamins and micronutrients in mental health, in the last decade, its focus also extended to the dietary patterns. The possibility of a dietary cost-effective intervention in the most common mental disorder, depression, cannot be overlooked due to its potential large-scale impact. Method: A classic review of the literature was conducted, and studies published between 2010 and 2018 focusing on the impact of dietary patterns in depression and depressive symptoms were included. Results: We found 10 studies that matched our criteria. Most studies showed an inverse association between healthy dietary patterns, rich in fruits, vegetables, lean meats, nuts and whole grains, and with low intake of processed and sugary foods, and depression and depressive symptoms throughout an array of age groups, although some authors reported statistical significance only in women. While most studies were of cross-sectional design, making it difficult to infer causality, a randomized controlled trial presented similar results. Discussion: The association between dietary patterns and depression is now well-established, although the exact etiological pathways are still unknown. Dietary intervention, with the implementation of healthier dietary patterns, closer to the traditional ones, can play an important role in the prevention and adjunctive therapy of depression and depressive symptoms. Conclusion: More large-scale randomized clinical trials need to be conducted, in order to confirm the association between high-quality dietary patterns and lower risk of depression and depressive symptoms.

Introduction: Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is the most common psychiatric diagnosis in childhood and adolescence, with an estimated worldwide-pooled prevalence of 5,29%. The type of treatment depends on several factors. Psychopharmacological treatment entails undesirable side effects, with unclear long-term benefits, which has led the scientific community to investigate other therapeutic approaches, such as dietary interventions. Method: The authors conducted a classical review on the current treatment recommended in individuals with ADHD diagnosis, their dietary patterns, as well as dietary factors possibly implicated in the etiology and treatment of this disorder. An extensive bibliographic research was carried out in the databases PubMed, The Cochrane Library and the National Guideline Clearinghouse. Discussion: The most common dietary interventions in the case of ADHD are food supplementation diets (e.g. PUFAs, vitamins) and elimination diets. Supplementation with omega-3 PUFAs lacks further studies that can validate them as an effective therapeutic approach in this disorder. Also, regarding vitamin supplementation, studies are not consistent as to their role in the etiology of ADHD. Elimination diets are unclear as to the benefits provided in individuals with ADHD. Children with ADHD are less likely to engage in healthy lifestyle behaviors than non-ADHD youth. Conclusion: There is no clear evidence that supports dietary interventions for the treatment of ADHD. The effects of unhealthy diet patterns in ADHD individuals are not yet fully understood and, like the general population, children with ADHD may benefit from a healthy lifestyle.

Helicobacter pylori, a pathogenic bacterium, has been known to be the root cause of numerous gastrointestinal disorders. In patients showing symptoms of its infection, antibiotic therapy is a likely treatment. However, the high cost of antibiotic therapy, associated antibiotic resistance along with other adverse effects has led to the use of probiotics for Helicobacter pylori treatment. In recent times, probiotics have played an essential role as complementary prophylaxis for gastrointestinal diseases, thus minimizing antibiotics’ usage and their side effects. Probiotics are live microbial agents that exude beneficial effects on their hosts when administered in the proper dosage. The growth of the organism has been reported to be inhibited to a great extent by probiotics and research employing animal models has shown a significant reduction in H. pylori-associated gastric inflammation. In human clinical trials, it has been observed that treatment with probiotics alleviated gastritis symptoms caused by H. pylori and reduced colonization of the organism. As expected, complete eradication of H. pylori infection has not yet been reported by the administration of probiotics alone. Complement treatments using probiotics have shown to benefit infected individuals by decreasing the harmful effects of H. pylori eradication treatment using antibiotics. Long-term administration of probiotics might have favourable outcomes in H. pylori infection especially by decreasing the risk of development of diseases caused by increased levels of gastric inflammation. One such chronic condition is gastric ulcer which occurs due to considerable damage to the mucosal barrier by H. pylori colonization. This review provides a brief description of the promising role of probiotics as a complementary treatment to control H. pylori infection and consequently the management of various gastrointestinal disorders among populations with a special focus on gastric ulcer.

Background: Corticosteroids are the preferred option to treat asthma, however, they possess serious side effects and are inefficient in 10% of patients. Thus, new therapeutic approaches for asthma treatment are required. Objective: To study the efficacy of a novel glutarimide derivative XC8 in a Sephadex-induced lung inflammation in rats as well as in acute and chronic ovalbumin-induced allergic asthma in guinea pigs. Method: Rats were treated with 0.18-18 mg/kg of XC8 intragastrically 4 times (24 h and 1 h prior to and 24 h and 45 h after endotracheal administration of Sephadex). The number of inflammatory cells in bronchoalveaolar lavages (BAL) was determined. Guinea pigs were treated with 0.045 -1.4 mg/kg (acute asthma) or with 1.4 and 7.0 mg/kg of XC8 (chronic asthma) intragastrically following the sensitization with ovalbumin and during aerosol challenge. Lung inflammation, numbers of eosinophils (BAL and lung tissue), goblet cells, degranulating mast cells and specific airway resistance (sRAW) were determined. The comparator steroid drug budesonide (0.5 mg/kg for rats and 0.16 mg/kg for guinea pigs) was administered by inhalation. Results: XC8 reduced influx of eosinophils into BAL in Sephadex-induced lung inflammation model in rats (by 2.6-6.4 times). Treatment of acute asthma in guinea pigs significantly reduced eosinophils in guinea pigs in BAL (from 55% to 30%-39% of the total cell count) and goblet cells in lung tissue. In a model of acute and chronic asthma, XC8 reduced significantly the number of eosinophils and degranulating mast cells in the lung tissue. Treatment with XC8 but not with budesonide decreased the specific airway resistance in acute and chronic asthma model up to the level of naive animals. Conclusion: XC8 induced a profound anti-inflammatory effect by reducing eosinophils in BAL and eosinophils and degranulating mast cell numbers in the airway tissue. The anti-asthmatic effect of XC8 is comparable to that of budesonide. Moreover, in contrast to budesonide, XC8 was capable to reduce goblet cells and airway resistance.

Background: Terminalia arjuna (TA) has been reported and explored traditionally for its cardiotonic properties while the mechanism of antihypertensive effect of TA has not been clearly reported. Method: The oxidative stress is a major cause for hypertension, hence different extracts of TA having variable marker yield were evaluated for their antihypertensive effect in buthionine sulfoxamine (BSO) induced oxidative stress based model. Soxhlet extraction (SE), room temperature extraction (RTE), microwave assisted extraction (MAE), and ultrasound assisted extraction (USAE) were quantitatively estimated for marker compounds arjunolic acid and arjunic acid through HPTLC. Results: The hypertension was induced using buthionine sulfoxamine (2 mmol/kg b.w. i.p.) and results suggested that the MAE and USAE showed better recovery of systolic blood pressure (110.33±0.10 and 118.33±0.10) and GSH level (3.62±0.07 nmoles/mL and 3.22±0.13 nmoles/mL), respectively as compared to the positive control group treated with ascorbic acid (Systolic BP: 119.67±0.10, GSH level: 3.11±0.10 nmoles/mL). The RTE and SE also showed a decrease in hypertension but were having moderate effect as compared with the standard positive control. Conclusion: The total percentage yield, the yield of the marker compounds arjunolic and arjunic acid, the IC50 values for antioxidant activity as well as the antihypertensive effect were in order: MAE>USAE>SE>RTE that suggested the role of biomarkers arjunolic acid and arjunic acid in reversing the effect of buthionine sulfoxamine.

Background and Objective: Antisense oligonucleotides are able to modulate splicing patterns and offer therapeutic intervention for cancer and other diseases. Considering TdT potential as a target in cancer therapy, the present study aimed to investigate splicing alteration of TdT pre-mRNA in Molt-4 cells using peptide nucleic acid (PNA) octaarginine and cholic acid conjugates. Method: We examined 16 mer PNAs targeting 5' and 3' junctions of intron 7 and addressed their mRNA splicing modulation effects using RT-PCR analysis. We also tested corresponding 2-base mismatch PNAs to confirm the sequence specificity. In addition, protien level of TdT, apoptosis induction and cell viability rate were analysed. Results: PCR analysis showed that full match PNAs could modulate the splicing process, thereby producing a longer mRNA still including intron 7. PCR results also implied exon 7 skipping. In addition, reduced level of TdT protein in Molt-4 cells was observed. Downregulation of TdT level in PNA treated cells was accompanied by an increased rate of apoptosis and decreased the level of cell survival. Conclusion: PNA-mediated splicing modulation can specifically downregulate TdT expression. TdT dowregulation results in apoptosis induction and reduced cell survival in Molt-4 cells. These observations could draw more attentions to develop PNA based strategies for TdT suppression and consequent apoptosis induction in acute lymphoblastic leukemia.