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Rašković A, Martić N, Tomas A, Andrejić-Višnjić B, Bosanac M, Atanasković M, Nemet M, Popović R, Krstić M, Vukmirović S, Stilinović N. Carob Extract ( Ceratonia siliqua L.): Effects on Dyslipidemia and Obesity in a High-Fat Diet-Fed Rat Model. Pharmaceutics 2023; 15:2611. [PMID: 38004588 PMCID: PMC10674595 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics15112611] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2023] [Revised: 10/25/2023] [Accepted: 11/06/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Dyslipidemia and obesity are recognized as two of the major global health issues and main risk factors for coronary heart disease and cerebrovascular disease. In recent years, carob has shown certain antioxidant and anti-dyslipidemic potential. In this study, Wistar rats were fed with a standard and cholesterol-enriched diet and treated orally with carob extract and simvastatin for four weeks. After sacrifice, blood samples were collected for biochemical analysis, and liver tissue was taken for histological and immunohistochemical assessment. Weight gain was significantly higher in groups fed with cholesterol-fortified granules; total cholesterol was found to be significantly lower in the hypercholesterolemic groups treated with simvastatin and simvastatin/carob combined regimens compared with hypercholesterolemic animals treated with saline (p < 0.05). The same was true for low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and the LDL/HDL ratio (p < 0.05). Adiponectin was remarkably higher in animals treated with simvastatin compared to all other groups (p < 0.05). Leptin was significantly lower in groups treated with carob and simvastatin compared to the hypercholesterolemic group treated with saline (p < 0.05). Carob/simvastatin co-administration reduced hepatocyte damage and improved liver morphology. A study confirmed the anti-dyslipidemic, anti-obesity, and hepatoprotective potential of carob pulp alone or in combination with simvastatin in the treatment of high-fat diet-fed rats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aleksandar Rašković
- Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology, and Clinical Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Novi Sad, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia; (A.R.); (A.T.); (S.V.); (N.S.)
| | - Nikola Martić
- Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology, and Clinical Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Novi Sad, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia; (A.R.); (A.T.); (S.V.); (N.S.)
| | - Ana Tomas
- Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology, and Clinical Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Novi Sad, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia; (A.R.); (A.T.); (S.V.); (N.S.)
| | - Bojana Andrejić-Višnjić
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Novi Sad, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia; (B.A.-V.); (M.B.)
| | - Milana Bosanac
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Novi Sad, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia; (B.A.-V.); (M.B.)
| | - Marko Atanasković
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Novi Sad, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia; (M.A.); (M.N.); (R.P.)
| | - Marko Nemet
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Novi Sad, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia; (M.A.); (M.N.); (R.P.)
| | - Radmila Popović
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Novi Sad, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia; (M.A.); (M.N.); (R.P.)
- Clinical Department for Anesthesia, Intensive Care and Pain Management, Clinical Centre of Vojvodina, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia
| | - Marko Krstić
- Faculty of Chemistry, University of Belgrade, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia;
| | - Saša Vukmirović
- Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology, and Clinical Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Novi Sad, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia; (A.R.); (A.T.); (S.V.); (N.S.)
| | - Nebojša Stilinović
- Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology, and Clinical Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Novi Sad, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia; (A.R.); (A.T.); (S.V.); (N.S.)
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Carob: A Sustainable Opportunity for Metabolic Health. Foods 2022; 11:foods11142154. [PMID: 35885396 PMCID: PMC9325207 DOI: 10.3390/foods11142154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2022] [Revised: 07/14/2022] [Accepted: 07/17/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Carob (Ceratonia siliqua L.) is an evergreen tree that belongs to the Leguminosae family and grows in the arid and semi-arid regions of the Mediterranean basin. The carob tree is resistant to droughts and salinity, while its deep root systems allow CO2 to sink, mitigating global warming effects. Traditionally, carob has been used to produce animal feed, but for many years, it was excluded from the human diet. Nowadays, agricultural and industrial sectors exploit carob fruit, also referred to as carob pod, and its primary products (i.e., flour, powder and syrup) to develop a variety of foods and beverages. The nutritional composition varies depending on the carob part but also on genetic, cultivar, seasonal and environmental factors. Despite the high sugar content, the carob pod is rich in insoluble fiber and microconstituents including phenolic compounds, inositols (mainly d-pinitol) and vitamins. In the present review article, we aimed to (a) highlight the role of carob cultivation in addressing climate change challenges and the need for sustainability, and (b) summarize the effects of carob consumption on obesity and related metabolic disorders.
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Zhu BJ, Zayed MZ, Zhu HX, Zhao J, Li SP. Functional polysaccharides of carob fruit: a review. Chin Med 2019; 14:40. [PMID: 31583011 PMCID: PMC6767635 DOI: 10.1186/s13020-019-0261-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2019] [Accepted: 09/16/2019] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Polysaccharides in carob fruit, including carob bean gum (also known as carob gum, locust bean gum) and carob fiber, are widely used in industries such as food, pharmaceuticals, paper, textile, oil well drilling and cosmetics. Carob bean gum is a galactomannan obtained from the seed endosperm of carob tree and the fiber is obtained by removing most of soluble carbohydrates in carob pulp by water extraction. Both the gum and fiber are beneficial to health for many diseases such as diabetes, bowel movements, heart disease and colon cancer. This article reviewed the composition, properties, food applications and health benefits of polysaccharides from carob fruit.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bao-Jie Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, University of Macau, Macao, 999078 China
| | - Mohamed Zaky Zayed
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, University of Macau, Macao, 999078 China.,2Forestry & Wood Technology Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt
| | - Hua-Xu Zhu
- 3Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210023 China
| | - Jing Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, University of Macau, Macao, 999078 China
| | - Shao-Ping Li
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, University of Macau, Macao, 999078 China
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Qasem MA, Noordin MI, Arya A, Alsalahi A, Jayash SN. Evaluation of the glycemic effect of Ceratonia siliqua pods (Carob) on a streptozotocin-nicotinamide induced diabetic rat model. PeerJ 2018; 6:e4788. [PMID: 29844959 PMCID: PMC5970558 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.4788] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2018] [Accepted: 04/27/2018] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Ceratonia siliqua pods (carob) have been nominated to control the high blood glucose of diabetics. In Yemen, however, its antihyperglycemic activity has not been yet assessed. Thus, this study evaluated the in vitro inhibitory effect of the methanolic extract of carob pods against α-amylase and α-glucosidase and the in vivo glycemic effect of such extract in streptozotocin-nicotinamide induced diabetic rats. Methods 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and Ferric reducing antioxidant power assay (FRAP) were applied to evaluate the antioxidant activity of carob. In vitro cytotoxicity of carob was conducted on human hepatocytes (WRL68) and rat pancreatic β-cells (RIN-5F). Acute oral toxicity of carob was conducted on a total of 18 male and 18 female Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats, which were subdivided into three groups (n = 6), namely: high and low dose carob-treated (CS5000 and CS2000, respectively) as well as the normal control (NC) receiving a single oral dose of 5,000 mg kg-1 carob, 2,000 mg kg-1 carob and 5 mL kg-1 distilled water for 14 days, respectively. Alkaline phosphatase, aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, total bilirubin, creatinine and urea were assessed. Livers and kidneys were harvested for histopathology. In vitro inhibitory effect against α-amylase and α-glucosidase was evaluated. In vivo glycemic activity was conducted on 24 male SD rats which were previously intraperitoneally injected with 55 mg kg-1 streptozotocin (STZ) followed by 210 mg kg-1nicotinamide to induce type 2 diabetes mellitus. An extra non-injected group (n = 6) was added as a normal control (NC). The injected-rats were divided into four groups (n = 6), namely: diabetic control (D0), 5 mg kg-1glibenclamide-treated diabetic (GD), 500 mg kg-1 carob-treated diabetic (CS500) and 1,000 mg kg-1 carob-treated diabetic (CS1000). All groups received a single oral daily dose of their treatment for 4 weeks. Body weight, fasting blood glucose (FBG), oral glucose tolerance test, biochemistry, insulin and hemostatic model assessment were assessed. Pancreases was harvested for histopathology. Results Carob demonstrated a FRAP value of 3191.67 ± 54.34 µmoL Fe++ and IC50 of DPPH of 11.23 ± 0.47 µg mL-1. In vitro, carob was non-toxic on hepatocytes and pancreatic β-cells. In acute oral toxicity, liver and kidney functions and their histological sections showed no abnormalities. Carob exerted an in vitro inhibitory effect against α-amylase and α-glucosidase with IC50 of 92.99 ± 0.22 and 97.13 ± 4.11 µg mL-1, respectively. In diabetic induced rats, FBG of CS1000 was significantly less than diabetic control. Histological pancreatic sections of CS1000 showed less destruction of β-cells than CS500 and diabetic control. Conclusion Carob pod did not cause acute systemic toxicity and showed in vitro antioxidant effects. On the other hand, inhibiting α-amylase and α-glucosidase was evident. Interestingly, a high dose of carob exhibits an in vivo antihyperglycemic activity and warrants further in-depth study to identify the potential carob extract composition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mousa A Qasem
- Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | | | - Aditya Arya
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, School of Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, Taylor's University, Subang Jaya, Malaysia
| | - Abdulsamad Alsalahi
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Soher Nagi Jayash
- Department of Restorative Dentistry, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.,Department of Oral Medicine and Periodontology, Faculty of Dentistry, Ibb University, Ibb, Yemen
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Goulas V, Stylos E, Chatziathanasiadou MV, Mavromoustakos T, Tzakos AG. Functional Components of Carob Fruit: Linking the Chemical and Biological Space. Int J Mol Sci 2016; 17:E1875. [PMID: 27834921 PMCID: PMC5133875 DOI: 10.3390/ijms17111875] [Citation(s) in RCA: 80] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2016] [Revised: 10/21/2016] [Accepted: 11/04/2016] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The contribution of natural products to the drug-discovery pipeline has been remarkable since they have served as a rich source for drug development and discovery. Natural products have adapted, during the course of evolution, optimum chemical scaffolds against a wide variety of diseases, including cancer and diabetes. Advances in high-throughput screening assays, assisted by the continuous development on the instrumentation's capabilities and omics, have resulted in charting a large chemical and biological space of drug-like compounds, originating from natural sources. Herein, we attempt to integrate the information on the chemical composition and the associated biological impact of carob fruit in regards to human health. The beneficial and health-promoting effects of carob along with the clinical trials and the drug formulations derived from carob's natural components are presented in this review.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vlasios Goulas
- Department of Agricultural Sciences, Biotechnology and Food Science, Cyprus University of Technology, Lemesos 3603, Cyprus.
| | - Evgenios Stylos
- Section of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Department of Chemistry, University of Ioannina, 45110 Ioannina, Greece.
- Biotechnology Laboratory, Department of Biological Applications and Technologies, University of Ioannina, 45110 Ioannina, Greece.
| | - Maria V Chatziathanasiadou
- Section of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Department of Chemistry, University of Ioannina, 45110 Ioannina, Greece.
| | - Thomas Mavromoustakos
- Laboratory of Organic Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 11571 Athens, Greece.
| | - Andreas G Tzakos
- Section of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Department of Chemistry, University of Ioannina, 45110 Ioannina, Greece.
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Rafatullah S, Al-Yahya MA, Al-Said MS, Taragan KUAH, Mossa JS. Gastric Anti-Ulcer and Cytoprotective Effects of Cyamopsis tetragonoloba (‘Guar’) in Rats. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2008. [DOI: 10.3109/13880209409082988] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- S. Rafatullah
- Medicinal, Aromatic and Poisonous Plants Research Center, and Dept. of Pharmacognosy, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2457, Riyadh, 11451, Saudi Arabia
| | - M. A. Al-Yahya
- Medicinal, Aromatic and Poisonous Plants Research Center, and Dept. of Pharmacognosy, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2457, Riyadh, 11451, Saudi Arabia
| | - M. S. Al-Said
- Medicinal, Aromatic and Poisonous Plants Research Center, and Dept. of Pharmacognosy, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2457, Riyadh, 11451, Saudi Arabia
| | - K. U. Abdul Hameed Taragan
- Medicinal, Aromatic and Poisonous Plants Research Center, and Dept. of Pharmacognosy, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2457, Riyadh, 11451, Saudi Arabia
| | - J. S. Mossa
- Medicinal, Aromatic and Poisonous Plants Research Center, and Dept. of Pharmacognosy, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2457, Riyadh, 11451, Saudi Arabia
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Marles RJ, Farnsworth NR. Antidiabetic plants and their active constituents. PHYTOMEDICINE : INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PHYTOTHERAPY AND PHYTOPHARMACOLOGY 1995; 2:137-189. [PMID: 23196156 DOI: 10.1016/s0944-7113(11)80059-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 420] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Diabetes mellitus is a debilitating and often life-threatening disease with increasing incidence in rural populations throughout the world. A scientific investigation of traditional herbal remedies for diabetes may provide valuable leads for the development of alternative drugs and therapeutic strategies. Alternatives are clearly needed because of the inability of current therapies to control all of the pathological aspects of diabetes, and the high cost and poor availability of current therapies for many rural populations, particularly in developing countries. This review provides information on more than 1200 species of plants reported to have been used to treat diabetes and/or investigated for antidiabetic activity, with a detailed review of representative plants and some of great diversity of plant constituents with hypoglycemic activity, their mechanisms of action, methods for the bioassay of hypoglycemic agents, potential toxicity problems, and promising directions for future research on antidiabetic plants. The objective of this work is to provide a starting point for programs leading to the development of indigenous botanical resources as inexpensive sources for standardized crude or purified antidiabetic drugs, and for the discovery of lead compounds for novel hypoglycemic drug development.
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Affiliation(s)
- R J Marles
- Department of Botany, Brandon University, Brandon, MB R7A 6A9, CANADA
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