Antidiabetic and antidyslipidemic activities of Cuminum cyminum L. in validated animal models

Can Polyherbal Medicine be used for the Treatment of Diabetes? - A Review of Historical Classics, Research Evidence and Current Prevention Programs

Diabetes mellitus (DM), a chronic medical condition, has attained a global pandemic status over the last few decades affecting millions of people. Despite a variety of synthetic drugs available in the market, the use of herbal medicines for managing diabetes is gaining importance because of being comparatively safer. This article reviews the result of a substantial literature search on polyherbal formulations (PHFs) developed and evaluated with potential for DM. The accumulated data in the literature allowed us to enlist 76PHFs consisting of different parts of 147 plant species belonging to 58 botanical families. The documented plant species are laden with bioactive components with anti-diabetic properties and thus draw attention. The most favoured ingredient for PHFs was leaves of Gymnema sylvestre and seeds of Trigonella foenum-graecum used in 27 and 22 formulations, respectively. Apart from herbs, shilajit (exudates from high mountain rocks) formed an important component of 9 PHFs, whereas calcined Mytilus margaritiferus and goat pancreas were used in Dolabi, the most commonly used tablet form of PHF in Indian markets. The healing properties of PHFs against diabetes have been examined in both pre-clinical studies and clinical trials. However, the mechanism(s) of action of PHFs are still unclear and considered the pitfalls inherent in understanding the benefits of PHFs. From the information available based on experimental systems, it could be concluded that plant-derived medicines will have a considerable role to play in the control of diabetes provided the challenges related to their bioavailability, bioefficacy, optimal dose, lack of characterization, ambiguous mechanism of action, and clinical efficiency are addressed.

Design, synthesis, and evaluation of benzofuran-based chromenochalcones for antihyperglycemic and antidyslipidemic activities

A series of benzofuran-based chromenochalcones (16-35) were synthesized and evaluated for in vitro and in vivo antidiabetic activities in L-6 skeletal muscle cells and streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rat models, respectively, and further in vivo dyslipidemia activity of the compounds was evaluated in a Triton-induced hyperlipidemic hamster model. Among them, compounds 16, 18, 21, 22, 24, 31, and 35 showed significant glucose uptake stimulatory effects in skeletal muscle cells and were further evaluated for in vivo efficacy. Compounds 21, 22, and 24 showed a significant reduction in blood glucose levels in STZ-induced diabetic rats. Compounds 16, 20, 21, 24, 28, 29, 34, 35, and 36 were found active in antidyslipidemic studies. Furthermore, compound 24 effectively improved the postprandial and fasting blood glucose levels, oral glucose tolerance, serum lipid profile, serum insulin level, and the HOMA-index of db/db mice, following 15 days of successive treatment.

Computation Screening of Multi-Target Antidiabetic Properties of Phytochemicals in Common Edible Mediterranean Plants

Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disease and one of the leading causes of deaths worldwide. Numerous studies support that the Mediterranean diet has preventive and treatment effects on diabetes. These effects have been attributed to the special bioactive composition of Mediterranean foods. The objective of this work was to decipher the antidiabetic activity of Mediterranean edible plant materials using the DIA-DB inverse virtual screening web server. A literature review on the antidiabetic potential of Mediterranean plants was performed and twenty plants were selected for further examination. Subsequently, the most abundant flavonoids, phenolic acids, and terpenes in plant materials were studied to predict their antidiabetic activity. Results showed that flavonoids are the most active phytochemicals as they modulate the function of 17 protein-targets and present high structural similarity with antidiabetic drugs. Their antidiabetic effects are linked with three mechanisms of action, namely (i) regulation of insulin secretion/sensitivity, (ii) regulation of glucose metabolism, and (iii) regulation of lipid metabolism. Overall, the findings can be utilized to understand the antidiabetic activity of edible Mediterranean plants pinpointing the most active phytoconstituents.

Phytochemical Characterization and Evaluation of the Antioxidant and Anti-Enzymatic Activity of Five Common Spices: Focus on Their Essential Oils and Spent Material Extractives

The essential oil industry of aromatic herbs and spices is currently producing a significant amount of by-products, such as the spent plant materials remaining after steam or hydrodistillation, that are simply discarded. The aim of this study was to comparatively investigate the phytochemical composition, antioxidant and multi-enzymatic inhibitory potential of the essential oils and spent plant material extractives obtained from cinnamon, cumin, clove, laurel, and black pepper. The essential oils were characterized by the presence of several phytochemical markers (cinnamaldehyde, cuminaldehyde, eugenol, eucalyptol, α-terpinene, limonene, β-caryophyllene or β-pinene). On the other hand, the LC-HRMS/MS profiling of the spent material extracts allowed the annotation of species specific and non-specific metabolites, such as organic acids, phenolic acids, flavonoids, proanthocyanidins, hydrolysable tannins, fatty acids, or piperamides. All samples exhibited very strong antioxidant effects, with the clove essential oil displaying the strongest radical scavenging (525.78 and 936.44 mg TE/g in DPPH and ABTS assays), reducing (2848.28 and 1927.98 mg TE/g in CUPRAC and FRAP), and total antioxidant capacity (68.19 mmol TE/g). With respect to the anti-acetylcholinesterase (0.73-2.95 mg GALAE/g), anti-butyrylcholinesterase (0-3.41 mg GALAE/g), anti-tyrosinase (0-76.86 mg KAE/g), anti-amylase and anti-glucosidase (both 0-1.00 mmol ACAE/g) assays, the spice samples showed a modest activity. Overall, our study reports that, not only the volatile fractions of common spices, but also their spent plant materials remaining after hydrodistillation can be regarded as rich sources of bioactive molecules with antioxidant and multi-enzymatic inhibitory effects.

Efficacy of Cuminum Cyminum supplementation on lipid profile and anthropometric parameters: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled clinical trials

We aimed to evaluate the effect of Cuminum Cyminum (CC) supplementation on lipid profile and selected anthropometric parameters. PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Embase databases were systematically searched until May 2021. The random-effect model was used to study the effect sizes. The sources of heterogeneity were assessed using subgroup analysis and meta-regression. Publication bias was studied by funnel plots. The GRADE approach was used to assess the overall quality of the evidence.The data from our eight included studies have indicated that CC supplementation can lower body mass index (BMI) (WMD = -0.88 kg/m² ; 95%CI: -1.58, -0.18; p = .023) and total cholesterol (TC) (WMD = -3.96 mg/dl; 95%CI: -6.51, -1.04; p=.008). Also, after adjusting for publication bias, CC was shown to be effective in improving waist circumference (WC), high-density lipoprotein (HDL-C), and triglycerides (TG) levels. Although, the current evidence has not shown that CC supplementation can affect low-density lipoprotein (LDL-C), our subgroup analysis has indicated that CC supplementation with supplementation length of more than 8 weeks is associated with beneficial effects on LDL-C.While CC might be a suitable choice in managing BMI and TC, further high-quality studies are needed to confirm its efficacy in the clinical setting.

Interactions among Long Non-Coding RNAs and microRNAs Influence Disease Phenotype in Diabetes and Diabetic Kidney Disease

Large-scale RNA sequencing and genome-wide profiling data revealed the identification of a heterogeneous group of noncoding RNAs, known as long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs). These lncRNAs play central roles in health and disease processes in diabetes and cancer. The critical association between aberrant expression of lncRNAs in diabetes and diabetic kidney disease have been reported. LncRNAs regulate diverse targets and can function as sponges for regulatory microRNAs, which influence disease phenotype in the kidneys. Importantly, lncRNAs and microRNAs may regulate bidirectional or crosstalk mechanisms, which need to be further investigated. These studies offer the novel possibility that lncRNAs may be used as potential therapeutic targets for diabetes and diabetic kidney diseases. Here, we discuss the functions and mechanisms of actions of lncRNAs, and their crosstalk interactions with microRNAs, which provide insight and promise as therapeutic targets, emphasizing their role in the pathogenesis of diabetes and diabetic kidney disease.

Ethnomedicinal Value of Antidiabetic Plants in Bangladesh: A Comprehensive Review

The use of conventional drugs to treat metabolic disorders and the pathological consequences of diabetes further increases the complications because of the side effects, and is sometimes burdensome due to relatively higher costs and occasionally painful route of administration of these drugs. Therefore, shifting to herbal medicine may be more effective, economical, have fewer side effects and might have minimal toxicity. The present review amasses a list of ethnomedicinal plants of 143 species belonging to 61 families, from distinctive domestic survey literature, reported to have been used to treat diabetes by the ethnic and local people of Bangladesh. Leaves of the medicinal plants were found leading in terms of their use, followed by fruits, whole plants, roots, seeds, bark, stems, flowers, and rhizomes. This review provides starting information leading to the search for and use of indigenous botanical resources to discover bioactive compounds for novel hypoglycemic drug development.

Screening of Novel Source for Genistein by Rapid and Sensitive UPLC-APCI-TOF Mass Spectrometry

Genistein has been shown to have a broad spectrum of health advantages. Only legumes were reported to have a significant amount of genistein with the highest concentration in Soybean. Soybean was found to cause allergies in children with atopic dermatitis and in adults. Limited food sources have hindered the use of genistein in daily diets, medications, and nutraceuticals. The main objective of the current research work was to discover the novel source for genistein by the simple method of extraction and quantification. Genistein was extracted by solid-liquid extraction technique. Extraction parameters were optimized by a single factor test. Identification and quantification of genistein from the selected seeds of Apiaceae were carried out using UPLC-APCI-TOF-MS. UPLC-APCI-TOF-MS method was successfully developed, validated (linearity (R² = 0.999), precision (R.S.D. <5%), and accuracy (107.23%)), and used for the study. Remarkably, a high concentration of the genistein (811.57 μg/g) was found in the Cuminum cyminum. Solvent mixture (50 mL Methanol+25 mL Dimethyl sulphoxide+25 mL Water (v/v/v)), temperature (80°C), and time (1 h) were found to be the optimum extraction conditions. The concentration of genistein before optimization was 226.67 μg/g and after optimization is 811.57 μg/g. This shows the efficiency of the extraction method in the extraction of genistein without the need for hydrolysis. Novel source for genistein is identified in regular human food can be consumed in a regular diet which increases wellness of human health along with enhancing the taste of the food. The developed extraction method coupled with high throughput, sensitive, and selective UPLC-APCI-TOF-MS technique facilitates rapid quantification (8 minutes of run time) without primary purification of complex extract.

The effect of cumin (Cuminum cyminum L.) supplementation on glycemic indices: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

We aimed to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to examine the effect of cumin supplementation on markers of glycemic control in adults. A comprehensive literature search was conducted up from inception to November 2020 on PubMed, Scopus, Web of Sciences, and Cochrane electronic databases. Studies that compared the effect of cumin with placebo on fasting blood sugar (FBS), serum insulin, and homeostasis model assessment-estimated insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) index in adults were considered eligible. Weighted mean difference (WMD) (with 95% confidence intervals) for endpoints were calculated using the random-effects model. Finally, a total of eight RCT studies involving 552 participants were included in the review. The results of the meta-analysis suggest that cumin supplementation did not significantly alter serum FBS (WMD: -17.77 mg/dl; 95% CI: -36.42 to 0.87, p = .06), insulin (WMD: -0.49 Hedges' g; 95% CI: -1.19 to 0.21, p =.16) levels and HOMA-IR (WMD: -0.06; 95% CI: -0.21 to 0.10, p = 0.48) index. These results do not support the use of cumin supplementation for improving glycemic markers in adults. However, further high-quality trials are still needed to confirm these results.

Synthesis, biological evaluation, and molecular docking study of some new rohitukine analogs as protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B inhibitors

Rohitukine (RH) was extracted from the stem bark of Dysoxylum binectariferum Hook. It was derivatized to different arylsulphanmides by treating with the corresponding aryl sulphonyl chlorides. These derivatives were tested in-vitro on protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B (PTP1B) inhibition. Among these the active compounds K2, K3, K5, and K8 significantly inhibited the PTP1B by 51.3%, 65.6%, 71.9%, and 55.9% respectively at 10 µg/ml, the results were also supported by in-silico docking experiments. The most potent compound K5 was analyzed for antidiabetic and antidyslipidemic activity in vivo. It showed a marked reduction in blood glucose level (random and fasting) and serum insulin level in db/db mice. It improved glucose intolerance as ascertained by the oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). These NCEs (New Chemical Entities) also lowered cholesterol and triglyceride profiles while improved high-density lipoprotein cholesterol in db/db mice. The K5 was further evaluated for antiadipogenic activity on MDI (Methylisobutylxanthine, dexamethasone, and insulin)-induced adipogenesis. where it significantly inhibited MDI-induced adipogenesis in 3 T3-L1 preadipocytes, at 10 µM and 20 µM concentration. These results were compared with the parent compound RH which inhibited 35% and 45% lipid accumulation while the RH analog K5 inhibited the lipid accumulation by 41% and 51% at 10 and 20 µM concentration, respectively. These results well corroborated with in-silico studies.

Evaluation of the Effects of Cuminum cyminum on Cellular Viability, Osteogenic Differentiation and Mineralization of Human Bone Marrow-Derived Stem Cells

Background and Objectives: Cuminum cyminum L. has long been used in the treatment of various diseases in multiple geographical regions. This study was performed to determine the effects of C. cyminum methanolic extract (CCT) on the cellular viability, alkaline phosphatase activity and mineralization of human mesenchymal stem cells. Materials and Methods: Bone marrow-derived stem cells were cultured in the presence of CCT at concentrations of 0, 0.001, 0.01, 0.1 and 1 μg/mL. Evaluations of cell morphology were performed on days 1, 3, 7 and 14. Cellular viability was evaluated on days 1, 3, 5 and 7. On the 7th and 14th day, alkaline phosphatase activity measurements and Alizarin red S staining were conducted to assess the osteogenic differentiation of stem cells. A real-time polymerase chain reaction was used to determine the expression levels of RUNX2, BSP, OCN, COL2A1 and β-catenin mRNAs. Results: Stem cells in the control group showed fibroblast-like morphology and the addition of CCT at 0.001, 0.01, 0.1 and 1 μg/mL did not generate noticeable changes in morphology compared with the untreated control group. The application of CCT did not produce significant changes in cellular viability or alkaline phosphatase activity compared with controls. Alizarin Red S staining was significantly increased with the application of CCT. Treatment with CCT increased the expressions of RUNX2, BSP and OCN. Conclusions: These results indicate that CCT enhanced the osteogenic differentiation of stem cells derived from bone marrow by regulating the expressions of RUNX2, BSP and OCN. Thus, the use of CCT may be applied to achieve beneficial effects on the mineralization of stem cells.

Loss of Mitochondrial Control Impacts Renal Health

Disruption of mitochondrial biosynthesis or dynamics, or loss of control over mitochondrial regulation leads to a significant alteration in fuel preference and metabolic shifts that potentially affect the health of kidney cells. Mitochondria regulate metabolic networks which affect multiple cellular processes. Indeed, mitochondria have established themselves as therapeutic targets in several diseases. The importance of mitochondria in regulating the pathogenesis of several diseases has been recognized, however, there is limited understanding of mitochondrial biology in the kidney. This review provides an overview of mitochondrial dysfunction in kidney diseases. We describe the importance of mitochondria and mitochondrial sirtuins in the regulation of renal metabolic shifts in diverse cells types, and review this loss of control leads to increased cell-to-cell transdifferentiation processes and myofibroblast-metabolic shifts, which affect the pathophysiology of several kidney diseases. In addition, we examine mitochondrial-targeted therapeutic agents that offer potential leads in combating kidney diseases.

Cancer Biology and Prevention in Diabetes

The available evidence suggests a complex relationship between diabetes and cancer. Epidemiological data suggest a positive correlation, however, in certain types of cancer, a more complex picture emerges, such as in some site-specific cancers being specific to type I diabetes but not to type II diabetes. Reports share common and differential mechanisms which affect the relationship between diabetes and cancer. We discuss the use of antidiabetic drugs in a wide range of cancer therapy and cancer therapeutics in the development of hyperglycemia, especially antineoplastic drugs which often induce hyperglycemia by targeting insulin/IGF-1 signaling. Similarly, dipeptidyl peptidase 4 (DPP-4), a well-known target in type II diabetes mellitus, has differential effects on cancer types. Past studies suggest a protective role of DPP-4 inhibitors, but recent studies show that DPP-4 inhibition induces cancer metastasis. Moreover, molecular pathological mechanisms of cancer in diabetes are currently largely unclear. The cancer-causing mechanisms in diabetes have been shown to be complex, including excessive ROS-formation, destruction of essential biomolecules, chronic inflammation, and impaired healing phenomena, collectively leading to carcinogenesis in diabetic conditions. Diabetes-associated epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EndMT) contribute to cancer-associated fibroblast (CAF) formation in tumors, allowing the epithelium and endothelium to enable tumor cell extravasation. In this review, we discuss the risk of cancer associated with anti-diabetic therapies, including DPP-4 inhibitors and SGLT2 inhibitors, and the role of catechol-o-methyltransferase (COMT), AMPK, and cell-specific glucocorticoid receptors in cancer biology. We explore possible mechanistic links between diabetes and cancer biology and discuss new therapeutic approaches.

Ethnopharmacological review of medicinal plants used to manage diabetes in Morocco

Diabetes is a chronic metabolic disorder which affects millions of people every year. If diabetes is not controlled, it can cause serious damage and a number of health complications. The aim of this paper was to review published ethnobotanical and ethnopharmacological evidences of Moroccan plants with antidiabetic potentials. Publications describing the medicinal plants used for the treatment of diabetes in Morocco were searched from the databases, including Google Scholar, Elsevier, Medline, Web of Science, SCOPUS and Pubmed. Other literature source was also used including books and theses available in library. About 750 literature references were studied, and only 240 research publications based on data from different Moroccan provinces published until June 2019 were included in this review. In total, 255 plants species belonging to 70 families were reported. Compositae and Lamiaceae were mentioned as the most represented families. The frequently used plant species in the dwellers of most regions of Morocco are Trigonella foenum-graecum, Artemesia herba-alba, Nigella sativa, Olea europaea, Allium cepa and Marrubium vulgare. This review provides useful information and current scientific knowledge on the medicinal plants used to manage diabetes in Morocco. Medicinal plants reported should be submitted to chemical, pharmacological and clinical studies to identify pharmacologically active metabolites and to confirm their antidiabetic activity.

The complete chloroplast genome and phylogenetic analysis of Cuminum cyminum

Cuminum cyminum (Apiaceae) is an economically important plant, whose fruits are usually used as flavoring, and also have pharmacological activities such as antioxidant, antibacterial, hypolipidemic, and so on. In this study, we assembled and annotated complete chloroplast (cp) genome sequence of C. cyminum. The results showed that the complete cp genome of C. cyminum was 157,839 bp in length, consisting of a large single-copy (LSC) region of 83,927bp, a small single-copy (SSC) region of 17,598bp, and two inverted repeat regions (IRa and IRb) of 28,157bp. In total, 131 genes were annotated, comprising of 86 protein-coding genes, 37 tRNA genes, and 8 rRNA genes. The phylogenetic analysis indicated that C. cyminum belongs to the tribe Scandiceae, and showed close relationship with Daucus carota.

Effects of Probiotic Soy Milk Fermented by Lactobacillus plantarum A7 (KC 355240) added with Cuminum Cyminum Essential Oil on Fasting Blood Glucose Levels, Serum Lipid Profile and Body Weight in Diabetic Wistar Rats

BACKGROUND

There is some separate evidence that probiotic soy milk and Cuminum cyminum (C. cyminum) have positive effects on the prevention and reduction of diabetic complications. While the impact of probiotic soymilk mixed with herbal essential oils has not been investigated so far, the objective of this study is to examine the effects of probiotic soy milk using Lactobacillus plantarum A7 (KC 355240) added with essential oil of C. cyminum on diabetic rats.

METHODS

50 streptozotocin-nicotinamide (STZ-NA) induced diabetic Wistar rats were divided into five groups: Control group (C group), soy milk group (SM group), probiotic soy milk group (PSM group), soy milk containing essential oil of C. cyminum group (SMC group) and probiotic soy milk containing essential oil of C. cyminum group (PSMC group). The animals consumed these products (1 ml/day) for 30 days. The fasting blood glucose (FBS), the serum lipid levels, and body weight variation were analyzed in 10-day intervals.

RESULTS

FBS, total cholesterol (TC) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) decreased significantly, whereas high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) increased in the PSMC group compared with that of other groups (P < 0.05). This product also led to weight gain (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

A mixture of probiotic soy milk and herbal essential oil consumption could impose a positive effect on reducing FBS as well as serum lipid profile in STZ- NA diabetes-induced rat. Also, it results in an increase in their weight gain.

Awareness and current knowledge of epilepsy

Epilepsy is a severe neural disorder that affects approximately fifty million individuals globally. Despite the fact that for most of the people with epilepsy, convulsions are better controlled by current accessible antiepileptic medicines, yet there are more than 30% of individuals affected with medically intractable epilepsy and around 30-40% of all patients with epilepsy affected by many adverse reactions and convulsion resistance to the present antiepileptic drugs. Consequently, various scientists attempt to develop new strategies to treat epilepsy, for instance, to find out novel antiepileptic ingredients from traditional medicines. This work aims to present a complete summary of natural medicines prescribed as antiepileptic agents all over the world by ethnic groups and different tribes. We undertook an extensive bibliographic analysis by searching peer reviewed papers and classical textbooks and further consulting well accepted worldwide scientific databases. We carried out PubMed, EMbase and CENTRAL searches by means of terms such as "antiepileptic" and "anti-convulsant" activity of plants. Medicinal plants have been prescribed to treat epilepsy and have been recognized as antiepileptic medicines. In this review, a variety of herbs have been reviewed for thorough studies such as Cuminum cyminum, Butea monosperma, Solanum americanum, Anacyclus pyrethrum, Leonotis leonurus, Elaeocarpus ganitrus and Angelica archangelica. This paper shows that it was high time experimental studies are increased to obtain novel potential active principles from medicinal plants. Plant extracts and their chemical constituents should be further evaluated to clarify their mechanisms of action. This paper provides a solid base upon which to further investigate the clinical efficacy of medicinal plants that are both currently prescribed by physicians as traditional antiepileptic agents, but also could be effective as an antiepileptic drug with further research and study.

Evaluation of the Anti-Diabetic Activity of Some Common Herbs and Spices: Providing New Insights with Inverse Virtual Screening

Culinary herbs and spices are widely used as a traditional medicine in the treatment of diabetes and its complications, and there are several scientific studies in the literature supporting the use of these medicinal plants. However, there is often a lack of knowledge on the bioactive compounds of these herbs and spices and their mechanisms of action. The aim of this study was to use inverse virtual screening to provide insights into the bioactive compounds of common herbs and spices, and their potential molecular mechanisms of action in the treatment of diabetes. In this study, a library of over 2300 compounds derived from 30 common herbs and spices were screened in silico with the DIA-DB web server against 18 known diabetes drug targets. Over 900 compounds from the herbs and spices library were observed to have potential anti-diabetic activity and liquorice, hops, fennel, rosemary, and fenugreek were observed to be particularly enriched with potential anti-diabetic compounds. A large percentage of the compounds were observed to be potential polypharmacological agents regulating three or more anti-diabetic drug targets and included compounds such as achillin B from yarrow, asparasaponin I from fenugreek, bisdemethoxycurcumin from turmeric, carlinoside from lemongrass, cinnamtannin B1 from cinnamon, crocin from saffron and glabridin from liquorice. The major targets identified for the herbs and spices compounds were dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP4), intestinal maltase-glucoamylase (MGAM), liver receptor homolog-1 (NR5A2), pancreatic alpha-amylase (AM2A), peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPARA), protein tyrosine phosphatase non-receptor type 9 (PTPN9), and retinol binding protein-4 (RBP4) with over 250 compounds observed to be potential inhibitors of these particular protein targets. Only bay leaves, liquorice and thyme were found to contain compounds that could potentially regulate all 18 protein targets followed by black pepper, cumin, dill, hops and marjoram with 17 protein targets. In most cases more than one compound within a given plant could potentially regulate a particular protein target. It was observed that through this multi-compound-multi target regulation of these specific protein targets that the major anti-diabetic effects of reduced hyperglycemia and hyperlipidemia of the herbs and spices could be explained. The results of this study, taken together with the known scientific literature, indicated that the anti-diabetic potential of common culinary herbs and spices was the result of the collective action of more than one bioactive compound regulating and restoring several dysregulated and interconnected diabetic biological processes.

Atypical Nitrogen-Containing Flavonoid in the Fruits of Cumin (Cuminum cyminum L.) with Anti-inflammatory Activity

The dried seeds of Cuminum cyminum L. have been traditionally used as food and medicine. To explore its chemical composition and anti-inflammatory activity, four new compounds (1-4) along with five known compounds (5-9) were isolated from the seeds in the present study. The chemical structures of the new compounds were identified as follows: methyl 3-((7H-purin-2-yl) amino)-3-(4-isopropylphenyl) propanoate (1), 8-(amino(4-isopropylphenyl)methyl)-5-hydroxy-2-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-7-methoxy-4-oxo-4H-chromene-6-carboxylic acid (2), (3,4,5-trihydroxy-6-((4-isopropylbenzyl)oxy)tetrahydro-2H-pyran-2-yl)methyl (E)-3-(4-propoxyphenyl)acrylate (3), and (3,4,5-trihydroxy-6-((5-hydroxy-2-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-4-oxo-4H-chromen-7-yl)oxy)tetrahydro-2H-pyran-2-yl)methyl 3-(4-isopropylphenyl)-2-methoxypropanoate (4). Compound 2, an atypical nitrogen-containing flavonoid, exhibited the most active inhibitory effect on nitride oxide, with IC₅₀ of 5.25 μM in the lipopolysaccharide-stimulated RAW264.7 cell assay. Compound 2 was found to suppress the expression levels of inducible nitric oxide synthase and cyclooxygenase-2. Furthermore, it was revealed that both nuclear factor κB and mitogen-activated protein kinase were involved in the anti-inflammatory process of compound 2.

Cumin (Cuminum cyminum L.) is a safe approach for management of lipid parameters: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

We performed a meta-analysis to evaluate the efficacy of cumin supplementation on plasma lipid concentration in adult population. The search included PubMed, Scopus, ISI Web of Science, Google Scholar, and the Cochrane library (up to January 2018) to identify randomized controlled trials (RCTs) investigating the effects of cumin supplementation on serum lipid parameters. Mean difference (MD) was pooled using a random-effects model. Meta-analysis of data from six eligible RCTs with 376 participants showed a significant reduction in plasma concentration of total cholesterol (MD [95% CI] -10.90 [-21.39, -0.42] mg/dl, p = 0.042) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (MD [95% CI] -6.94 [-11.53, -2.35] mg/dl, p = 0.003) after supplementation with cumin compared with control treatment, and plasma concentration of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (MD [95% CI] 3.35 [1.58, 5.12] mg/dl, p˂0.001) were found to be increased. Although our analysis indicated that cumin supplementation cannot change triglyceride (TG) concentration (MD [95% CI] -20.48 [-41.23, -0.26] mg/dl, p = 0.053), but after stratified the RCTs based on the primary level of TG (hypertriglyceridemia versus nonhypertriglyceridemia subjects), there was a significant decrease in nonhypertriglyceridemia subset. This systematic review and meta-analysis suggested the efficacy of cumin supplementation on lipid parameters.

The Health Benefits of Selected Culinary Herbs and Spices Found in the Traditional Mediterranean Diet

The Mediterranean diet is considered one of the healthiest diets in the world. This is often attributed to low saturated fat consumption, moderate wine consumption, and high vegetable consumption. However, herbs and spices associated with these diets may also play an important role in the quality of this diet. This review summarizes the most recent research regarding the anti-diabetic, anti-inflammatory, anti-hyperlipidemic and anti-hypertensive properties of this collection of culinary species. Additionally, this review briefly summarizes studies performed on lesser known herbs from around the world, with the goal of identifying new culinary species that may be useful in the treatment or prevention of diseases.