Role of curcumin in ameliorating hypertension and associated conditions: a mechanistic insight

Recent updates on clinical developments of curcumin and its derivatives

Curcumin, a natural polyphenol, derived from Curcuma longa L. is extensively studied by various researchers across the globe and has established its immense potential in the management of several disorders at clinical level. The underlying mechanism of curcumin involves regulation of various molecular targets, namely, inflammatory cytokines, transcription factor, apoptotic genes, growth factors, oxidative stress biomarkers, and protein kinases. In clinical trials, curcumin as an adjuvant has significantly boost-up the efficacy of many proven drugs in the management of arthritis, neurodegenerative disorder, oral infection, and gastrointestinal disorders. Moreover, clinical studies have suggested curcumin as an appropriate candidate for the prevention and/or management of various cancers via regulation of signaling molecules including NF-kB, cytokines, C-reactive protein, prostaglandin E2, Nrf2, HO-1, ALT, AST, kinases, and blood profiles. This article highlights plethora of clinical trials that have been conducted on curcumin and its derivatives in the management of several ailments. Besides, it provides recent updates to the investigators for conducting future research to fulfill the current gaps to expedite the curcumin utility in clinical subjects bearing different pathological states.

Curcumin derived from medicinal homologous foods: its main signals in immunoregulation of oxidative stress, inflammation, and apoptosis

It has been for thousands of years in China known medicinal homologous foods that can be employed both as foods and medicines to benefit human and animal health. These edible herbal materials perform divert roles in the regulation of metabolic disorders, cancers, and immune-related diseases. Curcumin, the primary component derived from medicinal homologous foods like curcuma longa rhizome, is reported to play vital actions in organic activities, such as the numerous pharmacological functions including anti-oxidative stress, anti-inflammation and anti/pro-apoptosis in treating various diseases. However, the potential mechanisms of curcumin-derived modulation still need to be developed and attract more attention worldwide. Given that these signal pathways are enrolled in important bioactive reactions, we collected curcumin's last achievements predominantly on the immune-regulation signals with the underlying targetable strategies in the last 10 years. This mini-review will be helpful to accelerate curcumin and other extracts from medicinal homologous foods use in future human clinical applications.

Bioactive compounds in childhood obesity and associated metabolic complications: Current evidence, controversies and perspectives

Obesity represents the most frequent chronic disease among children worldwide, with a significant global burden on society. Metabolically unhealthy obesity (MUO) can affect children since their first years of life, and novel therapeutic strategies to tackle metabolic complications are under investigation. This review focuses on bioactive compounds and their possible beneficial effects on obesity, particularly omega-3, docosahexaenoic acid, vitamin D, biotics, polysaccharide macromolecules, polyphenols, inositols, alpha lipoic acid, and bromelaine. Our aim is to summarize current evidence about bioactive compounds in the treatment of obesity, highlighting recent findings on their use in children and adolescents. Most studied molecules are omega-3 and vitamin D, despite the heterogeneity between the studies. Moreover, given the emerging interest in the gut-brain axis in the link between metabolic health and microbiota, various studies on prebiotics, probiotics, synbiotics, postbiotics and polysaccharide macromolecules have been considered. Some preclinical studies seem to highlight a possible role of the polyphenols, even if their clinical evidence is still discussed. Lastly, we describe possible effects of inositols and alpha-lipoic acid. Despite some dietary supplements seem to be promising in overweight subjects, only in a few of them a dose/response efficacy has been found in the pediatric age. Innovative, well-designed and targeted clinical trials are then needed to prove the beneficial effects of these compounds that could support the standard behavioral therapy for obesity.

Sepsis-induced AKI: From pathogenesis to therapeutic approaches

Sepsis is a heterogenous and highly complex clinical syndrome, which is caused by infectious or noninfectious factors. Acute kidney injury (AKI) is one of the most common and severe complication of sepsis, and it is associated with high mortality and poor outcomes. Recent evidence has identified that autophagy participates in the pathophysiology of sepsis-associated AKI. Despite the use of antibiotics, the mortality rate is still at an extremely high level in patients with sepsis. Besides traditional treatments, many natural products, including phytochemicals and their derivatives, are proved to exert protective effects through multiple mechanisms, such as regulation of autophagy, inhibition of inflammation, fibrosis, and apoptosis, etc. Accumulating evidence has also shown that many pharmacological inhibitors might have potential therapeutic effects in sepsis-induced AKI. Hence, understanding the pathophysiology of sepsis-induced AKI may help to develop novel therapeutics to attenuate the complications of sepsis and lower the mortality rate. This review updates the recent progress of underlying pathophysiological mechanisms of sepsis-associated AKI, focuses specifically on autophagy, and summarizes the potential therapeutic effects of phytochemicals and pharmacological inhibitors.