Preventive role of gallic acid on alcohol dependent and cysteine protease-mediated pancreas injury

Hepatoprotective potentials of Usnea longissima Ach. and Xanthoparmelia somloensis (Gyelnik) Hale extracts in ethanol-induced liver injury

In our study, the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects of different lichen applications were investigated in rats using an experimental ethanol toxicity model. 48 rats were used in the study and they were divided into 6 groups with 8 rats in each group. These groups were: control, ethanol (2 g/kg), ethanol + Usnea longissima Ach. (200 mg/kg), ethanol + Usnea longissima Ach. (400 mg/kg), ethanol + Xanthoparmelia somloensis (Gyelnik) Hale (100 mg/kg) and ethanol + Xanthoparmelia somloensis (Gyelnik) Hale (200 mg/kg). The experimental work continued for 21 days. Lichen extracts and ethanol were administered by gavage to rats divided into groups. According to the experimental protocol, the experimental animals were sacrificed and their liver tissues were isolated. Biochemical parameters in serum, histological examinations, oxidative stress and inflammation parameters both at biochemical and molecular level in liver tissues were performed. Oxidative stress and inflammatory response were increased in the liver tissue of rats treated with ethanol for 21 days, and liver functions were impaired. It was found that U. longissima and X. somloensis extracts showed good antioxidant activity and conferred protective effects against ethanol-induced oxidative stress and inflammation. This could be attributed to the presence of secondary metabolites in the extract, which act as natural antioxidants and could be responsible for increasing the defence mechanisms against free radical production induced by ethanol administration.

Transcription Factors as Targets of Natural Compounds in Age-Related Diseases and Cancer: Potential Therapeutic Applications

Inflammation exacerbates systemic pathophysiological conditions and chronic inflammation is a sustained and systemic phenomenon that aggravates aging that can lead to chronic age-related diseases. These inflammatory phenomena have recently been redefined and delineated at the molecular, cellular, and systemic levels. Many transcription factors that are activated in response to tumor metabolic state have been reported to be regulated by a class of histone deacetylase called sirtuins (SIRTs). Sirtuins play a pivotal role in the regulation of tumor cell metabolism, proliferation, and angiogenesis, including oxidative stress and inflammation. The SIRT1-mediated signaling pathway in diabetes and cancer is the SIRT1/forkhead-box class O (FoxO)/nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) pathway. In this review, we describe the accumulation of SIRT1-, NF-κB-, and FoxO-mediated inflammatory processes and cellular proinflammatory signaling pathways. We also describe the proinflammatory mechanisms underlying metabolic molecular pathways in various diseases such as liver cancer and diabetes. Finally, the regulation of cancer and diabetes through the anti-inflammatory effects of natural compounds is highlighted. Evidence from inflammation studies strongly suggests that cells may be a major source of cytokines secreted during various diseases. A better understanding of the mechanisms that underpin the inflammatory response and palliative role of natural compounds will provide insights into the molecular mechanisms of inflammation and various diseases for potential intervention.

Alcohol sedation in adult Drosophila is regulated by Cysteine proteinase-1 in cortex glia

Although numerous studies have demonstrated that neuronal mechanisms regulate alcohol-related behaviors, very few have investigated the direct role of glia in behavioral responses to alcohol. The results described here begin to fill this gap in the alcohol behavior and gliobiology fields. Since Drosophila exhibit conserved behavioral responses to alcohol and their CNS glia are similar to mammalian CNS glia, we used Drosophila to begin exploring the role of glia in alcohol behavior. We found that knockdown of Cysteine proteinase-1 (Cp1) in glia increased Drosophila alcohol sedation and that this effect was specific to cortex glia and adulthood. These data implicate Cp1 and cortex glia in alcohol-related behaviors. Cortex glia are functionally homologous to mammalian astrocytes and Cp1 is orthologous to mammalian Cathepsin L. Our studies raise the possibility that cathepsins may influence behavioral responses to alcohol in mammals via roles in astrocytes.

Pharmacological effects of gallic acid in health and diseases: A mechanistic review

OBJECTIVES

Gallic acid is a natural phenolic compound found in several fruits and medicinal plants. It is reported to have several health-promoting effects. This review aims to summarize the pharmacological and biological activities of gallic acid in vitro and animal models to depict the pharmacological status of this compound for future studies.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

All relevant papers in the English language were collected up to June 2018. The keywords of gallic acid, antioxidant, anticancer, antimicrobial, gastrointestinal-, cardiovascular-, metabolic-, neuropsychological-, and miscellaneous- diseases were searched in Google Scholar, PubMed, and Scopus.

RESULTS

Several beneficial effects are reported for gallic acid, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antineoplastic properties. This compound has been reported to have therapeutic activities in gastrointestinal, neuropsychological, metabolic, and cardiovascular disorders.

CONCLUSION

Current evidence confirms the pharmacological and therapeutic interventions of gallic acid in multiple health complications; however, available data are limited to just cellular and animal studies. Future investigations are essential to further define the safety and therapeutic efficacy of gallic acid in humans.