Javamide-II Found in Coffee Is Better than Caffeine at Suppressing TNF-α Production in PMA/PHA-Treated Lymphocytic Jurkat Cells

Impact of roasting on javamide-I/-II in Arabica and Robusta coffee beans

Javamide-I/-II are anti-inflammatory compounds found in coffee beans. However, potential effects of roasting on javamide-I/-II in coffee beans are currently unknown. Therefore, in this paper, the effects of roasting on javamide-I/-II were investigated in Arabica and Robusta beans. Coffee beans were roasted light, medium and dark, and the amounts of javamide-I/-II in the beans were quantified by a HPLC method. The data showed the different amounts of javamide-I/-II in the beans; not detected and ≤ 3.1 mg in Arabica beans, and 0.5-3.7 mg and 1.0-13.8 mg in Robusta beans, respectively. Furthermore, the data showed that roasting process significantly reduced the amounts of javamide-I/-II in both Arabica and Robusta beans (p < 0.05). These data were also confirmed by multivariate analyses. Additionally, these differences were validated in light, medium and dark roast coffee products in the market. Altogether, roasting can have a significant impact on javamide-I/-II amounts in coffee beans.

N-Caffeoyltryptophan enhances adipogenic differentiation in preadipocytes and improves glucose tolerance in mice

Coffee consumption has been shown to reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in humans; however, the exact mechanism is not completely understood. Here, we demonstrate that N-caffeoyltryptophan (CTP), an ingredient of coffee, enhances adipogenic differentiation and promotes glucose uptake into adipocytes. CTP increased lipid accumulation and adipogenic markers (PPARγ, C/EBPα, and FABP4) expression in mouse 3T3-L1 preadipocyte cell lines and primary preadipocytes. In addition, CTP promoted glucose uptake in 3T3-L1 cells. In the oral glucose tolerance test, daily administration of CTP (30 mg/kg/day, i.p.) for a week reduced blood glucose levels in mice. In 3T3-L1 cells, adipogenic differentiation and increased adipogenic markers expression induced by CTP were inhibited by U0126, a selective MEK1/2 inhibitor. Furthermore, mRNA induction of Pparg by CTP was abrogated in SIRT1 siRNA-transfected 3T3-L1 cells. These results suggest the involvement of the MEK/ERK signaling and SIRT1 in the mechanism of adipogenic function of CTP. Taken together, CTP might contribute to the reduction in postprandial glycemia and a subsequent reduction in onset risk for T2DM.

In Vivo Effects of Coffee Containing Javamide-I/-II on Body Weight, LDL, HDL, Total Cholesterol, Triglycerides, Leptin, Adiponectin, C-Reactive Protein, sE-Selectin, TNF-α, and MCP-1

BACKGROUND

Diet plays an unequivocal role in the development of obesity. Interestingly, recent studies have demonstrated that coffee products containing javamide-I/-II may be commonly found in the market. However, there is no information about in vivo effects of coffee containing javamide-I/-II (CCJ12) on obesity-related metabolic factors (body weight, LDL, HDL, total cholesterols, triglycerides, adiponectin, and leptin) in nonobese people.

OBJECTIVES

The objective of this study was to investigate in vivo effects of CCJ12 on these metabolic factors as well as inflammatory/cardiovascular disease risk factors [C-reactive protein (CRP), soluble E-selectin (sE-selectin), TNF-α, monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1)] in a nonobese model.

METHODS

Sprague-Dawley male rats were fed a complete diet for 20 wk with either drinking water containing CCJ12 [coffee containing javamide-I/-II group (CG), n = 10] or unsupplemented drinking water [water control group (NCG), n = 10]. The amounts of javamide-I/-II in CCJ12 were quantified by HPLC. Water/food consumption and body weight were monitored weekly, and the concentrations of metabolic/inflammatory/cardiovascular disease risk factors were measured by ELISA.

RESULTS

There was no significant difference in water/food consumption between the NCG and CG during the study. Also, no significant difference was found in average body weights between the groups either. In addition, after 20 wk, both groups did not show any significant difference in plasma LDL, HDL, and total cholesterol concentrations. Likewise, adiponectin and leptin concentrations were not significantly different between the groups. As expected, the 2 groups did not show any significant difference in plasma concentrations of CRP and sE-selectin. Furthermore, there was no significant difference in plasma concentrations of TNF-α and MCP-1 between the groups.

CONCLUSIONS

The data suggest that CCJ12 may not have significant effects on the metabolic/inflammatory/cardiovascular disease risk factors in the CG, compared with the NCG.

Finding a cell-permeable compound to inhibit inflammatory cytokines: Uptake, biotransformation, and anti-cytokine activity of javamide-I/-II esters

AIM

Currently, there is limited information available about cell-permeability and anti-cytokine activity of javamide-I/-II esters in monocyte/macrophage-like cells. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate their cell-permeability and anti-cytokine activity in the cells.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The uptake of javamide-I/-II and esters was studied in THP-1 cells and PBMCs. Also, kinetic and inhibition studies were conducted using THP-1 cells. Western Blot was performed to determine the level of ATF-2 phosphorylation in THP-1 cells, and ELISA assays were carried out to measure TNF-alpha, MCP-1, IL-1beta and IL-8 levels in PBMCs.

KEY FINDINGS

In THP-1 cells, the uptake of javamide-I/-II esters was significantly higher than javamide-I/-II (P < 0.001), and the K_m for javamide-I ester was 27 μM. Also, the uptake of the esters was inhibited by PepT2 substrate/blocker. In THP-1 cells, javamide-I/-II esters were also biotransformed into javamide-I/-II. Furthermore, javamide-I ester could inhibit ATF-2 phosphorylation better than javamide-I in the cells, suggesting that the ester could be transported inside the cells better than javamide-I. Similarly, javamide-I/-II esters were found to be transported and biotransformed in PBMCs involved in inflammation processes. As anticipated, the esters were found to inhibit TNF-alpha and MCP-1 significantly in PBMCs (P < 0.005). Especially, javamide-I ester inhibited TNF-alpha, MCP-1, IL-1beta and IL-8 with IC₅₀ values of 1.79, 0.88, 0.91 and 2.57 μM in PBMCs.

SIGNIFICANCE

Javamide-I/-II esters can be transported, biotransformed and inhibit inflammatory cytokines significantly in monocyte/macrophage-like cells, suggesting that they may be utilized as a potent cell-permeable carrier to inhibit inflammatory cytokines in the cells.

CHEMICAL COMPOUNDS

Javamide-I, javamide-I-O-methyl ester, javamide-II, javamide-II-O-methyl ester, tryptophan, coumaric acid, caffeic acid, GlySar, enalapril.

Kahweol Found in Coffee Inhibits IL-2 Production Via Suppressing the Phosphorylations of ERK and c-Fos in Lymphocytic Jurkat Cells

Interleukin-2 (IL-2) is a cytokine involved in the development and maturation of the subsets of T cells, critically associated with the progression of several immune-related diseases (e.g. liver disease, bowel disease). Interestingly, a recent study suggests that coffee may contain several compounds to inhibit IL-2 expression in activated T-lymphocytic cells. However, there is little information about the potential effects of several coffee compounds (e.g. kahweol, cafestol, trigonelline, niacin and chlorogenic acids) on IL-2 expression in activated T-lymphocytic cells. Therefore, in this paper, their effects on IL-2 expression were evaluated in PHA/PMA-activated lymphocytic Jurkat cells. Among the tested compounds, only kahweol and cafestol were able to reduce IL-2 production significantly in the cells (p < 0.05). However, the inhibition of kahweol was a bit stronger than cafestol. Therefore, the molecular mechanism underlying the IL-2 inhibition was investigated using kahweol. Kahweol (≤ 20 µM) was able to inhibit the phosphorylations of ERK and c-Fos (p < 0.05) with little effects on p38 and JNK phosphorylations in the Jurkat cells. Subsequently, the inhibition of ERK/c-Fos led to the reduction of IL-2 mRNA expression in the Jurkat cells. In summary, the data suggest that kahweol may be a potential coffee compound to reduce IL-2 production via inhibiting the phosphorylations of ERK/c-Fos in PHA/PMA-activated lymphocytic Jurkat cells.

Javamide-II Inhibits IL-6 without Significant Impact on TNF-alpha and IL-1beta in Macrophage-Like Cells

The main aim of this study is to find a therapeutic compound to inhibit IL-6, not TNF-alpha and IL-1beta, in macrophage-like cells, because the high-levels of IL-6 production by macrophages are reported to cause unfavorable outcomes under several disease conditions (e.g., autoimmune diseases, and acute viral infections, including COVID-19). In this study, the potential effects of javamide-II on IL-6, IL-1beta and TNF-alpha productions were determined using their ELISA kits in macrophage-like THP-1 cells. Western blots were also performed using the same cells, to determine its effects on signaling pathways (ERK, p38, JNK, c-Fos, ATF-2, c-Jun and NF-κB p65). At concentrations of 0.2–40 µM, javamide-II inhibited IL-6 production significantly in the THP-1 cells (IC₅₀ of 0.8 µM) (P < 0.02). However, javamide-II did not inhibit IL-1beta or TNF-alpha productions much at the same concentrations. In addition, the treatment of javamide-II decreased the phosphorylation of p38 without significant effects on ERK and JNK phosphorylations in the THP-1 cells. Furthermore, the p38 inhibition, followed by the reduction of ATF-2 phosphorylation (not c-Fos, c-Jun or NF-κB p65), led to the suppression of IL-6 mRNA expression in the cells (P < 0.02). The data indicate that javamide-II may be a potent compound to inhibit IL-6 production via suppressing the p38 signal pathway, without significant effects on the productions of TNF-alpha and IL-1beta in macrophage-like THP-1 cells.

Development and Validation of Novel Dietary and Lifestyle Inflammation Scores

BACKGROUND

Chronically higher inflammation, which may partly result from diet and lifestyle, is implicated in risk for multiple chronic diseases. The dietary inflammatory index (DII) and empirical dietary inflammatory pattern (EDIP), developed to characterize dietary contributions to systemic inflammation, have several limitations. There are no scores to characterize contributions of lifestyle to inflammation.

OBJECTIVES

To reflect dietary/lifestyle contributions to inflammation, we developed novel, inflammation biomarker panel-weighted, dietary (DIS) and lifestyle (LIS) inflammation scores in a subset (n = 639) of the Reasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke Study (REGARDS) cohort.

METHODS

We selected a priori 19 food groups and 4 lifestyle characteristics to comprise the DIS and LIS, respectively. We calculated the components' weights based on their strengths of association with an inflammation biomarker score [comprising high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP), IL-6, IL-8, and IL-10] using multivariable linear regression. The sums of the weighted components constitute the scores, such that higher scores reflect, on balance, more proinflammatory exposures. We calculated the DIS, LIS, DII, and EDIP with cross-sectional data from the remaining REGARDS cohort (  n = 14,210 with hsCRP measurements) and 2 other study populations with hsCRP and/or an 8-component inflammation biomarker panel, and investigated their associations with circulating inflammation biomarker concentrations using multivariable logistic regression.

RESULTS

In REGARDS, those in the highest relative to the lowest DIS, LIS, DII, and EDIP quintiles had statistically significant 1.66-, 4.29-, 1.56-, and 1.32-fold higher odds of a high hsCRP concentration (>3 mg/dL), respectively (all P-trend < 0.001). Those in the highest relative to the lowest joint DIS/LIS quintile had a statistically significant 7.26-fold higher odds of a high hsCRP concentration. Similar findings were noted in the other 2 validation populations.

CONCLUSION

Our results support that dietary and lifestyle exposures collectively contribute substantially to systemic inflammation, and support the use of our novel DIS and LIS.