Sesamin promotes angiogenesis and accelerates wound healing in rats via alleviates TBHP-induced apoptosis in human umbilical vein endothelial cells

Byproducts of Sesame Oil Extraction: Composition, Function, and Comprehensive Utilization

Sesame is principally used to generate oil, which is produced by chemical refining or pressing. Sesame meal, as a main byproduct of sesame oil extraction, is usually discarded, causing resource waste and economic loss. Sesame meal is rich in sesame protein and three types of sesame lignans (sesamin, sesamolin, and sesamol). Sesame protein extracted via a physical method and an enzymic method has balanced amino acid composition and is an important protein source, and thus it is often added to animal feed and used as a human dietary supplement. Extracted sesame lignan exhibits multiple biological activities such as antihypertensive, anticancer, and cholesterol-lowering activities, and therefore it is used to improve the oxidative stability of oils. This review summarizes the extraction methods, functional activities, and comprehensive utilization of four active substances (sesame protein, sesamin, sesamolin, and sesamol) in sesame meal with the aim to provide theoretical guidance for the maximum utilization of sesame meal.

Tumor-targeted induction of intrinsic apoptosis in colon cancer cells by Lactobacillus plantarum and Lactobacillus rhamnosus strains

BACKGROUND

Colorectal cancer is one of the widespread and lethal types of malignancies. Recently, antineoplastic attributes of probiotics have attracted lots of attention. Here, we investigated anti-proliferative potential of the non-pathogenic strains Lactobacillus plantarum ATCC 14,917 and Lactobacillus rhamnosus ATCC 7469 on human colorectal adenocarcinoma-originated Caco-2 cells.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Caco-2 and HUVEC control cells were treated with ethyl acetate extracts of the two Lactobacillus strains to assess cell viability by MTT assay. Annexin/PI staining flow cytometry, and caspase-3, -8 and - 9 activity assays were performed to determine the type of cell death induced in extract-treated cells. Expression levels of apoptosis-related genes were evaluated by RT-PCR. Extracts from both L. plantarum and L. rhamnosus specifically targeted the Caco-2 cells and not HUVEC controls, and significantly affected the viability of the colon cancer cell line in a time- and dose-dependent manner. This effect was shown to occur through activation of the intrinsic apoptosis pathway, as indicated by the increased caspase-3 and - 9 activities. While there are limited and conflicting data about the mechanisms underlying the specific antineoplastic attributes of Lactobacillus strains, we clarified the overall induced mechanism. The Lactobacillus extracts specifically down-regulated the expression of the anti-apoptotic bcl-2 and bcl-xl, and simultaneously up-regulated the pro-apoptotic bak, bad, and bax genes in treated Caco-2 cells.

CONCLUSIONS

Ethyl acetate extracts of L. plantarum and L. rhamnosus strains could be considered as targeted anti-cancer treatments specifically inducing the intrinsic apoptosis pathway in colorectal tumor cells.

Polyester-releasing sesamin by electrospinning technique for the application of bone tissue engineering

Sesamin, a significant lignin compound isolated from sesame (Sesamum indicum Linn), is well known for its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and tissue growth promotion properties. Bioabsorbable poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) is also a well-known polymer applied to various fields of medicine as biomaterials. The main objective of this research was to produce a prototype material from PCL and sesamin by electrospinning technique for bone tissue engineering applications. Dichloromethane and dimethylformamide (7:3) mixture was used as the solvent system for fabrication of PCL nanofiber with different loads of sesamin concentrations (1–6 wt%). The crystallinity levels decreasing and the entrapment efficiency increasing (86.87%–93.97%) were observed while sesamin concentrations were increased. The infrared spectra of electrospun mats confirmed that sesamin corporated into fibrous networks. The sesamin-loaded PCL nanofibrous membranes showed a significant release of sesamin in the range of 1.28–8.16 μg/mL within 10 weeks. The release data were fitted to zero order, first order, Higuchi and Korsmeyer-Peppas models to evaluate sesamin-releasing mechanisms and kinetics. The releasing kinetics of sesamin followed the Fickian diffusion mechanism of Korsmeyer-Peppas (R² = 0.99). In vitro experiments with an osteosarcoma cell line (MG-63) revealed cell attachment, biocompatibility, and promotion of bone marker expression, the alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity were studied. The electrospun PCL nanofiber loaded with sesamin had the potential as a scaffold for sesamin delivery to bone cells and applications in biomedicine.

A Comprehensive Review on Distribution, Pharmacological Properties, and Mechanisms of Action of Sesamin

Sesamin is a kind of fat-soluble lignan extracted from sesame seeds or other plants. It has attracted more and more attention because of its extensive pharmacological activities. In this study, we systematically summarized the pharmacological activities of sesamin including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, protection of liver and kidney, prevention of diabetes, hypertension, and atherosclerosis. Studies focus on the abilities of sesamin to attenuate oxidative stress by reducing the levels of ROS and MDA, to inhibit the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, etc.), and to induce apoptosis and autophagy in cancer cells through a variety of signaling pathways such as NF-κB, JNK, p38 MAPK, PI3K/AKT, caspase-3, and p53. By inhibiting the production of ROS, sesamin can also enhance the biological activities of NO in blood vessels, improve endothelial dysfunction and hypertension, and change the process of atherosclerotic lesion formation. In line with this, the various pharmacological properties of sesamin have been discussed in this review so that we can have a deeper understanding of the pharmacological activities of sesamin and clear the future development direction of sesamin.

tert-Butyl Hydroperoxide (tBHP)-Induced Lipid Peroxidation and Embryonic Defects Resemble Glucose-6-Phosphate Dehydrogenase (G6PD) Deficiency in C. elegans

G6PD is required for embryonic development in animals, as severe G6PD deficiency is lethal to mice, zebrafish and nematode. Lipid peroxidation is linked to membrane-associated embryonic defects in Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans). However, the direct link between lipid peroxidation and embryonic lethality has not been established. The aim of this study was to delineate the role of lipid peroxidation in gspd-1-knockdown (ortholog of g6pd) C. elegans during reproduction. tert-butyl hydroperoxide (tBHP) was used as an exogenous inducer. Short-term tBHP administration reduced brood size and enhanced germ cell death in C. elegans. The altered phenotypes caused by tBHP resembled GSPD-1 deficiency in C. elegans. Mechanistically, tBHP-induced malondialdehyde (MDA) production and stimulated calcium-independent phospholipase A₂ (iPLA) activity, leading to disturbed oogenesis and embryogenesis. The current study provides strong evidence to support the notion that enhanced lipid peroxidation in G6PD deficiency promotes death of germ cells and impairs embryogenesis in C. elegans.