Protective effect of oat (Avena sativa) bran extracts on acute hepatic liver damage in mice

Aloe Barbadensis Miller (Aloe Vera)

Aloe Barbadensis Miller (Aloe Vera, AV) is a widely recognized for its diverse health-promoting, skin care, and medicinal properties. This narrative review provides a comprehensive overview of AV's bioactive compounds, pharmacological activities, potential applications, its toxic and adverse effects, as well as the clinical evidence supporting AV's efficacy in disease prevention. AV contains over 200 bioactive compounds, with the inner clear gel of the leaves containing the majority of these compounds. These include phenolic acids (274.5-307.5 mg/100 g), flavonoids. (3.63-4.70 g/kg), polysaccharides (3.82-6.55 g/kg), saponins, alkaloids, terpenoids, and anthraquinone derivatives. Findings from clinical studies involving both humans and animals highlight the therapeutic potential of AV across diverse health domains. The studies demonstrate AV's efficacy in reducing blood glucose levels, exhibiting antioxidant and immunomodulatory effects, inducing apoptosis in cancer cells, protecting the liver from damage, and displaying antimicrobial properties. In the fields of dermatology and dentistry, AV has also been observed to promote skin and oral health. However, it is imperative to acknowledge potential risks, adhere to recommended dosages, and seek guidance from healthcare experts before employing AV as a natural therapeutic option. Moreover, considering safety concerns, further well-designed randomized controlled trials are necessary to substantiate the potential benefits of AV and comprehensively assess any associated risks.

The Multicomponent Medicinal Product Hepar Compositum Reduces Hepatic Inflammation and Fibrosis in a Streptozotocin- and High-Fat Diet-Induced Model of Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease/Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatohepatitis

Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD)-formerly known as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD)-is the most common chronic liver disease worldwide. Since there is currently no approved pharmacotherapy for MASLD, there is an urgent unmet need for efficacious therapeutics for this disease. Hepar compositum (HC-24) is a multicomponent medicinal product that consists of 24 natural ingredients. It has been shown to have anti-inflammatory properties in an obesity-associated MASLD mouse model, but its potential to reduce MASLD-associated fibrosis had not been explored before this study. Here, we investigated the hepatic anti-inflammatory and anti-fibrotic potential of HC-24 in a streptozotocin (STZ)- and high-fat diet (HFD)-induced model of MASLD. Mice received a single injection of low-dose STZ at 2 days of age, followed by HFD feeding from 4 to 9 weeks of age. Mice were treated every second day with HC-24 or daily with the positive control telmisartan from 6 to 9 weeks of age. A non-diseased control group was included as a healthy reference. An explorative small-scale pilot study demonstrated that HC-24 improved liver histology, resulting in a lower NAFLD activity score and reduced liver fibrosis. A subsequent full study confirmed these effects and showed that HC-24 reduced hepatic inflammation, specifically reducing T helper cell and neutrophil influx, and decreased hepatic fibrosis (with qualitatively reduced collagen type I and type III immunopositivity) in the absence of an effect on body and liver weight, blood glucose or liver steatosis. These results show that HC-24 has hepatoprotective, anti-inflammatory, and anti-fibrotic properties in an STZ- and HFD-induced model of MASLD/MASH, suggesting that this multicomponent medicine has therapeutic potential for MASLD patients.

Improving the adsorption characteristics and antioxidant activity of oat bran by superfine grinding

Oat bran (OB) is a by-product of oat, which is rich in β-glucan. As a new food processing technology, ultrafine powder can improve the surface properties of samples. OB with different grinding times was prepared, and its functional components, physical properties, adsorption properties, and antioxidant properties were evaluated. Results showed that with increased grinding times, the average particle size of OB decreased significantly (p < .05). And the water-holding capacity, swelling capacity, and water solubility index of OB increased significantly (p < .05), whereas the animal and vegetable oil-holding capacities decreased. Oat bran could adsorb cholic acid and glucose, which was related to the time of superfine grinding. In addition, the antioxidant capacity of OB was improved after superfine grinding. Related analysis shows that there was significant positive relationship between β-glucan, polyphenols and soluble dietary fibers and antioxidant indicators (p < .05). The Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) results showed that the FTIR spectra of OB powder with different crushing times were similar. On the basis of the above analyses, it is suggested that OB prepared by superfine grinding for 5 min had good physical and chemical properties and antioxidant properties and is widely used in food.