Cardioprotective effect of a biofermented nutraceutical on endothelial function in healthy middle-aged subjects

Oral Administration of Fermented Papaya (FPP®) Controls the Growth of a Murine Melanoma through the In Vivo Induction of a Natural Antioxidant Response

Prolonged oxidative stress may play a key role in tumor development. Antioxidant molecules are contained in many foods and seem to have a potential role in future anti-tumor strategies. Among the natural antioxidants the beneficial effect of Fermented Papaya (FPP^®) is well known. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of orally administered FPP^® in either the prevention or treatment of a murine model of melanoma. The tumor growth was analyzed together with the blood levels of both oxidants (ROS) and anti-oxidants (SOD-1 and GSH). The results showed that FPP^® controlled tumor growth, reducing the tumor mass of about three to seven times vs. untreated mice. The most significant effect was obtained with sublingual administration of FPP^® close to the inoculation of melanoma. At the time of the sacrifice none of mice treated with FPP^® had metastases and the subcutaneous tumors were significantly smaller and amelanotic, compared to untreated mice. Moreover, the FPP^® anti-tumor effect was consistent with the decrease of total ROS levels and the increase in the blood levels of GSH and SOD-1. This study shows that a potent anti-oxidant treatment through FPP^® may contribute to both preventing and inhibiting tumors growth.

Effect of a quality-controlled fermented nutraceutical on skin aging markers: An antioxidant-control, double-blind study

The aim of the present study was to determine whether oral supplementation with a fermented papaya preparation (FPP-treated group) or an antioxidant cocktail (antioxidant-control group, composed of 10 mg trans-resveratrol, 60 µg selenium, 10 mg vitamin E and 50 mg vitamin C) was able to improve the skin antioxidant capacity and the expression of key skin genes, while promoting skin antiaging effects. The study enrolled 60 healthy non-smoker males and females aged 40-65 years, all of whom showed clinical signs of skin aging. The subjects were randomly divided into two matched groups, and were administered FPP or antioxidant treatment of a 4.5 g/day sachet sublingually twice a day for 90 days in a double-blind fashion. The parameters investigated were: Skin surface, brown spots, skin evenness, skin moisturization, elasticity (face), redox balance, nitric oxide (NO) concentration, and the expression levels of key genes (outer forearm sample). As compared with the baseline (day 0) and antioxidant-control values, FPP-treated subjects showed a significant improvement in skin evenness, moisturization and elasticity. The two treatments improved the MDA and SOD skin concentrations, but only the FPP-treated group showed a higher SOD level and a significant NO increase, along with significant upregulation of acquaporin-3 and downregulation of the potentially pro-aging/carcinogenetic cyclophilin-A and CD147 genes (P<0.05). Progerin was unaffected in both treatment groups. In conclusion, these findings suggest that orally-administered FPP showed a consistent biological and gene-regulatory improvement in the skin, as was also demonstrated in previous experimental and clinical trials testing other tissues, while common oral antioxidants had only a minor effect.

Is the serum l-arginine level during early pregnancy a predictor of pregnancy-induced hypertension?

The objective of this study was to determine the concentration of serum l-arginine in healthy pregnant women and infant cord blood and to compare them with those in patients with pregnancy-induced hypertension (PIH). The serum concentration of l-arginine in normal pregnant women at early gestation (n = 186) was determined and analyzed based on maternal factors such as the age, pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI), smoking and alcohol habits before pregnancy. Similarly, the concentration of cord blood of the newborns (n = 142) was also analyzed. These values were compared with those in the PIH group (n = 21). The potential risk factors for PIH were also estimated. The serum concentration of l-arginine at early gestation in normal pregnant women (88.65 ± 19.96 µM) was not affected by the maternal age and BMI before pregnancy. A lower l-arginine concentration at early gestation (<70 µM) significantly elevated PIH risk [adjusted odds ratio (OR) = 4.26, 95% CI 1.29-14.50]. In addition, either women with large body mass before pregnancy (BMI>25 kg/m(2)) or primipara women also showed a significant association with PIH risk [adjusted OR = 10.55 (2.95-40.68); 5.25 (1.72-19.15), respectively]. In conclusion, a lower l-arginine concentration at early gestation, overweight before pregnancy (BMI>25 kg/m(2)) and primipara could predict to the development of PIH.

You're only as old as your arteries: translational strategies for preserving vascular endothelial function with aging

Endothelial dysfunction develops with age and increases the risk of age-associated vascular disorders. Nitric oxide insufficiency, oxidative stress, and chronic low-grade inflammation, induced by upregulation of adverse cellular signaling processes and imbalances in stress resistance pathways, mediate endothelial dysfunction with aging. Healthy lifestyle behaviors preserve endothelial function with aging by inhibiting these mechanisms, and novel nutraceutical compounds that favorably modulate these pathways hold promise as a complementary approach for preserving endothelial health.