The Efficacy of Processing Strategies on the Gastroprotective Potentiality of Chenopodium quinoa Seeds

The role of stinging nettle (Urtica dioica L.) in the management of rotenone-induced Parkinson's disease in rats

Parkinson's disease (PD) is one of the most common neurodegenerative conditions. Alpha-synuclein deposition, Lewy bodies (LBs) formation, disruption of the autophagic machinery, apoptosis of substantia nigra dopaminergic neurons, oxidative stress, and neuroinflammation are all pathologic hallmarks of PD. The leaves of the stinging Nettle (Urtica dioica L.) have a long history as an herbal cure with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, immunomodulatory, and neuroprotective properties. The current study aims for the first time to investigate the role of Nettle supplementation on Rotenone-induced PD. Rats were divided into five groups; a Saline control, Nettle control (100 mg/kg/day), Rotenone control (2 mg/kg/day), Rotenone + Nettle (50 mg /kg/day), and Rotenone + Nettle (100 mg/kg). After four weeks, the rats were examined for behavioral tests. The midbrains were investigated for histopathological alteration and immunohistochemical reaction for Tyrosine hydroxylase in the dopaminergic neurons, α-synuclein for Lewy bodies, caspase 3 for apoptotic neurons, LC3 and P62 for autophagic activity. Midbrain homogenates were examined for oxidative stress markers. mRNA expression of TNFα and Il6; inflammatory markers, Bcl-2, BAX and Caspase 3; apoptosis markers, were detected in midbrains. The results showed that Nettle caused recovery of midbrain dopaminergic neurons, by inhibiting apoptosis, inflammation, and oxidative stress and by restoring the autophagic machinery with clearance of α-synuclein deposits. We can conclude that Nettle is a potentially effective adjuvant in the treatment of Parkinson's disease.

The Potential Gastro-Protective Effect of Qaysum (Achillea fragrantissima) Against Ethanol-Induced Gastric Ulcer in Wistar Albino Rats

Gastric ulcer (GU) is among the peak prevalent syndromes. This study investigates the defensive properties of Achillea fragrantissima (Forssk.) Sch.Bip. extract (AFE) against ethanol-induced stomach lesions. Twenty-eight rats were allocated into negative control, positive control, AFE + ethanol, and omeprazole ethanol. In serum and gastric homogenates, oxidative stress displays (e.g., malondialdehyde (MDA), decreased glutathione (GSH), superoxide dismutase enzyme (SOD), and catalase enzyme (CAT)) and inflammatory parameters (e.g., tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α)) were estimated. GU markers (gastric lesions, ulcer index (UI), pH) were evaluated, and gastric histopathological examinations were performed. The positive control cluster exhibited severe gastric mucosal injuries, reduced stomach mucus secretion, and pH of gastric content. Furthermore, AFE-pretreated rats displayed meaningfully increased periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) countenance in their stomach epithelial layers. Pretreatment with AFE reduced stomach lesions, UI, MDA, and TNF-α levels, while mucus, pH, CAT, GSH, and SOD levels increased. Stomach examination showed significant improvement in gastric mucosa reduced edema and leukocyte infiltration of the submucosal level in pretreatment with the AFE and omeprazole groups versus the ethanol group. Additionally, AFE extracts increase the intensity of the stomach epithelium's PAS. The acute toxicity experiment with an advanced dosage of 5 g/kg AFE did not exhibit any signs of toxicity in the rats. In conclusion, the AFE reduced the effect of ethanol on the gastric mucosa, which may be due to its antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties.

Effects of Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa) on inflammatory mediators: a systematic review of preclinical studies

The aim of the current systematic review was to gather the researches about the effect of quinoa (chenopodium quinoa) on inflammatory parameters interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α). Search was performed using PubMed, Scopus, WOS, ProQuest, and Google scholar databases without any restriction on language or publication date until July 2022 and search alert services were used to detect novel papers published after the initial search. Only 20 animal and in vitro investigations were eligible for this systematic review. According to in vitro researches and 8 of 14 animal investigations, IL-6, IL-1β, and TNF-α level decreased remarkably after quinoa administration, which indicates the capability of quinoa in alleviating inflammatory factors. Quinoa is favorable but not yet a confirmed agent for alleviating systemic inflammation in inflammatory diseases.