Aromatic aldehyde compound cuminaldehyde protects nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in rats feeding high fat diet

Exploring the therapeutic potential of Anastatica hierochuntica essential oil in DSS-induced colitis

The aim of this investigation was to explore the protective impacts and mechanisms of Anastatica hierochuntica essential oil (EOAH) against dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced experimental colitis in mice. EOAH demonstrated a reduction in DSS-induced body weight decline, disease activity index (DAI), colon length reduction, colonic tissue damage, and myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity. The essential oil significantly mitigated the production of pro-inflammatory agents including TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-12. Further analysis revealed that EOAH's anti-inflammatory effects involved the regulation of NF-κB and PPARγ pathways, as well as the inhibition of NLRP3 activation in colitis mice. Notably, EOAH treatment elevated the levels of beneficial commensal bacteria such as Lactobacillus and Bifidobacteria, while reducing Escherichia coli levels in the mice's feces. In addition, EOAH restored the expression of occludin and ZO-1 proteins in colonic tissues affected by ulcerative colitis (UC). These findings indicate that supplementing with EOAH might offer a novel therapeutic approach for UC prevention.

The association between aldehydes exposure and female infertility: A cross-sectional study from NHANES

Environmental pollutants could be implicated in the cause of female infertility beyond traditional factors. Until now, no study has focused on the association of environmental exposure to aldehydes with female infertility. This study intended to investigate the possible impact of serum levels of aldehyde on female infertility. A cross-sectional study was performed on 516 nationally representative participants from 2013 to 2014 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) in US. Multivariate logistic regression models and restricted cubic splines were used to examine the association between serum levels of aldehydes and the risk of female infertility. Women in the highest tertile of exposure to benzaldehyde had a 66% (odds ratio [OR] = 0.34, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.14-0.79) lower risk of infertility compared to those in the lowest tertile, after adjusting for other variables. Restricted cubic spline indicated a linear and negative association of benzaldehyde with female infertility (p for nonlinearity = 0.74), while other aldehydes did not exhibit a significant correlation. In summary, this cross-sectional study indicates that higher benzaldehyde level correlated with a lower rate of female infertility, which could help guide future research and contribute to the development of interventions to prevent or treat infertility and improve reproductive health outcomes.

Association between serum aldehyde concentrations and metabolic syndrome in adults

The relationship between aldehyde exposure and metabolic syndrome is unclear; hence, we aimed to investigate the association between serum aldehyde concentrations and metabolic syndrome. We analyzed the data of 1471 participants from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey enrolled from 2013 to 2014. The association of serum aldehyde concentrations with metabolic syndrome was assessed via generalized linear models as well as restricted cubic splines, and endpoint events were further analyzed. After adjusting for covariates, both moderate (odds ratio [OR] = 2.73, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.34-5.56) and high (OR = 2.08, 95% CI: 1.06-4.07) concentrations of isovaleraldehyde were associated with the risk of metabolic syndrome. Interestingly, although a moderate concentration of valeraldehyde was associated with the risk of metabolic syndrome (OR = 1.08, 95% CI: 0.70-1.65), a high concentration was not (OR = 0.55, 95% CI: 0.17-1.79). Restricted cubic splines revealed a non-linear association between valeraldehyde and metabolic syndrome, and threshold effect analysis revealed that the inflection point for valeraldehyde concentration was 0.7 ng/mL. The results of the subgroup analysis revealed differences in the relationship of aldehyde exposure with components of metabolic syndrome. High isovaleraldehyde concentrations may increase the risk of metabolic syndrome, and valeraldehyde demonstrated a J-shaped relationship with the risk of metabolic syndrome.

Nontargeted metabolomics reveals the potential mechanism underlying the association between birthweight and metabolic disturbances

AIMS

The aim of this study was to characterize the metabolites associated with small- and large-gestational-age newborns in maternal and cord blood, and to investigate potential mechanisms underlying the association between birthweight and metabolic disturbances.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

We recorded detailed anthropometric data of mother-offspring dyads. Untargeted metabolomic assays were performed on 67 pairs of cord blood and maternal fasting plasma samples including 16 pairs of small-for-gestational (SGA, < 10th percentile) dyads, 28 pairs of appropriate-for-gestational (AGA, approximate 50 percentile) dyads, and 23 pairs of large-for-gestational (LGA, > 90th percentile) dyads. The association of metabolites with newborn birthweight was conducted to screen for metabolites with U-shaped and line-shaped distributions. The association of metabolites with maternal and fetal phenotypes was also performed.

RESULTS

We found 2 types of metabolites that changed in different patterns according to newborn birthweight. One type of metabolite exhibited a "U-shaped" trend of abundance fluctuation in the SGA-AGA-LGA groups. The results demonstrated that cuminaldehyde level was lower in the SGA and LGA groups, and its abundance in cord blood was negatively correlated with maternal BMI (r = -0.352 p = 0.009) and weight gain (r = -0.267 p = 0.043). 2-Methoxy-estradiol-17b 3-glucuronide, which showed enrichment in the SGA and LGA groups, was positively correlated with homocysteine (r = 0.44, p < 0.001) and free fatty acid (r = 0.42, p < 0.001) in maternal blood. Serotonin and 13(S)-HODE were the second type of metabolites, denoted as "line-shaped", which both showed increasing trends in the SGA-AGA-LGA groups in both maternal and cord blood and were both significantly positively correlated with maternal BMI before pregnancy. Moreover, cuminaldehyde, serotonin, 13(S)-HODE and some lipid metabolites showed a strong correlation between maternal and cord blood.

CONCLUSIONS

These investigations demonstrate broad-scale metabolomic differences associated with newborn birthweight in both pregnant women and their newborns. The U-shaped metabolites associated with both the SGA and LGA groups might explain the U-shaped association between birthweight and metabolic dysregulation. The line-shaped metabolites might participate in intrauterine growth regulation. These observations might help to provide new insights into the insulin resistance and the risk of metabolic disturbance of SGA and LGA babies in adulthood and might identify potential new markers for adverse newborn outcomes in pregnant women.

Aqueous Extract from Cuminum cyminum L. Seed Alleviates Ovalbumin-Induced Allergic Rhinitis in Mouse via Balancing of Helper T Cells

Cuminum cyminum L. (cumin) seeds are widely used as a spice. Although we previously reported that the aqueous extract of cumin seeds suppresses the degranulation of rat basophilic RBL-2H3 cells, it has not been clarified whether the extract alleviates actual allergy symptoms in vivo. Therefore, in this study, we investigated the effect of oral administration of cumin seed aqueous extract (CAE) in ovalbumin (OVA)-induced allergic rhinitis. BALB/c mice were randomly divided into the following three groups: control group (five mice), OVA group (five mice), and OVA + CAE group (five mice). Allergic rhinitis was induced by sensitization (intraperitoneal, 25 μg OVA and 1.98 mg aluminum hydroxide gel) followed by challenge (intranasal, 400 μg OVA). The oral administration of CAE (25 mg/kg) reduced the sneezing frequency of OVA-induced allergic rhinitis model mice. In addition to reducing the serum immunoglobulin E and IL-4 levels, the oral administration of CAE reduced the production of T-helper type-2 (Th2) cytokines (IL-4, IL-5, IL-10, and IL-13) in the splenocytes of the model mice. Furthermore, a significant increase in the ratio of Th1 to Th2 cells was observed in the CAE-administered group. Our findings suggest that the ingestion of CAE improves T cell balance, the dominant state of Th2, and alleviates allergic rhinitis symptoms.

Umbelliferose Isolated from Cuminum cyminum L. Seeds Inhibits Antigen-Induced Degranulation in Rat Basophilic Leukemia RBL-2H3 Cells

Cuminum cyminum L. (cumin) is an annual plant of the Umbelliferae family native to Egypt. We previously showed that the aqueous extract of cumin seeds suppresses degranulation by downregulating the activation of antigen-induced intracellular signaling molecules in rat basophilic leukemia RBL-2H3 cells. However, the active substances in the extract have not yet been identified. Accordingly, herein, we aimed to ascertain the water-soluble substances present in cumin seeds that inhibit degranulation, which led to the identification of umbelliferose, a characteristic trisaccharide present in plants of the Umbelliferae family. Our study is the first to reveal the degranulation-suppressing activity of umbelliferose, and quantification studies suggest that cumin seed powder contains 1.6% umbelliferose. Raffinose, an isomer of umbelliferose, was also found to significantly suppress antigen-induced degranulation, but less so than umbelliferose. Both umbelliferose and raffinose contain sucrose subunits in their structures, with galactose moieties bound at different sites. These differences in structure suggest that the binding of galactose to the sucrose subunit at the α1-2 bond contributes to its strong degranulation-inhibiting properties.

Protective Effect and Mechanism of Plant-Based Monoterpenoids in Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Diseases

The protective effect of plant active ingredients against non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is becoming increasingly prominent, and the terpenoids have always been the main active compounds in Chinese herbal medicine exerting hepatoprotective effects. However, the related pharmacological effects, especially for monoterpenoids or iridoid glycosides, which have obvious effects on improvement of NAFLD, have not been systematically analyzed. The objective of this review is to systematically examine the molecular mechanisms of monoterpenoids in NAFLD. The signaling pathways of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor, insulin, nuclear factor κB, toll-like receptor, adipocytokine, RAC-α serine/threonine protein kinase, mammalian target of rapamycin, 5'-AMP-activated protein kinase, and autophagy have been proven to mediate this protective effect. We further compared the experimental data from animal models, including the dosage of these monoterpenoids in detail, and demonstrated that they are effective and safe candidate drugs for NAFLD. This review provides a reference for the development of NAFLD drugs as well as a research guideline for the potential uses of plant monoterpenoids.

The Emerging Role of Nanomedicine in the Management of Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease: A State-of-the-Art Review

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a common chronic liver disease that can lead to end-stage liver disease needing a liver transplant. Many pharmacological approaches are used to reduce the disease progression in NAFLD. However, current strategies remain ineffective to reverse the progression of NAFLD completely. Employing nanoparticles as a drug delivery system has demonstrated significant potential for improving the bioavailability of drugs in the treatment of NAFLD. Various types of nanoparticles are exploited in this regard for the management of NAFLD. In this review, we cover the current therapeutic approaches to manage NAFLD and provide a review of recent up-to-date advances in the uses of nanoparticles for the treatment of NAFLD.

Association of aldehydes exposure with obesity in adults

Environmental pollutants may play a role in the aetiology of obesity beyond conventional factors. The associations between environmental exposure to aldehydes and obesity remain unclear. The objective of this study is to determine whether aldehyde exposure is associated with obesity in adults. We analysed data from 1977 participants in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2013-2014 aged ≥ 18 years. Obesity was assessed through body mass index (BMI) measurements. Generalized linear regression and restricted cubic spline models were analysed to assess the association between aldehydes and outcomes. After multivariable adjustment, isopentanaldehyde was inversely associated with obesity, while no significant association was observed between any other aldehydes and obesity. Compared with the lowest quartile, the adjusted odds ratio (OR) of obesity with a 95% confidence interval (CI) for the highest quartile was 0.50 (0.35, 0.70) for isopentanaldehyde. Analyses using a restricted cubic spline indicated that the association between isopentanaldehyde and obesity is nonlinear. Threshold effect analysis demonstrated that the inflection point of isopentanaldehyde was 1.26 ng/ml. Each 1-fold increase in isopentanaldehyde exhibited an 18% decrease in the odds of obesity (OR 0.82, 95% CI 0.79-1.09) on the left side of the inflection point and an 81% decrease (OR 0.19, 95% CI 0.08-0.45) on the right side of the inflection point. Similar associations were also observed among isopentanaldehyde and abdominal obesity, BMI, and waist circumference. These cross-sectional results show a nonlinear and inverse association between isopentanaldehyde and obesity.

Metabolic and clinical responses to Bunium Persicum (black caraway) supplementation in overweight and obese patients with type 2 diabetes: a double-blind, randomized placebo-controlled clinical trial

Background

Diabetes mellitus is the most common metabolic disorder worldwide. We aimed to determine the metabolic and clinical responses to Bunium Persicum (Black Caraway) supplementation in overweight and obese patients with T2DM.

Methods

Participant recruitment took place in the diabetic clinic of Bu-Ali hospital in Zahedan. Due to the eligibility criteria, 60 participants were randomly placed into two groups, namely placebo (n = 30) and BP (n = 30). The supplementation was considered one 1000 mg capsule 2 times /day BP by meals (lunch and dinner) for 8 weeks. Physical activity levels, dietary intakes, anthropometric measurements [weight, height, and waist circumference], glycemic indices [fasting blood glucose (FBG) and insulin (FBI)], blood lipids [triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c), and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c)], and serum nesfatin-1 level were determined. Homeostasis model assessment-insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), Quantitative insulin sensitivity checks index (QUICKI), and Body Mass Index (BMI) were computed.

Results

In comparison with placebo, BP significantly decreased FBG, HOMA-IR, and BMI (P <  0.05). The differences in the FBI, QUICKI, TG, TC, LDL, HDL, WC, and Nesfatin-1 were not significant (P > 0.05).

Conclusion

BP supplementation improved serum glucose indices and BMI among overweight and obese T2DM patients. Further trials are needed to confirm results.

Trial registration

Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials (IRCT), IRCT20181207041876N1, Registered 18/01/2019, https://irct.ir/trial/35752