Oral administration of wild plant-derived minerals and red ginseng ameliorates insulin resistance in fish through different pathways

Many kinds of fish are characterized by a limited efficiency to use carbohydrates. For this reason, raw fish and mixed feed containing a lot of fish meal have been used as feed for fish farming. However, continuing to use high-protein diets not only increases the cost of fish farming, but may also fuel animal protein shortages. Furthermore, carbohydrates are added to improve the texture of the feed and act as a binding agent and are usually contained at 20% in the feed. It makes sense, therefore, to find ways to make good use of carbohydrates rather than wasting them. The physiological mechanisms of glucose intolerance in fish are not yet well understood. Therefore, we investigated the glucose utilization of fish, omnivorous goldfish Carassius auratus and carnivorous rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss. Furthermore, the effects of oral administration of wild plant-derived minerals and red ginseng on the glucose utilization in these fish muscle cells were investigated. As a result, we found the following. (1) An extremely high insulin resistance in fish muscle and the symptom was more pronounced in carnivorous rainbow trout. (2) Administration of wild plant-derived minerals promotes the translocation of the insulin-responsive glucose transporter GLUT4 to the cell surface of white muscle via activation of the PI3 kinase axis, whereas administration of red ginseng not only promotes GLUT4 transfer and translocation to the cell surface of white muscle via AMPK activation as well as promoting glucose uptake into muscle cells via a pathway separate from the insulin signaling system. (3) In fish, at least goldfish and rainbow trout, both PI3K/Akt and AMPK signaling cascades exist to promote glucose uptake into muscle cells, as in mammals.

Current Research on Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles: Synthesis, Characterization, and Biomedical Applications

Zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs) have piqued the curiosity of researchers all over the world due to their extensive biological activity. They are less toxic and biodegradable with the capacity to greatly boost pharmacophore bioactivity. ZnO-NPs are the most extensively used metal oxide nanoparticles in electronic and optoelectronics because of their distinctive optical and chemical properties which can be readily modified by altering the morphology and the wide bandgap. The biosynthesis of nanoparticles using extracts of therapeutic plants, fungi, bacteria, algae, etc., improves their stability and biocompatibility in many biological settings, and its biofabrication alters its physiochemical behavior, contributing to biological potency. As such, ZnO-NPs can be used as an effective nanocarrier for conventional drugs due to their cost-effectiveness and benefits of being biodegradable and biocompatible. This article covers a comprehensive review of different synthesis approaches of ZnO-NPs including physical, chemical, biochemical, and green synthesis techniques, and also emphasizes their biopotency through antibacterial, antifungal, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, antioxidant, antiviral, wound healing, and cardioprotective activity. Green synthesis from plants, bacteria, and fungus is given special attention, with a particular emphasis on extraction techniques, precursors used for the synthesis and reaction conditions, characterization techniques, and surface morphology of the particles.

The impact of zinc on the molecular signaling pathways in the diabetes disease

Since there's been an upsurge in people with diabetes or pre-diabetes conditions, many studies have been conducted to evaluate approaches for reducing the complications of diabetes. One of the most common therapeutic elements suggested for this purpose is zinc (Zn). Zn has long been shown to positively improve complications of both type 1 and type 2 diabetes. This review aims to provide comprehensive information about the influence of Zn on the various signaling pathways in multiple tissues with diabetic conditions, with great attention to the treatment period and effective dose of Zn.

Nutritional Effects of Zinc on Metabolic Syndrome and Type 2 Diabetes: Mechanisms and Main Findings in Human Studies

Zinc (Zn) plays crucial roles in mammalian metabolism. There is increasing interest about the potential beneficial effects of Zn on the prevention or treatment of non-communicable diseases. This review critically analyzes the information related to the role of Zn on the metabolic syndrome (MetS) as well as type 2 diabetes (T2D), and summarizes the biological basis of these potential effects of Zn. There are several mechanisms by which Zn may help to prevent the development or progression of MetS and T2D, respectively. Zn is involved in both insulin secretion and action in peripheral tissues. Specifically, Zn has insulin-mimetic properties that increase the activity of the insulin signaling pathway. Zn modulates long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids levels through its action on the absorption of essential fatty acids in the intestine and its subsequent desaturation. Zn is also involved in both the assembly of chylomicrons and lipoproteins as well as their clearance, and thus, plays a role in lipolysis regulation. Finally, Zn has been found to play a role in redox metabolism, and in turn, on blood pressure. The evidence related to the association between Zn status and occurrence of MetS is inconsistent. Although there are several studies reporting an inverse relationship between Zn status or dietary Zn intake and MetS prevalence, others found a direct relationship between Zn status and MetS prevalence. Intervention studies also provide confusing information about this issue, making it hard to reach firm conclusions. Zn as part of the treatment for patients with T2D has been shown to have positive responses in terms of glucose control outcomes, but only among those with Zn deficiency.

Therapeutic Application of Zinc and Vanadium Complexes against Diabetes Mellitus a Coronary Disease: A review

During the last two decades, number of peoples suffering from diabetes has increased from 30-230 million globally. Today, seven out of the ten top countries are suffering from diabetes, are emergent countries. Due to alarming situations of diabetes, chemists and pharmacist are continuously searching and synthesizing new potent therapeutics to treat this disease. Now a days, considerable attention is being paid to the chemistry of the metal-drug interactions. Metals and their organic based complexes are being used clinically for various ailments. In this review, a comprehensive discussion about synthesis and diabetic evaluation of zinc and vanadium complex is summarized.

Zinc oxide nanoparticles show antidiabetic activity in streptozotocin-induced Type 1 and 2 diabetic rats

Aim: The correlation of diabetes and an imbalance in zinc homeostasis makes zinc-based therapy an attractive proposition. In this study, zinc oxide nanoparticles were evaluated for antidiabetic effects and safety. Materials & methods: Zinc oxide nanoparticles (1, 3 and 10 mg/kg) were tested for antidiabetic activity in streptozotocin-induced Type 1 and 2 diabetic rats. A single-dose pharmacokinetic study, cytotoxicity, hemolysis, acute and subacute toxicity tests, and mechanism-of-action studies were performed. Results: Oral administration of zinc oxide nanoparticles resulted in significant antidiabetic effects – that is, improved glucose tolerance, higher serum insulin (70%), reduced blood glucose (29%), reduced nonesterified fatty acids (40%) and reduced triglycerides (48%). Nanoparticles were systemically absorbed resulting in elevated zinc levels in the liver, adipose tissue and pancreas. Increased insulin secretion and superoxide dismutase activity were also seen in rat insulinoma (RIN-5F) cells. Nanoparticles were safe up to a 300 mg/kg dose in rats. Conclusion: Zinc oxide nanoparticles are a promising antidiabetic agent warranting further studies.

Original submitted 9 July 2012; Revised submitted 27 November 2012; Published online 21 February 2013

Inductively coupled plasma-MS in drug development: bioanalytical aspects and applications

The vast majority of today's modern bioanalytical methods for pharmacokinetic, pharmacodynamic and immunogenicity purposes are based on LC-MS/MS and immunoanalytical approaches. Indeed, these methodologies are suitable for a wide range of molecules from small to large. For a smaller but not insignificant group of compounds, LC-MS/MS is not suitable - or in some cases much less suitable - as a reliable bioanalytical methodology, and inductively coupled plasma (ICP)-MS is a more appropriate methodology. ICP-MS is one of these less widely used techniques in drug development. This methodology is predominantly used for elemental bioanalysis for pharmacokinetics, for imaging purposes, for mass-balance, food-effect and biomarker studies. In addition, in the last couple of years an increasing number of applications has been published, where ICP-MS and its various hyphenations (LC-ICP-MS, CE-ICP-MS) have been used for speciation/metabolism and proteomics studies. Here, the analytical potential, the quantitative bioanalytical aspects, the various modes of operation and the challenges of the application of ICP-MS in life sciences applications are given. This includes an overview of recent applications in this area in scientific literature, the various hyphenation possibilities and their application areas and the analysis of the various sample matrices applicable to these fields. It also provides a brief outlook of where the potential of this technique lies in the future of regulated bioanalysis and drug development.