Protective role of taurine in developing offspring affected by maternal alcohol consumption

Enhancing the antioxidant properties of functional herbal beverages using Ultrasonic-Assisted extraction: Optimized formulation and synergistic combinations of taurine and vit. C

Functional herbal beverages are gaining popularity in the beverage industry due to their natural antioxidants. However, the high concentration of antioxidants in these beverages can lead to increased toxicity, limiting their use. Moreover, the composition of tap water, including mineral salts and hydrogen carbonate ions, hampers the extraction process of polyphenolic compounds, thereby reducing the antioxidant properties. This study aims to address these challenges by enhancing antioxidant properties, reducing toxic effects, and improving the extraction process. Low-dose herbal extracts of green tea, rosemary, milk thistle, and sage were extracted using 100 ml of boiling water as a solvent, with ultrasonication employed for 20 min. Taurine, vit. C, and their combination were added to the extracts. The antioxidant properties, polyphenol, and flavonoid content were evaluated. The results demonstrated that the low-dose herbal tea combined with taurine and vit. C exhibited higher antioxidant activity compared to high-dose tea. Notably, the combination of taurine and vit. C showed the strongest synergistic effect. The addition of vit. C to these combinations eliminated any antagonism and resulted in a robust synergistic effect. The optimal conditions for enhancing antioxidant properties were determined as follows: an herbal type of 0.030 ≈ 0 (sage), vit. C concentration of 0.045 g/100 ml, and taurine concentration of 0.179 g/100 ml. The measured responses for reducing power, DPPH, and ABTS were 0.152 μg vit. C equivalent/ml, 67.778 %, and 87.630 %, respectively. This study provides valuable insights into optimizing the antioxidant properties of herbal beverages through the synergistic combinations of taurine and vit. C. By employing proper preparation techniques and including taurine and vit. C, the antioxidant capacity of these beverages can be significantly improved, potentially offering health benefits against degenerative diseases.

Role of Dietary Amino Acids and Nutrient Sensing System in Pregnancy Associated Disorders

Defective implantation is related to pregnancy-associated disorders such as spontaneous miscarriage, intrauterine fetal growth restriction and others. Several factors proclaimed to be involved such as physiological, nutritional, environmental and managemental that leads to cause oxidative stress. Overloading of free radicals promotes oxidative stress, and the internal body system could not combat its ability to encounter the damaging effects and subsequently leading to pregnancy-related disorders. During pregnancy, essential amino acids display important role for optimum fetal growth and other necessary functions for continuing fruitful pregnancy. In this context, dietary amino acids have received much attention regarding the nutritional concerns during pregnancy. Arginine, glutamine, tryptophan and taurine play a crucial role in fetal growth, development and survival while ornithine and proline are important players for the regulation of gene expression, protein synthesis and angiogenesis. Moreover, amino acids also stimulate the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway which plays a central role in the synthesis of proteins in placenta, uterus and fetus. This review article explores the significances of dietary amino acids in pregnancy development, regulation of nutrient-sensing pathways such as mTOR, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs), insulin/insulin-like growth factor signaling pathway (IIS) and 5' adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) which exhibit important role in reproduction and its related problems. In addition, the antioxidant function of dietary amino acids against oxidative stress triggering pregnancy disorders and their possible outcomes will also be enlightened. Dietary supplementation of amino acids during pregnancy could help mitigate reproductive disorders and thereby improving fertility in animals as well as humans.

Taurine, caffeine, and energy drinks: Reviewing the risks to the adolescent brain

Energy drinks are emerging as a major component of the beverage market with sales projected to top $60 billion globally in the next five years. Energy drinks contain a variety of ingredients, but many of the top-selling brands include high doses of caffeine and the amino acid taurine. Energy drink consumption by children has raised concerns, due to potential caffeine toxicity. An additional risk has been noted among college-aged consumers of energy drinks who appear at higher risk of over-consumption of alcohol when the two drinks are consumed together. The differential and combinatorial effects of caffeine and taurine on the developing brain are reviewed here with an emphasis on the adolescent brain, which is still maturing. Key data from animal studies are summarized to highlight both reported benefits and adverse effects reported following acute and chronic exposures. The data suggest that age is an important factor in both caffeine and taurine toxicity. Although the aged or diseased brain might benefit from taurine or caffeine supplementation, it appears that adolescents are not likely to benefit from supplementation and may, in fact, suffer ill effects from chronic ingestion of high doses. Additional work is needed though to address gaps in our understanding of how taurine affects females, since the majority of animal studies focused exclusively on male subjects.