Zebrafish as a Useful Model to Study Oxidative Stress-Linked Disorders: Focus on Flavonoids

Rapid altitude displacement induce zebrafish appearing acute high altitude illness symptoms

Rapid ascent to high-altitude areas above 2500 m often leads to acute high altitude illness (AHAI), posing significant health risks. Current models for AHAI research are limited in their ability to accurately simulate the high-altitude environment for drug screening. Addressing this gap, a novel static self-assembled water vacuum transparent chamber was developed to induce AHAI in zebrafish. This study identified 6000 m for 2 h as the optimal condition for AHAI induction in zebrafish. Under these conditions, notable behavioral changes including slow movement, abnormal exploration behavior and static behavior in the Novel tank test. Furthermore, this model demonstrated changes in oxidative stress-related markers included increased levels of malondialdehyde, decreased levels of glutathione, decreased activities of superoxide dismutase and catalase, and increased levels of inflammatory markers IL-6, IL-1β and TNF-α, and inflammatory cell infiltration and mild edema in the gill tissue, mirroring the clinical pathophysiology observed in AHAI patients. This innovative zebrafish model not only offers a more accurate representation of the high-altitude environment but also provides a high-throughput platform for AHAI drug discovery and pathogenesis research.

The uses of zebrafish (Danio rerio) as an in vivo model for toxicological studies: A review based on bibliometrics

An in vivo model is necessary for toxicology. This review analyzed the uses of zebrafish (Danio rerio) in toxicology based on bibliometrics. Totally 56,816 publications about zebrafish from 2002 to 2023 were found in Web of Science Core Collection, with Toxicology as the top 6 among all disciplines. Accordingly, the bibliometric map reveals that "toxicity" has become a hot keyword. It further reveals that the most common exposure types include acute, chronic, and combined exposure. The toxicological effects include behavioral, intestinal, cardiovascular, hepatic, endocrine toxicity, neurotoxicity, immunotoxicity, genotoxicity, and reproductive and transgenerational toxicity. The mechanisms include oxidative stress, inflammation, autophagy, and dysbiosis of gut microbiota. The toxicants commonly evaluated by using zebrafish model include nanomaterials, arsenic, metals, bisphenol, and dioxin. Overall, zebrafish provide a unique and well-accepted model to investigate the toxicological effects and mechanisms. We also discussed the possible ways to address some of the limitations of zebrafish model, such as the combination of human organoids to avoid species differences.

Sirtuins as Players in the Signal Transduction of Citrus Flavonoids

Sirtuins (SIRTs) belong to the family of nicotine adenine dinucleotide (NAD+)-dependent class III histone deacetylases, which come into play in the regulation of epigenetic processes through the deacetylation of histones and other substrates. The human genome encodes for seven homologs (SIRT1-7), which are localized into the nucleus, cytoplasm, and mitochondria, with different enzymatic activities and regulatory mechanisms. Indeed, SIRTs are involved in different physio-pathological processes responsible for the onset of several human illnesses, such as cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases, obesity and diabetes, age-related disorders, and cancer. Nowadays, it is well-known that Citrus fruits, typical of the Mediterranean diet, are an important source of bioactive compounds, such as polyphenols. Among these, flavonoids are recognized as potential agents endowed with a wide range of beneficial properties, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, hypolipidemic, and antitumoral ones. On these bases, we offer a comprehensive overview on biological effects exerted by Citrus flavonoids via targeting SIRTs, which acted as modulator of several signaling pathways. According to the reported studies, Citrus flavonoids appear to be promising SIRT modulators in many different pathologies, a role which might be potentially evaluated in future therapies, along with encouraging the study of those SIRT members which still lack proper evidence on their support.

Bergamot Byproducts: A Sustainable Source to Counteract Inflammation

Chronic inflammation is the result of an acute inflammatory response that fails to eliminate the pathogenic agent or heal the tissue injury. The consequence of this failure lays the foundations to the onset of several chronic ailments, including skin disorders, respiratory and neurodegenerative diseases, metabolic syndrome, and, eventually, cancer. In this context, the long-term use of synthetic anti-inflammatory drugs to treat chronic illnesses cannot be tolerated by patients owing to the severe side effects. Based on this, the need for novel agents endowed with anti-inflammatory effects prompted to search potential candidates also within the plant kingdom, being recognized as a source of molecules currently employed in several therapeutical areas. Indeed, the ever-growing evidence on the anti-inflammatory properties of dietary polyphenols traced the route towards the study of flavonoid-rich sources, such as Citrus bergamia (bergamot) and its derivatives. Interestingly, the recent paradigm of the circular economy has promoted the valorization of Citrus fruit waste and, in regard to bergamot, it brought to light new evidence corroborating the anti-inflammatory potential of bergamot byproducts, thus increasing the scientific knowledge in this field. Therefore, this review aims to gather the latest literature supporting the beneficial role of both bergamot derivatives and waste products in different models of inflammatory-based diseases, thus highlighting the great potentiality of a waste re-evaluation perspective.

J-shaped association of dietary catechins intake with the prevalence of osteoarthritis and moderating effect of physical activity: an American population-based cohort study

Background

Catechins are a class of natural compounds with a variety of health benefits, The relationship between catechins and the prevalence of osteoarthritis (OA) is unknown. This study investigated the associations between daily intake of catechins and the prevalence of OA among American adults and assessed the moderating effect of physical activity (PA).

Methods

This study included 10,039 participants from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2007-2010,2017-2018). The logistic regression, weighted quantile sum (WQS) regression, and restricted cubic spline (RCS) regression models were conducted to explore the associations between daily intake of catechins and the prevalence of OA. Moreover, interaction tests were performed to assess the moderating effect of PA.

Results

After multivariable adjustment, the weighted multivariable logistic regression and RCS regression analyses revealed significant J-shaped non-linear correlations between intakes of epigallocatechin and epigallocatechin 3-gallate had significant associations with the prevalence of OA among in U.S. adults. WQS regression analysis showed that excessive epigallocatechin intake was the most significant risk factor for OA among all subtypes of catechins. In the interaction assay, PA showed a significant moderating effect in the relationship between epigallocatechin intake and OA prevalence.

Conclusions

The intake of gallocatechin and gallocatechin 3-gallate had a significant negative correlation with the prevalence of OA and the dose-response relationship was J-shaped.PA below 150 MET-min/week and the threshold intakes of 32.70mg/d for epigallocatechin and 76.24mg/d for epigallocatechin 3-gallate might be the targets for interventions to reduce the risk of developing OA.

Comparison of Policosanols via Incorporation into Reconstituted High-Density Lipoproteins: Cuban Policosanol (Raydel®) Exerts the Highest Antioxidant, Anti-Glycation, and Anti-Inflammatory Activity

Reconstituted high-density lipoproteins (rHDL) containing each policosanol from Cuba (Raydel®), China (Shaanxi Pioneer), and the United States (Lesstanol®) were synthesized to compare the physiological properties of policosanol depending on sources and origin countries. After synthesis with apolipoproteinA-I (apoA-I) into rHDL, all policosanols bound well with phospholipid and apoA-I to form discoidal rHDL. An rHDL containing Cuban policosanol (rHDL-1) showed the largest rHDL particle size of around 83 ± 3 nm, while rHDL containing Chinese policosanol (rHDL-2) or American policosanol (rHDL-3) showed smaller particles around 63 ± 3 nm and 60 ± 2 nm in diameter, respectively. The rHDL-1 showed the strongest anti-glycation activity to protect the apoA-I degradation of HDL from fructose-mediated glycation: approximately 2.7-times higher ability to suppress glycation and 1.4-times higher protection ability of apoA-I than that of rHDL-2 and rHDL-3. The rHDL-1 showed the highest antioxidant ability to inhibit cupric ion-mediated LDL oxidation in electromobility and the quantification of oxidized species. A microinjection of each rHDL into a zebrafish embryo in the presence of carboxymethyllysine (CML) showed that rHDL-1 displayed the strongest anti-oxidant activity with the highest embryo survivability, whereas rHDL-2 and rHDL-3 showed much weaker protection ability, similar to rHDL alone (rHDL-0). An intraperitoneal injection of CML (250 μg) into adult zebrafish caused acute death and hyperinflammation with an elevation of infiltration of neutrophils and IL-6 production in the liver. On the other hand, a co-injection of rHDL-1 resulted in the highest survivability and the strongest anti-inflammatory ability to suppress IL-6 production with an improvement of the blood lipid profile, such as elevation of HDL-C and lowering of the total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, and triglyceride. In conclusion, Cuban policosanol exhibited the most desirable properties for the in vitro synthesis of rHDL with the stabilization of apoA-I, the largest particle size, anti-glycation against fructation, and antioxidant activities to prevent LDL oxidation. Cuban policosanol in rHDL also exhibited the strongest in vivo antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities with the highest survivability in zebrafish embryos and adults via the prevention of hyperinflammation in the presence of CML.

Zebrafish as model organisms for toxicological evaluations in the field of food science

Food safety has long been an area of concern. The selection of stable and efficient model organisms is particularly important for food toxicology studies. Zebrafish (Danio rerio) are small model vertebrates, and 70% of human genes have at least one zebrafish ortholog. Zebrafish have advantages as model organisms due to their short life cycle, strong reproductive ability, easy rearing, and low cost. Zebrafish embryos have the advantage of being sensitive to the breeding environment and thus have been used as biosensors. Zebrafish and their embryos have been widely used for food toxicology assessments. This review provides a systematic and comprehensive summary of food toxicology studies using zebrafish as model organisms. First, we briefly introduce the multidimensional mechanisms and structure-activity relationship studies of food toxicological assessment. Second, we categorize these studies according to eight types of hazards in foods, including mycotoxins, pesticides, antibiotics, heavy metals, endocrine disruptors, food additives, nanoparticles, and other food-related ingredients. Finally, we list the applications of zebrafish in food toxicology studies in line with future research prospects, aiming to provide a valuable reference for researchers in the field of food science.

Lemon-derived nanovesicles achieve antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects activating the AhR/Nrf2 signaling pathway

In the last years, extracellular vesicles (EVs) from different plant matrices have been isolated and gained the interest of the scientific community for their intriguing biological properties. In this study, we isolated and characterized nanovesicles from lemon juice (LNVs) and evaluated their antioxidant effects. We tested LNV antioxidant activity using human dermal fibroblasts that were pre-treated with LNVs for 24 h and then stimulated with hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) and UVB irradiation. We found that LNV pre-treatment reduced ROS levels in fibroblasts stimulated with H₂O₂ and UVB. This reduction was associated with the activation of the AhR/Nrf2 signaling pathway, whose protein expression and nuclear localization was increased in fibroblasts treated with LNVs. By using zebrafish embryos as in vivo model, we confirmed the antioxidant effects of LNVs. We found that LNVs reduced ROS levels and neutrophil migration in zebrafish embryos stimulated with LPS.

Potential of Tamarind Shell Extract against Oxidative Stress In Vivo and In Vitro

Tamarind shell is rich in flavonoids and exhibits good biological activities. In this study, we aimed to analyze the chemical composition of tamarind shell extract (TSE), and to investigate antioxidant capacity of TSE in vitro and in vivo. The tamarind shells were extracted with 95% ethanol refluxing extraction, and chemical constituents were determined by ultra-performance chromatography-electrospray tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS). The free radical scavenging activity of TSE in vitro was evaluated using the oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) method. The antioxidative effects of TSE were further assessed in 2,2-azobis (2-amidinopropane) dihydrochloride (AAPH)-stimulated ADTC5 cells and tert-butyl hydroperoxide (t-BHP)-exposed zebrafish. A total of eight flavonoids were detected in TSE, including (+)-catechin, taxifolin, myricetin, eriodictyol, luteolin, morin, apigenin, and naringenin, with the contents of 5.287, 8.419, 4.042, 6.583, 3.421, 4.651, 0.2027, and 0.6234 mg/g, respectively. The ORAC assay revealed TSE and these flavonoids had strong free radical scavenging activity in vitro. In addition, TSE significantly decreased the ROS and MDA levels but restored the SOD activity in AAPH-treated ATDC5 cells and t-BHP-exposed zebrafish. The flavonoids also showed excellent antioxidative activities against oxidative damage in ATDC5 cells and zebrafish. Overall, the study suggests the free radical scavenging capacity and antioxidant potential of TSE and its primary flavonoids in vitro and in vivo and will provide a theoretical basis for the development and utilization of tamarind shell.

Inflammation and Obesity: The Pharmacological Role of Flavonoids in the Zebrafish Model

A Mediterranean-style diet is highly encouraged thanks to its healthy food pattern, which includes valuable nutraceuticals such as polyphenols. Among these, flavonoids are associated with relevant biological properties through which they prevent or fight the onset of several human pathologies. Globally, the enhanced incidence of overweight and obese people has caused a dramatic increase in comorbidities, raising the need to provide better therapies. Therefore, the development of sophisticated animal models of metabolic dysregulation has allowed for a deepening of knowledge on this subject. Recent advances in using zebrafish (Danio rerio) as model for metabolic disease have yielded fundamental insights into the potential anti-obesity effects of flavonoids. Chronic low-grade inflammation and immune system activation seem to characterize the pathogenesis of obesity; thus, their reduction might improve the lipid profile of obese patients or prevent the development of associated metabolic illnesses. In this review, we highlight the beneficial role of flavonoids on obesity and related diseases linked to their anti-inflammatory properties. In light of the summarized studies, we suggest that anti-inflammatory therapies could have a relevant place in the prevention and treatment of obesity and metabolic disorders.

Zebrafish: A Model Deciphering the Impact of Flavonoids on Neurodegenerative Disorders

Over the past century, advances in biotechnology, biochemistry, and pharmacognosy have spotlighted flavonoids, polyphenolic secondary metabolites that have the ability to modulate many pathways involved in various biological mechanisms, including those involved in neuronal plasticity, learning, and memory. Moreover, flavonoids are known to impact the biological processes involved in developing neurodegenerative diseases, namely oxidative stress, neuroinflammation, and mitochondrial dysfunction. Thus, several flavonoids could be used as adjuvants to prevent and counteract neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. Zebrafish is an interesting model organism that can offer new opportunities to study the beneficial effects of flavonoids on neurodegenerative diseases. Indeed, the high genome homology of 70% to humans, the brain organization largely similar to the human brain as well as the similar neuroanatomical and neurochemical processes, and the high neurogenic activity maintained in the adult brain makes zebrafish a valuable model for the study of human neurodegenerative diseases and deciphering the impact of flavonoids on those disorders.

Effects of carnosine on the embryonic development and TiO2 nanoparticles-induced oxidative stress on Zebrafish

Oxidative stress is due to an unbalance between pro-oxidants, such as reactive oxygen (ROS) and nitrogen (RNS) species, and antioxidants/antioxidant system. Under physiological conditions these species are involved in different cellular processes such as cellular homeostasis and immune response, while an excessive production of ROS/RNS has been linked to the development of various diseases such as cancer, diabetes, and Alzheimer's disease. In this context, the naturally occurring dipeptide carnosine has shown the ability to scavenge ROS, counteract lipid peroxidation, and inhibit proteins oxidation. Titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO₂-NPs) have been widely used to produce cosmetics, in wastewater treatment, in food industry, and in healthcare product. As consequence, these NPs are often released into aquatic environments. The Danio rerio (commonly called zebrafish) embryos exposure to TiO₂-NPs did not affect the hatching rate, but induced oxidative stress. According to this scenario, in the present study, we first investigated the effects of carnosine exposure and of a sub-toxic administration of TiO₂-NPs on the development and survival of zebrafish embryos/larvae measured through the acute embryo toxicity test (FET-Test). Zebrafish larvae represent a useful model to study oxidative stress-linked disorders and to test antioxidant molecules, while carnosine was selected based on its well-known multimodal mechanism of action that includes a strong antioxidant activity. Once the basal effects of carnosine were assessed, we then evaluated its effects on TiO₂-NPs-induced oxidative stress in zebrafish larvae, measured in terms of total ROS production (measured with 2,7-dichlorodihydrofluorescein diacetate probe) and protein expression by immunohistochemistry of two cellular stress markers, 70 kDa-heat shock protein (Hsp70) and metallothioneins (MTs). We demonstrated that carnosine did not alter the phenotypes of both embryos and larvae of zebrafish at different hours post fertilization. Carnosine was instead able to significantly decrease the enhancement of ROS levels in zebrafish larvae exposed to TiO₂-NPs and its antioxidant effect was paralleled by the rescue of the protein expression levels of Hsp70 and MTs. Our results suggest a therapeutic potential of carnosine as a new pharmacological tool in the context of pathologies characterized by oxidative stress such as neurodegenerative disorders.

Anti-inflammatory potential of baicalein combined with silk fibroin protein in a zebrafish model (Danio rerio)

Baicalein (BA) is a flavonoid with wide-ranging pharmacological activity. However, its biological evaluation is hampered by its low solubility in aqueous medium, making forms of incorporation that improve its solubility necessary. In the present study, BA was combined with a solution of silk fibroin protein (SF), a biomaterial used too as a drug carrier, to evaluate the anti-inflammatory potential of this combination, in vivo, in an experimental model, zebrafish (Danio rerio). Baicalein-silk fibroin (BASF) improved the DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl-hydrazyl-hydrate) free radical scavenging rate (95%) in comparison with BA in solution. The acute toxicity study and histopathological analysis in zebrafish showed that BASF has low cytotoxic potential, except for the maxim dose of 2000 mg/kg. The use of BA in combination with SF enhanced the anti-inflammatory effect of flavonoids by inducing inflammatory peritoneal edema through carrageenan and achieved 77.6% inhibition of abdominal edema at a dose of 75 mg/kg. The results showed that the BASF, significantly increases the bioavailability and therapeutic effect of flavonoids and several results observed in this study may help in the development of new drugs.

Use of Zebrafish as a Model Organism to Study Oxidative Stress: A Review

Dioxygen is an integral part of every living organism, but its concentration varies from organ to organ. Production of metabolites from dioxygen may result in oxidative stress. Since oxidative stress has the potential to damage various biomolecules in the cell, therefore, it has presently become an active field of research. Oxidative stress has been studied in a wide range of model organisms from vertebrates to invertebrates, from rodents to piscine organisms, and from in vivo to in vitro models. But zebrafish (adults, larvae, or embryonic stage) emerged out to be the most promising vertebrate model organism to study oxidative stress because of its vast advantages (transparent embryo, cost-effectiveness, similarity to human genome, easy developmental processes, numerous offspring per spawning, and many more). This is evidenced by voluminous number of researches on oxidative stress in zebrafish exposed to chemicals, radiations, nanoparticles, pesticides, heavy metals, etc. On these backgrounds, this review attempts to highlight the potentiality of zebrafish as model of oxidative stress compared with other companion models. Several areas, from biomedical to environmental research, have been covered to explain it as a more convenient and reliable animal model for experimental research on oxidative mechanisms.

Nile crab Potamonautes niloticus shell extract: Chromatographic and molecular elucidation of potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory capabilities

Diseases emerging from oxidative stress and inflammatory imbalance are deeply threatening the modern world. Fisheries by-products are rich in bioactive metabolites. However, they are usually discarded, posing a real environmental burden. Herein we aimed to explore the bioactive compounds, anti-oxidant, and anti-inflammatory capabilities of the shell of the freshwater Nile crab Potamonautes niloticus. Methanolic extract of crab shell was subjected to GC/MS and HPLC analyses of total lipids, flavonoids, and phenolic acids. Also, zebrafish Danio rerio was subjected to inflammatory status using CuSO₄, then treated with different doses of shell extract. Total antioxidant capacity and QPCR analyses for gene expression of different antioxidant enzymes, i.e. superoxide dismutase(sod), catalase (cat), and glutathione peroxidase (gpx) and pro-inflammatory cytokines, i.e. tumor necrosis factor alpha (tnf-α), nuclear factor kappa B (nf-κb), interleukin 1-Beta (il-1b) were assessed. The results showed the richness of crab shell extract with ω - 9 (32.78 %), ω - 7 (6.37 %), and ω - 6 (4 %) unsaturated fatty acids. Diverse phenolic acids and flavonoids were found, dominaed by Benzoic acid (11.24 µg mL^-1), Syringic acid (11.4 µg mL^-1), Ferulic acid (10.55 µg mL^-1), Kampferol (9.47 µg mL^-1), Quercetin (6.33 µg mL^-1), and Naringin (4.16 µg mL^-1). Crab extract also increased the total antioxidant capacity and oxidative stress enzymeś mRNA levels by 1.3-2.15 folds. It down-regulated pro-inflammatory cytokineś mRNA levels by 1.3-2 folds in comparison to positive control (CuSO₄-induced) zebrafishes. The net results indicated that Nile crab shell extract is a rich source of anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory compounds. Therefore, we recommend to continuously explore the bioactive capabilities of exoskeletons of different shellfish species. This can provide additive values for these products and reduce the environmental burden of their irresponsible discarding.

The Second Life of Citrus Fruit Waste: A Valuable Source of Bioactive Compounds

Citrus fruits (CF) are among the most widely cultivated fruit crops throughout the world and their production is constantly increasing along with consumers' demand. Therefore, huge amounts of waste are annually generated through CF processing, causing high costs for their disposal, as well as environmental and human health damage, if inappropriately performed. According to the most recent indications of an economic, environmental and pharmaceutical nature, CF processing residues must be transformed from a waste to be disposed to a valuable resource to be reused. Based on a circular economy model, CF residues (i.e., seeds, exhausted peel, pressed pulp, secondary juice and leaves) have increasingly been re-evaluated to also obtain, but not limited to, valuable compounds to be employed in the food, packaging, cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries. However, the use of CF by-products is still limited because of their underestimated nutritional and economic value, hence more awareness and knowledge are needed to overcome traditional approaches for their disposal. This review summarizes recent evidence on the pharmacological potential of CF waste to support the switch towards a more environmentally sustainable society.

Zebrafish and Flavonoids: Adjuvants against Obesity

Obesity is a pathological condition, defined as an excessive accumulation of fat, primarily caused by an energy imbalance. The storage of excess energy in the form of triglycerides within the adipocyte leads to lipotoxicity and promotes the phenotypic switch in the M1/M2 macrophage. These changes induce the development of a chronic state of low-grade inflammation, subsequently generating obesity-related complications, commonly known as metabolic syndromes. Over the past decade, obesity has been studied in many animal models. However, due to its competitive aspects and unique characteristics, the use of zebrafish has begun to gain traction in experimental obesity research. To counteract obesity and its related comorbidities, several natural substances have been studied. One of those natural substances reported to have substantial biological effects on obesity are flavonoids. This review summarizes the results of studies that examined the effects of flavonoids on obesity and related diseases and the emergence of zebrafish as a model of diet-induced obesity.