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Majewski M, Klett-Mingo M, Verdasco-Martín CM, Otero C, Ferrer M. Spirulina extract improves age-induced vascular dysfunction. PHARMACEUTICAL BIOLOGY 2022; 60:627-637. [PMID: 35294322 PMCID: PMC8933018 DOI: 10.1080/13880209.2022.2047209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
CONTEXT Vascular dysfunction is considered a hallmark of ageing that has been associated with altered vasomotor responses, in which nitric oxide (NO) and reactive oxygen species participate. The consumption of Spirulina extracts, with antioxidant properties, increased recently. OBJECTIVE This study investigates the effect of Spirulina aqueous extract (SAE) on the vascular function of the aorta from aged rats. MATERIALS AND METHODS Aortic segments from aged male Sprague-Dawley rats (20-22 months old) were exposed to SAE (0.1% w/v, for 3 h) to analyse: (i) the vasodilator response induced by acetylcholine (ACh), by the NO donor sodium nitroprusside (SNP), by the carbon monoxide releasing molecule (CORM) and by the KATP channel opener, cromakalim (CK); (ii) the vasoconstrictor response induced by KCl and noradrenaline (NA); (iii) the production of NO and superoxide anion, and (iv) the expression of the p-eNOS and HO-1 proteins. RESULTS Incubation with SAE increased the expression of p-eNOS (1.6-fold) and HO-1 (2.0-fold), enhanced NO release (1.4-fold in basal and 1.9-fold in ACh-stimulated conditions) while decreased the production of superoxide (0.7-fold). SAE also increased the sensitivity (measured as pEC50) to ACh (control: -7.06 ± 0.11; SAE: -8.16 ± 0.21), SNP (control: -7.96 ± 0.16; SAE: -9.11 ± 0.14) and CK (control: -7.05 ± 0.39; SAE: -8.29 ± 0.53), and potentiated the response to KCl (1.3-fold) and to NA (1.7-fold). CONCLUSION The antioxidant properties of SAE improved the vasomotor responses of aorta from aged rats. These results may support the use of Spirulina as a protection against vascular dysfunction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michal Majewski
- Departamento de Fisiología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Warmia and Mazury, Olsztyn, Poland
| | - Mercedes Klett-Mingo
- Departamento de Fisiología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Carlos M. Verdasco-Martín
- Departamento de Biocatálisis, Instituto de Catálisis y Petroleoquímica, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Madrid, Spain
| | - Cristina Otero
- Departamento de Biocatálisis, Instituto de Catálisis y Petroleoquímica, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Madrid, Spain
- Cristina Otero Departamento de Biocatálisis, Instituto de Catálisis y Petroleoquímica, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Madrid, Spain
| | - Mercedes Ferrer
- Departamento de Fisiología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Hospital Universitario La Paz (IdiPAZ) Madrid, Madrid, Spain
- CONTACT Mercedes Ferrer Departamento de Fisiología, Facultad de Medicina, UAM. C/Arzobispo Morcillo, 4, 28029Madrid, Spain
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Hadi J, Brightwell G. Safety of Alternative Proteins: Technological, Environmental and Regulatory Aspects of Cultured Meat, Plant-Based Meat, Insect Protein and Single-Cell Protein. Foods 2021; 10:1226. [PMID: 34071292 PMCID: PMC8230205 DOI: 10.3390/foods10061226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2021] [Revised: 05/25/2021] [Accepted: 05/26/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Food security and environmental issues have become global crises that need transformative solutions. As livestock production is becoming less sustainable, alternative sources of proteins are urgently required. These include cultured meat, plant-based meat, insect protein and single-cell protein. Here, we describe the food safety aspects of these novel protein sources, in terms of their technological backgrounds, environmental impacts and the necessary regulatory framework for future mass-scale production. Briefly, cultured meat grown in fetal bovine serum-based media can be exposed to viruses or infectious prion, in addition to other safety risks associated with the use of genetic engineering. Plant-based meat may contain allergens, anti-nutrients and thermally induced carcinogens. Microbiological risks and allergens are the primary concerns associated with insect protein. Single-cell protein sources are divided into microalgae, fungi and bacteria, all of which have specific food safety risks that include toxins, allergens and high ribonucleic acid (RNA) contents. The environmental impacts of these alternative proteins can mainly be attributed to the production of growth substrates or during cultivation. Legislations related to novel food or genetic modification are the relevant regulatory framework to ensure the safety of alternative proteins. Lastly, additional studies on the food safety aspects of alternative proteins are urgently needed for providing relevant food governing authorities with sufficient data to oversee that the technological progress in this area is balanced with robust safety standards.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua Hadi
- AgResearch Ltd., Hopkirk Research Institute, Cnr University Ave and Library Road, Massey University, Palmerston North 4442, New Zealand;
| | - Gale Brightwell
- AgResearch Ltd., Hopkirk Research Institute, Cnr University Ave and Library Road, Massey University, Palmerston North 4442, New Zealand;
- New Zealand Food Safety Science and Research Centre, Massey University Manawatu (Turitea), Tennent Drive, Palmerston North 4474, New Zealand
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Falfushynska H, Horyn O, Osypenko I, Rzymski P, Wejnerowski Ł, Dziuba MK, Sokolova IM. Multibiomarker-based assessment of toxicity of central European strains of filamentous cyanobacteria Aphanizomenon gracile and Raphidiopsis raciborskii to zebrafish Danio rerio. WATER RESEARCH 2021; 194:116923. [PMID: 33631698 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2021.116923] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2020] [Revised: 02/05/2021] [Accepted: 02/09/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The global increase in cyanobacterial blooms poses environmental and health threats. Selected cyanobacterial strains reveal toxicities despite a lack of synthesis of known toxic metabolites, and the mechanisms of these toxicities are not well understood. Here we investigated the toxicity of non-cylindrospermopsin and non-microcystin producing Aphanizomenon gracile and Raphidiopsis raciborskii of Central European origin to zebrafish exposed for 14 days to their extracts. Toxicological screening revealed the presence of anabaenopeptins and a lack of anatoxin-a, ß-methylamino-L-alanine or saxitoxins in examined extracts. The responses were compared to 20 μg L-1 of common cyanobacterial toxins cylindrospermopsin (CYN) and microcystin-LR (MC-LR). The expression of the marker genes involved in apoptosis (caspase 3a and 3b, Bcl-2, BAX, p53, MAPK, Nrf2), DNA damage detection and repair (GADD45, RAD51, JUN, XPC), detoxification (CYP1A, CYP26, EPHX1), lipid metabolism (PPARa, FABP1, PLA2), phosphorylation/dephosphorylation (PPP6C, PPM1) and cytoskeleton (actin, tubulin) were examined using targeted transcriptomics. Cellular stress and toxicity biomarkers (oxidative injury, antioxidant enzymes, thiol pool status, and lactate dehydrogenase activity) were measured in the liver, and acetylcholinesterase activity was determined as an index of neurotoxicity in the brain. The extracts of three cyanobacterial strains that produce no known cyanotoxins caused marked toxicity in D. rerio, and the biomarker profiles indicate different toxic mechanisms between the bioactive compounds extracted from these strains and the purified cyanotoxins. All studied cyanobacterial extracts and purified cyanotoxins induced oxidative stress and neurotoxicity, downregulated Nrf2 and CYP26B1, disrupted phosphorylation/dephosphorylation processes and actin/tubulin cytoskeleton and upregulated apoptotic activity in the liver. The tested strains and purified toxins displayed distinctively different effects on lipid metabolism. Unlike CYN and MC-LR, the Central European strain of A. gracile and R. raciborskii did not reveal a genotoxic potential. These findings help to further understand the ecotoxicological consequences of toxic cyanobacterial blooms in freshwater ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Halina Falfushynska
- Department of Orthopedagogy and Physical Therapy, Ternopil V. Hnatiuk National Pedagogical University, Ternopil, Ukraine; Department of Marine Biology, Institute for Biological Sciences, University of Rostock, Rostock, Germany
| | - Oksana Horyn
- Department of Orthopedagogy and Physical Therapy, Ternopil V. Hnatiuk National Pedagogical University, Ternopil, Ukraine
| | - Inna Osypenko
- Department of Orthopedagogy and Physical Therapy, Ternopil V. Hnatiuk National Pedagogical University, Ternopil, Ukraine
| | - Piotr Rzymski
- Department of Environmental Medicine, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznan, Poland; Integrated Science Association (ISA), Universal Scientific Education and Research Network (USERN), Poznań, Poland
| | - Łukasz Wejnerowski
- Department of Hydrobiology, Institute of Environmental Biology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, Uniwersytetu Poznańskiego 6, 61-614 Poznań, Poland
| | - Marcin K Dziuba
- Department of Hydrobiology, Institute of Environmental Biology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, Uniwersytetu Poznańskiego 6, 61-614 Poznań, Poland
| | - Inna M Sokolova
- Department of Marine Biology, Institute for Biological Sciences, University of Rostock, Rostock, Germany; Department of Maritime Systems, Interdisciplinary Faculty, University of Rostock, Rostock, Germany.
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Wejnerowski Ł, Falfushynska H, Horyn O, Osypenko I, Kokociński M, Meriluoto J, Jurczak T, Poniedziałek B, Pniewski F, Rzymski P. In Vitro Toxicological Screening of Stable and Senescing Cultures of Aphanizomenon, Planktothrix, and Raphidiopsis. Toxins (Basel) 2020; 12:E400. [PMID: 32560354 PMCID: PMC7354461 DOI: 10.3390/toxins12060400] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2020] [Revised: 06/12/2020] [Accepted: 06/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Toxicity of cyanobacteria is the subject of ongoing research, and a number of toxic metabolites have been described, their biosynthesis pathways have been elucidated, and the mechanism of their action has been established. However, several knowledge gaps still exist, e.g., some strains produce hitherto unknown toxic compounds, while the exact dynamics of exerted toxicity during cyanobacterial growth still requires further exploration. Therefore, the present study investigated the toxicity of extracts of nine freshwater strains of Aphanizomenon gracile, an Aphanizomenon sp. strain isolated from the Baltic Sea, a freshwater strain of Planktothrix agardhii, and two strains of Raphidiopsis raciborskii obtained from 25- and 70-day-old cultures. An in vitro experimental model based on Cyprinus carpio hepatocytes (oxidative stress markers, DNA fragmentation, and serine/threonine protein activity) and brain homogenate (cholinesterase activity) was employed. The studied extracts demonstrated toxicity to fish cells, and in general, all examined extracts altered at least one or more of considered parameters, indicating that they possess, to some degree, toxic potency. Although the time from which the extracts were obtained had a significant importance for the response of fish cells, we observed strong variability between the different strains and species. In some strains, extracts that originated from 25-day-old cultures triggered more harmful effects on fish cells compared to those obtained from 70-day-old cultures, whereas in other strains, we observed the opposite effect or a lack of a significant change. Our study revealed that there was no clear or common pattern regarding the degree of cyanobacterial bloom toxicity at a given stage of development. This means that young cyanobacterial blooms that are just forming can pose an equally toxic threat to aquatic vertebrates and ecosystem functioning as those that are stable or old with a tendency to collapse. This might be largely due to a high variability of strains in the bloom.
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Affiliation(s)
- Łukasz Wejnerowski
- Department of Hydrobiology, Institute of Environmental Biology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, Uniwersytetu Poznańskiego 6, 61-614 Poznań, Poland;
| | - Halina Falfushynska
- Department of Orthopedagogy and Physical Therapy, Ternopil V. Hnatiuk National Pedagogical University, 46027 Ternopil, Ukraine; (O.H.); (I.O.)
| | - Oksana Horyn
- Department of Orthopedagogy and Physical Therapy, Ternopil V. Hnatiuk National Pedagogical University, 46027 Ternopil, Ukraine; (O.H.); (I.O.)
| | - Inna Osypenko
- Department of Orthopedagogy and Physical Therapy, Ternopil V. Hnatiuk National Pedagogical University, 46027 Ternopil, Ukraine; (O.H.); (I.O.)
| | - Mikołaj Kokociński
- Department of Hydrobiology, Institute of Environmental Biology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, Uniwersytetu Poznańskiego 6, 61-614 Poznań, Poland;
| | - Jussi Meriluoto
- Biochemistry, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Åbo Akademi University, Tykistökatu 6A, 20520 Turku, Finland;
| | - Tomasz Jurczak
- United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Chair on Ecohydrology and Applied Ecology, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, University of Łódź, Banacha 12/16, 90-237 Łódź, Poland;
| | - Barbara Poniedziałek
- Department of Environmental Medicine, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Rokietnicka 8, 60-806 Poznań, Poland;
| | - Filip Pniewski
- Institute of Oceanography, University of Gdańsk, Al. Piłsudskiego 46, 81-378 Gdynia, Poland;
| | - Piotr Rzymski
- Department of Environmental Medicine, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Rokietnicka 8, 60-806 Poznań, Poland;
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