Clinical Effects of Portulaca Oleracea Seeds on Dyslipidemia in Obese Adolescents: a Triple-blinded Randomized Controlled Trial

Effects of Portulaca oleracea (purslane) on liver function tests, metabolic profile, oxidative stress and inflammatory biomarkers in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: a randomized, double-blind clinical trial

Background

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a prevalent chronic liver disease. Portulaca oleracea exhibits anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, and hepatoprotective effects. This clinical trial aimed to investigate the potential benefits of Portulaca oleracea in improving NAFLD.

Methods

This double-blind, randomized clinical trial enrolled 70 patients with NAFLD assigned to either the intervention group (n = 35) or placebo group (n = 35) using stratified block randomization. The intervention group received 700 mg Portulaca oleracea supplement for eight weeks, while the control group received placebo capsules. In addition, all participants received a calorie-restricted diet. Liver steatosis and fibrosis were assessed using elastography along with liver function and metabolic tests, blood pressure measurements, body composition analysis and dietary records pre-and post-intervention.

Results

The average age of the participants was 44.01 ± 8.6 years, of which 34 (48.6%) were women. The group receiving Portulaca oleracea showed significant weight changes, body mass index, fat mass index, and waist circumference compared to the placebo (p < 0.001). In addition, blood sugar, lipid profile, liver enzymes aspartate and alanine transaminase, gamma-glutamyl transferase, and systolic blood pressure were significantly improved in the intervention group compared to those in the placebo (p < 0.05). During the study, inflammatory and oxidative stress indicators, improved significantly (p < 0.05). Based on the elastography results, the hepatorenal ultrasound index and liver stiffness decreased significantly in the Portulaca oleracea group compared to the placebo (p < 0.001).

Conclusion

The present clinical trial showed that receiving Portulaca oleracea supplement for eight weeks can improve the condition of liver steatosis and fibrosis in patients with NAFLD.

Therapeutic potential of traditional Chinese medicine in the prevention and treatment of digestive inflammatory cancer transformation: Portulaca oleracea L. as a promising drug

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has been used for centuries to treat various types of inflammation and tumors of the digestive system. Portulaca oleracea L. (POL), has been used in TCM for thousands of years. The chemical composition of POL is variable and includes flavonoids, alkaloids, terpenoids and organic acids and other classes of natural compounds. Many of these compounds exhibit powerful anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer-transforming effects in the digestive system.

AIM OF STUDY

In this review, we focus on the potential therapeutic role of POL in NASH, gastritis and colitis and their associated cancers, with a focus on the pharmacological properties and potential mechanisms of action of the main natural active compounds in POL.

METHODS

The information and data on Portulaca oleracea L. and its main active ingredients were collated from various resources like ethnobotanical textbooks and literature databases such as CNKI, VIP (Chinese literature), PubMed, Science Direct, Elsevier and Google Scholar (English literatures), Wiley, Springer, Tailor and Francis, Scopus, Inflibnet.

RESULTS

Kaempferol, luteolin, myricetin, quercetin, genistein, EPA, DHA, and melatonin were found to improve NASH and NASH-HCC, while kaempferol, apigenin, luteolin, and quercetin played a therapeutic role in gastritis and gastric cancer. Apigenin, luteolin, myricetin, quercetin, genistein, lupeol, vitamin C and melatonin were found to have therapeutic effects in the treatment of colitis and its associated cancers. The discovery of the beneficial effects of these natural active compounds in POL supports the idea that POL could be a promising novel candidate for the treatment and prevention of inflammation-related cancers of the digestive system.

CONCLUSION

The discovery of the beneficial effects of these natural active compounds in POL supports the idea that POL could be a promising novel candidate for the treatment and prevention of inflammation-related cancers of the digestive system. However, clinical data describing the mode of action of the naturally active compounds of POL are still lacking. In addition, pharmacokinetic data for POL compounds, such as changes in drug dose and absorption rates, cannot be extrapolated from animal models and need to be measured in patients in clinical trials. On the one hand, a systematic meta-analysis of the existing publications on TCM containing POL still needs to be carried out. On the other hand, studies on the hepatic and renal toxicity of POL are also needed. Additionally, well-designed preclinical and clinical studies to validate the therapeutic effects of TCM need to be performed, thus hopefully providing a basis for the validation of the clinical benefits of POL.

A review on ethnopharmacology, phytochemistry, pharmacology and potential uses of Portulaca oleracea L

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Portulaca oleracea L. (PO), popularly known as purslane, has been documented in ethnopharmacology in various countries and regions. Traditional application records indicated that PO might be used extensively to treat the common cold, dysentery, urinary tract infections, coughing, eye infections, skin problems, gynecological diseases, and pediatric illnesses.

AIM OF THE REVIEW

This paper includes a systematic review of the traditional usage, phytochemicals, pharmacological activity, and potential uses of PO to provide an overview of the research for further exploitation of PO resources.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This article uses "Portulaca oleracea L." and "purslane" as the keywords and collects relevant information on PO from different databases, including PubMed, Web of Science, Springer, Science Direct, ACS, Wiley, CNKI, Baidu Scholar, Google Scholar, and ancient meteria medica.

RESULTS

PO is a member of the Portulacaceae family and is grown worldwide. Traditional Chinese medicine believes that purslane has the effect of improving eyesight, eliminating evil qi, quenching thirst, purgation, diuresis, hemostasis, regulating qi, promoting hair growth, detoxifying, and avoiding epidemic qi. Recent phytochemical investigations have shown that PO is a rich source of flavonoids, homoisoflavonoids, alkaloids, organic acids, esters, lignans, terpenoids, catecholamines, sterols, and cerebrosides. The purslane extracts or compounds have exhibited numerous biological activities such as anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, antimicrobial, antiviral, antioxidant, anticancer, renoprotective, hepatoprotective, gastroprotective, metabolic, muscle relaxant, anti-asthmatic and anti-osteoporosis properties. The significant omega-3 fatty acids, vital amino acids, minerals, and vitamins found in purslane also provide nutritional benefits. Purslane as a food/feed additive in the food industry and animal husbandry has caused concern. Its global wide distribution and tolerance to abiotic stress characteristics make it in the future sustainable development of agriculture a certain position.

CONCLUSIONS

Based on traditional usage, phytochemicals, and pharmacological activity, PO is a potential medicinal and edible plant with diverse pharmacological effects. Due to purslane's various advantages, it may have vast application potential in the food and pharmaceutical industries and animal husbandry.

Exploring the Impact of Nutrition on Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease Management: Unveiling the Roles of Various Foods, Food Components, and Compounds

There is a need to introduce standardized treatment options for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) due to its global prevalence and the complications of this disease. Many studies have revealed that food-derived substances may be beneficial in dealing with this disease. Therefore, this review aims to evaluate the recently published studies on the food-derived treatment options for NAFLD. A comprehensive search of the PubMed database using keywords such as "NAFLD", "nutrition", "food", "derived", "therapy", and "guidelines" yielded 219 relevant papers for our analysis, published from 2004 to 2023. The results show the significant benefits of food-derived treatment in NAFLD therapy, including improvements in liver histology, hepatic fat amounts, anthropometric measures, lipid profile, and other metabolic measures. The availability of the substances discussed makes them a significant adjuvant in the treatment of this disease. The usefulness of Viusid as additional therapy to diet and physical activity should be emphasized due to improvements in liver histology; however, many other substances lead to a decrease in liver fat amounts including, e.g., berberine or omega-3 fatty acids. In addition, the synbiotic Protexin seems to be useful in terms of NAFLD treatment, especially because it is effective in both obese and lean subjects. Based on the latest research results, we suggest revising the therapeutic recommendations for patients suffering from NAFLD.

Ameliorative effects of Portulaca oleracea L. (purslane) on the metabolic syndrome: A review

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

The metabolic syndrome, which comprises hyperglycemia, dyslipidemia, abdominal obesity, and hypertension, is a worldwide problem. This disorder is a significant risk factor for insulin resistance, diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular disease incidence, and mortality. The value of herbs and natural products in the treatment of human ailments has been documented in several inquiries. An annual herbaceous plant called Portulaca oleracea L. (purslane) is used both as a traditional medicine and an edible plant to treat various ailments including gastrointestinal diseases and liver inflammation. Purslane contains a variety of secondary metabolites such as organic acids, flavonoids, terpenoids, and alkaloids.

AIM OF THE STUDY

In the current work, our team aims to shed light on the potential efficacy of purslane and its main components in treating metabolic syndrome and its complications.

STUDY DESIGN

Scopus, Google Scholar, and PubMed databases have been used to gather the most relevant in vitro, in vivo studies, and clinical trials from the time of inception up to February 2022.

RESULTS

The effects of purslane on metabolism are among its most significant pharmacological properties. In patients with metabolic syndrome, purslane could significantly lower blood glucose and balance lipid profiles. This indicates that purslane might have a potential role in the management of metabolic syndrome through different underlying mechanisms including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-hyperlipidemic, anti-obesity, and antidiabetic.

CONCLUSION

According to previous investigations, purslane can control metabolic syndrome and its complications. However, further preclinical and clinical studies are required to approve the advantageous effects of purslane on metabolic syndrome.

Effects of Portulaca oleracea L. (purslane) on the metabolic syndrome: A review

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is defined as a disorder with multiple abnormalities, including obesity, high blood pressure, dyslipidemia, and high blood glucose. MetS is the best-known risk factor for type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), cardiovascular disease (CVD), and obesity. With the globally increasing prevalence of MetS and its related abnormalities, attention to safe and effective prevention and treatment of this complex disorder has been increased. In particular, most treatments have been devoted to using natural agents that could provide more reliable and effective medicinal products with fewer side effects. Portulaca oleracea L. (purslane) is an herb whose therapeutic properties could be found in some ancient medical books. Purslane has shown analgesic, antispasmodic, skeletal muscle relaxant, bronchodilator, antiasthmatic, anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, diuretic, antibacterial, antipyretic, and wound-healing properties. In addition, purslane's hypoglycemic and hypolipidemic properties have been reported in different studies. The positive effects of this plant include reducing stress oxidative and inflammation along with the atherogenic index, improving insulin level and glucose uptake, decreasing lipid profiles, and ameliorating weight gain. These activities could reduce MetS complications. This review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of various in vitro, animal, and human studies regarding the effect of Portulaca oleracea on metabolic syndrome to better understand the underlying mechanisms of action for designing more effective treatments.

Experimental and clinical studies on the effects of Portulaca oleracea L. and its constituents on respiratory, allergic, and immunologic disorders, a review

Various pharmacological effects for Portulaca oleracea were shown in previous studies. Therefore, the effects of P. oleracea and its derivatives on respiratory, allergic, and immunologic diseases according to update experimental and clinical studies are provided in this review article. PubMed/Medline, Scopus, and Google Scholar were searched using appropriate keywords until the end of December 2020. The effects of P. oleracea and its constituents such as quercetin and kaempferol on an animal model of asthma were shown. Portulaca oleracea and its constituents also showed therapeutic effects on chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and chronic bronchitis in both experimental and clinical studies. The possible bronchodilatory effect of P. oleracea and its ingredients was also reported. Portulaca oleracea and its constituents showed the preventive effect on lung cancer and a clinical study showed the effect of P. oleracea on patients with lung adenocarcinoma. In addition, a various constituents of P. oleracea including, quercetin and kaempferol showed therapeutic effects on lung infections. This review indicates the therapeutic effect of P. oleracea and its constituents on various lung and allergic disorders but more clinical studies are required to establish the clinical efficacy of this plant and its constituents on lung and allergic disorders.

The Effect of a Persian Herbal Medicine Compound on the Lipid Profiles of Patients with Dyslipidemia: A Randomized Double-Blind Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial

INTRODUCTION

It has been well established in the world that lipid disorders promote the development of atherosclerosis and its clinical consequences. This study aimed to assess the impacts of a Persian medicinal (PM) compound on lipid profile.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

From June 21 to October 21, 2020, a randomized double-blind controlled clinical trial was conducted with 74 dyslipidemic patients, who were randomly divided into two equally populated groups: one prescribed with a Persian medicinal herbal compound (n = 37) and a placebo group (n = 37). A Persian herbal medicine including fenugreek, sumac, and purslane is introduced. Biochemical parameters including 12-hour fasting serum levels of total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), very-low-density lipoprotein (VLDL), and triglyceride (TG) were measured before the initiation and after the completion of study protocol.

RESULTS

Percent changes of biochemical parameters include the following: intervention group = cholesterol: 35.22, Tg: 45.91, LDL: 24.81, HDL: 2.05, VLDL: 8.94 and placebo group = cholesterol: 6.94, Tg: -7.3, LDL: 7.37, HDL: 2.88, VLDL: -0.14. The serum levels of total cholesterol (p=0.01) and LDL (p=0.01) significantly decreased and no increase was recorded in HDL (p=0.03) levels over time in the intervention group. Furthermore, between-group analysis showed a statistically significant difference between the intervention and placebo groups in this regard. VLDL (p=0.2) and TG (p=0.2) levels also decreased, however not significantly.

CONCLUSION

This study showed that a Persian medicinal herbal compound could be safe and beneficial to decrease the levels of serum cholesterol and LDL in dyslipidemic patients. However, larger long-term studies are recommended to clarify this effect.

Effect of Portulaca Oleracea (purslane) extract on liver enzymes, lipid profile, and glycemic status in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease: A randomized, double-blind clinical trial

Purslane (Portulaca oleracea L.) is the richest green leafy vegetable source of omega-3, especially alpha linolenic acid (ALA). Experimental studies have shown beneficial effects of purslane extract on liver enzymes. The aim of the present study was to examine the effect of purslane hydroalcohoic extract in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). In a randomized double-blinded clinical trial, 74 patients were randomly assigned to receive either 300 mg purslane extract or placebo capsules for 12 weeks. Compared with baseline, alanine aminotransferase (ALT) (-9 [-17, 0.50] mg/dl; p = .007), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) (-4 [-10, -0.50] mg/dl; p = .001), gamma glutamyltransferase (GGT) (-6.21 ± 9.85 mg/dL; p < .001), fasting blood glucose (FBG) (-8 [-11, -1.50] mg/dl; p < .001) insulin resistance (-0.95 ± 2.23; p = .020), triglyceride (-20 [-67.50, 3.50] mg/dl; p = .010), and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) (-5 [-12, -1] mg/dl; p < .001) decreased significantly in the purslane group. At the end of study, no significant changes were observed in liver steatosis grade, insulin, liver enzymes, total bilirubin, lipid profile, and blood pressure between the two groups. The findings of our study show that purslane extract at the dose of 300 mg/day for 12 weeks has no significant effects on liver enzymes, lipid profile, and glycemic indices in patients with NAFLD.

A review of traditional uses, phytochemistry and pharmacology of Portulaca oleracea L

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Portulaca oleracea L. is a widespread medicinal plant that is used not only as an edible plant, but also as a traditional medicine for alleviating a wide spectrum of diseases. It is a well-known plant in the European Traditional Medicine. PA is mentioned by Dioscorides (40-90 CE), with the name of "andrachne".

AIM OF THE REVIEW

In this study, we provide detailed information on botany, traditional uses, phytochemistry, pharmacological uses, pharmacokinetics and safety of P. oleracea.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

An extensive search on electronic databases including PubMed, Web of Science, Google Scholar, ScienceDirect, Scopus, conference papers, local herbal encyclopedias, articles, books (in English, French, Arabic, Persian, etc.) and also a number of unpublished handwritten manuscripts was done to find articles have been published between 1956 and 2015 on pharmacology and phytochemistry of P. oleracea.

RESULTS

P. oleracea has been addressed in De Materia Medica as an astringent, and a remedy for headaches, inflammation of the eyes and other organs, burning of the stomach, erysipela, disorders of the bladder, numbness of the teeth, excessive sexual desire, burning fevers, worms, dysentery, hemorrhoids, eruptions of blood, and bites. Phytochemical investigations revealed that this plant a wide range of secondary metabolites including alkaloids, terpenoids, flavonoids and organic acids. The most important pharmacological activities are renoprotective activities and effects on metabolism. P. oleracea could successfully decrease blood glucose and lipid profile of patients with metabolic syndrome. The safety of P. oleracea has been reported in many clinical trials.

CONCLUSION

Modern pharmacological studies have now proven many traditional uses of P. oleracea, including anti-hyperglycemic and anti-hyperlipidemic, renoprotective and hepatoprotective effects. In addition, in many clinical trials P. oleracea showed no adverse effects and constipation was reported as the most frequent adverse effect.

Anti-atherosclerotic effect of traditional fermented cheese whey in atherosclerotic rabbits and identification of probiotics

Background

Traditional fermented cheese whey (TFCW), containing probiotics, has been used both as a dairy food with ethnic flavor and a medicine for cardiovascular disease, especially regulating blood lipid among Kazakh. We therefore investigated anti-atherosclerotic effects of TFCW in atherosclerotic rabbits and identified lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and yeasts in TFCW.

Methods

Atherosclerotic rabbits were induced by administration of atherosclerotic diet for 12 weeks and divided randomly into three groups and treated for 4 weeks with Simvastatin (20 mg/kg) or TFCW (25 mg/kg) and (50 mg/kg). In addition, a normal control group and an atherosclerotic group were used for comparison. All drugs were intragastrical administered once daily 10 mL/kg for 4 weeks. Body weight (BW), lipid profiles, C-reactive protein (CRP), vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1), and intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) were tested and theromatous plaques and the number of foam cells and infiltrating fibroblast cells in the thoracic aorta endothelium was evaluated by hematoxylin and eosin stainin. LAB and yeasts were isolated and purified by conventional techniques and identified using morphological and biochemical properties as well as gene sequences analysis.

Results

After 4 weeks of treatment, high and low dose TFCW decreased serum TC, TG, LDLC, CRP, VCAM-1 and ICAM-1 (P < 0.05) compared to atherosclerotic group, and increased HDL-C (P < 0.05) compared to normal controls. Histological analysis showed TFCW reduced VCAM-1 expression and formation of atheromatous plaques on the aortic endothelium of atherosclerotic rabbits.

Conclusion

Seven classes of LBA from two different genera including Lactobacillus brevis, Lactobacillus kefianofaciens, Lactobacillus helveticus, Lactobacillus Casei, Lactobacillus plantarum, Lactobacillus kefiri and Lactococcus lactic as well as 2 classes of yeasts from two different genera including Saccharomyces unisporus and Issatchenkia orientalis were isolated and identified from TFCW. In summary, TFCW, containing 7 classes of LBA and 2 classes of yeasts, has significant anti-atherosclerotic potential in atherosclerotic rabbits and may modulate lipid metabolism and protect aorta in the atherosclerotic condition, which might be related to various probiotics acting through reducing the CRP, VCAM-1 and ICAM-1 levels and protecting the aortic endothelium.