Wine polyphenols may be good for oral health

Sipping wine is good for your colon and heart, possibly because of the beverage's abundant and structurally diverse polyphenols. Now researchers report in ACS' Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry that wine polyphenols might also be good for your oral health.

Traditionally, some health benefits of polyphenols have been attributed to the fact that these compounds are antioxidants, meaning they likely protect the body from harm caused by free radicals. However, recent work indicates polyphenols might also promote health by actively interacting with bacteria in the gut. That makes sense because plants and fruits produce polyphenols to ward off infection by harmful bacteria and other pathogens. M. Victoria Moreno-Arribas and colleagues wanted to know whether wine and grape polyphenols would also protect teeth and gums, and how this could work on a molecular level.

The researchers checked out the effect of two red wine polyphenols, as well as commercially available grape seed and red wine extracts, on bacteria that stick to teeth and gums and cause dental plaque, cavities and periodontal disease. Working with cells that model gum tissue, they found that the two wine polyphenols in isolation -- caffeic and p-coumaric acids -- were generally better than the total wine extracts at cutting back on the bacteria's ability to stick to the cells. When combined with the Streptococcus dentisani, which is believed to be an oral probiotic, the polyphenols were even better at fending off the pathogenic bacteria. The researchers also showed that metabolites formed when digestion of the polyphenols begins in the mouth might be responsible for some of these effects.​

Ref : https://www.acs.org/content/acs/en/pressroom/newsreleases/2018/february/wine-polyphenols-could-fend-off-bacteria-that-cause-cavities-and-gum-disease.html

Wine polyphenols may be good for oral health

Combination of sugar and polyphenols may prevent occurrence of neurodegenerative disease

Catherine Aaron and Gabrielle Beaudry were 17 when they knocked on the door of the laboratory of Alex Parker, a neuroscience researcher at the University of Montreal Hospital Research Centre (CRCHUM). While students at Collège Jean-de-Brébeuf in Montreal, they were looking for a mentor for an after-school research project. Two and half years later, the results of this scientific adventure were published today in theJournal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.

"We wanted to test the effect of a natural product on a neurodegenerative disease such as Alzheimer's. Professor Parker had already discovered that sugar prevents the occurrence of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in an animal model of the disease, the C. elegans worm. That's how we got the idea of maple syrup, a natural sugar produced in Quebec," said Beaudry.

Supervised by PhD student Martine Therrien and Alex Parker, Aaron and Beaudry added maple syrup to the diet of these barely 1 mm-long nematodes. "We just gave them a supplement of maple syrup at various concentrations and compared with a control group that had a normal diet," said Aaron. "After twelve days, we counted under the microscope the worms that were moving and those that were paralyzed. The worms that had consumed the highest dose of syrup were much less likely to be paralyzed."

Alex Parker's C. elegans worms are genetically modified to express a protein involved in ALS in motor neurons - TDP-43. "When they are adults, around 12 days, their motor neurons break down. Normally, at two weeks of life, 50% of the worms are completely paralyzed. But among those that received a diet enriched with 4% maple syrup, only 17% were paralyzed. We can therefore conclude that maple syrup protects neurons and prevents the development of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis in C. elegans worms," said Parker, a researcher at the CRCHUM and professor at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Montreal.

How can we explain this dramatic effect? "Sugar is good for the nervous system. Diseased neurons require more energy to combat toxic proteins. But maple syrup is rich in polyphenols, powerful antioxidants found in certain foods. We isolated phenols contained in the maple syrup, and we showed that two polyphenols in particular, gallic acid and catechol, have a neuroprotective effect. In pure maple syrup, these polyphenols are found in low concentrations. Probably a combination of sugar and polyphenols prevents the occurrence of the disease in worms," said Therrien, a PhD student at the CRCHUM.

Combination of sugar and polyphenols may prevent occurrence of neurodegenerative disease: Catherine Aaron and Gabrielle Beaudry were 17 when they knocked on the door of the laboratory of Alex Parker, a neuroscience researcher at the University of Montreal Hospital Research Centre. While students at Collège Jean-de-Brébeuf in Montreal, they were looking for a mentor for an after-school research project. Two and half years later, the results of this scientific adventure were published today in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.

Fruits better than prviously thought !.......

Polyphenol content in fruits usually refers to extractable polyphenols, but a Spanish scientist working at the Institute of Food Research in Norwich analysed apple, peach and nectarine. She found that nonextractable polyphenol content is up to five times higher than extractable compounds. Its really interesting and that might be the reason why our forefathers used to insist to eat whole fruits (though they might not have studied so exhaustively... !).  

The interesting findings like,  "polyphenols need to be treated with acid to extract them from the cell walls of fruit in the lab" will help at least now onwards to collect all the useful polyphenols (proanthocyanidins, ellagic acid and catechin)  which without this new findings might have gone as waste.  Dr Paul Kroon from IFR explains: “In the human body these compounds will be fermented by bacteria in the colon, creating metabolites that may be beneficial, for example with antioxidant activity. 

Hope these  nonextractable polyphenols, (which mostly escape analysis and are not usually considered in nutritional studies),  will play a major part of bioactive compounds in the diet  in the days to come. Congrats Professor Saura-Calixto, for this  achievement.....

Grape seed polyphenols may help prevent Alzheimer's disease

 In continuation of my update on the usefulness of polyphenols....

 Grape seed polyphenols may help prevent Alzheimer's disease

Grape polyphenols are also called Vineatrols (see structure : vineatrol / trans-resveratrol)

New role for milk: Delivering polyphenols with anti-cancer activity

Polyphenols found in tea manifest anti-cancer effects but their use is limited by poor bioavailability and disagreeable taste. A new study in the Journal of Dairy Science^® finds that when epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), the major extractable polyphenol in green tea and the most biologically active, when diluted in skim milk or other milk complexes remains bioactive and continues to reduce colon cancer cell proliferation in culture at concentrations higher than 0.03 mg of EGCG/mL.

Ref : http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S002203021300859X

New role for milk: Delivering polyphenols with anti-cancer activity

Pomegranates May Prevent Growth of Breast cancer cells.....

We know that Pomegranate aril juice provides about 16% of an adult's daily vitamin C requirement per 100 ml serving, and is a good source of vitamin B₅ (pantothenic acid), potassium and antioxidant polyphenols.  The most abundant polyphenols in pomegranate juice are the hydrolyzable tannins called punicalagins which have free-radical scavenging properties in laboratory experiments. Punicalagins are absorbed into the human body and may have dietary value as antioxidants. Other phytochemicals include polyphenols catechins, gallocatechins, and anthocyanins such as prodelphinidins, delphinidin, cyanidin, and pelargonidin.   Many food and dietary supplement makers have found advantages of using pomegranate phenolic extracts as ingredients in their products instead of the juice. One of these extracts is ellagic acid which may become bioavailable only after parent molecule punicalagins are metabolized. However, ingested ellagic acid from pomegranate juice does not accumulate in the blood in significant quantities and is rapidly excreted. Accordingly, ellagic acid from pomegranate juice does not appear to be biologically important in vivo.

Now researchers lead by Dr Shiuan Chen, director of the Division of Tumour Cell Biology, and Dr Lynn Adams, a research fellow at the centre's Beckman Research Institute have found that Pomegranates contain a group of compounds called ellagitannins ( glucosidesof elligacic acid) may prevent the growth of breast cancer cells. Researchers tried to determine whether chemicals in pomegranates could block the action of an enzyme called aromatase. Aromatase plays a key role in driving the growth of some forms of breast cancer by helping the body produce the female sex hormone oestrogen. Breast cancer drugs like anastrozole are designed to block its action.

The researchers screened ten ellagitannin-like compounds and found that one in particular, Urolithin B, (see above structure) significantly inhibited breast cancer cell growth in the laboratory. Its interesting to note that phytochemicals in pomegranates to exhibit this property (earlier the same authors have reported the inhibition of aromatase by grapes (phytochemicals).

Though further studies like in vivo are essential to further substantiate the in vitro studies (relatively high levels of ellagitannin compounds were required to demonstrate an anti-proliferative effect on cultured breast cancer cells) are essential (because of the fact that  the ellagitannins are not well absorbed into blood when provided in the diet), still in my opinion its a good finding......

^{Ref : http://cancerpreventionresearch.aacrjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/3/1/108}

Baked rhubarb may help fight cancer....

Rhubarb (herbaceous perennial plants growing from short, thick rhizomes) is a  group of plants that belong to the genus Rheum in the family Polygonaceae.  They have large leaves that are somewhat triangular shaped with long fleshy petioles and small flowers. While the leaves are toxic, the plants have medicinal uses, but most commonly the plant's stalks (see picture, source : Wikipedia) are cooked and used in pies and other foods for their tart flavour.  A number of varieties have been domesticated for human consumption, most of which are recognised as Rheum x hybridum by the Royal Horticultural Society.

Rhubarb (stem & roots) has been used as a strong laxative (the two  - anthraquinones emodin and rhein are responsible). Rubarb has been used in traditional Chinese medicine & medieval Arabic and European prescriptions. The rhizomes ('roots') contain stilbene compounds (including rhaponticin) which seem to lower blood glucose levels in diabetic mice.

Now,  researchers from Biomedical Research Center at Sheffield Hallam University, lead by Dr. Nikki Jordan-Mahy, have come up with new findings. Researchers found that baking British garden rhubarb for 20 minutes dramatically boosted levels of anti-cancer chemicals called polyphenols. Previous research has shown that polyphenols selectively kill or prevent the growth of cancer cells.

This is the first study to examine the benefits of British rhubarb, specifically a variety grown in South Yorkshire. Earlier research has studied Oriental medicinal rhubarb, which has been used in traditional Chinese medicine for thousands of years. 

Baking and slow stewing offered the best maintenance of colour through preservation of anthocyanin and the highest antioxidant capacity. Baking for 20 min provided well-cooked rhubarb with the highest antioxidant capacity and the highest anthocyanin content, which is important for the aesthetic quality of the dish.  

As per the claim by the researchers, LC–MS analysis putatively identified over 40 polyphenol components in raw rhubarb (including anthraquinone, stilbene, anthocyanin and flavonol derivatives.) Baking caused selective effects on the stability of the different polyphenol components. Initially, the yield of all components increased but there was a drastic decline in the relative stability of anthraquinone aglycones with increasing cooking time and initial evidence for the turnover of other anthraquinone derivatives was obtained. Researchers now plan to study the effect of rhubarb's polyphenols on leukemia.....

Ref : Dr. Nikki Jordan-Mahy, et. al., Food Chemistry, Vol. 119, Issue 2, 15 March 2010, Pages 758-764

Honey offers new approach to fighting antibiotic resistance ............

In continuation of my update on Honey..

Honey, that delectable condiment for breads and fruits, could be one sweet solution to the serious, ever-growing problem of bacterial resistance to antibiotics, researchers said in Dallas* today. Medical professionals sometimes use honey successfully as a topical dressing, but it could play a larger role in fighting infections, the researchers predicted.

"The unique property of honey lies in its ability to fight infection on multiple levels, making it more difficult for bacteria to develop resistance," said study leader Susan M. Meschwitz, Ph.D. That is, it uses a combination of weapons, including hydrogen peroxide, acidity, osmotic effect, high sugar concentration and polyphenols -- all of which actively kill bacterial cells, she explained. The osmotic effect, which is the result of the high sugar concentration in honey, draws water from the bacterial cells, dehydrating and killing them.

In addition, several studies have shown that honey inhibits the formation of biofilms, or communities of slimy disease-causing bacteria, she said. "Honey may also disrupt quorum sensing, which weakens bacterial virulence, rendering the bacteria more susceptible to conventional antibiotics," Meschwitz said. Quorum sensing is the way bacteria communicate with one another, and may be involved in the formation of biofilms. In certain bacteria, this communication system also controls the release of toxins, which affects the bacteria's pathogenicity, or their ability to cause disease.

Meschwitz, who is with Salve Regina University in Newport, R.I., said another advantage of honey is that unlike conventional antibiotics, it doesn't target the essential growth processes of bacteria. The problem with this type of targeting, which is the basis of conventional antibiotics, is that it results in the bacteria building up resistance to the drugs.

Honey is effective because it is filled with healthful polyphenols, or antioxidants, she said. These include the phenolic acids, caffeic acid, p-coumaric acid and ellagic acid, as well as many flavonoids. "Several studies have demonstrated a correlation between the non-peroxide antimicrobial and antioxidant activities of honey and the presence of honey phenolics," she added. A large number of laboratory and limited clinical studies have confirmed the broad-spectrum antibacterial, antifungal and antiviral properties of honey, according to Meschwitz.

She said that her team also is finding that honey has antioxidant properties and is an effective antibacterial. "We have run standard antioxidant tests on honey to measure the level of antioxidant activity," she explained. "We have separated and identified the various antioxidant polyphenol compounds. In our antibacterial studies, we have been testing honey's activity against E. coli, Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, among others."

Honey offers new approach to fighting antibiotic resistance  

Polyphenols in red wine and green tea halt prostate cancer growth, study suggests

In continuation of my update on Green Tea and EGCG........

"The profound impact that the antioxidants in red wine and green tea have on our bodies is more than anyone would have dreamt just 25 years ago," Weissmann added. "As long as they are taken in moderation, all signs show that red wine and green tea may be ranked among the most potent 'health foods' we know." ....

Polyphenols in red wine and green tea halt prostate cancer growth, study suggests

Could guava juice help prevent anemia?

A systematic review from Indonesia, published in the journal BMJ Nutrition, Prevention & Health, indicates that adding guava juice to the diet could boost hemoglobin levels in adolescent girls and pregnant women. This could potentially offer a low-cost dietary complement to iron supplementation, given the high prevalence of iron-deficiency anemia among females, especially in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).

Iron deficiency anemia among young women

In 2021, anemia was estimated to affect about 45 % of pregnant women and 39.5 % of non-pregnant women worldwide. Indonesia had similar figures: 48.9 % among pregnant women and 32 % among adolescent girls. Women with severe anemia are twice as likely to die during pregnancy and postpartum, compared to those with mild anemia.

Iron deficiency is the primary cause of anemia, especially in LMICs. The reasons include poor dietary intake, high prevalence of infection, heavy bleeding during periods, frequent pregnancies, and low healthcare access.

Iron deficiency anemia is conventionally treated with iron supplementation, but oral iron can cause symptoms such as diarrhea or constipation, other gut symptoms, an unpleasant taste, and may be inaccessible to some women. Pregnancy can further complicate treatment, as physiological changes may decrease iron absorption during this period.

This has resulted in persistently low use of iron supplements, even with national nutritional programs like the Gerakan Nasional Aksi Bergizi or iron supplementation programs targeting pregnant women and adolescent girls.

Nutritional benefits of guava

Guava is a locally cultivated and inexpensive fruit. Its juice is rich in vitamin C, folate, antioxidants, flavonoids, and polyphenols, and other micronutrients. The current study aimed to examine the potential of guava juice as a natural adjunct to iron therapy.

Guava juice and iron supplements

This systematic review and meta-analysis included 17 Indonesian studies published between 2019 and 2024, with a total of 726 participants. Most studies were quasi-experimental, while two were randomized controlled trials (RCTs). The participants were pregnant women or adolescent girls, with numbers ranging from 15 to 230.

While the findings were encouraging, most of the evidence came from relatively small quasi-experimental studies rather than randomized trials

Most studies evaluated guava juice alongside iron supplementation, while a few used it alone or in combination with carrot or red spinach juice. Intervention periods ranged from five days to three months.

Eight studies compared guava juice plus iron supplementation with iron supplementation alone, although only five of these provided extractable data for the direct comparative meta-analysis. One study used papaya juice and another dragon fruit juice as comparators. The remaining seven studies had no control group.

The meta-analysis was limited to 12 studies because the others lacked usable data. The results were promising, consistently indicating a significant average increase of 1.7 g/dL in hemoglobin among pooled participants who consumed guava juice.

When stratified by participant type, adolescents had a mean improvement in hemoglobin levels of 1.5 g/dL, versus 1.8 g/dL among pregnant women.

Across five studies that directly compared guava juice interventions with iron-only controls, hemoglobin levels increased by an additional 1.3 g/dL on average in the guava juice groups. This was confirmed to be robust by sensitivity analyses, with little evidence of publication bias.

Possible physiological pathways

The degree of improvement in hemoglobin observed by the researchers is substantial enough to potentially move some individuals with mild or moderate anemia into non-anemic categories. Other experimental studies involving male athletes, anemic schoolchildren, and postpartum women have shown similar positive effects from both guava juice and guava fruit consumption.

This suggests the beneficial impact of guava’s high vitamin C and polyphenol content, irrespective of the form of consumption. Vitamin C improves the absorption of iron from non-heme sources, including iron supplements, by converting ferric iron into its more absorbable ferrous form.

Guava also contains folate, antioxidants, flavonoids, and polyphenols that may support red blood cell survival by reducing oxidative stress. The researchers suggest that juice preparation may improve compliance and could enhance nutrient availability, while promoting more consistent intake.

Study limitations

Despite the promising results, the review also noted limitations. All studies were conducted in Indonesia, limiting generalizability to other populations. Many studies had a moderate risk of bias, sample sizes were relatively small, and most were non-randomized designs. Missing data also reduced the size of the meta-analysis. The studies showed high heterogeneity due to differences in guava dosage, preparation, and duration.

Future follow-up research should include larger, well-designed RCTs across multiple countries with standardized reporting, including regimens and outcomes. These should include not only hemoglobin but also parameters such as transferrin and ferritin that reflect broader health impacts and long-term effectiveness. This would help identify the optimal dosage, dosing frequency, and duration of use.

Implementation research is also required to understand how far such an intervention could be embedded into existing programs, supporting its real-world relevance.

Conclusion

Overall, the study concludes that guava juice significantly improves hemoglobin levels in women and adolescent girls. The authors highlight the potential of guava juice as an affordable, culturally acceptable, and locally available dietary adjunct to iron supplementation and anemia prevention programs in resource-limited settings.

It is particularly relevant in tropical countries with high guava production, such as India and Indonesia. The authors suggest integrating guava juice into school nutrition programs, antenatal care packages, and community health initiatives.

This could be a sustainable, complementary strategy to prevent and treat mild-to-moderate anemia, aligning with the United Nations’ Decade of Action on Nutrition (2016–2025) and its dietary emphasis on local foods.

Could guava juice help prevent anemia?

Cranberry juice consumption may protect against cardiovascular disease

In continuation of my updates on Cranberries

Results from a new study presented at the Cranberry Health Research Conference preceding the annual Berry Health Benefits Symposium 2015 in Madison, WI, revealed that cranberry juice consumption may play a role in protecting against cardiovascular disease. Presented by principal investigator, Ana Rodriguez-Mateos, PhD, from the Division of Cardiology, Pulmonology and Vascular Medicine at the University Duesseldorf, Germany, the research uncovered a potent, dose-dependent relationship between cranberry juice and improved vascular function. Because vascular dysfunction, including limitations in blood flow, is a central feature in the development of atherosclerosis - improving vascular function can have a powerful, beneficial effect on a person's cardiovascular health.

"Cranberry juice is a rich source of phytonutrients, including proanthocyanidins, anthocyanins and phenolic acids," explains Dr. Rodriguez-Mateos. "Due to this robust profile of polyphenols, our team sought to evaluate the immediate vascular impact of drinking one, 450 ml (or 16 ounces) glass of cranberry juice with a different range of concentrations of cranberry-polyphenols."

Cranberry juice consumption may protect against cardiovascular disease

Scientists ID compounds that target amyloid fibrils in Alzheimer's, other brain diseases

The UCLA researchers, led by David Eisenberg, director of the UCLA-Department of Energy Institute of Genomics and Proteomics and a Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator, report the first application of this technique in the search for molecular compounds that bind to and inhibit the activity of the amyloid-beta protein responsible for forming dangerous plaques in the brain of patients with Alzheimer's and other degenerative diseases.

o identify natural and synthetic compounds that might prevent the aggregation and toxicity of amyloid fibrils. Such studies have revealed that polyphenols, naturally occurring compounds found in green tea and in the spice turmeric, can inhibit the formation of amyloid fibrils. In addition, several dyes have been found to reduce amyloid's toxic effects, although significant side effects prevent them from being used as drugs. 

Armed with a precise knowledge of the atomic structure of the amyloid-beta protein, Jiang, Eisenberg and colleagues conducted a computational screening of 18,000 compounds in search of those most likely to bind tightly and effectively to the protein.

Those compounds that showed the strongest potential for binding were then tested for their efficacy in blocking the aggregation of amyloid-beta and for their ability to protect mammalian cells grown in culture from the protein's toxic effects, which in the past has proved very difficult. Ultimately, the researchers identified eight compounds and three compound derivatives that had a significant effect.

While these compounds did not reduce the amount of protein aggregates, they were found to reduce the protein's toxicity and to increase the stability of amyloid fibrils  a finding that lends further evidence to the theory that smaller assemblies of amyloid-beta known as oligomers, and not the fibrils themselves, are the toxic agents responsible for Alzheimer's symptoms.

The researchers hypothesize that by binding snugly to the protein, the compounds they identified may be preventing these smaller oligomers from breaking free of the amyloid-beta fibrils, thus keeping toxicity in check...

Ref : http://elife.elifesciences.org/content/2/e00857

Scientists ID compounds that target amyloid fibrils in Alzheimer's, other brain diseases

Bitter melon (gourd) extract inhibits breast cancer cell proliferation.....

Momordica charantia (picture, source : wikipedia) is a tropical  and subtropical vine of the family Cucurbitaceae, widely grown for edible fruit, which is among the most bitter of all vegetables. English names for the plant and its fruit include bitter melon or bitter gourd.  Extract of this vegetable is being popularized as a dietary supplement in Western Countries, since it is known to contain additional glycosides such as mormordin, vitamin C, carotenoids, flavanoids and polyphenols.

Momordica charantia has a non-nitrogenous neutral principle charantin (see structure  an insulin-like chemical that can lower blood sugar and cholesterol), and on hydrolysis gives glucose and a sterol.

Now researchers from Saint Louis University, have come up with an in interesting finding, i.e., bitter melon extract, a common dietary supplement, exerts a significant effect against breast cancer cell growth and may eventually become a chemopreventive agent against this form of cancer.

Previous research has shown Momordica charantia, to have hypoglycemic and hypolipidemic effects. Because of these effects, the extract is commonly used in folk medicines as a remedy for diabetes in locales such as India, China and Central America, as per  the claim by  researchers.

Using human breast cancer cells and primary human mammary epithelial cells in vitro, Dr. Ratna  Ray (Professor in the Department of Pathology at Saint Louis University) and colleagues found the bitter melon extract significantly decreased proliferation, of cell growth and division, and induced death in breast cancer cells. These early results offer an encouraging path for research into breast cancer. Researchers claim that, "this study may provide us with one more agent as an extract that could be used against breast cancer if additional studies hold true". 

Ray and colleagues are currently conducting follow-up studies using a number of cancer cell lines to examine the anti proliferative effect of the extract. They are also planning a preclinical trial to evaluate its chemopreventive efficacy by oral administration. Hope they come up with positive results.......

Ref : Dr. Ratna Ray et.al., Cancer Research, 10.1158/0008-5472, February 23, 2010.

Botanical drug is shown to help patients with head and neck cancers

In continuation of my update on Curcumin

In a UCLA-led phase I clinical trial, a new plant-based drug called APG-157 showed signs of helping patients fight oral and oropharyngeal cancers. These cancers are located in the head and the neck.

APG-157  (a botanical drug containing multiple polyphenols, including curcumin see above structure), is made up of multiple compounds produced by plants, including curcumin. UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center researchers found that treatment with this botanical drug resulted in high concentrations of curcumin and its byproducts circulating in the blood and absorbed by tumor tissues within three hours after being taken orally.

APG-157 reduced the concentration of cytokines—proteins involved in inflammation—in the saliva when administered to cancer patients. The therapy also reduced the relative abundance of Bacteroides species, a group of gram-negative bacteria. Gram negative refers to a group of dangerous bacteria that have an outer layer which hides them from the immune system. The relative abundance of gram-negative bacteria compared to the presence of other types of bacteria is correlated with oral cancer.

APG-157 also resulted in the expression of genes that are associated with attracting immune system T cells to the tumor area. This therapy could have a beneficial effect when used in combination with immunotherapy drugs that help immune system T cells recognize and kill tumors.

The treatment did not have any adverse effects on the study's participants.

Cancers of the head and neck account for 4% of all cancers. About 650,000 new cases are reported each year around the world. People with advanced head and neck cancers have a low survival rate and current treatment options such as surgery, radiation and chemotherapy can have adverse effects. Therefore, more effective and less toxic therapies are needed to help improve the quality of life and outcome for those with these cancers.

APG-157 is a botanical drug developed under the FDA's Botanical Drug Guidance, which includes requirements for production of plant-based therapies that are marketed as prescription medications. The drug is made up of botanical compounds including curcumin from the Curcuma longa plant, which is commonly referred to as turmeric and is a member of the ginger family.

Curcumin is one of the medicinally active or therapeutic molecules that has been tested as a possible treatment to help fight multiple cancers because it is an antioxidant that reduces swelling and inflammation. However, there is poor absorption into the bloodstream when curcumin is taken orally. In this study, UCLA researchers found that when APG-157 is taken through oral mucosal absorption, patients have high levels of curcumin circulating in their blood and absorbed by cancer tissues.

UCLA researchers conducted the study of APG-157 comparing 12 people who had oral and oropharyngeal cancer with a control group of 13 people who did not have cancer. The reason both the people with cancer and without cancer were part of the study was to show that the drug was not toxic to either people with cancer or those without cancer.

The medication was given each hour for three hours and was delivered as a lozenge that slowly dissolved in the mouth. Blood and saliva samples were collected beforehand—each of the three hours the medication was administered—and 24 hours after the last dosage. The medication was given to 12 people (some who had cancer and some who did not) and a placebo was given to 13 people. Blood and electrocardiogram tests did not show increased toxicity in the people who took the active medication in comparison with the people who took the placebo, regardless of whether they had cancer or not.

For the cancer patients who took the medication, there was a decrease in Bacteroides and an increase in T cells in the tumor tissue as compared to cancer patients who took the placebo. Neither the subjects nor the investigators knew whether the drug or a placebo was given when reviewing the blood and saliva test results of the blinded study.

APG-157 is a botanical drug that has low toxicity. It works effectively to reduce inflammation that contributes to the growth of cancer cells. It also attracts T cells to the tumor micro-environment. When used in combination with immunotherapy drugs, APG-157 might have the ability to make the immune system more effective in attacking head and neck cancers. With potential to inhibit the growth of Bacteroides species, APG-157 could also improve cancer therapy through oral microbial changes.

https://acsjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/cncr.32644

ProstaCaid (33-ingredient comprehensive polyherbal preparation) against prostate cancer......

We have seen  many benefits of natural products rich in  Quercetin,   Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) and many other polyphenol antioxidant from natural products like green tea, broccoli peaches and plums. Interestingly, now researchers from  Columbia University have come up with an interesting finding, i.e., ProstaCaid is a 33-ingredient comprehensive polyherbal preparation with supplements of vitamin C, vitamin D3, zinc, selenium, quercitin, 3,3′-diinodolymethane (DIM), and lycopene was able to stop abnormal cell growth and induce apoptosis (programmed cell death) in both hormone sensitive and hormone resistant prostate cancer cell lines at unusually low concentrations, which makes the findings more significant...

Herbal extracts include the extracts from turmeric root, saw palmetto berry, grape skin, pomegranate, pumpkin seed, pygeum bark, sarsaparilla root, green tea, and Japanese knotweed. Hence, it is rich in natural polyphenols, including quercetin, resveratrol, epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), and ellagic acid, which have previously demonstrated anticancer potential. The unique formula contains 3 medicinal mushrooms grown on an herbal-enhanced medium. The mushrooms included are Phellinus linteus, Ganoderma lucidum, and Coriolus versicolor, each with known anticancer properties.

Researchers claim that, ProstaCaid was designed based on constituents that exhibit antiprolifetaive, antioxidant, and apoptotic activities; however, its efficacy and the mechanisms of action are yet to be examined. Researchers looked at the effectiveness of the preparation in suppressing several types of prostate cancer cell lines in culture and attempt to delineate the mechanism of action for justification in pursuing animal to determine efficicacy invivo.

Researchers conclude that, the anticancer activity of ProstaCaid may be ascribed to its polyphenolic flavonoids and curcuminoids derived from various herbs as well as other supplements, such as DIM. The preparation contains supplements such as quercetin (15%), Curcuma longa root extract complex with enhanced bioavailability (BCM-95; 20%), DIM (3%), and resveratrol (0.2%). Some of these components have shown a strong doseand time-dependent growth inhibition and apoptotic death in prostate cancer cells; 25 mM of quercetin inhibited about 50% PC3 cell growth for 72 hours. At 24 hours, 50 mM and 100 mM quercetin induced G2/M arrest and apoptosis, manifested by the decrease in G2/M-related protiens.

Researchers summarise  that,    ProstaCaid has anti-cancer activities in both AD and AI prostate cancer cells at very low concentrations (25 mg/mL). It also suggests that ProstaCaid inhibits cell growth and survival, at least through the inhibition of AKT and MAPK signaling. The effect on AI cell lines is especially of importance as there is presently no curative therapy for hormone refractory prostate cancer.

Researchers postulate that ProstaCaid may affect activity of Cdc2/cyclin B1 kinase by reducing this complex formation. Cdc2 could be dephosphorylated by Cdc25C and become inactive or be phosphorylated by protein kinase, such as Wee1, and then converted into an inactive form. They also suggest that more studies are needed in the future to test it and to define its upstream events in PC3 cells.

Ref : Jun Yan and Aaron E. Katz, Integr Cancer Ther 2010 9: 186

Green coffee beans show potential for losing weight..

In  a  study  presented,  at  the  American  Chemical  Society’s  spring     national meeting in San Diego, 16 over weight young adults took, by turns, a low dose of green coffee bean extract, a high  dose  of  the supplement, and a placebo. Though the study was small, the results were striking: Subjects lost an average of 17.5 pounds in 22 weeks and reduced their overall body weight by 10.5%.If green coffee extract were a medication seeking approval from the Food and Drug Administration, these results would make it a viable candidate — more than 35% of subjects lost more than 5% of their body weight, and weight loss appeared to be greater while subjects were taking the pills than when they were on the placebo.

Joe Vinson, the University of Scranton chemist who conducted the pilot study, said the findings should pave the way for more rigorous research on coffee bean extract’s effects. A larger trial involving 60 people is being planned.Vinson, whose research focuses on plant polyphenols and their effects on human health, said it appears that green coffee bean extract may work by reducing the absorption of fat and glucose in the gut; it may also reduce insulin levels, which would improve metabolic function. There were no signs of ill effects on any subjects, Vinson reported.

The study used a “cross-over” design, which allowed each subject to serve as his or her own comparison group. For six weeks, volunteers swallowed capsules three times a day, ingesting either 700 or 1,050 milligrams of green coffee extract a day or taking a placebo. After a two-week break, they moved, round-robin style, to another arm of the trial.Subjects did not change their calorie intake over the course of the trial. But the more extract they consumed, the more weight and fat they lost. Altogether, they reduced their body fat by 16%, on average.Of the 16 volunteers, six wound up with a body mass index in the healthful range.One downside is that the extract is “extremely bitter.” It would be difficult to take without a lot of water, Vinson reported.....

Ref : Detailed article read at

I found the following link more informative...

 http://greencoffeebeanreviews.com/

Maple Syrup and Maple water contain abscisic acid.....

It has recently been reported that maple syrup contains polyphenols  and shows ORAC (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity, a unit of measurement for antioxidants developed by the NIH)  values which compare to commonly eaten fruits and vegetables such as broccoli. Now, further research on maple syrup and its original form, maple water, conducted by Dr Yves Desjardins and his colleagues (at  Institut des neutraceutiques et des aliments fonctionnels), has revealed that both products contain equally important quantities of terpenes, and in particular, abscisic acid (see structure), a phytohormone whose health benefits have only recently been discovered. 

Vegetable physiologists and botanical researchers have known about the physiological properties of abscisic acid in the vegetable kingdom for a long time, but its health benefits for humans has only recently come to light. Along with other effects, it is known to stimulate insulin release through pancreatic cells and to increase sensitivity of fat cells to insulin, which makes it a potent weapon against  metabolic syndrome and diabetes. So its good to see that maple products contain a whole host of complementary active elements. The sugar molecules which provide the energy and sweetness in maple products are inherently complemented by abscisic acid molecules because they encourage insulin homeostasis. 

The authors conclude that, further studies are obviously needed before one can more accurately understand how eating maple products affects insulin behavior......

Ref : Dr Yves Desjardins et.al., (Emerging Topics in Health Effects of Fruits and Vegetables symposium which forms part of the 28th International Horticultural Congress in Portugal, August 22-27, 2010.)

Green tea found to reduce rate of some GI cancers

In continuation of my update on green tea.

We know that, Tea contains polyphenols or natural chemicals that include catechins like EGCG and ECG. Catechins have antioxidant properties and may inhibit cancer by reducing DNA damage and blocking tumor cell growth and invasion.

Now researchers have found that regular tea consumption, defined as  tea  consumption  at  least three times a week for more than six months, was  associated  with  a  17 percent reduced risk of all digestive cancers combined. A  further  reduction  in  risk  was  found to be  associated  with  a increased level of tea drinking. Specifically, those who consumed about two to three cups per day (at least 150 grams of tea per month) had a 21 percent reduced risk of digestive system cancers.

For all digestive system cancers combined, the risk was reduced by 27 percent among women who had been drinking tea regularly for at least 20 years," said Nechuta. "For colorectal cancer, risk was reduced by 29 percent among the long-term tea drinkers. These results suggest long-term cumulative exposure may be particularly important."

Ref : http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/96/5/1056

Green tea found to reduce rate of some GI cancers

An apple a day could keep obesity away

Sientists at Washington State University have concluded that non digestible compounds in apples -- specifically, Granny Smith apples  may help prevent disorders associated with obesity. The study, thought to be the first to assess these compounds in apple cultivars grown in the Pacific Northwest, appears in October's print edition of the journal Food Chemistry.

"We know that, in general, apples are a good source of these nondigestible compounds but there are differences in varieties," said food scientist Giuliana Noratto, the study's lead researcher. "Results from this study will help consumers to discriminate between apple varieties that can aid in the fight against obesity."

The tart green Granny Smith apples benefit the growth of friendly bacteria in the colon due to their high content of non-digestible compounds, including dietary fiber and polyphenols, and low content of available carbohydrates. Despite being subjected to chewing, stomach acid and digestive enzymes, these compounds remain intact when they reach the colon. Once there, they are fermented by bacteria in the colon, which benefits the growth of friendly bacteria in the gut.

The study showed that Granny Smith apples surpass Braeburn, Fuji, Gala, Golden Delicious, McIntosh and Red Delicious in the amount of nondigestible compounds they contain.

"The nondigestible compounds in the Granny Smith apples actually changed the proportions of fecal bacteria from obese mice to be similar to that of lean mice," Noratto said.

An apple a day could keep obesity away 

Olive ingredients may prevent Alzheimer's disease

It has long been proven that people who follow a Mediterranean diet and keep physically and mentally active are less likely to suffer from dementia. Olives in particular appear to play a key role in this regard. But just what are the substances contained in these small, oval fruit that are so valuable? This is what a Hessen-based group of researchers from the Goethe University Frankfurt, the Technical University (TU) of Darmstadt and Darmstadt company N-Zyme BioTec GmbH intends to find out. The three-year project "NeurOliv" has a project volume of 1.3 million Euros and is funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research as part of the high-tech initiative "KMU-innovativ Biochance".

This collaboration combines a number of approaches, the initiative of which came from N-Zyme BioTec GmbH. The aim is to use substances contained in olives to develop new functional food for the ageing society, which will protect against Alzheimer's disease. "We want to test whether olive polyphenols can even help to cure the disease. This is why we believe our products also relate to the pharmaceutical sector", says Dr. Joachim Tretzel, Managing Director of N-Zyme BioTec GmbH. The high-tech initiative of the German government was set up to fund small and medium-sized enterprises.

Olive oil : http://www.oliveoilsource.com/page/what-olive-oil

Olive ingredients may prevent Alzheimer's disease