Thursday, February 4, 2010
Green tea might help to treat Uterine Fibroids....
Friday, June 20, 2014
Green tea could reduce pancreatic cancer risk: Study explains how
cells."
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Protective properties of green tea uncovered
Wednesday, July 8, 2020
Plant flavonols significantly reduce Alzheimer’s risk
Alzheimer’s disease
The findings
Sources of flavonols
Implications
Thursday, August 12, 2010
ProstaCaid (33-ingredient comprehensive polyherbal preparation) against prostate cancer......
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
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Monday, November 26, 2012
Saturday, August 27, 2016
Monday, December 7, 2009
Combination of EGCG & DAPH-12 - a treatment for brain disorders ?
To date, researchers have had no success in destroying plaques in the human brain and only minimal success in the laboratory. One reason for these difficulties in finding compounds that can dissolve amyloids is their immense stability and their complex composition.
Yet, Dr. Duennwald ( Boston Biomedical Research Institute , BBRI) and co workers from Pennsylvania School of Medicine, experienced success in previous studies when he exposed amyloids in living yeast cells to EGCG (see the above structure). Furthermore, he and his collaborators also found before that DAPH-12, (see below structure) too, inhibits amyloid production in yeast.
These findings are significant because it is the first time a combination of specific chemicals (EGCG & DAPH-12) has successfully destroyed diverse forms of amyloids at the same time.
Though the detailed mechanism is still to be established, its a good achievement and hope this combinatorial therapy will help those sufferings from Alzheimer's and other degenerative diseases (Huntington's, and Parkinson's) in the days to come.....
Ref : http://www.nature.com/nchembio/journal/v5/n12/pdf/nchembio.246.pdf
Saturday, August 21, 2010
Endothelial Function Improvement With Dietary (Cocoa) Flavanols in Patients With Coronary Artery Disease....
A new study by UCSF cardiologists and researchers lead by Dr. Yerem Yeghiazarians found that high concentrations of cocoa flavanols decrease blood pressure, improve the health of blood vessels and increase the number of circulating blood-vessel-forming cells in patients with heart disease. The findings indicate that foods rich in flavanols such as cocoa products, tea, wine, and various fruits and vegetables have a cardio-protective benefit for heart disease patients.
Flavanols are phytonutrient compounds that are found naturally in apples, grapes, tea, cocoa and cherries, which account for the antioxidant effect provided by red wine and green tea. The study found a protective effect from a cocoa drink with 375 mg of flavanols, but according to researchers, a standard or recommended dosage has not yet been defined to achieve optimal health benefit.
The UCSF team has shown for the first time that one of the possible mechanisms of flavanol's benefit is an increase in the circulation of so-called angiogenic cells in the blood. These cells, also known as early endothelial progenitor cells, are critical for the repair process after vascular injury, and perform function and maintenance roles in the endothelium. Endothelium is the thin layer of cells that line the interior wall of blood vessels.
In the current study, the benefit seen from the two-fold increase in circulating angiogenic cells was similar to that achieved by therapy with statins and with lifestyle changes such as exercise and smoking cessation. The benefit demonstrated with cocoa flavanol therapy occurred in addition to the medical regimen already being taken by study participants.
"Our data support the concept that dietary flavanols at the levels provided -- in tandem with current medical therapy -- are safe, improve cardiovascular function, and increase circulating angiogenic cells, which have previously been shown to correlate positively with long-term cardiovascular outcomes" said Yeghiazarians.
Though long-term trials examining the effects of high-flavanol diets on cardiovascular health and function are warranted, but these early findings help us understand how these compounds impact the function of damaged blood vessels...
Ref : Yerem Yeghiazarians et.al., J. Am. Coll. Cardiol., July 13, 2010; 56: A20.
Friday, January 3, 2014
New role for milk: Delivering polyphenols with anti-cancer activity
Tuesday, August 20, 2013
Scientists ID compounds that target amyloid fibrils in Alzheimer's, other brain diseases
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
Beehive Extract Shows Potential as Prostate Cancer Treatment
"If you feed CAPE to mice daily, their tumors will stop growing. After several weeks, if you stop the treatment, the tumors will begin to grow again at their original pace," said Richard B. Jones, PhD, assistant professor in the Ben May Department for Cancer Research and Institute for Genomics and Systems Biology and senior author of the study. "So it doesn't kill the cancer, but it basically will indefinitely stop prostate cancer proliferation."
"A typical problem in bringing some of these herbal remedies into the clinic is that nobody knows how they act, nobody knows the mechanism, and therefore researchers are typically very hesitant to add them to any pharmaceutical treatment strategy," Jones said. "Now we'll actually be able to systematically demonstrate the parts of cell physiology that are affected by these compounds."
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Patients with chronic hepatitis C can benefit by drinking coffee
Read......
Patients with chronic hepatitis C can benefit by drinking coffee
Thursday, July 21, 2016
New oral blood thinners can decrease stroke risk in atrial fibrillation patients without frequent monitoring
Thursday, February 23, 2017
Is Okra Good for Diabetes?
Can okra help with symptoms of diabetes?
Increased absorption of sugar by muscles
Reduction in blood sugar spikes after eating
Lower blood sugar levels
Considerations for using okra
- Okra may make the drug metformin less effective.
- Okra is high in substances known as oxalates. Oxalates may increase the risk of kidney stones in people vulnerable to kidney stones.
- Okra can contain bacteria, pesticides, and other dangerous substances if it is not thoroughly washed. People should never consume rotten okra, frozen okra that is past its expiration date, or okra that has not been thoroughly washed.
- People with an okra allergy should not consume okra. Those with an allergy to other plants in the mallow family, such as hibiscus or cotton, may also be allergic to okra.
- Even if okra proves to be ineffective in fighting diabetes, it remains a safe snack for people with diabetes. A single serving of 100 grams contains just 30 calories, but offers a number of nutritional benefits:
- Okra contains no saturated fats or cholesterol
- Okra is rich in fiber, containing 9 percent of the recommended daily value (RDV)
- Okra contains 8 percent of the RDV of calcium, 43 percent of the RDV of manganese, 10 percent of the RDV of iron and copper, and 44 percent of the RDV of vitamin K
Okra is rich in protective substances known as antioxidants, including myricetin. According to the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, antioxidants may reduce oxidative stress, a process that damages cells in the body. Oxidative stress plays a role in the development of diabetes, as well as diseases such as:- Parkinson's disease
- Alzheimer's disease
- Cataracts
- Macular degeneration
- Heart and blood vessel disease
- Cancer
In addition to its antioxidant benefits, okra may also reduce tiredness. A 2015 study published in Nutrients found that substances found in okra seeds known as polyphenols and flavonoids could reduce fatigue.
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Quercetin blocks Hepatitis C infection....
As per the claim by the lead researcher Samuel French Assistant Professor, Pathology of UCLA, they have identified major two cellular proteins (HSPs, heat shock proteins 40 and 70) that play an important role in hepatitis C infection, and they say the finding may point to new and less toxic treatments for the disease, which can lead to cirrhosis and liver cancer. The researchers also found that Quercetin, blocks the synthesis of two heat shock proteins 40 and 70proteins and significantly inhibited viral infection in tissue culture.
Quercetin (see the structure) :
Is a plant-derived flavonoid, specifically a flavonol, used as a nutritional supplement. Laboratory studies show it may have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, and it is being investigated for a wide range of potential health benefits.Interestingly American cancer society, says that while quercetin has been promoted as being effective against a wide variety of diseases, including cancer, There is current early-stage clinical research on quercetin addressing safety and efficacy against sarcoidosis, asthma and glucose absorption in obesity and diabetes. Food riches in Quercetin includes, capers, lovage, apples, tea (Camellia sinensis), onion, especially red onion (higher concentrations of quercetin occur in the outermost rings), red grapes, citrus fruit, tomato, broccoli and other leafy green vegetables, cherries and berries.
virus production with low associated toxicity.
Hope the researcher will have positive results from the phase 1 clinical trial.....
Ref :http://www.cancer.ucla.edu/Index.aspx?page=644&recordid=312