Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has become notorious globally. Increasingly emerging evidence shows that NAFLD is strongly associated with inflammation, with proinflammatory cytokines such as interleukin-2 (IL-2), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) playing a vital role in its progression. In this work, an attempt was made to verify the anti-inflammatory activity of Ruzu herbal bitters (RHB), an antiobesity medicinal concoction, on NAFLD induced by a high-fat diet (HFD) in albino Wistar rats. Twenty-five (25) rats were divided into five groups as follows: Group 1, the normal control, was maintained on standard rat chow and received normal saline (1 ml/kg body weight (BW)/day) for twelve weeks. The other groups were maintained on HFD for twelve weeks. Thereafter, groups 2–5 were treated with pioglitazone (4 mg/kg BW/day), RHB (0.6 ml/kg BW/day), normal saline (1 ml/kg BW/day), and fenofibrate (10 mg/kg BW/day), respectively. The animals were sacrificed after the experimental period. Biochemical indicators of oxidative stress and inflammation were assayed in the liver according to standard methods. The histological features of the liver were also compared to assess liver damage. RHB significantly (p<0.05) reduced body weight and liver index, inhibited oxidative stress, boosted antioxidant enzymes by increasing the activity and level of SOD and GSH, reduced proinflammatory markers (IL-2, IL-6, TNF-α), and reversed histological alterations induced by NAFLD in rat liver. In conclusion, the anti-inflammatory activity of RHB in the prevention of NAFLD in rats has been confirmed.
Terminalia catappa L. (tropical almond) is a nutritious fruit found mainly in the tropics. This study is aimed to establish the naturally biotransformed molecules and identify the probiotic agents facilitating the fermentation. The aqueous extracts from both the unfermented and fermented T. catappa nuts were subjected to gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) analysis. Syringol (6.03%), glutamine (1.71%), methyl laurate (1.79%), methyl palmitate (1.53%), palmitic acid (5.20%), palmitoleic acid (2.80%), and methyl oleate (2.97%) were detected in the unfermented nuts of the T. catappa. Additionally, two of these natural compounds (palmitic acid (4.19%) and palmitoleic acid (1.48%)) survived the fermentation process to emerge in the fermented seeds. The other natural compounds were biotransformed into 2,3-butanediol (1.81%), butyric acid (16.20%), propane-1,3-diol (19.66%), neoheptanol (2.89%), 2-piperidinone (6.63%), palmitoleic acid (1.18%), formamide, n-(p-hydroxyphenethyl)- (2.80%), and cis-vaccenic acid (1.69%) that newly emerged in the fermented seeds. The phytochemical compounds are likely carbon sources for the organisms facilitating the biotransformed molecules and product production. Four (4) potential probiotic bacteria strains, namely, Probt B1a, Probt B2a, Probt B4a, and Probt B4b, were isolated from the fermented nut. Enterococcus faecum, and Enterococcus faecalis were the organisms identified as driving the fermentation of the seeds. All strains were gram-positive, catalase-negative, and non-hemolytic, which suggests their harmless nature. N-(p-hydroxyphenethyl)-) was associated with fermentation for the first time, and neoheptanol was discovered as the main alcoholic molecule formed during the fermentation of the seeds. This fermentation is a handy tool for bio-transforming compounds in raw food sources into compounds with nutritious and therapeutic potentials.
Context: One of the world’s most widespread and frequent liver diseases is the non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Aims: To evaluate the preventives activities of Ruzu herbal bitters (RHB), which is an anti-obesity therapeutic concoction used widely in Nigeria on high–fat diet (HFD) induced NAFLD in albino Wistar rats. Methods: A total number of twenty-five rats were isolated and divided equally into five groups. Group 1, the normal control group was placed on normal rat diet and normal saline (1 mL/kg body weight daily) for twelve weeks. The remaining four groups 2-5 were placed on HFD for twelve weeks; adding to the following treatment schedules by oral gavage: group 2 received pioglitazone 4 mg/kg daily, group 3 received RHB 0.6 mL/kg daily, group 4 received normal saline 1 mL/kg daily and group 5 received fenofibrate 10 mg/kg daily (s.c). The animals were sacrificed and biochemical markers of liver function, lipid profile, glycemic index, and histopathological assessment of the liver of the rats were determined. Results: Rat treated with RHB and other treated groups significantly (p<0.05) reduced the liver index, fasting blood glucose, and activities and concentrations of liver function enzymes and molecules when compared to untreated NAFLD group. Scoring of hepatic steatosis also showed the ameliorative role of the treatment on NAFLD. Conclusions: This study reveals that RHB and other treatment options assessed could prevent HFD–induced NAFLD and could be explored as another therapeutic approach to fenofibrate and pioglitazone in NAFLD management.
Human glutathione-S-transferases play a key role in the metabolism of drugs and environmental chemicals. There have been conflicting reports on the association of breast cancer susceptibility with null genotypes of glutathione-S-transferase (GST) classes of mu and theta (GSTM1 and GSTT1). However, this is the first report of the association of null genotypes of GSTs with breast cancer patients from Nigerian population. By multiplex PCR, we examined the null genotypes of GSTM1 and GSTT1 in relation to breast cancer risk in Nigerian women. The case-control study included 56 clinically diagnosed breast cancer patients and age-matched control participants. Odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (Cl) from conditional logistic regression model were used to estimate the association between GSTM1 and GSTT1 subtypes and breast cancer risk. The frequencies of GSTM1 and GSTT1 null genotypes in breast cancer (BC) patients differed from healthy controls (HC) (61% in BC vs. 39% in HC and 66% in BC vs. 34% in HC for GSTM1 and GSTT1 respectively). GSTM1 and GSTT1 null genotypes and their combinations were associated with increased breast cancer risk [OR = 3.06 (95% Cl 0.98-9.48)], [OR = 14.06 (95% Cl 3.02-70.6)] and [OR = 6.98 (95% Cl = 0.11-16.5)] respectively. The study showed an increased breast cancer risk in patients with GSTT1 homozygous gene deletions with relative risk (RR) value of 5.6 than those with GSTM1 (RR = 1.77). In conclusion, the data from our work provide evidence of increased risk of breast cancer associated with GSTM1 and GSTT1 homozygous gene deletions in women from Nigeria. Citation Format: Olubanke O. Ogunlana, Omaghomi Ortiseweyinmi, Sadiq Ajoke, Omolara Fatiregun, Solomon O. Rotimi, Bose E. Adegboye, Emeka E. Iweala, Angie O. Igbinoba-Adebayo. Significance of GSTM1 and GSTT1 gene polymorphism to breast cancer susceptibility in Nigerian women [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2018; 2018 Apr 14-18; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2018;78(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 1223.
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