Common molecular changes in cancer cells are high carbon flux through the glycolytic pathway and overexpression of fatty acid synthase, a key lipogenic enzyme. Since glycerol 3-phosphate dehydrogenase creates a link between carbohydrates and the lipid metabolism, we have investigated the activity of glycerol 3-phosphate dehydrogenase and various lipogenic enzymes in human bladder cancer. The data presented in this paper indicate that glycerol 3-phosphate dehydrogenase activity in human bladder cancer is significantly higher compared to adjacent non-neoplastic tissue, serving as normal control bladder tissue. Increased glycerol 3-phosphate dehydrogenase activity is accompanied by increased enzyme activity, either directly (fatty acid synthase) or indirectly (through ATP-citrate lyase, glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase, 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase and citrate synthase) involved in fatty acid synthesis. Coordinated upregulation of glycerol 3-phosphate dehydrogenase and lipogenic enzymes activities in human bladder cancer suggests that glycerol 3-phosphate dehydrogenase supplies glycerol 3-phosphate for lipid biosynthesis.

It is likely that enhanced citrate synthase activity contributes to the conversion of glucose to lipids in pancreatic cancer providing substrate for membrane lipids synthesis.

Morus alba L. (white mulberry) has been commonly used as a functional food and for medicinal purposes. Hence, the aim of the study was to compare the phenolic profile of white mulberry commercial samples in relation to their antioxidant potential and acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitory activity. It is of interest to determine whether herbal products originating from different commercial sources differ in their phenolic profiles. For this purpose, a simple and rapid high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method was used for the separation and determination of ten major phenolic compounds. Total phenolic (TPC), total flavonoid (TFC), and total phenolic acid contents (TPAC), as well as l(+)-ascorbic acid (ASA) contents, were determined. The antioxidant potential was assessed by DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical) scavenging activity and ferric-reducing/antioxidant power (FRAP) assay, while the AChE inhibitory activity was determined by the Ellman assay for water extracts. The study revealed that excluding two herbal products containing fruits and a sample containing leaves of white mulberry, yerba mate and lemon, the remaining samples were generally consistent in terms of phenolic composition as well as antioxidant potential and AChE inhibitory activity. This reflects the health-promoting properties of the samples under study. Moreover, the results showed that the water extracts of white mulberry were richer in phenolic compounds and presented higher antioxidant activity than the hydromethanolic extracts. However, the water extracts showed low inhibitory activity against AChE. Moreover, the correlation analysis indicated a high positive relationship between phenolic composition and antioxidant activity in extracts of white mulberry. Overall, the obtained results may be useful in the evaluation of new dietary supplements and food products. The water extracts of white mulberry could be used for antioxidant purposes, while the hydromethanolic extracts could be incorporated in antioxidant formulations.

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Background/Aims: The fatty acid profile in plasma lipids contributes to the increase of plasma high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP), a marker of inflammation and predictor of cardiovascular risk. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between specific fatty acids (FA) of serum lipids and serum hsCRP in morbidly obese woman. Methods: The study included 16 morbidly obese (mean BMI= 43 ± 2.2 kg/m²) non-diabetic woman awaiting bariatric surgery. FA extracted from serum lipids were methylated and analyzed on GC-MS. Commercially available ELISA kits were used to determine the serum inflammatory markers. Results: We demonstrated that total saturated FA (SFA) and total monounsaturated FA (MUFA) of serum lipids were positively correlated with serum hsCRP, whereas both n-3 and n-6 total polyunsaturated FA (PUFA) were negatively correlated with serum hsCRP. Serum interleukin-6 correlated positively with some SFA and MUFA, whereas negatively with some of PUFA. Positive correlation between serum hsCRP and specific SFA and MUFA or negative correlation with PUFA decreased with the increased FA chain length. The number and localization of double bonds also had impact on these correlations. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that individual serum lipid FA levels, depending on the length of FA chain, number and the localization of double bonds are distinctly associated with hsCRP in morbidly obese subjects.