No abstract

No abstract

Lycopene is a promising nutritional component for chemoprevention of prostate cancer (PCa). A possibly beneficial role of lycopene in patients diagnosed with benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH), who are at increased risk of developing PCa, has been suggested, although clinical data are lacking. Therefore, this pilot study aimed to investigate the effects of lycopene supplementation in elderly men diagnosed with BPH. A total of 40 patients with histologically proven BPH free of PCa were randomized to receive either lycopene at a dose of 15 mg/d or placebo for 6 mo. The effects of the intervention on carotenoid status, clinical diagnostic markers of prostate proliferation, and symptoms of the disease were assessed. The primary endpoint of the study was the inhibition or reduction of increased serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels. The 6-mo lycopene supplementation decreased PSA levels in men (P < 0.05), whereas there was no change in the placebo group. The plasma lycopene concentration increased in the group taking lycopene (P < 0.0001) but other plasma carotenoids were not affected. Whereas progression of prostate enlargement occurred in the placebo group as assessed by trans-rectal ultrasonography (P < 0.05) and digital rectal examination (P < 0.01), the prostate did not enlarge in the lycopene group. Symptoms of the disease, as assessed via the International Prostate Symptom Score questionnaire, were improved in both groups with a significantly greater effect in men taking lycopene supplements. In conclusion, lycopene inhibited progression of BPH.

Vitamin A is essential for growth and differentiation of a number of cells and tissues. Notably during pregnancy and throughout the breastfeeding period, vitamin A has an important role in the healthy development of the fetus and the newborn, with lung development and maturation being particularly important. The German Nutrition Society (DGE) recommends a 40% increase in vitamin A intake for pregnant women and a 90% increase for breastfeeding women. However, pregnant women or those considering becoming pregnant are generally advised to avoid the intake of vitamin A rich liver and liver foods, based upon unsupported scientific findings. As a result, the provitamin A carotenoid beta-carotene remains their essential source of vitamin A. Basic sources of provitamin A are orange and dark green vegetables, followed by fortified beverages which represent between 20% and 40% of the daily supply. The average intake of beta-carotene in Germany is about 1.5-2 mg a day. Assuming a vitamin A conversion rate for beta-carotene for juices of 4:1, and fruit and vegetables between 12:1 and 26:1; the total vitamin A contribution from beta-carotene intake represents 10-15% of the RDA. The American Pediatrics Association cites vitamin A as one of the most critical vitamins during pregnancy and the breastfeeding period, especially in terms of lung function and maturation. If the vitamin A supply of the mother is inadequate, her supply to the fetus will also be inadequate, as will later be her milk. These inadequacies cannot be compensated by postnatal supplementation. A clinical study in pregnant women with short birth intervals or multiple births showed that almost 1/3 of the women had plasma retinol levels below 1.4 micromol/l corresponding to a borderline deficiency. Despite the fact that vitamin A and beta-carotene rich food is generally available, risk groups for low vitamin A supply exist in the western world. It is therefore highly critical to restrict the beta-carotene supply from diet, particularly from sources of beta-carotene with high consumer acceptance such as fortified juices (e.g. "ACE juices") or dietary supplements (e.g. multivitamins for pregnant women). For the part of the population unable to meet vitamin A requirements according to the DACH recommendations, sufficient intake of beta-carotene may be crucial to help improve and maintain adequate vitamin A status and prevention of developmental disorders. At this time it has to be urgently advised against restricting the beta-carotene supply or putting warning labels on beta-carotene fortified products. It is, however, highly recommended to improve the available data on nutrient intakes in Germany, especially for pregnant and breastfeeding women. For them, recommendations to be aware of potential nutrient intake inadequacies might prove useful.

Endogenous antioxidants are decreased in skin and blood during UV exposure. Combined supplementation of β-carotene, α-tocopherol and ascorbic acid in addition to topical sunscreens may help to lower the risk of sunburning. Acute UV erythema with sunburn reaction are the most important factors in conjunction with the cumulative life-long UV dose for inducing skin damage resulting in photoageing and precancerous and cancerous lesions. Therefore, a clinical, randomized, double-blind, parallel group, placebo-controlled study was conducted in healthy young female volunteers (skin type II) investigating the preventive, photoprotective effect of supplementation with Seresis^®, an antioxidative combination containing both lipid and water-soluble compounds: carotenoids (β-carotene and lycopene), vitamins C and E, selenium and proanthocyanidins. In this study, the oral administration of Seresis appeared to be well tolerated. The preparation contains antioxidant compounds in quantities occurring at physiological levels and can therefore be used safely over a long period of time. Despite the fact that the assessment of the light sensitivity (minimal erythemal dose, chromametry) of the skin did not show any statistically significant differences between the Seresis and the placebo group, a clear statistical trend, however, could be demonstrated, i.e. Seresis was able to slow down the time of the development and grade of UVB-induced erythema. The primary efficacy parameter matrix metalloproteinases 1 (MMP-1) between treatment and placebo group following UV irradiation showed a significant difference (p < 0.05), which occurred due to the fact that after a 2-week UV irradiation, MMP-1 slightly increased (p < 0.03) in the placebo group and decreased (p < 0.044) in the treated group. The MMP-9 changes showed a clear tendency of decrease in the Seresis group (p < 1.393) and increase (p < 0.048) in the placebo group. These data emphasise that supplementation with Seresis decreases the UV-induced expression of MMP-1 and 9, which might be important in photoprotective processes. From our data, we thus finally draw the conclusion that by the combination of antioxidants, such as in the formulation of Seresis, a selective protection of the skin against irradiation can be achieved. This might be important for future recommendations for immediate suppression of the early phase of UV-induced erythema, that means pharmacological prevention of sunburn reaction as well as subsequent chronic skin damage.

Beside many risk factors in patients considered for alloHCT, only body mass index (BMI) as a broad marker of nutritional status has prognostic value in these patients. This is the first prospective study to investigate the validity of further nutritional markers: adjusted BMI, normalized for gender and age; Subjective Global Assessment questionnaire and standardized phase angle, normalized for gender, age and BMI in 105 patients as independent risk factors for outcomes [overall survival (OS), non-relapse mortality (NRM), relapse mortality (RM), progression-free survival (PFS)] until 2 years after alloHCT. In Cox proportional-hazards regression models, we included a variety of accepted risk factors. The two most influential pre-transplant risk factors identified and associated with similarly increased hazard ratios (HR) for OS, RM, and PFS were a low-standardized phase angle (HR = 1.97, P = 0.043; HR = 3.18, P = 0.017, and HR = 1.91, P = 0.039) and advanced disease. Under- and overweight according BMI percentiles (≤10th; ≥90th) revealed associations with increased risk of NRM (HR = 2.90, P = 0.018; HR = 3.02, P = 0.062), although only low BMI was weakly associated with OS (HR = 1.82, P = 0.09). In conclusion, our results demonstrate that pre-transplant phase angle is an independent predictor for 2-year outcomes in these patients. Further investigation is necessary to demonstrate whether the theoretically modifiable phase angle can be increased by physical training combined with nutritional support, and if this improves outcome after alloHCT.

Recently, tannins have received considerable attention as health-promoting component in various plant foods and several studies have reported on its nutraceutical properties. However, no study has established the role of condensed tannins in indigenous foods of Kenya. Therefore, this study was designed to evaluate the antioxidant activity (DPPH and FRAP) and antidiabetic effects (α-amylase and α-glucosidase inhibition activities) of condensed tannins in some selected raw and traditionally processed indigenous cereals, legumes, oil seeds, and vegetables. The condensed tannin content of the grains and vegetables ranged between 2.55 and 4.35 g/100 g DM and 1.53 and 5.73 g/100 g DM, respectively. The scavenging effect of acetonic extract on DPPH radical ranged from 77% to 90% while the reducing power was found to be 31 to 574 mmol Fe(II)/g DM in all the investigated food ingredients. The condensed tannin extracts of the analyzed samples showed promising antidiabetic effects with potential α-amylase and α-glucosidase inhibition activities of 23% to 44% and 58% to 88%, respectively. Condensed tannins extracted from the amaranth grain, finger millet, field bean, sunflower seeds, drumstick, and amaranth leaves exerted significantly higher antioxidant and antidiabetic activities than other food ingredients. Among the traditional processing methods, roasting of grains and cooking of vegetables were found to be more suitable mild treatments for preserving the tannin compound and its functional properties as opposed to soaking + cooking and blanching treatments. The identified elite sources of optimally processed indigenous food ingredients with promising results could be used as health-promoting ingredients through formulation of therapeutic diets.

Interleukin 1β (IL-1β) and tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) are key cytokines that drive the production of inflammatory mediators and matrix-degrading enzymes in osteoarthritis (OA). These proinflammatory cytokines bind to their respective cell surface receptors and activate inflammatory signaling pathways culminating with the activation of nuclear factor κB (NF-κB), a transcription factor that can be triggered by a host of stress-related stimuli including, excessive mechanical stress and ECM degradation products. Once activated, NF-κB regulates the expression of many cytokines, chemokines, adhesion molecules, inflammatory mediators, and several matrix-degrading enzymes. Therefore, proinflammatory cytokines, their cell surface receptors, NF-κB and downstream signaling pathways are therapeutic targets in OA. This paper critically reviews the recent literature and outlines the potential prophylactic properties of plant-derived phytochemicals such as curcumin and resveratrol for targeting NF-κB signaling and inflammation in OA to determine whether these phytochemicals can be used as functional foods.