Holistic Health Articles and Research Related to Herbal Medicines, Foods and Phytochemicals

Wednesday, 7 November 2018

Phytochemical Tartaric acid, The Natural Antibiotic Alternative, Scientists Say

By Kyle J. Norton

Phytochemicals may be next potential sources of new medications for the treatment of diseases with little or no side effects.

Tartaric acid, a phytochemical of the organic acid may be considered an alternative antibiotic remedy to replace the conventional medicine for the treatment of infectious disease caused by harmful bacteria, some studies suggested.

Phytochemicals, the natural chemical constituent, protect the plants against diseases and form their outer's color.

Out of millions of bacteria presented in this world, only a hundred of them cause infectious diseases. And, most bacteria that cause large-scale disease in human history may be closed to extinction.

Contrast to general belief, most bacteria live as independent cells, they share the basic characteristics of all living things, they breathe, metabolize, produce waste, and maintain a membrane potential.

However, bacteria do not process a nucleus in which their DNA is separated from the rest of the cell.

In the differentiation of bacteria, one must know that not all bacteria are bad. Some bacteria found in the digestive tract has been found to aid digestion and prevent the imbalance of bad and good bacteria. In other words, most bacteria are harmless.

Bacteria can enter our body to cause infection through an open wound, drinking bacterially contaminated water, closed contact with infectious patients, breathing in the exhaled droplets of an infected person.

In order to protect the body against bacterial invasion, the immune white blood cells after sensing the presence of harmful pathogens stimulate the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines to the site of infection with an aim to destroy the bacteria before causing damage to the body.

However, overproduction of proinflammatory cytokines in some cases can also cause the death of healthy cells, leading to improper healing with the formation of scars.

Tartaric acid is a phytochemical of the organic acid found abundantly in nuts, apricots, apples, sunflower, avocado, grapes, etc.

In the finding natural antibiotics without inducing side effects as of those in conventional medicine, researchers at the Mississippi State University conducted an experiment to examine the anti bacertial effects of the water-soluble extracts prepared from purple (cultivar Ison) and bronze (cultivar Carlos) muscadine seeds with or without heating.

Application of the Ison extracts displayed a strong antimicrobial activity against a cocktail of three strains of Escherichia coli O157: H7.

Chemicals analysis suggested the extract had a higher acidity (pH 3.39 to 3.43) compared to normal extract.

The major chemical compounds associated to the antibacterial activity including total phenolics (2.21 to 3.49 mg/ml), tartaric acid (5.6 to 10.7 mg/ml), tannic acid (5.7 to 8.1 mg/ml), and gallic acid (0.33 to 0.59 mg/ml), are also higher than those of the Carlos extracts.

Furthermore, heat treatment on both extracts increased antimicrobial activity, possibly because of increased acidity of the tartaric acid, total phenolics, and individual phenolics.

Heating of Ison extracts increased ellagic acid up to 83%. higher than the minimum of 10.7 mg/ml tartaric acid used alone exerted a strong effect against E. coli O157:H7 .

However, up to 10.7 mg/ml tartaric acid alone was not as effective against E. coli O157:H7 as were water-soluble seed extracts.

The ingredients which are responsible for the antibacterial efficacy of the purple (cultivar Ison) and bronze (cultivar Carlos) muscadine seeds are tannic and gallic acids, which process property of inactivation of pathogens.

Dr. Kim TJ, the lead author, on the final phase of the study wrote, "Water-soluble muscadine seed extracts may be useful for incorporation into juice and other beverage products as natural preservatives".

Taken together, tartaric acid exerted a significant effect in the inhibition of bacterium may be considered a functional phytochemical for the prevention and an adjunct therapy combined with the primary medicine for the treatment of bacterial infection.

Reference
(1) Antimicrobial effect of water-soluble muscadine seed extracts on Escherichia coli O157:H7.

Tuesday, 6 November 2018

Herbal Chickweed, The Natural and Potential Remedy Which Protects Our Liver Against Hepatitis

By Kyle J. Norton, Master of Nutrition

Scientists may have found a single whole herb which processes a significant effect in reducing risk and treatment of hepatitis with no side effects, some studies suggested.

Hepatitis is a group of infectious disease characterized by the inflammation of the liver.

Most cases of hepatitis are caused by viral infection, such as hepatitis A, B, and C. However, the disease also can be induced by excessive alcohol drinking and long-term intake of certain medication such as the popular Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).

Genetic preposition such as gene and certain medical conditions such as Cryoglobulinemia, a disease with an abnormality of the antibody and B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma are also found to elevate the risk of the disease onset.

Dr. Zheng Zeng in the study "Human genes involved in hepatitis B virus infection", wrote, " There is an approximate 90% risk of becoming a persistent carrier following perinatal infection in infants born to e antigen positive carrier mothers and a 30% risk in pre-school children. Only 5%-10% of adults become persistent carriers following infection".

Hepatitis is a very contagious disease. people who eat food or drink beverages contaminated with the feces of an infected person are easily infected by the virus.

Fishes and selfish that grow in the polluted water are also found to infected people with hepatitis virus.

Other risk factors associated with liver inflammation also include liver disease, cirrhosis, and liver toxicity.

According to the investigation of hepatitis infection among 563 adult Swedish expatriates suggested, "The most frequently reported recognised risk factors for the acquisition of viral hepatitis (as reported in a self-administered questionnaire) were having received an inoculation during medical or dental treatment, reported by 45% of all subjects, and having had sexual contact with the indigenous population, reported by 35%" and "the prevalences of hepatitis A virus (HAV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) markers in these expatriates were of the same magnitude as previously reported in the general Swedish population, 8% and 0.3%, respectively, the prevalence of markers for a past or present HBV infection was about twice as high (5%)".

Chickweed is a cool-season annual plant often eaten by chickens., genus S. media, belonging to the family Caryophyllaceae, native to Europe.

The herb has been used in herbal medicine to treat skin conditions, indigestion, eczema, cough, rashes, etc. and as astringent, carminative, demulcent, diuretic, expectorant, laxative, refrigerant, vulnerary agent.

In the study to reaffirm the use of Chickweed in traditional Chinese medicine for treatment of viral infection, researchers at the Jiangsu Provincial Academy of Chinese Medicine conducted an evaluation to examine anti-hepatitis virus of a fresh juice made from the herbal medicine.

All the fresh chickweed juices were prepared by the macroporous resin and ultrafiltration technology.

In vitro, the human HBV-transfected liver cell line HepG2.2.15. after treatment with fresh chickweed juices for 6 or 9 days, with the injection of 30 μg/mL SM-3 effectively suppressed the secretion of HBsAg and HBeAg with inhibition rates of 27.92% and 25.35% after 6 days of treatment of HepG2.2.15 cells, respectively.

Application of SM-3 reduced the level of HBV DNA in a dose-dependent manner.

Furthermore, the SM-3 also exerted a potential effect in the reduction in HBV antigens.

Moreover, in the examine the characterization and quantitation of the chemical composition of SM-3, researchers discovered that the efficacy of SM-3 in the inhibition of the human HBV-transfected liver cell line HepG2.2.15 was results of antiviral activities of the presence of flavonoid C-glycosides, polysaccharides, and protein found in the herb.

These results strongly suggested that herbal Chickweed possesses potential anti-HBV activity in vitro.

Additionally, in the examine the anti-hepatoma activity on five human liver-cancer cell lines, i.e. HepG2/C3A, SK-HEP-1, HA22T/VGH, Hep3B and PLC/PRF/5. of 15 15 herbal medicines used as folk medicine in Canada were evaluated by the McGill University.

Chickweed was found to exert a significant effect in the protection of the liver against the growth of all five cell lines, HepG2/C3A, SK-HEP-1, HA22T/VGH, Hep3B and PLC/PRF/5.

Taken altogether, Chickweed may be considered a function herbal medicine for the prevention and treatment of hepatitis.

However, due to the limitation of the above studies, additional data collection large example size and multi-centers studies performed with human consumption of the whole food or its bioactive compounds during the course of the disease will be necessary to complete the picture of Chickweed anti-hepatitis possibilities.

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Author Biography
Kyle J. Norton (Scholar, Master of Nutrition, All right reserved)
Health article writer and researcher; Over 10.000 articles and research papers have been written and published online, including worldwide health, ezine articles, article base, health blogs, self-growth, best before it's news, the karate GB daily, etc.,.
Named TOP 50 MEDICAL ESSAYS FOR ARTISTS & AUTHORS TO READ by Disilgold.com Named 50 of the best health Tweeters Canada - Huffington Post
Nominated for shorty award over last 4 years
Some articles have been used as references in medical research, such as international journal Pharma and Bioscience, ISSN 0975-6299.

References

(1) In vitro anti-hepatoma activity of fifteen natural medicines from Canada by Lin LT1, Liu LT, Chiang LC, Lin CC. (PubMed)(2) Bioactive constituents from Chinese natural medicines. XIV. New glycosides of beta-carboline-type alkaloid, neolignan, and phenylpropanoid from Stellaria dichotoma L. var. lanceolata and their antiallergic activities by Morikawa T1, Sun B, Matsuda H, Wu LJ, Harima S, Yoshikawa M.(PubMed
(3) Anti-hepatitis B virus activity of chickweed [Stellaria media (L.) Vill.] extracts in HepG2.2.15 cells by Ma L1, Song J, Shi Y, Wang C, Chen B, Xie D, Jia X.(PubMed)
(4) Evaluation of hepatoprotective activity of water-soluble polysaccharide fraction of Stellaria media L. by Gorina YV1, Saprykina EV, Gereng EA, Perevozchikova TV, Krasnov EA, Ivanova EV, Fait EA, Baranova OV. (PubMed)
(5) In vitro anti-hepatoma activity of fifteen natural medicines from Canada by Lin LT1, Liu LT, Chiang LC, Lin CC. (PubMed)
References

Hawthorn Fruit, the Herbal Remedy Which May Process Anti Non Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) Potency

By Kyle J Norton, Master of Nutrition

Scientists may have discovered a potent natural ingredient for the prevention and treatment of Nonalcoholic Fatty liver disease (NAFLD) without inducing any side effects, some studies suggested.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is a condition characterized by excessive fat the accumulation in the liver, other than abusive alcohol drinking.

Patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in the early stage may not experience any symptoms, however, at the later stage, due to the formation of liver scars in the liver, the disease may decrease the liver function in detoxifying harmful substances, cleaning the blood and making vital nutrients to the body needs.

Patients in this stage may also experience symptoms of persistent fatigue, bleeding and bruising easily, itchy skin and yellow discoloration in the skin and eyes and persistent fluid accumulation in your abdomen.

Some researchers suggested that the prevalence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease over a few decades is correlated to the widespread of obesity due to abnormalities in fatty acid metabolism, in conjunction with adipose tissue, hepatic, and systemic inflammation.

Dr. Lu FB, the lead author in the study, " The relationship between obesity and the severity of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: systematic review and meta-analysis", said, "obesity may not be an independent factor for the development of NASH or advanced fibrosis in NAFLD patients and NAFLD should be considered as potential population for pharmacologic treatment regardless of obesity. In addition, PNPLA3 rs738409 may be more relevant to the progression of non-obese NAFLD when compared to obese NAFLD".

The rs738409 polymorphism of the PNPLA3 gene is associated with the onset of hepatic steatosis and fibrosis.

Starvation and protein malnutrition, long-term use of total parenteral nutrition, intestinal bypass surgery for obesity, rapid weight loss and medical conditions such as hyperlipidemia (elevated lipids in the blood), insulin resistance and high blood pressure. genetic preposition and long-term use of medication are also the prevalent risk factors of the disease onset.

Hawthorn is shrubs and trees of the genus Crataegus, belonging to the family Rosaceae, native to temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere in Europe, Asia, and North America.

The herb has been used in traditional medicine to treat heart disease and symptoms of heart diseases such as irregular heartbeat, high blood pressure, chest pain, hardening of the arteries, etc., circulatory disorders and respiratory illnesses.

Researchers at The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical College, in the concerns that nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is emerging as a widespread condition worldwide, and reaffirm the natural treatments of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) launched an investigation to find natural medicines for the treatment of NAFLD without prominent side effects.

Truly, alternative medicines for the treatment of NAFLD have been proven with many successful histories of controlling the disease with no or fewer side effects, compared to conventional treatment of the same

The search of the database of PubMed and China National Knowledge Infrastructure from January 1995 to June 2010 for RCTs comparing either traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) formulations alone or in combination with placebo, ursodeoxycholic acid, insulin sensitizers, lipid-lowering drugs, or antioxidants found 5904 patients from 62 RCTs and 25,661 patients from 419 clinical studies with TCM formulation analysis.

In the compared studies, TCM had a better effect on the normalization of alanine aminotransferase and disappearance of radiological steatosis in the treatment of NAFLD, compared to Western medicine without inducing any side effects.

In general, Chinese herbal formulas have found to be effective, compared to the single herb in reducing the abnormality of fat accumulation in the liver.

Researchers after counting numbers of herbs used in the studies, out of 246 kinds of Chinese herbs included in our present study, with an average of 10 herbs (range 1-31) in each formulation, Hawthorn fruit was the most often used herb in the treatment of NAFLD.

Dr. the lead author, after taking into account co and confounders said, " TCM is of modest benefit to the treatment of NAFLD".

Taken altogether, Hawthorn Fruit may be considered a functional food used combination with other herbal medicine for the prevention and treatment of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), depending on the further data collection of large example size and multi-centers studies performed with human consumption of the whole food or its bioactive compound during the course of the disease will be necessary to complete the picture of Hawthorn fruit anti- NAFLD possibilities.

The Plant Base Bioactive Indole-3-Carbinol, in the Prevention and Treatment of Lung Cancer

By Kyle J. Norton

Indole-3-carbinol, an organic compound found in cruciferous vegetables may process a potential in reducing risk and treatment of lung cancer, some scientists found.

Lung cancer is a class of chronic and medical disease caused by irregular cells growth originated from the inner lining of the lung tissue due to the DNA alternation.

At the advanced stage after colonizing most parts of the lung, the cancerous cells can travel from the primary site to infect other healthy tissue and organs a distance away.

In the US, lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths, causing 158,683 deaths, including 88,329 men and 70,354 women, according to the 2007 statistic.

Researchers do not the exact causes of lung cancer. As of today, no one knows why people with similar health conditions, family history, and race, some are susceptible to the early onset of the disease while others do not.

Some researchers suggested genetic mutation and long-term cigarette smoking are 2 major risk factors associated with the alternative of lung cell DNA.

Truly, according to the statistic, approximately 8% of lung cancers are inherited or occur as a result of a genetic predisposition.

Dr. Ahmed El-Telbany, the lead scientist in the study "Cancer Genes in Lung Cancer. Racial Disparities: Are There Any?" said, "Mutational analysis and genomics profiling in recent years have advanced the field of lung cancer genetics/genomics significantly. It is becoming more accepted now that the identification of genomic alterations in lung cancer can impact therapeutics, especially when the alterations represent “oncogenic drivers” in the processes of tumorigenesis and progression" and

"The genes which are associated with lung cancer risk include EGFR, KRAS, MET, LKB1, BRAF, PIK3CA, ALK, RET, and ROS1".

Genetic mutation inherited from the parents is a result of an autosomal dominant pattern, which means one copy of the altered gene in each cell is sufficient to increase a person's chance of developing lung cancer.

However, not all people who carry the mutated lung cancer genes will develop lung cancer.

On the cigarette smoking in risk of lung cancer, researchers believe cigarette containing high amount of cancer-causing substances (carcinogens), when inhaled, the cigarette smoke carried the chemical toxins to the lung cell directly, and prolonged periods exposed to such chemicals can alternate lung cell DNA, leading to the early onset of lung cancer.

The joint study to examine the impact of smoking on risks of the major cell types of lung cancer led by the Institute of Ruhr Universität Bochum (IPA) included 13,169 cases and 16,010 controls from Europe and Canada suggested

* Squamous cell carcinoma (SqCC) predominated in male smokers.

* The ORs were elevated for all metrics of exposure to cigarette smoke and were higher for SqCC and small cell lung cancer (SCLC) than for Adenocarcinoma (AdCa)

* Current male smokers with an average daily dose of >30 cigarettes had ORs of 103.5 (95% CI 74.8-143.2) for SqCC, 111.3 (95% CI 69.8-177.5) for small cell lung cancer (SCLC), and 21.9 (95% CI 16.6-29.0) for AdCa.

These result surely reconfirmed the epidemiological studies suggestion, long-term use of cigarettes is associated substantially increased the risk of lung cancer regardless of gender.

Indole-3-carbinol is a phytochemical in the class of Indoles found abundantly in cabbage, kale, Brussels sprouts, rutabaga, mustard greens, broccoli, etc.

With an aim to find the natural ingredient for the treatment of lung cancer without inducing any adverse effects, the University of Minnesota conducted a study to test the chemopreventive efficacy of indole-3-carbinol (I3C), a phytochemical found in cruciferous vegetables, to inhibit tobacco carcinogen-induced lung adenocarcinoma in A/J mice.

Before the infection of indole-3-carbinol (I3C), the tested mice were given a post-initiation or progression protocol.

Post-initiation administration of I3C decreased the multiplicity of surface tumors as well as all forms of histopathological lesions, including adenocarcinoma.

Further analysis the effect of indole-3-carbinol (I3C), in A549 lung adenocarcinoma cell line, researchers indicated that the lung cancer preventive effects of I3C are mediated, at least in part, via modulation of the receptor tyrosine kinase/PI3K/Akt signaling pathway in the inhibition of cell growth and proliferation.

However, administration of the compound during tumor progression failed to decrease the multiplicity of surface tumors and early forms of microscopic lesions but reduced the frequency of adenocarcinoma.

In vivo, administration of a mixture of low concentrations of I3C (50 μM) plus silibinin (50 μM) for 72 h also displayed a significant inhibition of cell growth through the expression of the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) and Akt activation in the induction of apoptosis of A549 and H460 lung cancer cells.

Moreover, in the examine, the effects of indole-3-carbinol (I3C), in a mixture of NNK plus BaP (2 micromols each), administered by gavage as eight biweekly doses caused 21.1 +/- 5.2 lung tumors in a mouse model.

* Lung cancer induced mice given diets containing I3C at 1, 10, 30, 71, and 112 micromol/g, beginning at 50% in the carcinogen treatment phase, had 17.9 +/- 6.1, 10.4 +/- 3.7, 9.8 +/- 5.1, 5.2 +/- 4.0, and 2.5 +/- 2.4 lung tumors per mouse, corresponding to reductions by 15%, 51%, 53%, 75%, and 88%, respectively.

* I3C was significantly effective at the lowest dose level (1 micromol I3C/g diet).

* Administration of I3C (112 micromols/g diet) beginning 1 week after the last dose of the carcinogen significantly reduced lung cancer induced by NNK plus BaP by 74%.

* I3C inhibited the lung cancer progression partly through the antiproliferative and apoptotic activity.

Dr. Kassie F, the lead scientist, at the final phase of the experiment said, "the efficacy of I3C in the prevention of tobacco carcinogen-induced lung tumorigenesis in A/J mice and provide a basis for future evaluation of this compound in clinical trials as a chemopreventive agent for current and former smokers".

Taken altogether, phytochemical Indole-3-carbinol may be considered a functional bioactive compound for the prevention of lung cancer and a secondary therapy combined with the primary medicine for the treatment of lung cancer, depending to the further data collection of the large sample size and multi-center human study.

References
(1) Indole-3-carbinol inhibited tobacco smoke carcinogen-induced lung adenocarcinoma in A/J mice when administered during the post-initiation or progression phase of lung tumorigenesis by Qian X1, Melkamu T, Upadhyaya P, Kassie F.(PubMed)
(2) Dose-dependent inhibition of tobacco smoke carcinogen-induced lung tumorigenesis in A/J mice by indole-3-carbinol by Kassie F1, Matise I, Negia M, Upadhyaya P, Hecht SS.(PubMed)
(3) Enhanced inhibition of lung adenocarcinoma by combinatorial treatment with indole-3-carbinol and silibinin in A/J mice by Dagne A1, Melkamu T, Schutten MM, Qian X, Upadhyaya P, Luo X, Kassie F.(PubMed)
(4) Cancer Genes in Lung Cancer Racial Disparities: Are There Any? by Ahmed El-Telbany1,2 and Patrick C. Ma. (PMC)

Monday, 5 November 2018

The 134 Health Benefits of Green Tea, The World Most Popular Beverage

By Kyle J. Norton

Green tea, a precious drink processes numbers of health benefit known to almost everyone in Asia and Western world.

The below articles are the 132 health benefits cited by medical literature from many online databases

Continued

Green Tea's Bioactive Polyphenols Protect the Neuron's Integrity Against The Onset of Parkinson's disease (PD)

Kyle J. Norton

Green tea is found to process a therapeutic and substantial effect in inhibiting overexpression of reactive oxygen species (ROS) diseases, including Parkinson's disease (PD), some scientists suggested.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease, causing severe depletion of glutamatergic and dopaminergic inputs in the striatum associated with many factors, including oxidative stress, therefore the antioxidant property of epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), standardized extract (CS) and epicatechin (EC), the major polyphenols in green tea, may offer some protection.

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) or free radicals are types of unstable molecules containing oxygen, generated during mitochondrial oxidative metabolism and in the cellular response to environmental toxins, cytokines, and foreign organism invasion.

How is ROS associated with the onset of Parkinson's disease (PD), according to the study by the Rutgers - Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, oxidative stress has a strong implication in the degeneration of dopaminergic neurons in Parkinson's disease (PD) by causing disruptions in the physiologic maintenance of the redox potential in neurons, thus interfering with several biological processes, ultimately leading to cell death.

On the other hand, PD caused by a genetic preposition, including DJ-1, PINK1, parkin, alpha-synuclein, and LRRK2 which have the enormous and negative impacts on mitochondrial function, leading to exacerbation of ROS generation and susceptibility to oxidative stress.

Dr. Dias V, the lead author, after taking all co and confounders into account wrote, " (Understand better of) specific mechanisms related to PD gene products that modulate ROS production and the response of neurons to stress may provide targeted new approaches towards neuroprotection".

Green tea is a precious drink processed numbers of health benefit and known to almost everyone in Asia and the Western world.

In environment toxin 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine induced development and progression of Parkinsonism by increasing oxidative stress in dopaminergic neurons, researchers found that application of green tea extract (0.5 and 1 mg/kg) or (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate (2 and 10 mg/kg) prevent the loss of dopaminergic neurons through inducing the production of antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase (240%) and catalase (165%) activities by exerting neuroprotective effect against neurotoxins during the process.

Further analysis, also found that green tea polyphenol (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate inhibited oxidative stress in the induction of the onset of PD caused by 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine through increasing the antioxidant and iron chelative activities without affecting the environmental toxins.

Additional differentiation of oxidative stress caused by NO due to toxicity of 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) in animal models of Parkinson's disease (PD), suggested, administration of green tea and green tea EGCG prevented the loss of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH)-positive cells in the substantia nigra (SN) and TH activity in the striatum related to dopamine function in the initiation of Parkinson's disease.

Dr. Ji-Young, the lead author said, "Both tea and EGCG decreased expressions of iNOS(with function in produced both free radicals produce nitric oxide radical (NO), superoxide radicals (O2)) in the substantia nigra." and "tea plus MPTP and EGCG plus MPTP treatments decreased expressions of neuronal NO synthase (nNOS) (in catalyzed production of free radical NO) at the similar levels of EGCG treatment group".

Importantly, according to the Parkinson's Disease: New Insights for the Healthcare Professional: 2011 Edition, EGCG treatment against PD induced by 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) by reducing neuronal death by 20%. and iNOS expression in the negative control group compared to higher levels in the control group.

The investigation of the neuroprotective actions of the standardized extract (CS), epicatechin (EC) and epigallocatechin gallate (EGCbG), on a model of Parkinson's disease also indicated, the neuroprotective effects of green tea and its phytochemicals are probably in great part due to its powerful antioxidant activity in the inhibition of free radical expression.

Taken all together, Green tea, containing major bioactive polyphenols may have a powerful and explicit effect in the inhibition of oxidative stress caused by reactive oxygen species in the precipitated onset and progression of Parkinson's disease (PD).

Sources
(1) Green tea polyphenol (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate prevents N-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine-induced dopaminergic neurodegeneration by Levites Y1, Weinreb O, Maor G, Youdim MB, Mandel S(PubMed)
(2) Prevention of nitric oxide-mediated 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine-induced Parkinson's disease in mice by tea phenolic epigallocatechin 3-gallate by Choi JY1, Park CS, Kim DJ, Cho MH, Jin BK, Pie JE, Chung WG.(PubMed)

(3) Green tea polyphenols prevent Parkinson's disease: in vitro and in vivo studies Dan Chen by Iowa State University
(4) The role of oxidative stress in Parkinson's disease by Dias V1, Junn E, Mouradian MM. (PubMed)

Herbal Alfalfa, the Function Herb Which Processes Anti Diabetes Activity, Scientists Say

By Kyle J. Norton, Master of Nutrition

Herbal Alfalfa may be considered a functional herb for the prevention and treatment of type 2 diabetes, some scientists found.

Diabetes is a medical and chronic condition characterized by insufficient insulin entering the bloodstream to regulate the levels of blood glucose.

Some researchers suggested that the condition is either caused by the death of insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas as a result of toxic imbalance of a molecule secreted by other pancreatic cells or receptor sites clogged up by fat and cholesterol due to long-term unhealthy diet with high in saturated and trans fats and less in fruits of vegetables.

In the explanation of what causes the death of beta cells in the pancreas, the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio wrote, "We found that glutamate, a major signaling molecule in the brain and pancreas, is secreted together with glucagon by alpha cells and affects beta cell integrity."

Dr. Folli said. "In a situation where there is an imbalance toward more alpha cells and fewer beta cells, as in Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes, this could result in further beta cell destruction."

What causes the structures of receptors involved in blood sugar control to clog up? some researchers suggested, fat in the bloodstream build up inside the receptor sites, they create toxic fatty breakdown products and free radicals that blocks the insulin signaling process.

In some cases, diabetes is also caused by allergic reactions of the autoimmune disease.

The exact cause of type II diabetes is unknown. Scientists do not why people with the same health condition and family history, some are susceptible to the early onset of the disease while others do not.

However, genetic proposition and an unhealthy diet and lifestyle.are found to be the major prevalent risk factors of diabetes, epidemiologically.

Dr. Omar Ali, in the classified genetic mutation in risk of diabetes, said, "Very few T2D risk genes were identified using candidate gene and linkage-based studies, but the advent of genome-wide association studies has led to the identification of multiple genes, including several that were not previously known to play any role in T2D. Highly replicated genes, for example, TCF7L2, KCNQ1, and KCNJ11, are discussed in greater detail".

Other risk factors associated with the early onset of type II diabetes include overweight or obese, age 45 or older, family history, ethnicity, Alaska Native, high blood pressure and cholesterol and women with polycystic ovary syndrome.

Alfalfa is a flowering plant in the genus Medicago, belonging to the family Fabaceae, It has been cultivated all over the world as hay for cattle feeding.

The leaves, sprouts, and seeds have been used in traditional medicine over thousands of year to treat high cholesterol, asthma, osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes, enhance digestive system, bleeding disorder, kidney, and urinary tract infection, etc.

North America aboriginal has used Alfalfa seed as food, such as making bread and mush.

Its chemical constituents include flavones, isoflavones, sterols, Bichanin, Coumestrol, Diadzein, Formonetin, Genistein, coumarin derivatives, etc.

In the study to reaffirm the traditional medicine use of herbal alfalfa for the treatment of diabetes, researchers at the University of Ulster launched an investigation to examine the pancreatic and extra-pancreatic effects associated with the onset of the disease.

Observation of the results of test mice induced by injection streptozotocin before and after oral administration at different doses and concentrations showed a significant effect in the reduction of diabetics symptoms.

Oral administration of Alfalfa in the diet (62.5 g/kg) and drinking water (2.5 g/l) to tested mice exerted a strong effect in reducing the abnormal levels of glucose after fasting.

Injection of an aqueous extract of Alfalfa (1 mg/ml) stimulated the conversion of glucose into glycogen, the main storage form of glucose in the bod, through several conversion glucose molecules, in tested mice abdominal muscle.

Furthermore, in acute 20 min tests, 0.25-1 mg/ml aqueous extract of Alfalfa exhibited a significant activity in stimulating 2.5-6.3-fold of insulin secretion from the BRIN-BD11 pancreatic B-cell line.

During the experiment, researchers also discovered, the effect of Alfalfa was significantly decreased by injection of 0.5 mM-diazoxide, however, prior exposure to extract did not affect subsequent stimulation of insulin secretion by 10 mM-L-alanine, thereby negating a detrimental effect on cell viability.

Dr. Gray AM, the lead author at the final report wrote, "Sequential extraction with solvents revealed insulin-releasing activity in both methanol and water fractions, indicating a cumulative effect of more than one extract constituent".

In other words, the effect of Alfalfa in reducing the expression of diabetes was not attributed
to a single ingredient but some or all bioactive active compounds in the herb.

Additionally, in the comparison of the effect on glucose homeostasis of eleven plants used as traditional treatments for diabetes mellitus, including dried leaves of agrimony (Agrimonia eupatoria), alfalfa (Medicago sativa), blackberry (Rubus fructicosus), celandine (Chelidonium majus), eucalyptus (Eucalyptus globulus), lady's mantle (Alchemilla vulgaris), and lily of the valley (Convallaria majalis); seeds of coriander (Coriandrum sativum); dried berries of juniper (Juniperus communis); bulbs of garlic (Allium sativum) and roots of liquorice (Glycyrhizza glabra), researchers at the University of Ulster conducted a study, using the preparation in the comparison to traditional coctions or infusions in diabetic mice induced by injection of streptozotocin (200 mg/kg i.p.).

Before the infection of 11 plants preparation, mice induced by injection of streptozotocin (200 mg/kg i.p.) at the 12th day were found to develop hyperphagia, polydipsia, body weight loss, hyperglycemia, and hypoinsulinemia.

Oral administration of Alfalfa preparation showed a clinically significant in reducing the level of hyperglycemia during the development of streptozotocin diabetes.

Dr. Swanston-Flatt SK, the lead author after taking into account of co and confounders said, "The results suggest that certain traditional plant treatments for diabetes, namely agrimony, alfalfa, coriander, eucalyptus, and juniper, can retard the development of streptozotocin diabetes in mice".

Taken altogether, herbal Alfalfa may be considered a functional herb and an adjunct therapy for the prevention and treatment of diabetes without inducing any side effects.

However, due to the limitation of the above studies, additional data collection large example size and multi-centers studies performed with human consumption of the whole food Alfalfa during the course of the disease will be necessary to complete the picture of Alfalfa anti-diabetes possibilities.