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

Friday 21 June 2019

Betacyanins Inhibits Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) in Vitro

By Kyle J. Norton

Inflammation is a natural reaction of the immune system against the invasion of the foreign stimuli and pathogens with an aim to protect our body from infection.

In the acute phase of tissue damage or injury, after receiving the information from the neurotransmitters, the white blood cells that response for the first line of defense activate the production of blood platelets and the inflammatory cytokines to the site of infection to destroy the invasive agents.

However, in most cases, overproduction of inflammatory cytokines can damage the nearby cells that lead to improper healing with the formation of scars.

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), a class of chronic conditions associated with the inflammation of the digestive tract, can be classified into

* Ulcerative colitis is found in the innermost lining of the colon and rectum.

* Crohn's disease is a type of IBD that causes inflammation of the lining of the digestive tract, other than the colon and rectum.

Epidemiological studies suggested that patients with IBD are associated with the symptoms of severe diarrhea, abdominal pain, fatigue, and weight loss. Long-term persistent symptoms such as weight loss may be life-threatening.

If you have experienced some of the aforementioned symptoms, please make sure to check with your doctor to rule out the possibility.

The causes of IBD are unknown. The alternation of the ratio of gut microbiota may be the major culprit in facilitating the onset of IBD.

Dr. Becker C, the lead scientist wrote, "The intestinal microbiota has important metabolic and host-protective functions. Conversely, to these beneficial functions, the intestinal microbiota is thought to play a central role in the etiopathogenesis of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD; Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis), chronic inflammation of the gut mucosa".

Betacyanins are phytochemicals in the class of red and yellow indole-derived pigments, belonging to the group of Betalains, found abundantly in beets, chard, etc.

On finding a natural pigment for the prevention and treatment of colonic inflammation, researchers examined the effects of beetroot (Beta vulgaris var. Rubra) products and their major component betanin found in betacyanins in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

According to the tested assays,

* Betanin at the concentration of 100 μM for 24 h increased DNA damage in IBD patients' neutrophils. In other words, betanin exhibited cytotoxic activity against the neutrophils isolated from the blood of patients with inflammatory bowel disease--ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's disease (CD), compared to those obtained in colon carcinoma-derived Caco-2 cells.

* Furthermore, betanin treatment in Caco-2 cells with H2O2 also caused a 4-fold increase of DNA strand breaks compared to untreated cells. More precisely, betanin elevated the expression of free radical H2O2 to cause cancer cell death.

* Moreover, pre-treatment with betanin was found to reduce DNA damage in healthy normal cells.

* Additonally, betanin also promoted the activity of procaspase and caspase pro-apoptotic activity to induce cancer cells apoptosis.

Based on the findings, Dr. the lead scientist said, "These results suggest that betanin may support mechanisms that lead to the release of ROS and apoptotic cell death. In this way, betanin may exert anti-inflammatory and potentially cancer preventive activity".

Taken altogether, betacyanins processed abundantly bioactive ingredient betanin may be considered a remedy for the prevention and treatment of liver steatosis, pending to the confirmation of the larger sample size and multicenter human study.

Intake of betacyanins in the form of supplement should be taken with extreme care to prevent overdose acute liver toxicity.

Natural Medicine for Fatty Liver And Obesity Reversal - The Revolutionary Findings To Achieve Optimal Health And Lose Weight

How To Get Rid Of Eye Floaters
Contrary To Professionals Prediction, Floaters Can Be Cured Naturally

Ovarian Cysts And PCOS Elimination
Holistic System In Existence That Will Show You How To
Permanently Eliminate All Types of Ovarian Cysts Within 2 Months

Back to Kyle J. Norton Homepage http://kylejnorton.blogspot.ca

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.

Sources
(1) DNA damage and apoptosis in blood neutrophils of inflammatory bowel diseasepatients and in Caco-2 cells in vitro exposed to betanin by Zielińska-Przyjemska M1, Olejnik A2, Dobrowolska-Zachwieja A3, Łuczak M4, Baer-Dubowska W. (PubMed)
(2) The Intestinal Microbiota in Inflammatory Bowel Disease by Becker C1, Neurath MF1, Wirtz S. (PubMed)

Lycopene Inhibits Skin Cancer Cells Spreading in Vitro

By Kyle J. Norton

Skin cancer is a medical condition associated with irregular cell growth in the skin tissues.

Most cases of skin cancer start in the cells on the surface of the outermost inner lining tissue before penetrating into deeper layers.

After growing in size at the advanced stage, the cells of the tumor may travel a distance away to infect other healthy tissue and organs through blood and fluids circulation.

Most common secondary metastasis of skin cancer is breast, lung, and colon.

Believe it or not, more people are diagnosed with skin cancer each year in the U.S. than all other cancers combined. As of today, there are 58 million American are living with skin cancer.

Approximately, 1 in 5 Americans will develop skin cancer by the age of 70.

If you have experienced some of the symptoms such as a sore that doesn't heal or comes back after healing, a pale white or yellow flat areas that look like scars, raised and scaly red patches, small, smooth and shiny lumps that are pearly white, pink or red, a pink growth with raised edges and indents in the center and a growth that has small blood vessels on the surface of the skin, you may be on the early stage of skin cancer, please check with your doctor immediately.

The 5-year survival of among all people with melanoma of the skin is 92% compared to 100% of the localized skin cancer.

Out of many prevalent factors that cause skin cancer, some researchers suggested exposure to UVB are one most risk associated with skin cancer onset in the US.

Dr. Calzavara-Pinton P, the lead scientist said, "BCC is much more strongly related to measures of intermittent ultraviolet exposure (particularly those of childhood or adolescence) than to measures of cumulative exposure".

And, " In contrast, SCC is more strongly related to constant or cumulative sun exposure. Photobiological studies have clarified that sunlight and UVB radiation are complete carcinogens for AK and SCC although the relationship with UVA exposure is much less known".

Lycopene is a phytochemical in the class of carotenoid, a natural pigment with no vitamin A activity found abundantly in tomatoes and other red fruits and vegetables, such as red carrots, watermelons, and papayas,

Tomatoes provide about 80% of the lycopene in the world diet. In plants, lycopene protects the host against excessive photodamage and perform various functions in photosynthesis.

In the urgency to find a natural compound for the treatment of skin cancer without side effects, researchers evaluated the effect of lycopene, a kind of carotenoid inhibitory function on skin tumor cell migration.

In the human sSCC cell line COLO-16 selected to the study, administration of lycopene inhibited the cell proliferation and migration of COLO-16 cells without affecting the normal keratinocytes.

Furthermore, the inhibitory activity was found by exhibiting Zonula occludens (ZO)-1, inhibition of ZO-1 expression and its failure to accumulate at cell junctions (ZO-1 and claudin-1) have been found to induce cancer progression.

In other words, lycopene inhibited the SCC cell line COLO-16 proliferation by enhancing the expression of the tight junction complexes that regulate the permeability of epithelial against cancer cells.

Additionally, cell cycle division proteins (JNK and ERK ) in the induction of mitogen associated with the decreasing levels of ZO-1 and claudin-1 were also inhibited by the injection of lycopene.

More precisely, lycopene inhibited the progression of human sSCC cell line COLO-16 by reducing the proteins involved in promoting cell cycle division and increasing cancer cell permeability and autophagy,

Based on the findings researchers said, "This study indicates that lycopene might be a useful chemopreventive agent against cSCC".

Taken altogether, lycopene may be considered supplements for the prevention and treatment of skin cancer, pending on the confirmation of the larger sample size and multicenter human study.

Intake of lycopene in the form of supplement should be taken with extreme care to prevent overdose acute liver toxicity.

Bilberry Protects the Stomach Against Gastric Ulcer, Studies Say

By Kyle J. Norton

Gastric, stomach ulcer is an oval sore found on the lining of the stomach.

A gastric ulcer is one of the most common types of peptic ulcer disease which affects both the stomach and small intestines.

According to the epidemiological studies, gastric ulcer is caused either by the infection of bacterium Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) or long-term use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as aspirin.

Most common symptoms are burning sensation or pain in the stomach. Most patients with gastric ulcer have pain that intensifies on empty stomach, depending on the severity of the condition.

Some patients with gastric ulcer also experience persistent dull pain in the stomach, unintended weight loss, nausea or vomiting and bloating and acid reflux.

If you have some of the aforementioned symptoms, please check with your doctor to rule out the possibility of a gastric ulcer.

Conventionally, most cases of gastric ulcer can be treated successfully depending on the cause, including medicine or surgery if the medicine failed.

Out of many risk factors that cause a gastric ulcer, some researchers suggested there is a correlation between obesity and gastritis as well as gastric ulcers.

Dr. Nadia B. Pietrzykowska said, "Excess body weight has been linked to various abdominal ailments. These may include abdominal pain, bloating, vomiting, heartburn, diarrhea or constipation".

And, "Scientific studies are also increasingly reporting a correlation between obesity and gastritis as well as gastric ulcers. A recent, large study that specifically focused on analyzing gastric and duodenal ulcers confirmed that excess weight predisposed individuals to gastric ulcers when compared to their normal weight counterparts".

Bilberry is a species of low-growing shrubs in the genus Vaccinium, belongings to the family Ericaceae, native to Northern Europe.

The plant berry has been used as herbs in traditional medicine for the treatment of acute and chronic diarrhea, gastritis, gastric ulcer, and duodenal ulcer, enterocolitis, ulcerative colitis, anemia, cystitis, kidney disease, and psoriasis, diabetes, etc.

In the testing of the effect of Vaccinium myrtillus L. anthocyanoside (VMA) used as a folk medicine to treat diseases related to gastric ulcers in northern Europe, researchers investigated the protective effects of VMA on gastric mucosal damage in a murine gastric ulcer model.

During the experiment, oral administration of VMA (10, 30 and 100 mg/kg) significantly protected gastric mucosa against HCl/ethanol-induced gastric ulcers.

VMA protected the stomach by inhibiting lipid peroxide levels in a concentration-dependent manner and exhibiting the high scavenging activity against the superoxide anion radical (·O(2) (-) ) and the hydroxyl radical (·OH).

The antioxidant activity in VMA was found to be attributed by the presence of anthocyanidins and delphinidin.

Based on the findings, Dr. Ogawa K, the lead scientist said, "These findings indicate that the protective effects of VMA on HCl/ethanol-induced gastric mucosal injury may be partially due to the antiperoxidative effects of anthocyanidins".

In order to provide more information about VMA gastric protective effects, researchers examined the antiulcer effects of 3,5,7-trihydroxy-2-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)-1-benzopyrylium chloride (IdB 1027,
an anthocyanidin from Vaccinium myrtillus) in various experimental models.

Orally, IdB 1027 inhibited all parameters associated with the onset of gastric ulcerations including anti-inflammatory drugs, ethanol, reserpine, histamine and duodenal ulceration induced by mercaptamine.

Furthermore, IdB 1027 also protected the stomach against chronic gastric ulcers induced by acetic acid.

Moreover, IdB 1027 in rat model did not affect gastric secretion in pylorus-ligated rats and increased gastric mucus in normal animals both in the absence and in the presence of indomethacin treatment.

In other words, IdB 1027 possessed a promising antiulcer activity, probably by potentiating the defensive barriers of the gastrointestinal mucosa.

Taken altogether, bilberry may be considered a functional remedy for the prevention and treatment of gastric ulcer, pending to the validation of larger sample size and multicenter human study.

Thursday 20 June 2019

Whole Food Tomatoes prostate (PC3) Protects The Cells of Prostate Gland Against Prostate Cancer, Studies Show

By Kyle J. Norton

Prostate cancer is a medical condition caused by irregular cell growth in the tissues of the prostate.

The prostate is a male reproductive gland that plays a critical role in the contribution of nutrients and fluid to sperm.

Most cases of prostate cancer start in the cells on the surface in the inner lining of the prostate tissue before penetrating into deeper prostate gland layers to induce metastasis via blood and lymph.

At the early stage, due to the very small size of the tumor, prostate cancer is asymptomatic.

Most common symptoms of the prostate at the later stage are frequent urination, weak or interrupted urine flow due to the tumor that affects the tube surrounded by the prostate.

In some case, patients may experience symptoms of blood in the urine and pain due to the oversize tumor that has pressed on the nearby blood vessels and nerve cells.

The new onset of erectile dysfunction is also common in patients with prostate cancer.

The causes of prostate cancer are not identified. However, the increase in aging is one of the most common risk factors as most cases of the condition are diagnosed in older adults. Approximately, 60% of all cases are diagnosed in men over 65.c

According to the statistics, in 2017, 21,300 men were diagnosed with prostate cancer and the disease cause the death of 4,100 men in the same year.

The 5-year survival rate for most men with local or regional prostate cancer is nearly 100% compared to only 30% in patients diagnosed with prostate cancer that has spread to other parts of the body,

Some researchers in the concern that the risk of prostate cancer in the younger population suggested that the promotion of a high-fat diet over the past few decades may be correlated to the rise of the disease.

Dr. Colleen Pelser, the lead scientist wrote, "Total fat and mono- and polyunsaturated fat INTAKES were not associated with the incidence of prostate cancer. Saturated fat intake was related to increased risk of advanced prostate cancer (HRQuintile 5 vs. Quintile 1 (Q1 vs. Q5)1.21; 95% CI 1.00–1.46; p-for-trend=0.03) and fatal prostate cancer".

And. "Our study suggests that the associations of fat and fatty acids differ by prostate cancer severity. Saturated fat, ALA and EPA intakes were related to the risk of advanced or fatal prostate cancer, but not to non-advanced prostate cancer".

the results strongly suggested that if you are a high-fat diet follower, your risk of prostate cancer is increased substantially compared to a traditional diet.

Tomato is red, edible fruit, genus Solanum, belongings to family Solanaceae, native to South America. Because of its health benefits, the tomato is grown worldwide for the commercial purpose
and often in the greenhouse.

In the urgency to find a natural compound for the treatment of prostate cancer, researchers investigated the effects of lycopene-rich tomato on prostate-specific antigen (PSA) in prostate cancer patients.

The study included 79 patients with prostate cancer randomized to a nutritional intervention with either 1) tomato products containing 30 mg lycopene per day; 2) tomato products plus selenium, omega-3 fatty acids, soy isoflavones, grape/pomegranate juice, and green/black tea (tomato-plus); or 3) control diet for 3 weeks.

According to the results of the tested, the tomato group showed a significant PSA decrease compared to controls.

Compared to other groups, median PSA-values decreased by 1% in patients with the highest increases in plasma lycopene, selenium, and C20:5 n-3 fatty acid, compared to an 8.5% increase in the patients with the lowest increase in lycopene, selenium, and C20:5 n-3 fatty acid.

In other words, PSA decreased the most in patients with the highest increase in lycopene alone.

Based on the findings, researchers said, "Three-week nutritional interventions with tomato-products alone or in combination with selenium and n-3 fatty acids lower PSA in patients with non-metastatic prostate cancer".

Moreover, in the investigation of the association between tomato consumption and prostate cancer risk, researchers at Zhejiang University performed a meta-analysis to comprehensively evaluate this relationship.

Geographically, tomato intake showed significant protective effects in patients with Asian origin and Oceania populations compared to other regions.

According to the total of 24 published studies with 15,099 cases, tomato intake was associated with a reduced risk of prostate cancer with the RRs of 0.76 found in the case-control and cohort studies.

Taken altogether, tomatoes may be considered supplements for the prevention and treatment of prostate cancer, pending to the confirmation of the larger sample size and multicenter human study.

Intake of lycopene in the form of supplement should be taken with extreme care to prevent overdose acute liver toxicity.

Sources
(1) Tomato-based randomized controlled trial in prostate cancer patients: Effect on PSA by Paur I1, Lilleby W2, Bøhn SK3, Hulander E4, Klein W5, Vlatkovic L6, Axcrona K7, Bolstad N8, Bjøro T9, Laake P10, Taskén KA11, Svindland A12, Eri LM13, Brennhovd B14, Carlsen MH15, Fosså SD16, Smeland SS17, Karlsen AS18, Blomhoff R. (PubMed)
(2) Tomato consumption and prostate cancer risk: a systematic review and meta-analysis by Xu X1, Li J1, Wang X1, Wang S1, Meng S1, Zhu Y1, Liang Z1, Zheng X1, Xie L. (PubMed)
(3). Dietary Fat, Fatty Acids and Risk of Prostate Cancer in the NIH-AARP Diet and Health Study
Colleen Pelser,1 Alison M. Mondul,2 Albert R. Hollenbeck,3 and Yikyung Park. (PMC)

Phytochemical Alliin Inhibits the Onset of Neuro-Degenerative Diseases in Vitro

By Kyle J. Norton

Neuroprotection is an action induced the preservation of neuronal structure and/or function, including the use of medicines and herbs.

In other words, neuroprotection protects the neuronal integrity against the reduction in the rate of neuronal loss over time, particularly in neurodegenerative disease.

Neurodegenerative disease is the class of condition associated with the progressive loss of neuron occurred mostly in older adults, including dementia, with the most common being Alzheimer`s disease (AD).

According to the statistic, dementia affects over 47.5 million people worldwide, approximately 58 percent are living within low and middle-income countries.

Believe it or not, 5.8 million Americans of all ages are living with Alzheimer's dementia in 2019 and two-thirds of people with Alzheimer's disease are women.

Conventionally, there is no cure for dementia. The purpose of the medications that are used for the treatment of dementia is to improve dementia symptoms and slow down the progression of the disease.

Some researchers concern that Alzheimer's disease in people younger than the age of 60 was up 5 percent over the past few decades may be correlated to the promotion of a high-fat diet in the US.

Dr. Ruan Y, the lead scientist wrote, "A higher dietary saturated fat intake was significantly associated with an increased risk of 39% and 105% for AD (RR: 1.39; 95% CI: 1.00, 1.94) and dementia (RR: 2.05; 95% CI: 1.06, 3.98), respectively".

And, "Dose-response analysis indicated a 4 g/day increment of saturated fat intake was related to 15% higher risk of AD (RR: 1.15; 95% CI: 1.01, 1.31)".

Alliin (S-allyl-L-cysteine-S-oxide) is a phytochemical compound sulfoxide, a derivative of the amino acid cysteine, belonging to the class of sulfur compounds, found abundantly in fresh garlic and onion.

In the urgency to discover a natural and potential compound for the treatment of neurodegenerative disease, scientists examined the alliin neuroprotective activity.

In vitro, alliin exerted a significant effect to protect neuronal cells integrity and viability against beta-amyloid (A) toxicity and apoptosis.

Furthermore, also in vitro, alliin inhibited oxidative stress caused by overexpression of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in cells in facilitating several neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer's disease (AD).

In lipopolysaccharide- (LPS-) stimulated 3T3-L1 used in biological research on adipose tissue, incubation in a period of 24 h together with 100 μmol/L alliin, alliin prevented the increase of proinflammatory cytokines in the liver, muscle, heart and brain cells through its antioxidant activity.

The inhibition of inflammation of alliin was attributed to the decreased expression of the ERK1/2 pathway involved in the expression of oxidative stress and inflammation.

In other words, alliin protects the brain cells by suppressing the LPS inflammatory signals by generating an anti-inflammatory gene expression.

Taken altogether, alliin may be considered supplements for the neuroprotection, depending on the confirmation of the larger sample size and multicenter human study.

Intake of alliin in the form of supplement should be taken with extreme care to prevent overdose acute liver toxicity.

Carotenoids, Inhibits the Risk and Progression of Prostate Cancer

By Kyle J. Norton

The prostate warped around the urethra is a gland of the male reproductive system found in front of the rectum and just below the bladder and responsible for making some of the semen that carries sperm.

Prostate cancer is a medical and chronic condition caused by cells growth irregular in the prostate gland. Most cases of prostate cancers are slow growing and enlarged prostate and prostate cancer may be detected during the Physical (rectum) exams.

Most cases of prostate cancer begin in the cells on the surface of the inner lining of the prostate tissue before penetrating into deeper layers to induce colonization.

At the advanced stage, the prostate cancer cells can spread to the distant parts of the body, leading to secondary metastasis.

Prostate cancer can be diagnosed by

* Blood tests
* Digital Rectal Examination (DRE)

In DRE, your doctor inserts a lubricated, gloved finger into the rectum to feel the surface of the prostate gland to check for any abnormality of the prostate.

* Transrectal Ultrasound (TRUS)
Ultrasound allows your doctor to visualize and assess the size of your prostate and to check for any abnormality and surrounding area with an image taken from the test. In transrectal ultrasound, a probe is inserted into the rectum to emit ultrasonic impulses against the prostate.

* Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test
The test is to measure the levels of prostate-specific antigen (PSA), a protein produced by the prostate. The high levels of PSA may be an indication of higher risk of the presence of prostate cancer.

* Prostatic Acid Phosphatase (PAP) test
Prostatic acid phosphatase (PAP) is a test to measure the level of prostatic acid phosphatase, an enzyme produced by the prostate. The higher the levels of PAP is an indication of the disease progression.

* Prostate biopsy

In a prostate biopsy, samples of the prostate are taken by a thin, tube-like instrument to examine under microscopy to review the stage of cancer.

According to the statistics, prostate cancer is the most common cancer among men particularly in older over 65, after skin cancer. in 2019, approximately 174,650 men in the US will be diagnosed with prostate cancer.

The average age of diagnosis is 66.

Carotenoids are a class of mainly yellow, orange, or red fat-soluble pigments, including lycopene and carotene, found abundantly in ripe tomato, pumpkins, carrots, corn, and daffodils.

On finding a potential compound for the prevention and treatment of prostate cancer, researchers examined the effect of carotenoid levels on the risk of high-grade prostate cancer.

The study included the measurement of plasma levels of carotenoids and genotyped 20 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) in SOD1, SOD2, SOD3, XRCC1, and OGG1 in 559 men with non-metastatic prostate cancer undergoing radical prostatectomy.

According to the results from tested assays, the serum of circulated carotenoid levels was inversely associated with the risk of high-grade prostate cancer, odds ratios (OR) of 0.34 compared to the highest versus lowest quartiles.

In chemical analysis, the relative odds ratio of α-carotene,β-carotene, lycopene, and total carotenoids.was 0.31, .55, 34, and 0.37 respectively.

In other words, all major phytochemicals found in carotenoid work synergistically to enhance the efficacy of carotenoid against the risk of high-grade prostate cancer.

Furthermore, the presence of the SNPs rs25489 in XRCC1, rs699473 in SOD3 and rs1052133 in OGG1 genotypes also was found to modify the activity of α-carotene, β-carotene, and lycopene, respectively.

Believe it or not, the high serum of lycopene was found among men with Gleason score ≤ 3 + 4 and lower FGA (P = 0.04).

More precisely, the efficacy of carotenoid reduced the risk of prostate cancer, however, the risk of high-grade invasive prostate cancer are depending on the levels of lycopene.

Dr. Nordström T, the lead scientist said, " higher lycopene level was associated with less genomic instability among men with the low-grade disease which is novel and supports the hypothesis that lycopene may inhibit the progression of prostate cancer early in its natural history".

Taken altogether, carotenoids may be considered a remedy for the prevention and treatment of prostate cancer, pending to the confirmation of the larger sample size and multicenter human study.

Intake of carotenoid in the form of supplement should be taken with extreme care to prevent overdose acute liver toxicity.

Sources
(1) Associations between circulating carotenoids, genomic instability and the risk of high-grade prostate cancer by Nordström T1,2,3, Van Blarigan EL1,2, Ngo V1, Roy R4, Weinberg V5, Song X6, Simko J1,7, Carroll PR1, Chan JM1,2, Paris PL. (PubMed)
(2) Anticancer properties of carotenoids in prostate cancer. A review by Soares Nda C1, Teodoro AJ2, Lotsch PF3, Granjeiro JM3, Borojevic R. (PubMed)
(3) Prostate Cancer by Kyle J, Norton

Bromelain Protects the Cell DNA Against Genotoxicity

By Kyle J. Norton

Genotoxicity is a process of destruction on a cell's genetic material (DNA, RNA), leading to gene mutation.

In other words, genotoxins are mutagens, the substances which have been found to induce cancer. Most common genotoxins are radiation and toxic chemicals.

Believe it or not, besides causing cancer, genotoxins are found to induce various types of genetic diseases, by the damage the germ cell.

Some researchers suggested that the damage of DNA may be controlled if the genotoxins are identified through the use of anti antimutagens /anti-clastogens that suppress or inhibit the mutagenesis process.

Most common causes of genetic damage or alternation are reactive oxygen species (ROS), the unstable and genotoxic molecules that exist everywhere in the environment and inside the human body.

By regulating the levels of free radicals in the body through the increased antioxidant enzyme inside the host or from the dietary sources, oxidative stress induced by ROS may be controlled. Thereby, reducing the risk of gene damage.

Dr. Mohamed SAKS, the lead scientist wrote in the article published in the Global Journal of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences, "There are mainly two mechanisms of anti-mutagenesis:

a. Desmutagenesis in which the factors on the mutagens are somehow inactivated,

b. Bio-antimutagenesis, in which the factors act on the process of mutagenesis or by repairing the damaged DNA that results in the decreased frequency of DNA mutation [15]. a number of cells have a DNA repair system by which they try to control the DNA mutations naturally".

Bromelain, a proteolytic enzyme found in pineapples (Ananas comosus) has been used in traditional medicine as an inflammatory agent and to treat pains, strains, and muscle aches and pains and ease back pain and chronic joint pain, skin diseases, etc.

With an aim to find a potential treatment cancer, researchers examined the genotoxic effect of

pineapple extract on oral cancer cell line by DNA fragmentation.

According to the DNA fragmentation assay, bromelain showed a significantly genotoxic activity by invading the cancer nucleus and causes damage to the nucleic acid.

In the examine 3 different doses of bromelain incubated with oral cancer cells, DNA fragmentation occurred in all three concentrations.

In other words, bromelain inhibited oral cancer cell progression through genotoxic properties.

Furthermore, bromelain also inhibited the expression of MUC1, a glycoprotein associated with tumor cells invasive, metastatic, and chemo-resistant properties in breast and pancreatic cancer cells.

Moreover, bromelain used a combination with either cisplatin and 5-FU also enhanced conventional medicine efficacy.

Additionally, in malignant peritoneal mesothelioma (MPM) expressed MUC1, administration of bromelain also affected the viability of MPM cells adversely.

Taken altogether, bromelain may be considered supplements for the prevention and treatment of cancer through its genotoxic activity, pending to the confirmation of the larger sample size and multicenter human study.

Intake of bromelain in the form of supplement should be taken with extreme care to prevent overdose acute liver toxicity.

Sources
(1) Genotoxicity analysis of pineapple extract on oral cancer cell line by DNA fragmentation by A.A. Mahtani, R. Gayathri, and V. Vishnu Priya. (Research Gate)
(2) Anticancer Property of Bromelain With Therapeutic Potential in Malignant Peritoneal Mesothelioma by Krishna Pillai, Javed Akhter, Terence C Chua & David Lawson Morris. (Taylor and Francis Online)
(3) Genotoxicity: Mechanisms, Testing Guidelines and Methods by Mohamed SAKS, Sabita Upreti, Rajendra SV* and Raman Dang. (the Global Journal of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences)