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

Sunday 10 November 2019

Herbal Turmeric Processes a Strong Immunodulatroy Activity

By Kyle J. Norton

The immunomodulatory activity is a process in which the immune function is modulated to the needs of the body.

The immune system included the thymus and bone marrow, as well as secondary lymphatic tissues including spleen, tonsils, lymph vessels, lymph nodes, adenoids, skin, and liver, is the body's defense against infectious organisms and foreign invaders.

The immune dysfunction can be classified into
* The underactive immune system is also known as the weakened immune system. People with the underactive immune system are susceptible to infection, recurrent infections.

* The overactive immune system is also known as autoimmune diseases. In this case, patients suffer diseases associated with the immune system that attacks the body tissues.

In the acute phase of infection, the immune macrophages, the first line of defense stimulates the production of blood palette to cover the wound or injury and pro-inflammatory cytokines to the site of infection to kill off pathogens before they can enter the body to multiply.

Most cases of infection are stopped at the acute phase, depending on the size and penetration of the wound.

Most common symptoms of acute inflammation occurred with a short period of time such as hours is pain, redness, immobility, swelling, and heat.

Conventionally, depending on the types of acute inflammation, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) may be prescribed to alleviate the pain by counteracting an enzyme that contributes to inflammation.

However, if the immune system for whatever reason such as in people with a weakened immune system can not destroy the foreign invaders in the set period of time (3-8 weeks), it will adapt to the new change, leading to chronic low-grade inflammation.

Low-grade inflammation over time has been found to destroy cells and tissues in the affected area or organ, inducing chronic inflammatory disease, including diabetes, arthritis, and cardiovascular disease.

Out of many low-grade inflammatory risk factors, some researchers suggested that the promotion of the Western diet over the past few decades may be one of the major culprits involved in facilitating the onset of the diseases.

Dr. Klurfeld DM, the lead scientist wrote, "Diet is a component in the etiology of the two major causes of death in the United States, namely, cardiovascular disease and cancer. During the last decade, various organizations have suggested that we alter the "typical" American diet in order to decrease the incidence of these diseases even though both diseases are indisputable of multiple etiology".

And, "Most Americans can safely reduce their intake of total calories, fat, sugar, and salt. Although this can be achieved most readily on a population basis by following a form of "prudent" diet, it is premature to promise medical benefits to individuals".

In other words, if you follow the diet pattern of a high-fat diet, you are at a higher risk of low-grade inflammatory disease, compared to those who follow the diet pattern of the Mediterranean diet.

Turmeric is a perennial plant in the genus Curcuma, belongings to the family Zingiberaceae, native to tropical South Asia.

The herb has been used in traditional medicine as anti-oxidant, hypoglycemic, colorant, antiseptic, wound healing agent, and to treat flatulence, bloating, and appetite loss, ulcers, eczema, inflammations, etc.

On findings a potential compound for the enhancement of the immune system, researchers examined the effects of turmeric on immunomodulating activity.

Carp (average weight: 16.37 g) selected to the study were fed by four various concentrations of curcumin (g Kg-1): 0 g [basal diet], 5 g [T5], 10 g [T10], and 15 g [T15] were fed to the carp (average weight: 16.37 g) for 8 weeks.

According to the skin mucosal immune parameters examination, T15 fed by 15 g curcumin showed a significantly higher levels of lysozyme (36.8 ± 4.03 U mL-1) involved bacterial infections, total immunoglobulin (6.74 ± 0.5 mg mL-1, antibodies), protein level (18.7 ± 1.62 mg mL-1), alkaline phosphatase (96.37 ± 6.3 IU L-1), and protease activity (9.47 ± 0.82%) associated with the innate immune response.

Furthermore, levels of antioxidants such as superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) activities were higher in T10 or T15, comapred to control.

Moreover, groups treated with curcumin also reduced tissues oxidative stress such as malondialdehyde level was decreased significantly.

More precisely, T10 and T15 exhibited immunomodulatory activity by enhancing the expression of antioxidant genes (SOD, CAT, nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2) and anti-inflammatory cytokine Interleukin-10 and inhibiting the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as IL-1β, tumor necrosis factor-alpha in the tested subjects.

Based on the findings, researchers wrote, "suggest that dietary supplements of curcumin at 15 g Kg-1can significantly improve the growth performance, skin mucosal and serum antioxidant parameters, and strengthen the immunity of C. Carpio".

Taken altogether, turmeric processed abundantly bioactive compound curcumin may be considered supplements for the improvement of immunomodulatory property, pending to the confirmation of the larger sample size and multicenter human study.

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

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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) Immunomodulatory effects of turmeric: Proliferation of spleen cells in mice by Mustafa R1,2, Blumenthal E. (PubMed)
(2) Effects of bioactive substance from turmeric on growth, skin mucosal immunityand antioxidant factors in common carp, Cyprinus carpio by Giri SS1, Sukumaran V2, Park SC. (PubMed)
(3) The Western diet: an examination of its relationship with chronic disease by Klurfeld DM, Kritchevsky D. (PubMed)

Cranberry Effects on Diabetes and Hypertension Management

By Kyle J. Norton

Diabetes is a medical condition caused by not insufficient insulin entering the bloodstream.

In other words, diabetes is a condition associated with the inability of the body to use insulin properly.

Most cases of insulin insufficiency in the bloodstream in diabetes are either caused by the gradual died-off of the pancreas beta cells or insulin receptors clogged-up by fat and cholesterol.

Hallmarks of diabetes are hyperglycemia and insulin resistance.

According to the statistics, in 2017, 7.3% of Canadians aged 12 and older (roughly 2.3 million people) reported being diagnosed with diabetes.

Most common causes of diabetes are metabolic syndrome, a cluster of conditions including high blood pressure, cholesterol, and glucose, gestational diabetes, prediabetes, damage to the pancreas causes the gradual and irreversible loss of beta cells that reduce the production of insulin, and influenza a viruses

Hypertension, a condition associated with the cluster of metabolic syndrome is a medical condition associated with abnormally high blood pressure.

Blood pressure is the force of blood pushing against the walls of the arteries as the heart pumps out blood and changes constantly depending on activity. However, persistent hypertension due to poor management over time can lead to diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

According to the statistics provided by the American Heart Association., nearly half of all adults in the United States are living with high blood pressure or 1 in 3 American are hypertensive.

Hypertension is leading risk factors of heart disease and stroke that cause most death in the US

Most common prevalent factors associated with the condition onset are family history, aging, being male, being overweight or obese, ethnicity, physical inactivity, unhealthy diet and medical condition such as chronic kidney disease.

Believe it or not, excessive alcohol drinking is also one of the major causes besides obesity in elevating the syndrome onset.

Cranberry is an evergreen dwarf shrub, genus Vaccinium, belongings to the family Ericaceae, native to Northern America and Southern Asia. Because of its health benefits, cranberry has been cultivated in some parts of the world for commercial profit and used in traditional and herbal medicine to treat wounds, urinary disorders, diarrhea, diabetes, stomach ailments, and liver problems.

On finding a potential compound for the management of blood pressure, researchers examined the effect of a water-soluble cranberry-based phytochemical combination with oregano, rosemary, and Rhodiola Rosea against hypertension.

According to the tested analysis, the 75% cranberry with 25% oregano combinations showed the highest antioxidant phenolics (38.9 mg/g DW) comapred to other combinations by inhibition of free radical DPPH inhibition by 73.6 %.

Furthermore, 75% cranberry and 25% Rhodiola Rosea combination had the highest alpha-glucosidase activity among the combinations.

Alpha-amyloid associated diabetes also was associated with 75% cranberry with 25% Rhodiola Rosea combination comapred to other combinations.

Additionally, anti-ACE-I inhibitory activity against the risk of hypertension was also inhibited by the 75% cranberry with 25% rosemary comapred to other combination.

In other words, cranberry combined with other herbal medicine protects patients with diabetes and hypertension against complications by inhibiting the levels of alpha-glucosidase, alpha-amyloid and ACE-I

Based on the results, researchers said, "The analysis of alpha-glucosidase,alpha-amylase, and ACE-I inhibitory activities suggested that inhibition depends on the phenolic profile of each unique extract and by bringing together synergistic combinations to cranberry, health beneficial functionality was enhanced".

Taken altogether, cranberry may be considered a remedy for the management of diabetes and hypertension, pending to the confirmation of the larger sample size and multicenter human study.

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) Potential of cranberry-based herbal synergies for diabetes and hypertensionmanagement by Apostolidis E1, Kwon YI, Shetty K. (PubMed)

Saturday 9 November 2019

Herbal Turmeric Protects the Blood Vessels Against Vascular Inflammation

By Kyle J. Norton

Inflammation is a natural reaction of the immune system's self-protection to remove harmful stimuli, including damaged cells, irritants, pathogens... from our body.

Acute inflammatory inflammation is a result of the over-response of the immune system after sensing the injury or damage of the body through activating the protein associated with the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines.

The aim of the proinflammatory cytokines is to kill the invasive pathogens, which try to enter the body through the wound.

In the acute phase of infection, the immune system in the stimulating production of proinflammatory cytokines may induce overproduction of these cytokines can cause death or damage to the nearby cells, leading to scar formation and symptoms of localized swelling, redness and fever.

Chronic inflammation is a serious condition caused by the immune system to adapt to the new change due to its inability to kill all the invasion within a set of times.

Vasoprotection is the process to improve the function of the blood vessels, including the use of the herbal and natural remedy.

Blood vessels are the tubular structure including a vein, artery, or capillary which carries the blood through the tissues and organs pumped by the heart.

There 3 main types of blood vessel are arteries that deliver oxygen-rich blood from the heart to the tissues and organs of the body. Damage of arteries may induce coronary artery disease associated with the narrowing or blockage of the coronary arteries due to plaques accumulated in the arterial wall.

The veins that carry blood toward the heart. Chronic venous insufficiency (CVI) is a common condition associated with disease of the veins that affects up to 20 percent of adults.

The capillaries or the smallest blood vessels that have been found to induce systemic capillary leak syndrome (SCLS) is a rare acquired disorder.

Vascular inflammation is a condition associated with the inflammation of the blood vessel caused by the overexpression of pro-inflammatory cytokines involved in vascular inflammation. Atherosclerosis is characterized by chronic inflammation of the vascular wall.

Chronic vascular inflammation has been found to cause historical changes in the blood vessel walls, leading to blood vessel wall thickening, weakening, narrowing or scarring on orchestrating blood flow restriction, resulting in organ and tissue damage.

Most common symptoms of vascular inflammation are associated with the reduced blood flow to supply nutrients and fluid to the body tissues, including fever, headache, fatigue, general aches, and pains, night sweats, rash, numbness, and weakness.

Turmeric is a perennial plant in the genus Curcuma, belongings to the family Zingiberaceae, native to tropical South Asia.

The herb has been used in traditional medicine as anti-oxidant, hypoglycemic, colorant, antiseptic, wound healing agent, and to treat flatulence, bloating, and appetite loss, ulcers, eczema, inflammations, etc.

On findings, a potential compound for the treatment of acute vascular inflammation researchers evaluated the anti-inflammatory activity, the cytotoxic effect of a novel chemically modified, non-carbonyl compound enriched Curcuma longa L. (C. longa) extract (CMCE).

According to the tested analysis, CMCE at the concentration of 1 or 10 μg/mL at 14 h, significantly decreased LPS (50-100 ng/mL) induced production of pro-inflammatory cytokines including TLR4 expression in THP-1 cells, human, and mouse whole blood.

In THP-1 cells, CMCE inhibited the expression of IRAK1, which plays a critical role in initiating an innate immune response against foreign pathogens, MAPK involved in directing cellular responses to a diverse array of stimuli.

CMCE (30, 100, and 300 mg/kg; 10 days p.o.) pre-treated and LPS (10 mg/kg) in Swiss mice exhibited attenuated plasma TNF-α, IL-1β, nitrite, aortic iNOS expression, and vascular dysfunction associated with the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines.

In HL-60 cells., CMCE. exerted cytotoxic effects through cell cycle arrest on the Sub-G1 phase, increased apoptotic cells, loss of mitochondrial membrane in the cancer cells and activation of cascade associated with pro-apoptosis.

Taken altogether, turmeric processed abundantly bioactive compound curcumin may be considered supplements for the prevention and treatment of vascular inflammation, pending to the confirmation of the larger sample size and multicenter human study.

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

Lycopene Reduces the Risk of Gastric Cancer

By Kyle J. Norton

The stomach located between the esophagus and the small intestine is a muscular, hollow and important organ of the digestive tract.

The stomach plays a critical role to assist the digestive system in digesting foods by secreting acid and enzymes.

Gastrointestinal injury is an injury associated with the stomach, small bowel, colon, or rectum.

In other words, any damage to the organs of the digestive system caused by blunt or penetrating trauma is considered gastrointestinal injury.

Untreated Gastrointestinal injury has been found to increase the risk of cell alternation, leading to the onset of gastric cancer.

Gastric cancer or stomach cancer is a medical condition caused by irregular cell growth of the inner lining tissues of the stomach.

Most cancer of gastric starts in the cells on the inner lining of the stomach before penetrating into deeper layers.

At the advanced stage, cancerous gastric cells can also travel a distance away to an alternate DNA of healthy cells, leading a secondary metastasis.

According to the statistics provided by the Canadian Cancer Society, In 2017, approximately 3,500 Canadians were diagnosed with stomach cancer, and gastric cancer also caused the death of 2,100 including 1,300 women and 790 men.

Hyperproliferation is a progression of highly invasive tumors associated with an abnormally high rate of cancer cell division, leading to rapid overgrowth of the tumor.

The exact causes of gastric/stomach cancer are unidentified. Most common prevalent factors associated with the increasing of age (Most cases of gastric/stomach cancer are found in adults at their fifty), diet, bacterial infection, hydrochloric acid production, long-term inflammation of the stomach, family history and smoking.

However, most people with some of the aforementioned risk factors have never developed gastric. stomach cancer.

Lycopene is a phytochemical found in tomato 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 performs various functions in photosynthesis.

On finding a potential compound for the treatment of gastric cancer, researchers examined the role of lycopene by searching MEDLINE and EMBASE to identify potential studies published from January 1966 to June 2012.

According to the mega reports, 21 studies satisfied the inclusion criteria, were identified.
The findings suggested that the consumption of large amounts of tomato products by comparing the highest and lowest consumption groups reduced the risk of gastric cancer.

In other words, the decreased gastric cancer risk was linearly depending on the volume of tomato consumed gaily and regularly.

Additionally, the relative odds ratio risk of gastric cancer was also decreased to 0.88 and 0.79 on lycopene consumption and serum lycopene, respectively.

More precisely, levels of lycopene in the blood induced by chronic intake of tomato were also linearly depending on the amount of consumption daily.

Based on the results, researchers suggested, consumption of large amounts of tomato products daily and regularly induced high levels of lycopene in the blood is associated with a reduced risk of gastric cancer.

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

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

Friday 8 November 2019

Beta Carotene Inhibits the Stress Markers in Patients with Cystic Fibrosis (CF)

By Kyle J. Norton

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is the most common fatal genetic disease affecting mostly the lung in children and young adults, leading to difficulty breathing and coughing up mucus due to frequent lung infections.

However, the condition has also been found in the pancreas, liver, kidneys, and intestine.

According to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Patient Registry, more than 30,000 people are living with cystic fibrosis in the US.

Believe it or not, most cases of CF are diagnosed by age 2.

Most common symptoms are depending on the location of cystic fibrosis including
sinus infections, poor growth, fatty stool, clubbing of the fingers and toes.

In male adults, the condition also induces infertility as a result of the blockage or absence of the sperm canal.

Conventionally, as of today, there is no cure for CF. Most cases of CF caused by lung infection are treated intravenously, inhaled, or by mouth.

In severe cases, a lung transplant may be the only option.

Although most cases of CF are associated with a genetic preposition, environment, lifestyle, and age are also 2 main factors that increase the risk of CF.

According to the Dove Medical Press Limited, Life coaching including making lifestyle change associated with absorption of nutrition in people with cystic fibrosis may have a strong impact in loosening mucus in your airways strengthening the heart and lungs and improving quality of life, including drinking plenty of fluids, quit smoking, moderate exercise and increasing hand-washing to protect against infection.

Dr. Karin Bæk Knudsen, the lead scientist at Dove Medical Press Limited wrote, "Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a chronic, life-shortening disease with a significant treatment burden. To support young adults with CF in their everyday life, we previously conducted a life coaching feasibility trial (published elsewhere)".

And, "Life coaching is an intervention that is valued for those who feel challenged by their CF disease. Coaching programs should be designed to include the participants when they feel a need for coaching and are open to change. Screening parameters to identify persons who will most likely benefit from life coaching are needed".

β-Carotene is a phytochemical in the class of Carotenes, belonging to the group of Carotenoids (tetraterpenoids), found abundantly in dark, leafy greens and red, orange and yellow fruits and vegetable.

On finding a potential compound for the treatment of lung disease researchers examined the efficacy of oral beta-carotene supplementation for the correction of an oxidant-antioxidant imbalance in cystic fibrosis (CF).

The study included 24-patients with cystic fibrosis and 14 healthy controls in which 13 CF-patients were allocated to a CF-supplementation group received 1 mg beta-carotene/kg BW/d up to body weight (BW) of 50 kg, patients with a BW greater 50 kg received 50 mg beta-carotene/d for 12 weeks, following by a 12 weeks administration of 10 mg beta-carotene/d. to all patients of the CF-supplementation comapred to placebos of 11 CF-patients. with consumption of starch.

Based on the tested analysis, before the administration of beta carotene, plasma beta-carotene concentrations of CF patients were significantly lower than those of age-matched controls.

However, beta-carotene concentrations of the blood of the CF-supplementation group increased rapidly and reached a value of 0.6 mmol/l after 12 weeks of in the supplementation without affecting the levels of retinol concentrations which is the lower normal range.

Additionally, Levels of antioxdant enzymes were significantly increased and oxidative stress markers were decreased substantially compared to control.

Based on the findings, researchers said, "Thus oral beta-carotene supplementation is effective in the normalizing status of beta-carotene and malondialdehyde in CF patients.".

In other words, improving the circulation of the beta carotene in the blood may be potential for the treatment of cystic fibrosis (CF)

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

Indicaxanthin, the Free Radical Scavenging Antioxidant

By Kyle J. Norton

Free radical scavengers are antioxidants that gobble up free radicals before they can cause a chain of reaction.

Most common types of free radical scavengers are catalase, glutathione peroxidase, superoxide dismutase (SOD), vitamin A, C, D, and E.

Free radicals are highly unstable molecules. They can be everywhere. Internally, free radicals are produced in our body during the process of cell metabolism. Externally, free radicals can enter our body from the environment sources, such as the air we breathe, the food we eat and the water we drink.

In other words, any chemical compounds or molecules which process oxygen atom can be free radical after chemical interaction.

Lipid peroxyl radicals are free radical generated from the peroxidation of polyunsaturated fatty acids.

Lipoperoxyl radical scavengers are antioxidants that slow or inhibit the chain reaction of the lipoperoxyl free radicals before they can cause oxidative stress

Oxidative stress is a result of overexpression of free radical-induced by a chain reaction that can not be stopped due to reduced levels of antioxidant enzymes produced by the body.

Why? overexpression of free radicals causes lipid peroxidation by oxidizing the polyunsaturated fatty acids and cholesterol through three distinct mechanisms, including free radical-mediated chain reaction, enzyme-mediated oxidation, and nonradical, non-enzymatic oxidation.

Over time, oxidative stress can damage the lipid, and protein and induce the alternation of healthy cell DNA.

Antioxidants, the stable molecules have been found to protect polyunsaturated fatty acids against peroxidation by scavenging peroxyl radicals.
Dr. Authors: Maria A., the lead author wrote, "Aerobic life is characterized by a steady formation of reactive oxygen species and free radicals, which is almost entirely counteracted by endogenous primary and secondary antioxidant systems".

And, "Maintenance of these systems is then imperative to ensure a continuous defense to cells and to avoid conditions known as oxidative stress. Apart from antioxidant vitamins, many compounds from the plant kingdom are now considered very helpful to maintain a proper cell redox balance".
In other words, antioxidants with free radical scavenging activity may protect the body against the damage of various cellular components.

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

On finding a potential compound that processes free radical scavenging activity, researchers examined the effect of Indicaxanthin incubated with lipoperoxyl radicals generated in methyl linoleate methanol solution by 2,2'-azobis(2,4-dimethylvaleronitrile).

According to the tested analysis of the solution, indicaxanthin acted as a chain-terminating lipoperoxyl radical scavenger by inhibiting (2,4-dimethylvaleronitrile oxidation by inducing the clear-cut lag periods and the decrease of the propagation rate in the initiation of free radical chain reaction in a dose of concentration-dependent manner.

Moreover, the injection of dietary indicaxanthin also delayed the liposome oxidation remarkably delayed.

However, the phytochemical efficacy is not linearly related to the levels of concentration.

More precisely, indicaxanthin and alpha-tocopherol incorporated in liposomes exhibited cooperative synergetically antioxidant effects and reciprocal protective interactions.

Based on the findings, researchers said, "The extent of synergism decreased at the increase of the ratio (indicaxanthin)/(alpha-tocopherol). A potential antioxidant mechanism of indicaxanthin is discussed in the context of the chemistry of the molecule, and of the possible reactivity of a short-lived intermediate".

Taken altogether, indicaxanthin may be considered a free radical scavenger pending to the confirmation of the larger sample size and multicenter human study.

Sources
(1) Kinetics of the lipoperoxyl radical-scavenging activity of indicaxanthin in solution and unilamellar liposomes by Tesoriere L1, Allegra M, Butera D, Gentile C, Livrea MA. (PubMed)
(2) Lipoperoxyl Radical Scavenging and Antioxidative Effects of Red Beet Pigments by Maria A. Livrea, Luisa Tesoriere

Thursday 7 November 2019

Carotenoids Process the Strong Impact In the Prevention and Treatment of Cystic Fibrosis (CF)

By Kyle J. Norton

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is the most common fatal genetic disease affecting mostly the lung in Canadian children and young adults, leading to difficulty breathing and coughing up mucus and frequent lung infections.

However, the condition has also been found in the pancreas, liver, kidneys, and intestine.

According to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Patient Registry, more than 30,000 people are living with cystic fibrosis in the US.

Believe it or not, most cases of CF are diagnosed by age 2.

Most common symptoms are depending on the location of cystic fibrosis including
sinus infections, poor growth, fatty stool, clubbing of the fingers and toes.

In male adults, the condition also induces infertility as a result of the blockage or absence of the sperm canal.

Conventionally, as of today, there is no cure for CF. Most cases of CF caused by lung infection are treated intravenously, inhaled, or by mouth.

In severe cases, a lung transplant may be the only option.

Although most cases of CF are associated with a genetic preposition, environment, lifestyle, and age are also 2 main factors that increase the risk of CF.

Cystic Fibrosis Canada in the investigation of the risk of CF in older adults wrote, "Today, the estimated median age of survival of CF patients in Canada is over 50 years, and the majority of patients are over 18 years of age. CF patients enjoy an improved quality of life, pursuing careers, and starting families of their own".

Lycopene is a phytochemical found in tomato 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 performs various functions in photosynthesis.

On finding a potential compound for the treatment of lung disease researchers examined the effects of carotenoids, the potent antioxidants on singlet oxygen and other toxic oxygen species in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF).

The study included a total of of 17 patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) and 10 normal children,

According to the assessment of plasma levels of four carotenoids, beta-carotene, alpha-carotene, lutein, and lycopene, levels of carotenoids in children with CF were significantly lower compared to normal control participants.

There was no significant difference in total cholesterol total carotene between groups. Futhermore, there was no correlation of fat absorption or measures of adiposity in children with CF comapred to control.

However, levels of selected carotenoids were correlated negatively with serum IgG levels associated with the measurement of inflammation.

More importantly, researchers also found that the differences in plasma carotenoid levels between children with CF and normal children were involved in the rapid turnover of carotenoids, by quenching of toxic oxygen species in inflammatory states of CF.

The results strongly suggested that improving the concentration of carotenoids that reduces the implication of the toxic ROS expression may have an impact on the prevention and treatment of CF.

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