Protective effects of defatted dabai peel extracts in hypercholesterolemic rabbits based on histopathological methods

Defatted dabai peel contains a high amount of anthocyanin. Anthocyanins are known to prevent several types of disease, including cardiovascular-related complications. This study aimed to describe the effects of different doses of defatted dabai peel extract by histopathological analyses on lesions in the liver, kidney, heart and aorta. Histopathology methods were applied to determine the protective effects of defatted dabai peel extracts against hypercholesterolemia-induced oxidative damages to animal organs. Haematoxylin and eosin staining was applied for histopathology examination for liver, kidney, heart and aorta. Data showed that a high dose of defatted dabai extract (3000 mg per day) applied to hypercholesterolemic rabbits for eight weeks had mild protective effect, especially reducing the severity of hepatic fibrosis and steatosis of the renal medulla. The high dose of extract supplementation also reduced inflammation of aorta and formation of atherosclerosis plaque in the cell wall of right ventricle of the heart. The high dose of defatted dabai peel extract could be a protective agent against oxidative stress

Effects of Mangifera pajang Kostermans juice on plasma antioxidant status and liver and kidney function in normocholesterolemic subjects

The effects of a bambangan juice powder (BJP) drink on plasma vitamin and antioxidant enzyme levels and liver and kidney function were investigated. Thirty-two healthy subjects (12 male and 20 female) ages 24–28 years were recruited from the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences of University Putra Malaysia, Malaysia. Compared with consuming the placebo, consumption of the BJP drink daily for 9 weeks significantly increased the concentration of plasma β-carotene and ascorbic acid. Plasma total antioxidant status was increased, but liver and kidney functions were unaffected after consumption of the BJP drink. The consumption of a BJP drink resulted in a significant improvement in certain cardiovascular biochemical parameters and thus reduced the risk of cardiovascular disease

Characterisation of fibre-rich powder and antioxidant capacity of Mangifera pajang K. fruit peels.

The composition of bambangan peel dietary fibre (DF) and several properties related to its nutritional quality were investigated. The physicochemical properties and antioxidant capacity for the fibre-rich powder (FRP) were investigated, and the chemical composition for soluble dietary fibre (SDF) and insoluble dietary fibre (IDF) were also studied. The FRP had a high amount of total dietary fibre (TDF; 72.3 g/100 g FRP) with a balanced SDF/IDF ratio (46.3/53.7%). The FRP had a high glucose retardation index, water-holding capacity (WHC), oil-holding capacity (OHC), and swelling. The antioxidant capacity of the FRP, as determined by the DPPHradical dot assay using an Elisa reader, exhibited a strong potency due to the presence of associated total polyphenols (98.3 mg/g FRP). These FRP characteristics indicated that bambangan peels are a rich source of DF, antioxidants, and other bioactive compounds that can be incorporated with food products to improve the nutraceutical properties of these products

Effects of Bifidobacterium longum BB536 on lipid profile and histopathological changes in hypercholesterolaemic rats

The present study investigated the effects of Bifidobacterium longum BB536 on lipid profile, liver and kidney function, and body fat in hypercholesterolaemic rats. 40 Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into five groups. The negative control group received a standard diet. The positive control group received a cholesterol-enriched diet, whereas the intervention groups received a cholesterol-enriched diet supplemented with B. longum BB536 alone or in combination with inulin or Mangifera pajang fibrous polysaccharides. After 8 weeks, plasma lipids, and liver and kidney function were tested. Intake of the cholesterol-enriched diet increased total cholesterol, alanine aminotransferase, gamma-glutamyl transferase, creatinine, urea, liver weight, adipose tissue weight, liver lipid deposition and adipocyte size. B. longum BB536 supplementation significantly reduced total cholesterol, liver lipid deposition and adipocyte size, and positively affected liver and kidney function. These effects were significantly increased in the presence of inulin and M. pajang fibrous polysaccharides

Functional properties and characterization of dietary fiber from mangifera pajang kort. Fruit pulp

A dried high fiber product from bambangan (Mangifera pajang Kort.) fruit pulp was prepared and evaluated for proximate composition, functional properties, and soluble and insoluble dietary fiber composition. Mangifera pajang fibrous (MPF) consisted of 4.7% moisture, 0.8% fat, 4% protein, and 30 mg total polyphenol per g of dry sample, and 9, 79 and 88% soluble, insoluble and total dietary fiber, respectively. Water holding capacity, oil holding capacity, swelling, and solubility were found to be 9 g/g dry sample, 4 g/g dry sample, 16 mL/g dry sample, and 11%, respectively. The glucose dialysis retardation index of MPF was approximately double that of cellulose fiber. Soluble dietary fiber contained mannose, arabinose, glucose, rhamnose, erythrose, galactose, xylose, and fucose at 1.51, 0.72, 0.39, 0.16, 0.14, 0.05, 0.04, and 0.01%, respectively, with 5.8% uronic acid, while insoluble dietary fiber was composed of arabinose (18.47%), glucose (4.46%), mannose (3.15%), rhamnose (1.65%), galactose (1.20%), xylose (0.99%), and fucose (0.26%) with 15.5% uronic acid and 33.1% klason lignin. These characteristics indicate that MPF is a rich source of dietary fiber and has physicochemical properties which make it suitable as an added ingredient in various food products and/or dietetic, low-calorie high-fiber foods to enhance their nutraceutical propertie

Cholesterol and alpha-tocopherol contents of fish and other seafood from the Straits of Malacca

This study was conducted to determine the cholesterol and alpha-tocopherol contents of 20 marine fish and four other seafood from the Straits of Malacca. Cholesterol and alpha-tocopherol contents of the fish and other seafood were determined using high-performance liquid chromatography. The results showed that most of the fish contained low amounts of cholesterol, except sixbar grouper (Epinephelus fasciatus), long-tailed butterfly ray (Gymnura sp.), yellowstripe scad (Selaroides leptolepis), cuttlefish (Sepia officinalis), large-scale tongue sole (Cynoglossus arel), and longtail shad (Hilsa macrura) that contained high amounts of cholesterol (119.39-353.97 mg/100 g wet samples). Indian mackerel (Rastrelliger kanagurta), giant seaperch (Lates calcarifer), prawn (Metapenaeus affinis), and moonfish (Trachinotus blochii) had high alpha-tocopherol contents (462-989 μg/100 g wet sample). Regular consumption of fish and other seafood is highly recommended partly due to the high alpha-tocopherol content. Due to the high cholesterol in certain types of fish, consumption of the fish fillets of sixbar grouper, long-tailed butterfly ray, yellowstripe scad, cuttlefish, and large scale tongue sole should be <100 g per day and <50 g per day for longtail shad. Validation of the analytical method also showed a high accuracy and reproducibility of the HPLC method

Hypocholesterolaemic effect of yoghurt containing Bifidobacterium pseudocatenulatum G4 or Bifidobacterium longum BB536

The effect of a yoghurt supplement containing Bifidobacterium pseudocatenulatum G4 or Bifidobacterium longum BB536 on plasma lipids, lipid peroxidation and the faecal excretion of bile acids was examined in rats fed a cholesterol-enriched diet. After 8 weeks, the rats in the positive control (PC) group who were fed the cholesterol-enriched diet showed significant increases in plasma total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, and malondialdehyde (MDA). However, groups fed a cholesterol-enriched diet supplemented with yoghurt containing B. pseudocatenulatum G4 or B. longum BB536 had significantly lower plasma TC, LDL-C, very-low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) cholesterol, and MDA than had the PC group after 8 weeks of treatment. In addition, faecal excretion of bile acids was markedly increased in the rats fed the yoghurt containing B. pseudocatenulatum G4 or B. longum BB536 as compared to the PC and NC groups

Mathematically modelling the dynamics of cholesterol metabolism and ageing

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the UK. This conditionbecomes increasingly prevalent during ageing; 34.1% and 29.8% of males and females respectively, over 75years of age have an underlying cardiovascular problem. The dysregulation of cholesterol metabolism isinextricably correlated with cardiovascular health and for this reason low density lipoprotein cholesterol(LDL-C) and high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) are routinely used as biomarkers of CVD risk. Theaim of this work was to use mathematical modelling to explore how cholesterol metabolism is affectedby the ageing process. To do this we updated a previously published whole-body mathematical model ofcholesterol metabolism to include an additional 96 mechanisms that are fundamental to this biologicalsystem. Additional mechanisms were added to cholesterol absorption, cholesterol synthesis, reversecholesterol transport (RCT), bile acid synthesis, and their enterohepatic circulation. The sensitivity of themodel was explored by the use of both local and global parameter scans. In addition, acute cholesterolfeeding was used to explore the effectiveness of the regulatory mechanisms which are responsible formaintaining whole-body cholesterol balance. It was found that our model behaves as a hypo-responderto cholesterol feeding, while both the hepatic and intestinal pools of cholesterol increased significantly.The model was also used to explore the effects of ageing in tandem with three different cholesterolester transfer protein (CETP) genotypes. Ageing in the presence of an atheroprotective CETP genotype,conferring low CETP activity, resulted in a 0.6% increase in LDL-C. In comparison, ageing with a genotypereflective of high CETP activity, resulted in a 1.6% increase in LDL-C. Thus, the model has illustrated theimportance of CETP genotypes such as I405V, and their potential role in healthy ageing

Identification and quantification of phenolic compounds in bambangan (Mangifera pajang Kort.) peels and their free radical scavenging activity.

Phenolic compounds and antioxidant capacity of acidified methanolic extract prepared from fully ripe bambangan (Mangifera pajang K.) peel cultivated in Sarawak, Malaysia, were analyzed. The total phenolic content (98.3 mg GAE/g) of bambangan peel powder (BPP) was determined by the Folin-Ciocalteu method. BPP showed a strong potency of antioxidant activity and was consistent with that of BHT and vitamin C as confirmed by the DPPH (1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl) radical scavenging activity and FRAP (ferric-reducing antioxidant power) assays. Gallic acid, p-coumaric acid, ellagic acid, protocatechuic acid, and mangiferin were the major compounds among the 16 phenolics that have been identified and quantified in M. pajang peels with 20.9, 12.7, 7.3, 5.4, and 4.8 mg/g BPP, respectively. Peak identities were confirmed by comparing their retention times, UV-vis absorption spectra, and mass spectra with authentic standards. The 16 phenolic compounds identified in M. pajang K. using HPLC-DAD and TSQ-ESI-MS are reported here for the first time

Antioxidant activities and total phenolic content in germinated and non-germinated legume extracts following alkaline-acid hydrolysis

This study was aimed to determine and compare Total Phenolic Content (TPC) and Antioxidant Activities (AA) in germinated and non-germinated legume [peanut (Arachis hypogeal) and soybean (Glycine max)] extracts prepared using alkaline-acid hydrolysis. Total phenolic content and antioxidant activities 1,1- diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl free radical (DPPH) scavenging and reducing Ferric Ion Antioxidant Potential (FRAP) in extracts were determined spectrophotometrically. Total phenolic content in non-germinated peanut and soybean were 1090.58 and 888.08 mg GAE/100g dry weight, respectively. After germination, total phenolic content in peanut increased to reach 1151.33 mg GAE/100g dry weight; while soybean significantly decreased. In non-germinated peanut and soybean DPPH was 1084.99 and 507.59 μM TE/100g dry weight; and FRAP was 47966.67 and 23010.00 μM Fe2+ equivalent/100g dry weight respectively. Following germination, DPPH and FRAP were decreased in peanuts but increased in soybeans. The process of germination has resulted to the increments of antioxidant activities in soybean and total phenolic content in peanut