Protective Effect of Resveratrol on Biomarkers of Oxidative Stress Induced by Iron/Ascorbate in Mouse Spermatozoa

Resveratrol (RVT) is a polyphenolic compound found mainly in the grape and attributed with various pharmacological properties, among them their antioxidant activity. In the present study, we assess the antioxidant activity of resveratrol on oxidative damage induced by ferrous iron/ascorbate (100 µM/150 µM) in sperm of CD1⁺ mice. We evaluated several parameters in spermatozoa treated with or without resveratrol: (i) sperm quality analysis; (ii) mitochondrial transmembrane potential (Δψ_m); (iii) ROS generation; (iv) superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity; (v) glutathione peroxidase (GPX) activity; (vi) lipid peroxidation; (vii) and in vitro fertilization (IVF) capability. Spermatozoa treated with RVT (15 µg/mL) before ferrous iron/ascorbate treatment exhibited: a significant increase in motility (8-fold), a significant increase in viability (2-fold), a significant increase in Δψ_m (1.15-fold), accompanied with a significant decrease in the generation of ROS (4.96-fold), a significant decrease in GPX activity (1.32-fold), and a significant decrease in lipid peroxidation concentration (10.29-fold) relative to spermatozoa treated with ferrous iron/ascorbate; however, no changes in SOD activity were observed. Finally, spermatozoa treated with RVT before ferrous iron/ascorbate treatment showed a significant increase in oocyte fertilization (1.2-fold), relative to spermatozoa treated with ferrous iron/ascorbate. These results suggest that RVT possesses antioxidant properties that may prevent the deleterious effects produced by oxidative damage on spermatozoa, resulting in the maintenance of fertility.     

Inonotus hispidus Protects against Hyperlipidemia by Inhibiting Oxidative Stress and Inflammation through Nrf2/NF-κB Signaling in High Fat Diet Fed Mice

Obesity is frequently associated with dysregulated lipid metabolism and lipotoxicity. Inonotus hispidus (Bull.: Fr.) P. Karst (IH) is an edible and medicinal parasitic mushroom. In this study, after a systematic analysis of its nutritional ingredients, the regulatory effects of IH on lipid metabolism were investigated in mice fed a high-fat diet (HFD). In HFD-fed mice, IH reversed the pathological state of the liver and the three types of fat and significantly decreased the levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), and leptin (LEP) and increased the level of high-density liptein cholesterol (HDL-C) in serum. Meanwhile, IH ameliorated liver damage by reducing alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) levels in the liver and serum. Compared with HFD-fed mice, IH significantly modulated the gut microbiota, changed the relative abundances of microflora at different taxonomic levels, and regulated lipid levels. The results showed that 30 differential lipids were found. Results from Western blotting confirmed that IH regulated the nuclear factor erythroid-2 related factor 2 (Nrf2)/nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) signaling pathway and oxidative stress. This study aimed to provide experimental evidence for the applicability of IH in obesity treatment.     

Combination of Trans-Resveratrol and ε-Viniferin Induces a Hepatoprotective Effect in Rats with Severe Acute Liver Failure via Reduction of Oxidative Stress and MMP-9 Expression

Stilbenes are a major grapevine class of phenolic compounds, known for their biological activities, including anti-inflammatory and antioxidant, but never studied in combination. We aimed to evaluate the effect of trans-resveratrol + ε-viniferin as an antioxidant mixture and its role in inflammatory development an in vivo model of severe acute liver failure induced with TAA. Trans-resveratrol + trans-ε-viniferin (5 mg/kg each) was administered to Wistar rats. Resveratrol + ε-viniferin significantly decreased TBARS and SOD activity and restored CAT and GST activities in the treated group. This stilbene combination reduced the expression of TNFα, iNOS, and COX-2, and inhibited MMP-9. The combination of resveratrol + ε-viniferin had a hepatoprotective effect, reducing DNA damage, exhibiting a protective role on the antioxidant pathway by altering SOD, CAT, and GST activities; by downregulating TNFα, COX-2, and iNOS; and upregulating IL-10. Our results suggested that adding viniferin to resveratrol may be more effective in hepatoprotection than resveratrol alone, opening a new perspective on using this stilbene combination in functional diets.