Effects of pumpkin seed oil and saw palmetto oil in Korean men with symptomatic benign prostatic hyperplasia

This study was to investigate the role of complementary and alternative medicine in the prevention and treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia. For this purpose, a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial was performed over 12 months on 47 benign prostatic hyperplasia patients with average age of 53.3 years and international prostate symptom score over 8. Subjects received either sweet potato starch (group A, placebo, 320 mg/day), pumpkin seed oil (group B, 320 mg/day), saw palmetto oil (group C, 320 mg/day) or pumpkin seed oil plus saw palmetto oil (group D, each 320 mg/day). International prostate symptom score, quality of life, serum prostate specific antigen, prostate volume and maximal urinary flow rate were measured. In groups B, C and D, the international prostate symptom score were reduced by 3 months. Quality of life score was improved after 6 months in group D, while those of groups B and C were improved after 3 months, compared to the baseline value. Serum prostate specific antigen was reduced only in group D after 3 months, but no difference was observed in prostate volume in all treatment groups. Maximal urinary flow rate were gradually improved in groups B and C, with statistical significance after 6 months in group B and after 12 months in group C. None of the parameters were significantly improved by combined treatment with pumpkin seed oil and saw palmetto oil. From these results, it is suggested that administrations of pumpkin seed oil and saw palmetto oil are clinically safe and may be effective as complementary and alternative medicine treatments for benign prostatic hyperplasia.     

Inhibition of testosterone-induced hyperplasia of the prostate of sprague-dawley rats by pumpkin seed oil

The oil from the pumpkin (Cucurbita pepo) seed is claimed to be useful in the management of benign prostatic hyperplasia. This investigation seeks to examine the effect of pumpkin seed oil on testosterone-induced hyperplasia of the prostate of rats. Hyperplasia was induced by subcutaneous administration of testosterone (0.3 mg/100 g of body weight) for 20 days. Simultaneous oral administration of either pumpkin seed oil (2.0 and 4.0 mg/100 g of body weight) or corn oil (vehicle) was also given for 20 days. The weights of the rats were recorded weekly, and the influence of testosterone and pumpkin seed oil on the weight gain of the rats was examined. On day 21, rats were sacrificed, and the prostate was removed, cleaned, and weighed. The prostate size ratio (prostate weight/rat body weight) was then calculated. Neither testosterone nor pumpkin seed oil had any significant influence on the weight gain of the rats. Testosterone significantly increased prostate size ratio (P < .05), and this induced increase was inhibited in rats fed with pumpkin seed oil at 2.0 mg/100 g of body weight. The protective effect of pumpkin seed oil was significant at the higher pumpkin seed oil dose (P < .02). We conclude pumpkin seed oil can inhibit testosterone-induced hyperplasia of the prostate and therefore may be beneficial in the management of benign prostatic hyperplasia.     

Antihypertensive and cardiovascular effects of catechin-rich oil palm (Elaeis guineensis) leaf extract in nitric oxide-deficient rats

Oil palm (Elaeis guineensis) leaf extract (OPLE) possesses good ex vivo vasodilation and antioxidant properties. This study evaluated the catechin-rich OPLE antioxidant, antihypertensive, and cardiovascular effects in normal and nitric oxide (NO)-deficient hypertensive rats. OPLE was administered orally (500 mg/kg of body weight/day) to normotensive Wistar rats and N(ω)-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME)-induced NO-deficient hypertensive rats. OPLE significantly (P<.05) attenuated blood pressure increases, increased serum NO, reduced lipid peroxidation, and showed antioxidant effects in NO-deficient hypertensive rats. OPLE decreased the coronary arteriole wall-to-lumen ratio to near normal values under NO deficiency. Although OPLE showed good antihypertensive and antioxidant effects under NO deficiency, it was not hypotensive to normal rats and produced no chronic cardiovascular toxicity in any of the rats throughout the 12-week study. This is the first report on the in vivo antihypertensive properties of green tea catechins extracted from an alternative source, namely, oil palm leaf, for use as a medicinal food for hypertension and cardiovascular ailments.     

Possible molecular basis of cardioprotective effects of green tea

Clinical data suggest that people who use green tea have a lower cardiovascular risk. However, the exact mechanisms of these cardioprotective effects are unknown. We know that STAT1 plays a critical role in promoting apoptotic cell death and STAT3 may antagonise STAT1 and protect cardiac myocytes from ischaemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury. More recently it has been shown that specific molecules such as epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), which is present in green tea extract (GTE), have antioxidant properties. Considering that: (i) oxygen free radicals (OFR) are produced during myocardial I/R insult and (ii) OFR are responsible for reperfusion cardiac damage, we therefore investigated whether chronic administration per os of GTE reduced I/R damage in the Langendorff perfused isolated rat heart. In addition we evaluated myocardial content of STAT1 and STAT3 and degree of apoptosis. In Sprague-Dawley isolated hearts, GTE reduced the ischaemic mechanical insult, prolonged STAT3 activation/phosphorylation and reduced STAT1 activation with consequent less cell apoptosis. These results show that chronic treatment with GTE protects the heart from I/R injury. Activation of prosurvival STAT3 over the pro-apoptotic STAT1 could be one of the molecular mechanisms involved in green tea-mediated cardiopretection.     

The potential cardioprotective effects of hydrogen in irradiated mice

Most ionizing radiation-induced damage is caused by hydroxyl radicals, and the selective reduction of hydroxyl by hydrogen in vitro has been demonstrated previously. Irradiation of the heart can cause chronic cardiac disease. This study was designed to test the hypothesis that hydrogen-rich water (pure water saturated with molecular hydrogen), which is easy to use, induces cardioprotection against ionizing irradiation injury in mice. In this paper, we demonstrate that hydrogen can protect myocardium degeneration from radiation-induced injury, decrease myocardium malondialdehyde (MDA), 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) levels, and increase myocardium endogenous antioxidants in vivo. We suggest that hydrogen has a cardioprotective effect against radiation induced injury.     

Chemopreventive effects of pomegranate seed oil on skin tumor development in CD1 mice

Pomegranate seed oil was investigated for possible skin cancer chemopreventive efficacy in mice. In the main experiment, two groups consisting each of 30, 4-5-week-old, female CD(1) mice were used. Both groups had skin cancer initiated with an initial topical exposure of 7,12-dimethylbenzanthracene and with biweekly promotion using 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate (TPA). The experimental group was pretreated with 5% pomegranate seed oil prior to each TPA application. Tumor incidence, the number of mice containing at least one tumor, was 100% and 93%, and multiplicity, the average number of tumors per mouse, was 20.8 and 16.3 per mouse after 20 weeks of promotion in the control and pomegranate seed oil-treated groups, respectively (P <.05). In a second experiment, two groups each consisting of three CD(1) mice were used to assess the effect of pomegranate seed oil on TPA-stimulated ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) activity, an important event in skin cancer promotion. Each group received a single topical application of TPA, with the experimental group receiving a topical treatment 1 h prior with 5% pomegranate seed oil. The mice were killed 5 h later, and ODC activity was assessed by radiometric method. The experimental group showed a 17% reduction in ODC activity. Pomegranate seed oil (5%) significantly decreased (P <.05) tumor incidence, multiplicity, and TPA-induced ODC activity. Overall, the results highlight the potential of pomegranate seed oil as a safe and effective chemopreventive agent against skin cancer.     

紫苏籽油与亚麻籽油合用安全性及降血脂作用研究

目的 评价紫苏籽油与亚麻籽油合用的安全性及降血脂作用。方法 通过急性经口毒性试验、Ames试验、骨髓细胞微核试验、小鼠精子畸形试验和大鼠30天喂养试验对紫苏籽油与亚麻籽油合用的安全性进行考察;通过建立大鼠混合型高脂血症模型,经口灌胃不同剂量（250、750、1500mg/kg.BW）的紫苏籽油与亚麻籽油混合物连续30天,测定血脂指标,对紫苏籽油与亚麻籽油合用的降血脂作用进行考察。结果 安全性试验结果显示,紫苏籽油与亚麻籽油合用对大、小鼠急性经口MTD值均＞15.0g/kg.BW,属无毒级;Ames试验、骨髓细胞微核试验、小鼠精子畸形试验结果均为阴性;30天喂养试验未引起动物中毒性损伤改变。降血脂试验结果显示,与模型对照组比较,紫苏籽油与亚麻籽油合用的三个剂量组的总胆固醇（TC）、甘油三酯（TG）显著降低（F=4.405,P=0.010;F=4.601,P=0.008）,降血脂作用明显。结论 紫苏籽油与亚麻籽油合用的安全性高,无致突变性及亚急性毒性,并且具有较好的降血脂作用。     

Antihypertensive effects of Gynura procumbens extract in spontaneously hypertensive rats

Aqueous extracts of Gynura procumbens (Lour.) Merr. were orally administered to spontaneously hypertensive (SHR) rats for 4 weeks, and antihypertensive effects were determined. Oral administration of 500 mg/kg of G. procumbens (Lour.) Merr. extract (GPE) resulted in significantly lower blood pressure in SHR rats compared with SHR rats not given GPE (P < .05). Furthermore, GPE-administered rats had significantly lower serum lactate dehydrogenase, creatine phosphate kinase, and increased nitric oxide (NO), a known vasodilator, compared with the non-GPE-administered SHR group (P < .05). These results suggest that oral administration of aqueous GPE may be useful for prevention and treatment of hypertension through increasing NO production in blood vessels.     

Flaxseed oil increases the plasma concentrations of cardioprotective (n-3) fatty acids in humans

Alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) is a major dietary (n-3) fatty acid. ALA is converted to longer-chain (n-3) PUFA, such as eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and possibly docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). EPA and DHA are fish-based (n-3) fatty acids that have proven cardioprotective properties. We studied the effect of daily supplementation with 3 g of ALA on the plasma concentration of long-chain (n-3) fatty acids in a predominantly African-American population with chronic illness. In a randomized, double-blind trial, 56 participants were given 3 g ALA/d from flaxseed oil capsules (n = 31) or olive oil placebo capsules (n = 25). Plasma EPA levels at 12 wk in the flaxseed oil group increased by 60%, from 24.09 +/- 16.71 to 38.56 +/- 28.92 micromol/L (P = 0.004), whereas no change occurred in the olive oil group. Plasma docosapentaenoic acid (DPA) levels in the flaxseed oil group increased by 25% from 19.94 +/- 9.22 to 27.03 +/- 17.17 micromol/L (P = 0.03) with no change in the olive oil group. Plasma DHA levels did not change in either group. This study demonstrates the efficacy of the conversion of ALA to EPA and DPA in a minority population with chronic disease. ALA may be an alternative to fish oil; however, additional clinical trials with ALA are warranted.     

Physical and chemical analysis of Passiflora seeds and seed oil from China

The physical and chemical properties of seeds and seed oil from ‘Tainung No. 1’ passion fruit in China have been analyzed in order to evaluate their nutritional value. Proximate analysis shows that the seeds have a high amount of protein (10.8±0.60%) and are rich in oil (23.40±2.50%). The seeds are found to be a good source of minerals. They contain considerable amounts of sodium (2.980±0.002 mg/g), magnesium (1.540±0.001 mg/g), potassium (0.850±0.001 mg/g), and calcium (0.540±0.002 mg/g). The passion fruit seeds contain the 17 amino acids that are found naturally in plant protein (tryptophan is not analyzed). The essential amino acids account for 34% of the 17 amino acids. The amino acid score of passion fruit seeds protein is 74 and the first limiting amino acid is methionine and cystine. The oil extracted by solvent and supercritical dioxide carbon is liquid at room temperature and the color is golden–orange. The specific gravity of the oil is about 0.917. Comparing the chemical properties of the oil extracted by solvent with that by supercritical dioxide carbon, the latter may be suitable as edible oil directly, while the former will be edible after it must be refined to improve on clarity. Fatty acid composition of the seed oil indicates that the oil contains two essential fatty acids (linoleic acid and linolenic acid), but the content of linoleic acid (72.69±0.32%) is by far greater than that of linolenic acid (0.26±0.00%). The present analytical results show the passion fruit seed to be a potentially valuable non-conventional source for high-quality oil.     

Physical and chemical analysis of Passiflora seeds and seed oil from China

The physical and chemical properties of seeds and seed oil from 'Tainung No. 1' passion fruit in China have been analyzed in order to evaluate their nutritional value. Proximate analysis shows that the seeds have a high amount of protein (10.8 +/- 0.60%) and are rich in oil (23.40 +/- 2.50%). The seeds are found to be a good source of minerals. They contain considerable amounts of sodium (2.980 +/- 0.002 mg/g), magnesium (1.540 +/- 0.001 mg/g), potassium (0.850 +/- 0.001 mg/g), and calcium (0.540 +/- 0.002 mg/g). The passion fruit seeds contain the 17 amino acids that are found naturally in plant protein (tryptophan is not analyzed). The essential amino acids account for 34% of the 17 amino acids. The amino acid score of passion fruit seeds protein is 74 and the first limiting amino acid is methionine and cystine. The oil extracted by solvent and supercritical dioxide carbon is liquid at room temperature and the color is golden-orange. The specific gravity of the oil is about 0.917. Comparing the chemical properties of the oil extracted by solvent with that by supercritical dioxide carbon, the latter may be suitable as edible oil directly, while the former will be edible after it must be refined to improve on clarity. Fatty acid composition of the seed oil indicates that the oil contains two essential fatty acids (linoleic acid and linolenic acid), but the content of linoleic acid (72.69 +/- 0.32%) is by far greater than that of linolenic acid (0.26 +/- 0.00%). The present analytical results show the passion fruit seed to be a potentially valuable non-conventional source for high-quality oil.     

Extraction and deproteinization of pumpkin polysaccharide

Extraction and deproteinization methods of polysaccharide from pumpkin were studied. We extracted crude polysaccharide by the method of hot water extraction. The percentages of deproteinization and polysaccharide loss were compared as indexes using the trichloroacetic acid (TCA) method, the NaCl method, the and CaCl₂ method, respectively. The results showed that the TCA method exhibited the lowest percentage of deproteinization, and a little higher percentage of polysaccharide loss than the other two methods. The CaCl₂ method excelled over the NaCl method in deproteinization.     

Extraction and deproteinization of pumpkin polysaccharide

Extraction and deproteinization methods of polysaccharide from pumpkin were studied. We extracted crude polysaccharide by the method of hot water extraction. The percentages of deproteinization and polysaccharide loss were compared as indexes using the trichloroacetic acid (TCA) method, the NaCl method, the and CaCl(2) method, respectively. The results showed that the TCA method exhibited the lowest percentage of deproteinization, and a little higher percentage of polysaccharide loss than the other two methods. The CaCl(2) method excelled over the NaCl method in deproteinization.     

火麻油、山茶油和维生素E混合物对大小鼠抗氧化作用的研究

目的 研究火麻油、山茶油和维生素E混合物的抗氧化作用.方法 采用老龄大小鼠模型、乙醇氧化损伤大鼠模型,观察实验动物丙二醛(malondialdehyde,MDA)、还原性谷胱甘肽(glutathione,GSH)、蛋白质羰基含量和超氧化物歧化酶(superoxide dismutase,SOD)活力水平.结果 火麻油、...     

薏苡仁油对小鼠移植性肿瘤的影响

[目的 ]对薏苡仁油作为保健食品的抑瘤作用进行评价 ,并初步研究其作用机制。 [方法 ]选用S180 肉瘤及HAC肝癌小鼠移植性肿瘤模型 ,以卫生部《保健食品功能学评价程序和检验方法》为实验依据。 [结果 ]薏苡仁油 5 .4g/kg剂量组对小鼠移植性S180 肉瘤抑制率 2次达到 30 %以上 ,1.8g/kg、5 .4g/kg剂量组对小鼠移植性HAC肝癌抑制率 2次亦均达到 30 %以上。薏苡仁油 1.8g/kg组可显著增加小鼠腹腔巨噬细胞吞噬鸡红细胞的吞噬率 ,5 .4g/kg组对小鼠NK细胞活性也有明显增强作用。[结论 ]薏苡仁油对S180 肉瘤及HAC肝癌有明显的抑瘤效应 ,其机制与调节机体的免疫功能 ,提高机体的免疫监视作用有关。     

Effects of perilla oil on plasma concentrations of cardioprotective (n-3) fatty acids and lipid profiles in mice

The aim of this study was to examine the effects of perilla oil as well as several vegetable oils, including flaxseed oil, canola oil, and rice bran oil on plasma levels of cardioprotective (n-3) polyunsaturated fatty acids in mice by feeding each vegetable oil for a period of eight weeks. Concentrations of docosapentaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), fish-based (n-3) polyunsaturated fatty acids, showed an increase in the plasma of mice fed perilla and flaxseed oils compared to those of mice in the control group (P < 0.05), whereas rice bran and canola oils did not alter plasma DPA and EPA concentrations. Arachidonic acid concentration was increased by feeding rice bran oil (P < 0.05), but not canola, flaxseed, or perilla oil. In addition, oleic acid, linoleic acid, and docosahexaenoic acid concentrations were altered by feeding dietary rice bran, canola, perilla, and flaxseed oils. Findings of this study showed that perilla oil, similar to flaxseed oil, is cardioprotective and could be used as an alternative to fish oil or even flaxseed oil in animal models.     

糖尿病患者应用葵花油预防皮肤感染的效果与机制研究

目的研究糖尿病患者应用葵花油预防皮肤感染的效果及相关机制,为临床治疗提供参考。方法对医院2011年4月-2014年4月诊治的120例糖尿病患者进行分析,随机分为两组:对照组、葵花油组,每组各60例,对照组患者不使用任何油剂,葵花油组患者皮肤表面涂抹葵花油,评估两组患者皮肤状态、病原菌分布以及血清超氧化物歧化酶(SOD)、丙二醛(MDA)、过氧化氢酶(CAT)、还原性谷胱甘肽(GSHpx)水平变化,针对患者皮肤干燥程度进行评分,采用世界卫生组织细菌耐药性监测网提供的WHONE5.5软件和SPSS20.0软件对数据进行统计分析。结果糖尿病患者应用葵花油第14天后皮肤评分明显降低,且应用葵花油第56天与第28天的效果明显好于第14天,而对照组患者皮肤评分无明显变化;糖尿病患者应用葵花油后病原菌的分布无明显变化,但是病原菌总数明显降低;糖尿病患者皮肤应用葵花油后血清中脂质过氧化物MDA水平明显降低,而SOD、CAT和GSHpx水平明显升高,与对照组患者比较,差异有统计学意义(P0.05)。结论葵花油能有效改善糖尿病患者皮肤状态,抑制皮肤表面病原菌数量,其通过改善患者血清内氧化还原酶类发挥作用。