Molecular nutrition & food research
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Turmeric, a dried powder derived from the rhizome of Curcuma longa, has been used for centuries in certain parts of the world and has been linked to numerous biological activities including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, antigrowth, anti-arthritic, anti-atherosclerotic, antidepressant, anti-aging, antidiabetic, antimicrobial, wound healing, and memory-enhancing activities. One component of turmeric is curcumin, which has been extensively studied, as indicated by more than 5600 citations, most of which have appeared within the past decade. Recent research has identified numerous chemical entities from turmeric other than curcumin. ⋯ Studies over the past decade have indicated that curcumin-free turmeric (CFT) components possess numerous biological activities including anti-inflammatory, anticancer, and antidiabetic activities. Elemene derived from turmeric is approved in China for the treatment of cancer. The current review focuses on the anticancer and anti-inflammatory activities exhibited by CFT and by some individual components of turmeric, including turmerin, turmerone, elemene, furanodiene, curdione, bisacurone, cyclocurcumin, calebin A, and germacrone.
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Although much has been published about curcumin, which is obtained from turmeric, comparatively little is known about turmeric itself. Turmeric, a golden spice obtained from the rhizome of the plant Curcuma longa, has been used to give color and taste to food preparations since ancient times. Traditionally, this spice has been used in Ayurveda and folk medicine for the treatment of such ailments as gynecological problems, gastric problems, hepatic disorders, infectious diseases, and blood disorders. ⋯ In clinical trials, turmeric has shown efficacy against numerous human ailments including lupus nephritis, cancer, diabetes, irritable bowel syndrome, acne, and fibrosis. Thus, a spice originally common in the kitchen is now exhibiting activities in the clinic. In this review, we discuss the chemical constituents of turmeric, its biological activities, its molecular targets, and its potential in the clinic.
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Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) generally refer to monocytes and lymphocytes, representing cells of the innate and adaptive immune systems. PBMCs are a promising target tissue in the field of nutrigenomics because they seem to reflect the effects of dietary modifications at the level of gene expression. In this review, we describe and discuss the scientific literature concerning the use of gene expression at the mRNA level measured from PBMCs in dietary interventions studies conducted in humans. ⋯ PBMC gene expression after dietary intervention studies can be used for studying the response of certain genes related to fatty acid and cholesterol metabolism, and to explore the response of dietary interventions in relation to inflammation. However, PBMC transcriptomics from dietary intervention studies have not resulted yet in clear confirmation of candidate genes related to disease risk. Use of microarray technology in larger well-designed dietary intervention studies is still needed for exploring PBMC potential in the field of nutrigenomics.
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Atherosclerosis has an important inflammatory component and acute cardiovascular events can be initiated by inflammatory processes occurring in advanced plaques. Fatty acids influence inflammation through a variety of mechanisms; many of these are mediated by, or associated with, the fatty acid composition of cell membranes. Human inflammatory cells are typically rich in the n-6 fatty acid arachidonic acid, but the contents of arachidonic acid and of the marine n-3 fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) can be altered through oral administration of EPA and DHA. ⋯ EPA and DHA also affect production of peptide mediators of inflammation (adhesion molecules, cytokines, etc.). Thus, the fatty acid composition of human inflammatory cells influences their function; the contents of arachidonic acid, EPA and DHA appear to be especially important. The anti-inflammatory effects of marine n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) may contribute to their protective actions towards atherosclerosis and plaque rupture.
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Alkaloid-containing plants are an intrinsic part of the regular Western diet. The present paper summarizes the occurrence of alkaloids in the food chain, their mode of action and possible adverse effects including a safety assessment. Pyrrolizidine alkaloids are a reason for concern because of their bioactivation to reactive alkylating intermediates. ⋯ These vary from setting limits for the presence of a compound in feed, foods and beverages, trying to define safe upper limits, advising on a strategy aiming at restrictions in use, informing the public to be cautious or taking specific plant varieties from the market. For some alkaloids known to be present in the modern food chain, e.g., piperine, nicotine, theobromine, theophylline and tropane alkaloids risks coming from the human food chain are considered to be low if not negligible. Remarkably, for many alkaloids that are known constituents of the modern food chain and of possible concern, tolerable daily intake values have so far not been defined.