Methods: A double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial involved one hundred and eight subjects (BMI between 25 and 35 kg/m2) that were randomly assigned to either the low-dose or the high-dose IQP-AE-103 group, or the placebo group. Following a 2-week run-in period, subjects received two capsules of investigational product after three daily main meals for 12 weeks. Subjects were instructed to maintain a nutritionally balanced hypocaloric diet according to the individual's energy requirement. Body weight, body fat, and waist and hip circumference were measured at baseline, and after 2, 4, 8, and 12 weeks. Subjects also rated their feelings of hunger and fullness using visual analogue scales, and food craving on a 5-point scale at the same time intervals. Blood samplings for safety laboratory parameters were taken before and at the end of the study.
Results: After 12 weeks of intake, the high-dose IQP-AE-103 group had a significantly greater weight loss compared with the placebo (5.03 ± 2.50 kg vs. 0.98 ± 2.06 kg, respectively; p < 0.001) and the low-dose group (3.01 ± 2.19 kg; p=0.001). The high-dose group experienced a decrease in body fat of 3.15 ± 2.41 kg compared with a decrease of 0.23 ± 2.74 kg for the placebo group (p < 0.001). High-dose IQP-AE-103 also decreased the feeling of hunger in 66% subjects. A beneficial effect of IQP-AE-103 on the lipid metabolism was also demonstrated in the subgroup of subjects with baseline total cholesterol levels above 6.2 mmol/L. No side effects related to the intake of IQP-AE-103 were reported.
Conclusions: These findings indicate that IQP-AE-103 could be an effective and safe weight loss intervention. This trial is registered with NCT03058367.
AIM OF THE REVIEW: The present review aims to compile an up-to-date information on the progress made in the protective role of swertiamarin in cardiac and metabolic diseases with the objective of providing a guide for future research on this bioactive molecule.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: Information on the swertiamarin was collected from major scientific databases (Pubmed, Springer, google scholar, and Web of Science) for publication between1974-2016. In this review, the protective role of swertiamarin on cardiac and metabolic diseases was discussed.
RESULTS: Swertiamarin reported to exhibit a wide range of biological activities such as anti-atherosclerotic, antidiabetic, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. These activities were mainly due to its effect on various signaling pathways associated with cardiac remodeling events such as inhibition of NF-kB expression, LDL oxidation, apoptosis, inflammatory and lipid peroxidation markers and stimulation of antioxidant enzymes.
CONCLUSION: Sweriamarin exhibit a wide range of biological activities. This review presents evidence supporting the point of view that swertiamarin should be considered a potential therapeutic agent against cardiac and metabolic diseases, giving rise to novel applications in their prevention and treatment.
AIM OF THE STUDY: To assess the motor and cognitive effects of acute oral administration of CT root methanolic extract and hippocampal long-term plasticity in the CA1 region of the CCH rat model.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: Male Sprague Dawley rats (200-300 g) were subjected to permanent bilateral occlusion of common carotid arteries (PBOCCA) or sham operation. Then, these rats were given oral administration of CT root extract at doses of 100, 200 or 300 mg/kg on day 28 post-surgery and tested using behavioural tests (open-field test, passive avoidance task, and Morris water maze) and electrophysiological recordings (under urethane anaesthesia).
RESULTS: Treatment with CT root extract at the doses of 200 and 300 mg/kg resulted in a significant enhancement in memory performance in CCH rats induced by PBOCCA. Furthermore, CCH resulted in inhibition of long-term potentiation (LTP) formation in the hippocampus, and CT root extract rescued the LTP impairment. The CT root extract was confirmed to improve the glutamate-induced calcium increase via calcium imaging using primary cultured rat neurons. No significance difference was found in the CaMKII expression. These results demonstrated that CT root extract ameliorates synaptic function, which may contribute to its improving effect on cognitive behaviour.
CONCLUSIONS: Our findings demonstrated an improving effect of CT root extract on memory in the CCH rat model suggesting that CT root extract could be a potential therapeutic strategy to prevent the progression of cognitive deterioration in vascular dementia (VaD) and Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients.
METHODS: Cell proliferation, migration, TUNEL assay, western blotting, time-lapse confocal microscopy analyses, chorioallantoic membrane assay, and a xenograft BALB/c nude mouse system were used in this study. Chemical fingerprinting of AC-3E was established using LC-MS.
RESULTS: AC-3E attenuated T47D breast cancer cell activity by deregulating the PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway and key cell-cycle mediators, and inducing apoptosis. AC-3E also effectively inhibited tube-like structures of endothelial cells, blood vessel branching and microvessel formation ex vivo and in vivo. Significant preventive and therapeutic effects against T47D mammary tumor growth of AC-3E was observed comparable or superior to tamoxifen treatment in xenograft BALB/c nude mice. Dehydroeburicoic acid (2) was characterized as the main chemical constituent in AC-3E against breast cancer.
CONCLUSION: This study suggests that AC-3E extracts can be employed as a double-barreled approach to treat human ER+ breast cancer by attacking both cancer cells and tumor-associated blood vessel cells.