Comparative Analysis with GC–MS of Fatty Acids and Volatile Compounds of Taraxacum kok-saghyz Rodin and Taraxacum officinale as Edible Resource Plants

Taraxacum kok-saghyz Rodin (TKS) is a potential edible resource plant that is rich in inulin, lipid, protein and other active ingredients. In this study, HS-SPME/GC–MS was used to analyze volatile compounds (VCs) and profile the fatty acids in TKS roots and leaves, and the results were compared with those from Taraxacum officinale (TO). A total of 105 and 107 VCs were detected in the leaves and roots of seven dandelion samples (three TKS and four TO), amongst which the main VCs were ethyl tetradecanoate, ethyl linolenate, ethyl linoleate, dihydroactinidiolide, ethyl palmitate, β-ionone, 3,5-octadien-2-one, β-ionone 5,6-epoxide, geranyl acetone, benzaldehyde, safranal, 2-Pentylfuran, farnesene and β-elemene. Linoleic acid and linolenic acid were the dominant fatty acids in seven dandelion samples, and the ratio of unsaturated to saturated fatty acids was larger than 4. Principal component analysis showed that the differences in VCs and fatty acid levels between different dandelion samples mainly came from different places of origin, while the differences between different varieties in the same place of origin was minor; i.e., the VCs and fatty acid levels of TKS and TO collected from the same place were basically similar.

Dietary Fatty Acids and Other Nutrients in Relation to Inflammation and Particularly to Oral Mucosa Inflammation. A Literature Review

Oral mucosa is site of inflammatory process development. When they are chronic, they provide a microenvironment based on cytokines and inflammatory mediators that contribute to cancer initiation, progression, invasion, and metastasis. Certain dietary fatty acids (FAs) have immunomodulatory, inflammatory, and antiinflammatory effects. This review examined the literature on inflammation, mainly referred to the oral mucosa, and its association with dietary FAs and other nutrients. A Pubmed search of studies published in English until June 2018 was carried out. N-3 FAs have shown immunomodulatory and antiinflammatory activity in certain human diseases. These FAs and their mediators may inhibit inflammation, angiogenesis, and cancer via multiple mechanisms. Studies on cellular models of murine and human intestinal mucosa indicate association between dietary n-3 FA intake and the inflammatory state of mucosa membranes. Nevertheless scarce information on the association between dietary FAs and oral inflammation could be found. Based on the evidence, we hypothesize that n-3 FAs reduce the oral mucosa inflammation thus decreasing the risk of developing precancerous lesions and cancer. Molecular and clinical studies referred to this topic should be carried out as a contribution to the oral cancer prevention.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids Prevent Early Pancreatic Carcinogenesis via Repression of the AKT Pathway

Pancreatic cancer remains a daunting foe despite a vast number of accumulating molecular analyses regarding the mutation and expression status of a variety of genes. Indeed, most pancreatic cancer cases uniformly present with a mutation in the KRAS allele leading to enhanced RAS activation. Yet our understanding of the many epigenetic/environmental factors contributing to disease incidence and progression is waning. Epidemiologic data suggest that diet may be a key factor in pancreatic cancer development and potentially a means of chemoprevention at earlier stages. While diets high in ω3 fatty acids are typically associated with tumor suppression, diets high in ω6 fatty acids have been linked to increased tumor development. Thus, to better understand the contribution of these polyunsaturated fatty acids to pancreatic carcinogenesis, we modeled early stage disease by targeting mutant KRAS to the exocrine pancreas and administered diets rich in these fatty acids to assess tumor formation and altered cell-signaling pathways. We discovered that, consistent with previous reports, the ω3-enriched diet led to reduced lesion penetrance via repression of proliferation associated with reduced phosphorylated AKT (pAKT), whereas the ω6-enriched diet accelerated tumor formation. These data provide a plausible mechanism underlying previously observed effects of fatty acids and suggest that administration of ω3 fatty acids can reduce the pro-survival, pro-growth functions of pAKT. Indeed, counseling subjects at risk to increase their intake of foods containing higher amounts of ω3 fatty acids could aid in the prevention of pancreatic cancer.

Adhesion prevention in ventral hernia repair: an experimental study comparing three lightweight porous meshes recommended for intraperitoneal use

BACKGROUND

In ventral hernia repair, when prosthetic material is placed intraperitoneally, it may lead to an inflammatory reaction resulting in adhesions between the mesh and abdominal viscera. Several meshes have been developed to minimize this process. In this experimental study, the ability of different combined meshes to attenuate the adhesion formation was examined.

METHODS

Three commercially available lightweight porous combined meshes were placed intraperitoneally to repair an abdominal wall defect in rats: DynaMesh-IPOM (PVDF + PP), TiMesh (titanium-coated filament PP) and C-QUR/FX (omega-3 fatty acid-coated filament PP). The DynaMesh-CICAT (PVDF) was implanted in the control group. Adhesion formation was macroscopically evaluated and scored after 7 and 21 days.

RESULTS

All animals except two presented intra-abdominal adhesions. None of the meshes examined in the study demonstrated to prevent adhesions. C-QUR/FX reduced adhesion formation at 7 days' follow-up compared with all other meshes but by 21 days this effect was diminished. Between 7 and 21 days adhesion extension significantly decreased for TiMesh. TAS did not show significant modifications between 7 and 21 days' follow-up for each mesh.

CONCLUSIONS

The combined porous meshes tested in the present study demonstrated to reduce but not to prevent the adhesion formation, even if with some differences. Combined porous meshes could be chosen instead of simple meshes for retro-rectus preperitoneal prosthetic ventral hernia repair.

Fish, n-3 PUFA consumption, and pancreatic cancer risk in Japanese: a large, population-based, prospective cohort study

BACKGROUND

Most previous prospective studies in Western countries found no association between consumption of fish and n-3 (ω-3) polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), such as eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), docosapentaenoic acid (DPA), and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), for which the main source is fish, and pancreatic cancer risk. However, prospective evidence is still lacking among populations who have a relatively higher fish consumption.

OBJECTIVE

We investigated the association between fish and n-3 PUFA consumption and pancreatic cancer risk in a population-based, prospective study in Japanese men and women.

DESIGN

The Japan Public Health Center-based Prospective Study (JPHC study) has enrolled 140,420 subjects. We analyzed data on 82,024 eligible participants aged 45-74 y without a history of cancer who responded to a validated food-frequency questionnaire that included 138 items in 1995 for cohort I and in 1998 for cohort II. Participants were followed through 2010. HRs and corresponding 95% CIs for the highest compared with lowest quartile were calculated by using multivariable-adjusted Cox proportional hazards regression models.

RESULTS

During 1,068,774 person-years of follow-up, 449 newly diagnosed pancreatic cancers were identified. After the exclusion of pancreatic cancer cases in the first 3 y of follow-up, we found an inverse association of marine n-3 PUFA (EPA+DPA+DHA) and DHA consumption with pancreatic cancer risk: compared with the lowest quartile, multivariate-adjusted HRs in the highest quartile were 0.70 (95% CI: 0.51, 0.95; P-trend = 0.07) and 0.69 (0.51, 0.94; P-trend = 0.03), respectively. Associations for total fish, n-3 PUFA, EPA, and DPA consumption were similar but were not significant.

CONCLUSION

High n-3 PUFA, especially marine n-3 PUFAs, and DHA consumption was associated with a lower risk of pancreatic cancer in a population with a large variation in fish consumption, although the data apply to only a portion of the JPHC study subjects.

Potential treatment of human nonalcoholic fatty liver disease with long-chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common chronic liver disorder in the Western world. Its prevalence has increased with the growing obesity epidemic, yet no definitive treatment has been developed, and optimal management remains a clinical challenge. Long-chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) have recently been proposed as a potential treatment for liver inflammation associated with fat accumulation. PubMed literature and the ClinicalTrials.gov database were reviewed for the effects of omega-3 PUFA treatment on NAFLD, from mechanisms to the results of preclinical studies, human studies, and unreported ongoing clinical trials, using terms such as NAFLD, nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, omega-3 fatty acids, and fish oil. Articles published over the last 3-4 years were emphasized, and relevancy was ensured by scanning their abstracts. Preliminary studies have confirmed an ameliorative effect, yet the translation of promising early data into therapeutic interventions will have to await the results of larger, properly conducted, ongoing clinical trials.

Omega-3 fatty acids inhibit tumor growth in a rat model of bladder cancer

Omega-3 (ω-3) fatty acids have been tested on prevention and treatment of several cancer types, but the efficacy on “in vivo” bladder cancer has not been analyzed yet. This study aimed at evaluating the chemopreventive efficacy of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) mixture in an animal model of bladder cancer. Forty-four male Wistar rats were divided into 4 groups during a 20-week protocol: control; carcinogen—N-butyl-N-(4-hydroxybutyl) nitrosamine (BBN); ω-3 (DHA + EPA); and ω-3 + BBN. BBN and ω-3 were given during the initial 8 weeks. At week 20 blood and bladder were collected and checked for the presence of urothelium lesions and tumors, markers of inflammation, proliferation, and redox status. Incidence of bladder carcinoma was, control (0%), ω-3 (0%), BBN (65%), and ω-3 + BBN (62.5%). The ω-3 + BBN group had no infiltrative tumors or carcinoma in situ, and tumor volume was significantly reduced compared to the BBN (0.9 ± 0.1 mm³ versus 112.5 ± 6.4 mm³). Also, it showed a reduced MDA/TAS ratio and BBN-induced serum CRP, TGF-β1, and CD31 were prevented. In conclusion, omega-3 fatty acids inhibit the development of premalignant and malignant lesions in a rat model of bladder cancer, which might be due to anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-proliferative, and anti-angiogenic properties.

A walnut-enriched diet reduces the growth of LNCaP human prostate cancer xenografts in nude mice

It was investigated whether a standard mouse diet (AIN-76A) supplemented with walnuts reduced the establishment and growth of LNCaP human prostate cancer cells in nude (nu/nu) mice. The walnut-enriched diet reduced the number of tumors and the growth of the LNCaP xenografts; 3 of 16 (18.7%) of the walnut-fed mice developed tumors; conversely, 14 of 32 mice (44.0%) of the control diet-fed animals developed tumors. Similarly, the xenografts in the walnut-fed animals grew more slowly than those in the control diet mice. The final average tumor size in the walnut-diet animals was roughly one-fourth the average size of the prostate tumors in the mice that ate the control diet.

Coated meshes for hernia repair provide comparable intraperitoneal adhesion prevention

BACKGROUND

Laparoscopic incisional hernia repair with intraperitoneal mesh is associated with a certain degree of adhesion formation to the mesh. This experimental study examined the efficacy of several coated meshes for adhesion reduction.

METHODS

Five commercially available meshes with a layered coating were placed intraperitoneally in rats and followed up for 90 days: polypropylene and polyester meshes, both coated with absorbable collagen (Parietene Composite and Parietex Composite, respectively), and three polypropylene meshes respectively coated with absorbable omega-3 fatty acids (C-Qur Edge), absorbable cellulose (Sepramesh IP), and nonabsorbable expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (Intramesh T1). Uncoated polypropylene and collagen meshs (Parietene and Permacol, respectively) served as the control condition. Adhesions, incorporation, and tissue reaction were evaluated macro- and microscopically. Additionally, the development of the neoperitoneum was examined.

RESULTS

All the coated meshes performed equally well in terms of adhesion reduction. The collagen mesh performed comparably, but the uncoated polypropylene mesh performed significantly worse. The different coatings led to very differing degrees of inflammation. Ingrowth was observed only at the place of suture but was comparable for all the meshes except C-Qur Edge, which showed the weakest incorporation. Development of a neoperitoneum on the mesh surface occurred independently of whether an absorbable or nonabsorbable coating or no coating at all was present.

CONCLUSIONS

Commercially available meshes with a layered coating deliver comparable adhesion reduction. The physical presence of a layered coating between the intraperitoneal content and the abdominal wall seems to be more important than the chemical properties of the coating in adhesion formation.

Fatty acids as biocompounds: their role in human metabolism, health and disease: a review. part 2: fatty acid physiological roles and applications in human health and disease

BACKGROUND

This is the second of two review parts aiming at describing the major physiological roles of fatty acids, as well as their applications in specific conditions related to human health.

RESULTS

The review included the current literature published in Pubmed up to March 2011. In humans, fatty acids are a principle energy substrate and structural components of cell membranes (phospholipids) and second messengers. Fatty acids are also ligands of nuclear receptors affecting gene expression. Longer-chain (LC) polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), including eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), and arachidonic acid are precursors of lipid mediators such as eicosanoids (prostaglandins, leukotrienes, thromboxanes), resolvins and neuroprotectins. Lipid mediators produced by EPA and DHA (LC n-3 PUFA; mainly found in oily fish) are considered as inflammation-resolving, and thus, fish oil has been characterised as antiinflammatory. Recommendations for EPA plus DHA intake from oily fish vary between 250-450 mg/day. Dietary reference values for fat vary between nutrition bodies, but mainly agree on a low total and saturated fat intake. The existing literature supports the protective effects of LC n-3 PUFA (as opposed to n-6 PUFA and saturated fat) in maternal and offspring health, cardiovascular health, insulin sensitivity, the metabolic syndrome, cancer, critically ill patients, and immune system disorders.

CONCLUSION

Fatty acids are involved in multiple pathways and play a major role in health. Further investigation and a nutrigenomics approach to the effects of these biocompounds on health and disease development are imperative and highlight the importance of environmental modifications on disease outcome.

A myriad of symptoms: new approaches to optimizing palliative care of patients with advanced pancreatic cancer

Patients with advanced pancreatic cancer (APC) require early and frequent palliative interventions to achieve optimal quality of life for the duration of illness. Evidence-based supportive treatments exist to maximize quality of life for any patient, whether receiving chemotherapy or not. This article provides a comprehensive review of symptoms with current treatment recommendations and directions for future development. Celiac plexus neurolysis improves pain in the majority of patients with APC and should be moved earlier in the analgesic paradigm. Malignant bowel obstruction can be palliated quickly with optimal management via gastric decompression, octreotide, parenteral opioids, and standing antiemetics. Recommendations are provided for best treatment of malignant gastroparesis, gastric outlet obstruction, and chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting in this population. Malignant ascites can be treated initially with diuretics and sodium-restriction in patients with an exudative process; however, an indwelling catheter is recommended for patients with recurrent ascites, particularly because of carcinomatosis or a refractory process. With exocrine insufficiency contributing to weight loss, pancreatic enzyme replacement is essential to improve nourishment in the majority of patients. Presently, megestrol acetate is the only U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved therapy for the anorexia-cachexia syndrome, although future developments are promising. Finally, patients with advanced pancreatic cancer should be screened and treated early for depression as a common comorbid diagnosis. Early palliative care consultation also helps address the existential and psychosocial concerns of patients facing death from pancreatic cancer in a holistic manner.

Experimental animal models of pancreatic carcinogenesis for prevention studies and their relevance to human disease

Pancreatic cancer is difficult to cure, so its prevention is very important. For this purpose, animal model studies are necessary to develop effective methods. Injection of N-nitrosobis(2-oxopropyl)amine (BOP) into Syrian golden hamsters is known to induce pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas, the histology of which is similar to human tumors. Moreover, K-ras activation by point mutations and p16 inactivation by aberrant methylation of 5' CpG islands or by homozygous deletions have been frequently observed in common in both the hamster and humans. Thus, this chemical carcinogenesis model has an advantage of histopathological and genetic similarity to human pancreatic cancer, and it is useful to study promotive and suppressive factors. Syrian golden hamsters are in a hyperlipidemic state even under normal dietary conditions, and a ligand of peroxizome proliferator-activated receptor gamma was found to improve the hyperlipidemia and suppress pancreatic carcinogenesis. Chronic inflammation is a known important risk factor, and selective inhibitors of inducible nitric oxide synthase and cyclooxygenase-2 also have protective effects against pancreatic cancer development. Anti-inflammatory and anti-hyperlipidemic agents can thus be considered candidate chemopreventive agents deserving more attention.