6-Paradol Acts as a Potential Anti-obesity Vanilloid from Grains of Paradise

Aframomum melegueta Seed Extract's Effects on Anxiety, Stress, Mood, and Sleep: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Pilot Clinical Trial

Background and aims:Aframomum melegueta (A. melegueta) from the ginger family is appreciated for its pungent seeds widely used in African ethno-medicine. Among the several biological activities associated with the seed's preparations, some preclinical studies suggest a set of neuroactive properties that have not been tested in humans to date. We performed a clinical trial to investigate the effects of A. melegueta seed extracts on anxiety, stress, mood, and sleep in healthy subjects with moderate anxiety levels. In vitro pharmacological assays targeting the endocannabinoid, serotoninergic, and GABAergic systems were conducted to elucidate the underlying mechanism of action. Methods:A. melegueta standardized to 10% total vanilloids (primarily 6-gingerol, 6-shogaol, and 6-paradol) was obtained after hydroalcoholic extraction and the spray-drying microencapsulation process. Subjects consumed 50, 100, or 150 mg of the extract daily for two days. A set of validated psychometric test questionnaires was collected before and 48 h after the first intake. A. melegueta extract interaction with canonical endocannabinoid receptors (hCB1R and hCB2R), the serotonin receptor (5HT1AR) and gamma-aminobutyric acid receptor (GABAA1R) was evaluated by the radioligand binding assay. Additionally, receptor functional assays and enzyme inhibition assays were conducted to test the extract's functional activity on the non-canonical endocannabinoid receptor (TRPV1) and the cannabinoid fatty-acid amide hydrolase enzyme (FAAH), respectively. Results: In vitro pharmacological tests showed that the A. melegueta extract activated TRPV1, modulated both hCB2R and 5HT1AR and inhibited FAAH, which is the enzyme primarily responsible for hydrolyzing endogenous anandamide. After a 48 h intake period, the extract significantly reduced anxiety and tension related to stress, improved overall mood, and enhanced sleep quality in the participants at doses ranging from 50 to 150 mg, with no reported side effects. Conclusions: This study supports the potential of the A. melegueta extract for anxiety reduction, mood improvement, stress mitigation, and sleep enhancement. The in vitro tests suggest that the extract's primary mechanism of action may involve the inhibition of FAAH, which is a key target in anxiety management.

Metabolic profiling of Perilla leaves of different colors: insights into metabolite variation and bioactive compound distribution

BACKGROUND

Perilla frutescens (L.) Britt. (Lamiaceae) leaves are essential culinary and medicinal herbs, native to East Asian countries. Three types of Perilla leaves, including green, green/purple and purple, are mainly found, and the leaf color is a critical attribute for consumer preferences. However, the extent of diversity and variability of metabolites in Perilla leaves of different colors remain elusive. Thus, in this study, we applied LC-QqQ-MS (liquid chromatography triple quadrupole tandem mass spectrometry)-based widely targeted metabolic profiling to investigate variation in the metabolite profiles of green (PF1), green/purple (PF2) and purple (PF3) Perilla leaves.

RESULTS

We qualitatively and quantitatively identified a total of 1239 metabolites in Perilla leaves of different colors. Amino acids and derivatives (15.50%), flavonoids (14.77%), phenolic acids (12.19%), lipids (9.60%), carbohydrates and derivatives (8.47%), organic acids and derivatives (7.99%), nucleotides and derivatives (7.99%), and terpenoids (5.25%) were the major classes of metabolites in perilla leaves. In contrast to green leaves, the principal component analysis and correlation analysis revealed a considerable influence of genotypes for the variation in purple leaves' metabolite profiles. Differentially accumulated metabolites (DAMs) analysis revealed that flavonoids, phenolic acids, and amino acids and derivatives were the major DAMs, and the phenylpropanoid pathway was the most differentially regulated. All DAMs, including four potential metabolic discriminative biomarkers, were screened out. In addition, we revealed the accumulation patterns of bioactive compounds in the leaves of different colors. It was noteworthy that most of the differentially accumulated flavonoids showed a higher relative content in PF3, followed by PF2 and PF1. Glycosylated cyanidins and delphinidins were identified as the key compounds responsible for the purple coloration of leaves. Finally, we found that the variation in glutamate metabolism may be one of the main contributors for variation in metabolite profiles and biological attributes of Perilla leaves of different colors.

CONCLUSION

Our results showed that the metabolic processes, mainly phenylpropanoid biosynthesis and amino acid metabolism, are differently regulated in green, green/purple and purple Perilla leaves. Furthermore, they offer valuable data for a comprehensive use of Perilla leaves and exploring gene-metabolites interactions in Perilla leaves.

Widely targeted metabolic profiling provides insights into variations in bioactive compounds and antioxidant activity of sesame, soybean, peanut, and perilla

Oilseeds are important sources of diversified nutraceuticals with marked health attributes. Thus, a better understanding of metabolome differences between common oilseeds will be conducive to the food pharmacy. This study aimed to compare the metabolite profiles and antioxidant activity of sesame, soybean, peanut, and perilla seeds and reveal the variation in bioactive compounds. LC-MS-based widely targeted metabolic profiling identified a total of 975 metabolites, of which 753 were common to the four crops. Multivariate analyses unveiled a crop-specific accumulation of metabolites, with 298-388 DAMs (differentially accumulated metabolites) identified. Amino acid metabolism, phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, flavonoid biosynthesis, and lipid metabolism were the most differentially regulated pathways. Furthermore, we revealed the variation in the relative content of 48, 20, 18, 9, 18, 11, and 6 differentially accumulated bioactive flavonoids, phenolic acids, amino acids, vitamins, terpenoids, alkaloids, and coumarins, respectively. Most of the flavonoids accumulated highly in soybean, followed by perilla. Sesame exhibited a better amino acid profile than other oilseeds. DPPH and FRAP assays showed that the antioxidant activity of perilla seed extracts was the highest, followed by soybean, peanut, and sesame. Our results provide data support for the comprehensive use of sesame, perilla, soybean, and peanut seeds in food, and pharmaceutical industries.

In vitro and in silico cholinesterase inhibitory potential of metabolites from Laurencia snackeyi (Weber-van Bosse) M. Masuda

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease that causes deterioration in intelligence and psychological activities. Yet, till today, no cure is available for AD. The marine environment is an important sink of bioactive compounds with neuroprotective potential with reduced adverse effects. Recently, we collected the red algae Laurencia snackeyi from Terumbu Island, Malaysia which is known to be rich in halogenated metabolites making it the most sought-after red algae for pharmaceutical studies. The red alga was identified based on basic morphological characteristics, microscopic observation and chemical data from literature. The purplish-brown algae was confirmed a new record. In Malaysia, this species is poorly documented in Peninsular Malaysia as compared to its eastern continent Borneo. Thus, this study intended to investigate the diversity of secondary metabolites present in the alga and its cholinesterase inhibiting potential for AD. The extract inhibited both acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) with IC50 values of  14.45 ± 0.34 μ g mL-1 and 39.59 ± 0.24 μ g mL-1, respectively. Subsequently, we isolated the synderanes, palisadin A (1), aplysistatin (2) and 5-acetoxypalisadin B (3) that was not exhibit potential. Mass spectrometry analysis detected at total of 33 additional metabolites. The computational aided molecular docking using the AChE and BChE receptors on all metabolites shortlisted 5,8,11,14-eicosatetraynoic acid (31) and 15-hydroxy-1-[2-(hydroxymethyl)-1-piperidinyl]prost-13-ene-1,9-dione (42) with best inhibitory properties, respectively with the lowest optimal combination of S-score and RMSD values. This study shows the unexplored potential of marine natural resources, however, obtaining sufficient biomass for detailed investigation is an uphill task. Regardless, there is a lot of potential for future prospects with a wide range of marine natural resources to study and the incorporation of synthetic chemistry, in vivo studies in experimental design.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13205-023-03725-6.

Molecular networking-based lipid profiling and multi-omics approaches reveal new contributions of functional vanilloids to gut microbiota and lipometabolism changes

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Vanilloids from Grains of Paradise (GOP) exhibited anti-obesity effects.

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Molecular mechanism investigated using multi-omics approaches.

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GOP extract and its vanilloids restored unbalanced gut microbiota in HFD mice.

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GOP extract and its vanilloids improved F/B ratio and increased Bifidobacterium levels.

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GOP extract improved fecal lipid content.

Obesity is now recognized as an epidemic, requiring rapid intervention. We previously demonstrated that vanilloids from the African spice known as Grains of Paradise (GOP) exhibit strong anti-obesity effects. Here, the molecular mechanism behind the obesity prevention property of the GOP extract was investigated by employing molecular networking-based lipid profiling and 16S rRNA sequencing. Administration of either GOP extract or two of its components, 6-paradol and 6-gingerol, reversed the unbalanced gut microbiota composition induced by a high-fat diet (HFD) with a decrease in Firmicutes / Bacteroidetes ratio and increase in genera Bifidobacterium and Akkermansia. Moreover, GOP extract ameliorated abnormal fatty acid metabolism in gut bacteria. Furthermore, lipid molecular networking revealed differences in lipid composition, such as triglycerides and bile acids, in the feces. These results suggest that 6-paradol and 6-gingerol can restore an unhealthy gut environment and prevent lipid absorption, a possible consequence of the reconstruction of the gut microbiota.

Aframomum melegueta Seed Extract with Standardized Content of 6-Paradol Reduces Visceral Fat and Enhances Energy Expenditure in Overweight Adults - A Randomized Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Clinical Study

Purpose

Aframomum melegueta (grains of paradise) seeds have been demonstrated to possess thermogenic potential. However, it is necessary to validate the functional attributes of A. melegueta seed extract in human subjects.

Methods

In a double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial design, we have examined the thermogenic effects of a standardized A. melegueta seed extract (AfperFit). A total of 70 overweight male and female subjects (BMI ≥25.0 to ≤30.0 kg/m2) aged 20-50 years were enrolled and administered with either 250 mg of AfperFit or placebo in capsule form twice daily for 12 weeks. The primary efficacy endpoints included energy expenditure (indirect calorimetry), body composition (dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA)) and fat distribution (computed tomography (CT scan)), analyzed at baseline and after 12 weeks of treatment. The effect of intervention on the quality of life was examined using SF-12 questionnaire.

Results

Consumption of AfperFit significantly increased the energy expenditure (p<0.01), visceral fat area (p<0.001) and visceral to subcutaneous fat ratio (p<0.01) compared to placebo group. Consequently, there was significant body weight loss and reduction in BMI of subjects in AfperFit group compared to placebo (p<0.01). The safety evaluation showed that biochemical and hematological parameters were in the normal range. Supplementation of AfperFit was well tolerated during the study and no adverse effects were observed.

Conclusion

Overall, this study validates the health benefits of A. melegueta seed extract as fat burner and recommends its use as a functional ingredient to improve the quality of life and general health.

6-Paradol Alleviates Testosterone-Induced Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia in Rats by Inhibiting AKT/mTOR Axis

INTRODUCTION

Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is a common disease among elderly men. Its pharmacological treatment is still unsatisfactory. 6-Paradol (6-PD) is an active metabolite found in many members of the Zingiberaceae family. It was reported to possess anti-proliferative, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory activities. The present study aimed at exploring the potential of 6-PD to inhibit testosterone-induced BPH in rats as well as the probable underlying mechanism.

METHODS

Male Wistar rats were divided into 6 groups and treated as follows: Group 1 (control group) received vehicles only, Group 2 testosterone only, Groups 3 and 4 received 6-PD (2.5 and 5.0 mg/kg; respectively) and testosterone, and Group 6 received finasteride and testosterone.

RESULTS

Daily treatment of animals with 6-PD at the two dose levels of 2.5 and 5 mg/kg significantly ameliorated a testosterone-induced rise in prostate index and weight. This was confirmed by histological examinations of prostatic tissues that indicated a reduction in the pathological changes as well as inhibition of the rise in glandular epithelial height in 6-PD treated rats. Immunohistochemical investigations showed that 6-PD prevented the up-regulation of cyclin D1 induced by testosterone injections. Further, 6-PD significantly modulated mRNA expression of both Bcl2 and Bax in prostate tissues of testosterone-treated rats in favor of anti-proliferation. It also showed antioxidant activities as evidenced by inhibition of accumulation of malondialdehyde (MDA) and exhaustion of catalase (CAT) activity. In addition, 6-PD displayed significant anti-inflammatory activities as it prevented up-regulation of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB). Immunoblotting analysis revealed that 6-PD significantly inhibited testosterone-induced activation of AKT and mTOR in prostate tissues.

CONCLUSIONS

6-PD protects against testosterone-induced BPH in rats. This can be attributed, at least partly, to its antiproliferative, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties as well as its ability to inhibit activation of the AKT/mTOR axis.

Cameroonian Spice Extracts Modulate Molecular Mechanisms Relevant to Cardiometabolic Diseases in SW 872 Human Liposarcoma Cells

The molecular pathophysiology of cardiometabolic diseases is known to be influenced by dysfunctional ectopic adipose tissue. In addition to lifestyle improvements, these conditions may be managed by novel nutraceutical products. This study evaluatedthe effects of 11 Cameroonian medicinal spice extracts on triglyceride accumulation, glucose uptake, reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and interleukin secretion in SW 872 human adipocytes after differentiation with 100 µM oleic acid. Triglyceride content was significantly reduced by all spice extracts. Glucose uptake was significantly increased by Tetrapleura tetraptera, Aframomum melegueta and Zanthoxylum leprieurii. Moreover, Xylopia parviflora, Echinops giganteus and Dichrostachys glomerata significantly reduced the production of ROS. Concerning pro-inflammatory cytokine secretion, we observed that Tetrapleura tetraptera, Echinops giganteus, Dichrostachys glomerata and Aframomum melegueta reduced IL-6 secretion. In addition, Xylopia parviflora, Monodora myristica, Zanthoxylum leprieurii, and Xylopia aethiopica reduced IL-8 secretion, while Dichrostachys glomerata and Aframomum citratum increased it. These findings highlight some interesting properties of these Cameroonian spice extracts in the modulation of cellular parameters relevant to cardiometabolic diseases, which may be further exploited, aiming to develop novel treatment options for these conditions based on nutraceutical products.