Chitosan supplementation lowers serum lipids and maintains normal calcium, magnesium, and iron status in hyperlipidemic patients

The ameliorative effect of selenium-loaded chitosan nanoparticles against silver nanoparticles-induced ovarian toxicity in female albino rats

BACKGROUND

Recently, silver nanoparticles (Ag-NPs) were shown to provoke oxidative stress through the release of reactive oxygen species and consequently induce cell damage. Selenium-loaded chitosan nanoparticles (CS-SeNPs) have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects, indicating that they ameliorate Ag-NPs-induced ovarian toxicity.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to assess how well CS-SeNPs counteract the damaging effects of Ag-NPs on the ovarian tissue of adult female albino rats.

METHODS

Forty mature female albino rats were divided into four equal groups: for 60 days, Group I (control) was given 0.5 ml/kg of distilled water; Group II was given Ag-NPs orally (100 mg/kg); Group III was given Ag-NPs orally (100 mg/kg/d) plus CS-SeNPs (0.5 mg/kg/d); and Group IV was given only CS-SeNPs orally (0.5 mg/kg/d). All the ovarian tissues were removed and underwent immunohistochemical, histological, and biochemical analyses.

RESULTS

Ag-NPs-exposed rats revealed a marked reduction in reduced glutathione (GSH) and superoxide dismutase (SOD). Numerous histopathological alterations were found along with a significant increase in PCNA- and Caspase-3-immunoreactive cells. Most of these alterations were successfully ameliorated by CS-SeNPs, as indicated by marked increases in GSH and SOD.

CONCLUSION

CS-SeNPs ameliorate the toxic effects of Ag-NPs on the ovarian tissue of adult female albino rats.

A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis to Evaluate the Effects of Chitosan on Obesity Indicators

Chitosan, a commonly used dietary supplement, is believed to have the potential to decrease body weight by binding to dietary fats and decreasing their absorption. However, due to conflicting results from various studies, this review aimed to investigate the effects of chitosan supplementation on obesity indicators in adults. To find appropriate randomized clinical trials (RCTs), a thorough search was conducted across electronic databases like PubMed/Medline, Scopus, and ISI Web of Science. The random-effects method was employed to combine the data, and the outcomes were presented as the weighted mean difference (WMD) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). In total, 19 RCTs with 21 effect sizes were included in the meta-analysis. The combined analysis showed that chitosan supplementation significantly reduced body weight (WMD = -0.79 kg; 95% CI, -1.30 to -0.29; p = 0.002) and body-fat percentage (BFP) (WMD = -0.41%; 95% CI, -0.50 to -0.32; p < 0.001). Additionally, there was a notable increase in fat-free mass (FFM) (WMD = 0.20 kg; 95% CI, 0.06-0.34; p = 0.005). However, no significant impact of chitosan on body mass index (BMI) (WMD = -0.35 kg/m2, 95% CI: -0.71, 0.00; p = 0.054) and waist circumference (WC) (WMD = -0.71 cm, 95% CI: -1.49, 0.05; p = 0.069) was observed. Overall, chitosan supplementation shows promise in improving obesity indicators by reducing BFP and increasing FFM. However, further well-designed studies with larger sample sizes are needed to confirm these findings.

Marine-Derived Biologically Active Compounds for the Potential Treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic, systemic autoimmune disease with a prevalence rate of up to 1% and is significantly considered a common worldwide public health concern. Commercially, several traditional formulations are available to treat RA to some extent. However, these synthetic compounds exert toxicity and considerable side effects even at lower therapeutic concentrations. Considering the above-mentioned critiques, research is underway around the world in finding and exploiting potential alternatives. For instance, marine-derived biologically active compounds have gained much interest and are thus being extensively utilized to confront the confines of in practice counterparts, which have become ineffective for 21st-century medical settings. The utilization of naturally available bioactive compounds and their derivatives can minimize these synthetic compounds' problems to treat RA. Several marine-derived compounds exhibit anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties and can be effectively used for therapeutic purposes against RA. The results of several studies ensured that the extraction of biologically active compounds from marine sources could provide a new and safe source for drug development against RA. Finally, current challenges, gaps, and future perspectives have been included in this review.

Chitosan coating does not prevent the effect of the transfer of green silver nanoparticles biosynthesized by Streptomyces malachitus into fetuses via the placenta

Green synthesized nanoparticles are more advantageous over conventionally prepared ones due to less toxicity, production cost, and environmental hazards. With the widespread of the utilization of nanoparticles, little is known about the maternal-fetal transplacental transfer of green nanoparticles. We have biosynthesized silver nanoparticles using metabolites of Streptomyces malachitus and sunlight then coated them with chitosan. These nanoparticles have been characterized and intraperitoneally administered at doses of 100 mg/kg on the 6^th, 8^th, and 10^th gestational days. On the 18^th day of pregnancy, both coated and non-coted NPs were detected in different maternal tissues, placenta, and in fetuses, as determined by estimation of silver content and observation by electron microscopy. Chitosan coating decreased the silver content in different tissues, maybe due to the larger size of coated nanoparticles that retards the transfer. The toxic effects on maternal and fetal tissues were proportional to their silver content, as determined by the liver and kidney functional analysis of pregnant rats and the ultrastructural and histopathological examination of the maternal liver, placenta and fetal liver. The present data suggest that green silver nanoparticles biosynthesized by Streptomyces malachitus cross the placenta and have toxic effects on maternal tissues, placenta, and fetus. Chitosan coating of these nanoparticles decreases the transfer, and consequently, the toxicity. However, it does not prevent this toxicity.

Aquaculture and by-products: Challenges and opportunities in the use of alternative protein sources and bioactive compounds

There is a growing concern about chronic diseases such as obesity, diabetes, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, cancer and cardiovascular diseases resulting from profound changes in the western lifestyle. Aquaculture by-products are generated in large quantities and they can be profitably recycled through their bioactive compounds used for health or food supplements. Improving waste utilization in the field of aquaculture is essential for a sustainable industry to prevent or minimize the environmental impact. In this sense fish by-products are a great source of protein and omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids which are particularly studied on Atlantic salmon or rainbow trout. Fish protein hydrolysate (FPH) obtained from chemical, enzymatical and microbial hydrolysis of processing by-products are being used as a source of amino acids and peptides with high digestibility, fast absorption and important biological activities. Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, eicosapentaenoic (EPA) and docosahexaenoic (DHA) from fish discards have been reported to decrease postprandial triacylglycerol levels, reduction of blood pressure, platelet aggregation and the inflammatory response. Crustacean by-products can also be used to produce chitosan with antioxidant and antimicrobial activity for food and pharmaceutical industries and carotenoids with important biological activity. Seaweeds are rich in bioactive compounds such as alginate, carrageenan, agar, carotenoids and polyphenols with different biological activities such as antioxidant, anticancer, antidiabetic, antimicrobial or anti-inflammatory activity. Finally, regarding harvest microalgae, during the past decades, they were mainly used in the healthy food market, with >75% of the annual microalgal biomass production, used for the manufacture of powders, tablets, capsules or pills. We will report and discuss the present and future role of aquaculture by-products as sources of biomolecules for the design and development of functional foods/beverages. This chapter will focus on the main bioactive compounds from aquaculture by-products as functional compounds in food and their applications in biomedicine for the prevention and treatment of diseases.

The effects of chitosan supplementation on body weight and body composition: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

Although several clinical trials studied the efficacy of chitosan on weight loss, controversial results have been found. Herein, we evaluated randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of chitosan consumption in adult participants on body weight and body composition through a meta-analysis with trial sequential analysis (TSA). We searched EMBASE, MEDLINE, Web of Science, and CENTRAL databases. The primary body composition indices including body weight, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, body fat, and hip circumference were extracted. The quality of included articles was assessed according to the Cochrane risk of bias tool. Data were pooled using the random-effects models and calculated as weighted mean difference (WMD) with 95% confidence intervals (CI). Heterogeneity investigated using I² statistics. TSA, subgroup analyses, sensitivity analysis, meta-regression and publication bias were also evaluated. Overall, 15 eligible trials (18 treatment arms) with 1130 subjects were included. The pooled analyses revealed a significant reduction in body weight (WMD, -0.89 kg; 95% CI, -1.41 to -0.38; P = 0.0006), BMI (WMD, -0.39 kg/m²; 95% CI, -0.64 to -0.14; P = 0.002) and body fat (WMD, -0.69%; 95% CI, -1.02 to -0.35; P = 0.0001) receiving chitosan supplementation. Subgroup analyses also showed that consuming chitosan in dose (>2.4 g/d), shorter-term (<12 weeks), studies with parallel design and studies including participants with obese or overweight had positive effects on body composition. TSA provided conclusive evidence for the benefit of chitosan supplementation. Our findings provided evidence that chitosan consumption might be a useful adjunctive pharmacological therapeutic tool for body weight management particularly in overweight/obese participants. Further well-constructed clinical trials that target body weight and body composition as their primary outcomes are needed.

Dietary fibre for the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease

BACKGROUND

The prevention of cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a key public health priority. A number of dietary factors have been associated with modifying CVD risk factors. One such factor is dietary fibre which may have a beneficial association with CVD risk factors. There is a need to review the current evidence from randomised controlled trials (RCTs) in this area.

OBJECTIVES

The primary objective of this systematic review was to determine the effectiveness of dietary fibre for the primary prevention of CVD.

SEARCH METHODS

We searched the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) in The Cochrane Library, Ovid MEDLINE (1946 to January 2015), Ovid EMBASE (1947 to January 2015) and Science Citation Index Expanded (1970 to January 2015) as well as two clinical trial registers in January 2015. We also checked reference lists of relevant articles. No language restrictions were applied.

SELECTION CRITERIA

We selected RCTs that assessed the effects of dietary fibre compared with no intervention or a minimal intervention on CVD and related risk factors. Participants included adults who are at risk of CVD or those from the general population.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

Two authors independently selected studies, extracted data and assessed risk of bias; a third author checked any differences. A different author checked analyses.

MAIN RESULTS

We included 23 RCTs (1513 participants randomised) examining the effect of dietary fibre. The risk of bias was unclear for most studies and studies had small sample sizes. Few studies had an intervention duration of longer than 12 weeks. There was a wide variety of fibre sources used, with little similarity between groups in the choice of intervention.None of the studies reported on mortality (total or cardiovascular) or cardiovascular events. Results on lipids suggest there is a significant beneficial effect of increased fibre on total cholesterol levels (17 trials (20 comparisons), 1067 participants randomised, mean difference -0.23 mmol/L, 95% CI -0.40 to -0.06), and LDL cholesterol levels (mean difference -0.14 mmol/L, 95% CI -0.22 to -0.06) but not on triglyceride levels (mean difference 0.00 mmol/L, 95% CI -0.04 to 0.05), and there was a very small but statistically significant decrease rather than increase in HDL levels with increased fibre intake (mean difference -0.03 mmol/L, 95% CI -0.06 to -0.01). Fewer studies (10 trials, 661 participants randomised) reported blood pressure outcomes where there is a significant effect of increased fibre consumption on diastolic blood pressure (mean difference -1.77 mmHg, 95% CI -2.61 to -0.92) whilst there is a reduction in systolic blood pressure with fibre but this does not reach statistical significance (mean difference -1.92 mmHg, 95% CI -4.02 to 0.19). There did not appear to be any subgroup effects by the nature of the type of intervention (fibre supplements or provision of foods/advice to increase fibre consumption) or the type of fibre (soluble/insoluble) although the number of studies contributing to each subgroup were small. All analyses need to be viewed with caution given the risks of bias observed for total cholesterol and the statistical heterogeneity observed for systolic blood pressure. Adverse events, where reported, appeared to mostly reflect mild to moderate gastrointestinal side-effects and these were generally reported more in the fibre intervention groups than the control groups.

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS

Studies were short term and therefore did not report on our primary outcomes, CVD clinical events. The pooled analyses for CVD risk factors suggest reductions in total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol with increased fibre intake, and reductions in diastolic blood pressure. There were no obvious effects of subgroup analyses by type of intervention or fibre type but the number of studies included in each of these analyses were small. Risk of bias was unclear in the majority of studies and high for some quality domains so results need to be interpreted cautiously. There is a need for longer term, well-conducted RCTs to determine the effects of fibre type (soluble versus insoluble) and administration (supplements versus foods) on CVD events and risk factors for the primary prevention of CVD.

Protective effect of dietary chitosan on cadmium accumulation in rats

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES

Cadmium is a toxic metal that is an occupational and environmental concern especially because of its human carcinogenicity; it induces serious adverse effects in various organs and tissues. Even low levels of exposure to cadmium could be harmful owing to its extremely long half-life in the body. Cadmium intoxication may be prevented by the consumption of dietary components that potentially reduce its accumulation in the body. Dietary chitosan is a polysaccharide derived from animal sources; it has been known for its ability to bind to divalent cations including cadmium, in addition to other beneficial effects including hypocholesterolemic and anticancer effects. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the role of dietary chitosan in reducing cadmium accumulation using an in vivo system.

MATERIALS/METHODS

Cadmium was administered orally at 2 mg (three times per week) to three groups of Sprague-Dawley rats: control, low-dose, and high-dose (0, 3, and 5%, respectively) chitosan diet groups for eight weeks. Cadmium accumulation, as well as tissue functional and histological changes, was determined.

RESULTS

Compared to the control group, rats fed the chitosan diet showed significantly lower levels of cadmium in blood and tissues including the kidneys, liver, and femur. Biochemical analysis of liver function including the determination of aspartate aminotransferase and total bilirubin levels showed that dietary chitosan reduced hepatic tissue damage caused by cadmium intoxication and prevented the associated bone disorder.

CONCLUSIONS

These results suggest that dietary chitosan has the potential to reduce cadmium accumulation in the body as well as protect liver function and bone health against cadmium intoxication.

Marine polysaccharide-based nanomaterials as a novel source of nanobiotechnological applications

Research on marine polysaccharide-based nanomaterials is emerging in nanobiotechnological fields such as drug delivery, gene delivery, tissue engineering, cancer therapy, wound dressing, biosensors, and water treatment. Important properties of the marine polysaccharides include biocompatibility, biodegradability, nontoxicity, low cost, and abundance. Most of the marine polysaccharides are derived from natural sources such as fucoidan, alginates, carrageenan, agarose, porphyran, ulvan, mauran, chitin, chitosan, and chitooligosaccharide. Marine polysaccharides are very important biological macromolecules that widely exist in marine organisms. Marine polysaccharides exhibit a vast variety of structures and are still under-exploited and thus should be considered as a novel source of natural products for drug discovery. An enormous variety of polysaccharides can be extracted from marine organisms such as algae, crustaceans, and microorganisms. Marine polysaccharides have been shown to have a variety of biological and biomedical properties. Recently, research and development of marine polysaccharide-based nanomaterials have received considerable attention as one of the major resources for nanotechnological applications. This review highlights the recent research on marine polysaccharide-based nanomaterials for biotechnological and biomedical applications.

The antihyperlipidemic mechanism of high sulfate content ulvan in rats

Numerous studies have suggested that hyperlipidemia is closely linked to cardiovascular disease. The aim of this study was to investigate the possible antihyperlipidemia mechanism of HU (high sulfate content of ulvan) in high-cholesterol fed rats. Wistar rats were made hyperlipidemic by feeding with a high-cholesterol diet. HU was administered to these hyperlipidemia rats for 30 days. Lipid levels and the mRNA expressions of FXR, LXR and PPARγ in liver were measured after 30 days of treatment. In the HU-treated groups, the middle dosage group of male rats (total cholesterol (TC): p < 0.01) and the low-dosage group of female rats (TC, LDL-C: p < 0.01) showed stronger activity with respect to antihyperlipidemia. Moreover, some HU groups could upregulate the mRNA expression of FXR and PPARγ and downregulate the expression of LXR. For the male rats, compared with the hyperlipidemia group, the middle dosage HU had the most pronounced effect on increasing the mRNA levels of FXR (p < 0.01); low- and high-dosage HU showed a significant inhibition of the mRNA levels of LXR (p < 0.01). All HU female groups could upregulate the mRNA expression of PPARγ in a concentration-dependent manner. In summary, HU could improve lipid profiles through upregulation of FXR and PPARγ and downregulation of LXR.

Preparation and characterization of a novel pH-response dietary fiber: chitosan-coated konjac glucomannan

The purpose of this study was to prepare a kind of novel pH-response dietary fiber from chitosan-coated konjac glucomannan (KGM) powders (KGM/Chitosan or K/C powders) by a physical grind method. The K/C powders were selectively soluble in aqueous solutions of different pH. Meanwhile, the coated chitosan could largely decrease the viscosity of KGM in neutral condition, which is the main limitation for KGM application in food industry. Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), swelling ability and rheological measurements were utilized to characterize the performance of K/C powders. K/C powders exhibited much higher viscosity and swelling ability in acidic condition than in neutral condition. Therefore, this study will extend the application of KGM in food industry and in other pH-specific applications as well.

Effects of chitosan on body weight gain, growth hormone and intestinal morphology in weaned pigs

The study was conducted to determine the effects of chitosan on the concentrations of GH and IGF-I in serum and small intestinal morphological structure of piglets, in order to evaluate the regulating action of chitosan on weaned pig growth through endocrine and intestinal morphological approaches. A total of 180 weaned pigs (35 d of age; 11.56±1.61 kg of body weight) were selected and assigned randomly to 5 dietary treatments, including 1 basal diet (control) and 4 diets with chitosan supplementation (100, 500, 1,000 and 2,000 mg/kg, respectively). Each treatment contained six replicate pens with six pigs per pen. The experiment lasted for 28 d. The results showed that the average body weight gain (BWG) of pigs was improved quadratically by dietary chitosan during the former 14 d and the later 14 d after weaned (p<0.05). Furthermore, dietary supplementation of chitosan tended to quadratically increase the concentration of serum GH on d 14 (p = 0.082) and 28 (p = 0.087). Diets supplemented with increasing levels of chitosan increased quadratically the villus height of jejunum and ileum on d 14 (p = 0.089, p<0.01) and 28 (p = 0.074, p<0.01), meanwhile, chitosan increased quadratically the ratio of villus height to crypt depth in duodenum, jejunum and ileum on d 14 (p<0.05, p = 0.055, p<0.01) and 28 (p<0.01, p<0.01, p<0.01), however, it decreased quadratically crypt depth in ileum on d 14 (p<0.05) and that in duodenum, jejunum and ileum on d 28 (p<0.01, p<0.05, p<0.05). In conclusion, these results indicated that chitosan could quadratically improve growth in weaned pigs, and the underlying mechanism may due to the increase of the serum GH concentration and improvement of the small intestines morphological structure.

Antioxidant effects of chitin, chitosan, and their derivatives

Chitin, chitosan, and their derivatives are considered to promote diverse activities, including antioxidant, antihypertensive, anti-inflammatory, anticoagulant, antitumor and anticancer, antimicrobial, hypocholesterolemic, and antidiabetic effects, one of the most crucial of which is the antioxidant effect. By modulating and improving physiological functions, chitin, chitosan, and their derivatives may provide novel therapeutic applications for the prevention or treatment of chronic diseases. Antioxidant activity of chitin, chitosan, and their derivatives can be attributed to in vitro and in vivo free radical-scavenging activities. Antioxidant effect of chitin, chitosan, and their derivatives may be used as functional ingredients in food formulations to promote consumer health and to improve the shelf life of food products. This chapter presents an overview of the antioxidant activity of chitin, chitosan, and their derivatives with the potential utilization in the food and pharmaceutical industries.

Membrane bioreactor technology for the development of functional materials from sea-food processing wastes and their potential health benefits

Sea-food processing wastes and underutilized species of fish are a potential source of functional and bioactive compounds. A large number of bioactive substances can be produced through enzyme-mediated hydrolysis. Suitable enzymes and the appropriate bioreactor system are needed to incubate the waste materials. Membrane separation is a useful technique to extract, concentrate, separate or fractionate the compounds. The use of membrane bioreactors to integrate a reaction vessel with a membrane separation unit is emerging as a beneficial method for producing bioactive materials such as peptides, chitooligosaccharides and polyunsaturated fatty acids from diverse seafood-related wastes. These bioactive compounds from membrane bioreactor technology show diverse biological activities such as antihypertensive, antimicrobial, antitumor, anticoagulant, antioxidant and radical scavenging properties. This review discusses the application of membrane bioreactor technology for the production of value-added functional materials from sea-food processing wastes and their biological activities in relation to health benefits.

Chitooligosaccharides decreases plasma lipid levels in healthy men

Chitosan, which is derived from chitin, has drawn much attention due to its low toxicity and potential use in medical and pharmaceutical applications. The biological activities of chitosan have been shown to depend on its molecular weight (MW) and degree of deacetylation. In this study, we investigated whether oral chitooligosaccharides, which are easily absorbed into the body, can reduce the plasma level of lipid in smokers and non-smokers because smoking is a high-risk factor for cardiovascular diseases. All healthy men (11 smokers and 8 non-smokers) consumed 500 mg of chitooligosaccharides in water twice daily before a meal (breakfast and dinner) over a 6-week period. Total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels were significantly decreased in both the smoker group and non-smoker group when compared with baseline. These results suggest that low MW chitooligosaccharides would be an effective dietary supplement for lowering cholesterol level.

Salivary phosphate-binding chewing gum reduces hyperphosphatemia in dialysis patients

In uremic patients, hyperphosphatemia is associated with cardiovascular calcification and increased cardiovascular mortality. Despite the use of phosphate binders, only half of hemodialysis (HD) patients achieve recommended serum phosphate levels. A hyperphosphoric salivary content, which correlates linearly with serum phosphate, has been reported in HD patients. We hypothesized that binding salivary phosphate during periods of fasting in addition to using phosphate binders with meals could improve the treatment of hyperphosphatemia. We assessed the phosphate-binding capacity of the natural polymer chitosan by (31)P nuclear magnetic resonance and established that 10 and 20% (wt/vol) middle viscosity chitosan solutions bind 30 and 50% of the phosphate contained in PBS, respectively. Thirteen HD patients with serum phosphate levels >6.0 mg/dl despite treatment with sevelamer hydrochloride chewed 20 mg of chitosan-loaded chewing gum twice daily for 2 wk at fast in addition to their prescribed phosphate-binding regimen. Salivary phosphate and serum phosphate significantly decreased during the first week of chewing; by the end of 2 wk, salivary phosphate decreased 55% from baseline (73.21 +/- 19.19 to 33.19 +/- 6.53; P < 0.00001), and serum phosphate decreased 31% from baseline (7.60 +/- 0.91 to 5.25 +/- 0.89 mg/dl; P < 0.00001). Salivary phosphate returned to baseline by day 15 after discontinuing the chewing gum, whereas serum phosphate levels took 30 d to return to baseline. Parathyroid hormone and serum calcium concentrations were not affected by the gum. In conclusion, adding salivary phosphate binding to traditional phosphate binders could be a useful approach for improving treatment of hyperphosphatemia in HD patients.