Cardioprotective and anti-hypertensive effects of Prosopis glandulosa in rat models of pre-diabetes

Antioxidant and Anti-atherogenic Properties of Prosopis strombulifera and Tessaria absinthioides Aqueous Extracts: Modulation of NADPH Oxidase-Derived Reactive Oxygen Species

Despite popular usage of medicinal plants, their effects as cardiovascular protective agents have not been totally elucidated. We hypothesized that treatment with aqueous extract from Prosopis strombulifera (AEPs) and Tessaria absinthioides (AETa), Argentinian native plants, produces antioxidant effects on vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) and attenuates atherogenesis on apolipoprotein E-knockout (ApoE-KO) mice. In VSMCs, both extracts (5–40 μg/ml) inhibited 10% fetal calf serum-induced cell proliferation, arrested cell in G2/M phase, reduced angiotensin II-induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, and decreased NADPH oxidase subunit expression. In ApoE-KO mice, extracts significantly reduced triglycerides and lipid peroxidation [plasma thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS)], increased plasma total antioxidant status (TAS), and improved glutathione peroxidase activity in the liver. Under high-fat diet (HFD), both extracts were able to inhibit O₂^– generation in the aortic tissue and caused a significant regression of atheroma plaques (21.4 ± 1.6% HFD group vs. 10.2 ± 1.2%^∗ AEPs group and 14.3 ± 1.0%^∗ AETa group; ^∗p < 0.01). Consumption of AEPs and AETa produces antioxidant/antimitogenic/anti-atherosclerotic effects, and their use may be beneficial as a complementary strategy regarding cardiovascular disease therapies.

Vhavenda Herbal Remedies as Sources of Antihypertensive Drugs: Ethnobotanical and Ethnopharmacological Studies

Hypertension is a dominant risk factor for the development of cardiovascular, kidney, and eye diseases. In Africa, it increasingly leads to hospitalisation and a strain on the public health system. However, rather than modern medicine, African traditional healers are the first choice for most South Africans. Therefore, this study is aimed at gathering information on herbal remedies traditionally used for the treatment of high blood pressure in Vhavenda, South Africa, and comparing this information with reports in the literature regarding plants used to manage high blood pressure. An ethnobotanical survey was carried out in Vhembe district and its environs with 53 herbalists and indigenous people aged between 36 and 66 years from January to October 2019 using a semistructured questionnaire. The plants were collected with each respondent; they were authenticated and kept in herbarium. A total of 51 different plants were mentioned as being most commonly used for hypertension treatment. Of these, 44 plants were identified, with those from the Fabaceae family followed by plants from the Celastraceae family being commonly mentioned. Of these, the Elaeodendron transvaalense, Tabernaemontana elegans, Elephantorrhiza elephantina, and Aloe vossii were commonly cited species. According to the literature data, most of the identified plants are yet to be scientifically investigated for the treatment of hypertension, whereas only preliminary investigations have been carried out on other plants, suggesting that these preliminary investigations may have highlight promising antihypertensive activities in vitro that are indicative of their potential as antihypertensive drugs. Therefore, there is a need to scientifically investigate the antihypertensive potentials of these plants as a potential source of antihypertensive treatment and compounds.

A histomorphometric study on the hepatoprotective effects of a green rooibos extract in a diet-induced obese rat model

Obesity, type two diabetes mellitus and insulin resistance are associated with increased oxidative stress and inflammation. Unfermented green rooibos is an aspalathin rich variant of traditional fermented rooibos (Aspalathus linearis) and has a high polyphenol content. The present study aimed to determine the histologically observable effects of a commercially produced, aspalathin-rich green rooibos extract, Afriplex GRT™ (GRE) in a diet-induced obese rat model. Male Wistar rats (N = 28) were randomly assigned to four study groups (n = 7): control (C), green rooibos (GRT), high-fat diet (HFD) and experimental (HFD-GRT) group. Body mass was determined prior to euthanasia and liver mass was determined after death. The left lateral lobe of the liver was processed to wax and stained using haematoxylin and eosin (H & E), Masson's trichrome stain, Gordons and Sweet's reticulin impregnation and periodic acid-Schiff stain. Frozen liver tissue sections were used for Oil red O staining. Morphometric quantification of steatosis, semiquantitative pathology grading and scoring were performed and verified by a veterinary histopathologist. A significant increase in body and liver mass was observed in the HFD groups while co-treatment with green rooibos significantly reduced both. The volume and area of steatosis were significantly increased in the HFD groups while the area of steatosis significantly reduced with green rooibos co-treatment. The percentage, location and type of steatosis as well as presence of inflammation and hepatocellular injury were reduced in the HFD group co-treated with GRE. These findings suggest that a GRE has potential as an anti-steatotic, anti-inflammatory and weight reducing agent in vivo.

Nutritional Characterization of Prosopis laevigata Legume Tree (Mesquite) Seed Flour and the Effect of Extrusion Cooking on its Bioactive Components

Mesquite (Prosopis laevigata) is a legume tree widely distributed in Aridoamerica. The mature fruit of this legume is a pod, which is currently underutilized and has high nutritional potential. In the present work, mesquite seed flour is described in terms of its nutritional value, as well as the effect of extrusion cooking on its bioactive components. Mesquite seed flour is rich in fiber (7.73 g/100 g) and protein (36.51 g/100 g), with valine as the only limiting amino acid. Total phenolic compound contents in raw and extruded seed flour were 6.68 and 6.46 mg of gallic acid equivalents/g (mg GAE/g), respectively. 2-2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging capacity values in raw and extruded seed flour were 9.11 and 9.32 mg of ascorbic acid equivalent/g (mg AAE/g), respectively. The absorbance at 290 nm, as an indicator of generation of Maillard reaction product (MRP), was the same for raw and extruded samples. Apigenin was the only flavonoid found in mesquite seed flour (41.6 mg/kg) and was stable in the extrusion process. The water absorption index (WAI) and water solubility index (WSI) were changed significantly during extrusion. The expansion of mesquite seed flour extrudates was null due to the high protein and fiber content in the sample. Extrusion cooking of mesquite seed flour is a useful form of technology for the industrialization of this underutilized and nutritionally valuable legume.

Natural Antioxidants as Potential Therapy, and a Promising Role for Melatonin Against Pulmonary Hypertension

Plasma and serum samples, and lung/heart tissue of pulmonary hypertension (PH) patients and animal models of PH display elevated oxidative stress. Moreover, the severity of PH and levels of oxidative stress increase concurrently, which suggests that oxidative stress could be utilized as a biomarker for PH progression. Accumulating evidence has well established that oxidative stress is also key role player in the development of PH. Preclinical studies have demonstrated that natural antioxidants improved PH condition, and, therefore, antioxidant therapy has been proposed as a potential therapeutic strategy against PH. These natural antioxidants include medicinal plant extracts and compounds such as resveratrol and melatonin. Recent studies suggest that melatonin provides health benefit against PH, by enhancing antioxidant capacity, increasing vasodilation, counteracting lung and cardiac fibrosis, and stunting right ventricular (RV) hypertrophy/failure. This chapter comprehensively reviews and discusses a variety of natural antioxidants and their efficacy in modulating experimental PH. This chapter also demonstrates that antioxidant therapy remains a therapeutic strategy for PH, and particularly identifies melatonin as a safe, cost-effective, and promising antioxidant therapy.

Cardioprotection and natural polyphenols: an update of clinical and experimental studies

Mechanisms involved in ischemia–reperfusion injury.

Chronic Prosopis glandulosa treatment blunts neutrophil infiltration and enhances muscle repair after contusion injury

The current treatment options for soft tissue injuries remain suboptimal and often result in delayed/incomplete recovery of damaged muscle. The current study aimed to evaluate the effects of oral Prosopis glandulosa treatment on inflammation and regeneration in skeletal muscle after contusion injury, in comparison to a conventional treatment. The gastrocnemius muscle of rats was subjected to mass-drop injury and muscle samples collected after 1-, 3 h, 1- and 7 days post-injury. Rats were treated with P. glandulosa (100 mg/kg/day) either for 8 weeks prior to injury (up until day 7 post-injury), only post-injury, or with topically applied diclofenac post-injury (0.57 mg/kg). Neutrophil (His48-positive) and macrophage (F4/80-positive) infiltration was assessed by means of immunohistochemistry. Indicators of muscle satellite cell proliferation (ADAM₁₂) and regeneration (desmin) were used to evaluate muscle repair. Chronic P. glandulosa and diclofenac treatment (p < 0.0001) was associated with suppression of the neutrophil response to contusion injury, however only chronic P. glandulosa treatment facilitated more effective muscle recovery (increased ADAM₁₂ (p < 0.05) and desmin (p < 0.001) expression), while diclofenac treatment had inhibitory effects on repair, despite effective inhibition of neutrophil response. Data indicates that P. glandulosa treatment results in more effective muscle repair after contusion.

Selective targeting of glucagon-like peptide-1 signalling as a novel therapeutic approach for cardiovascular disease in diabetes

Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) is an incretin hormone whose glucose-dependent insulinotropic actions have been harnessed as a novel therapy for glycaemic control in type 2 diabetes. Although it has been known for some time that the GLP-1 receptor is expressed in the CVS where it mediates important physiological actions, it is only recently that specific cardiovascular effects of GLP-1 in the setting of diabetes have been described. GLP-1 confers indirect benefits in cardiovascular disease (CVD) under both normal and hyperglycaemic conditions via reducing established risk factors, such as hypertension, dyslipidaemia and obesity, which are markedly increased in diabetes. Emerging evidence indicates that GLP-1 also exerts direct effects on specific aspects of diabetic CVD, such as endothelial dysfunction, inflammation, angiogenesis and adverse cardiac remodelling. However, the majority of studies have employed experimental models of diabetic CVD and information on the effects of GLP-1 in the clinical setting is limited, although several large-scale trials are ongoing. It is clearly important to gain a detailed knowledge of the cardiovascular actions of GLP-1 in diabetes given the large number of patients currently receiving GLP-1-based therapies. This review will therefore discuss current understanding of the effects of GLP-1 on both cardiovascular risk factors in diabetes and direct actions on the heart and vasculature in this setting and the evidence implicating specific targeting of GLP-1 as a novel therapy for CVD in diabetes.

Prediabetes: grounds of pitfall signalling alteration for cardiovascular disease

Prediabetes manifested by impaired glucose tolerance and impaired fasting glucose offers high risk of myocardial dysfunction by causing endothelial dysfunction, inflammation, oxidative stress, atherosclerosis and genetic alterations.