Guided Metabolic Detoxification Program Supports Phase II Detoxification Enzymes and Antioxidant Balance in Healthy Participants

Adequate antioxidant supply is essential for maintaining metabolic homeostasis and reducing oxidative stress during detoxification. The emerging evidence suggests that certain classes of phytonutrients can help support the detoxification process by stimulating the liver to produce detoxification enzymes or acting as antioxidants that neutralize the harmful effects of free radicals. This study was designed to examine the effects of a guided 28-day metabolic detoxification program in healthy adults. The participants were randomly assigned to consume a whole food, multi-ingredient supplement (n = 14, education and intervention) or control (n = 18, education and healthy meal) daily for the duration of the trial. The whole food supplement contained 37 g/serving of a proprietary, multicomponent nutritional blend in the form of a rehydratable shake. Program readiness was ensured at baseline using a validated self-perceived wellness score and a blood metabolic panel, indicating stable emotional and physical well-being in both groups. No significant changes or adverse effects were found on physical or emotional health, cellular glutathione (GSH) and the GSH:GSSG ratio, porphyrin, and hepatic detoxification biomarkers in urine. The intervention was positively associated with a 23% increase in superoxide dismutase (p = 0.06) and a 13% increase in glutathione S-transferase (p = 0.003) activities in the blood. This resulted in a 40% increase in the total cellular antioxidant capacity (p = 0.001) and a 13% decrease in reactive oxygen species (p = 0.002) in isolated PBMCs from participants in the detoxification group. Our findings indicate that consuming a whole food nutritional intervention as a part of the guided detoxification program supported phase II detoxification, in part, by promoting enhanced free radical scavenging and maintaining redox homeostasis under the body's natural glutathione recycling capacity.

The impact of engineered nickel oxide nanoparticles on ascorbate glutathione cycle in Allium cepa L

Engineered nickel oxide nanoparticle (NiO-NP) can inflict significant damages on exposed plants, even though very little is known about the modus operandi. The present study investigated effects of NiO-NP on the crucial stress alleviation mechanism Ascorbate-Glutathione Cycle (Asa-GSH cycle) in the model plant Allium cepa. Cellular contents of reduced glutathione (GSH) and oxidised glutathione (GSSG), was disturbed upon NiO-NP exposure. The ratio of GSH to GSSG changed from 20:1 in NC to 4:1 in roots exposed to 125 mg L-1 NiO-NP. Even the lowest treatments of NiO-NP (10 mg L-1) increased ascorbic acid (2.9-folds) and cysteine contents (1.6-folds). Enzymes like glutathione reductase, ascorbate peroxidase, glutathione peroxidase and glutathione-S-transferase also showed altered activities in the affected tissues. Further, intracellular methylglyoxal, a harbinger of ROS (Reactive oxygen species), increased significantly (~ 26 to 65-fold) across different concentrations NiO-NP. Intracellular H2O2 (hydrogen peroxide) and ROS levels increased with NiO-NP doses, as did electrolytic leakage from damaged cells. The present work indicated that multiple pathways were compromised in NiO-NP affected plants and this information can bolster our general understanding of the actual mechanism of its toxicity on living cells, and help formulate strategies to thwart ecological pollution.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12298-023-01314-8.

The role of glutathione redox imbalance in autism spectrum disorder: A review

The role of glutathione in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is emerging as a major topic, due to its role in the maintenance of the intracellular redox balance. Several studies have implicated glutathione redox imbalance as a leading factor in ASD, and both ASD and many other neurodevelopmental disorders involve low levels of reduced glutathione (GSH), high levels of oxidized glutathione (GSSG), and abnormalities in the expressions of glutathione-related enzymes in the blood or brain. Glutathione metabolism, through its impact on redox environment or redox-independent mechanisms, interferes with multiple mechanisms involved in ASD pathogenesis. Glutathione-mediated regulation of glutamate receptors [e.g., N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptor], as well as the role of glutamate as a substrate for glutathione synthesis, may be involved in the regulation of glutamate excitotoxicity. However, the interaction between glutathione and glutamate in the pathogenesis of brain diseases may vary from synergism to antagonism. Modulation of glutathione is also associated with regulation of redox-sensitive transcription factors nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) and activator protein 1 (AP-1) and downstream signaling (proinflammatory cytokines and inducible enzymes), thus providing a significant impact on neuroinflammation. Mitochondrial dysfunction, as well as neuronal apoptosis, may also provide a significant link between glutathione metabolism and ASD. Furthermore, it has been recently highlighted that glutathione can affect and modulate DNA methylation and epigenetics. Review analysis including research studies meeting the required criteria for analysis showed statistically significant differences between the plasma GSH and GSSG levels as well as GSH:GSSG ratio in autistic patients compared with healthy individuals (P = 0.0145, P = 0.0150 and P = 0.0202, respectively). Therefore, the existing data provide a strong background on the role of the glutathione system in ASD pathogenesis. Future research is necessary to investigate the role of glutathione redox signaling in ASD, which could potentially also lead to promising therapeutics.

SENIEUR status of the originating cell donor negates certain 'anti-immunosenescence' effects of ebselen and N-acetyl cysteine in human T cell clone cultures

Background

Damage to T cells of the immune system by reactive oxygen species may result in altered cell function or cell death and thereby potentially impact upon the efficacy of a subsequent immune response. Here, we assess the impact of the antioxidants Ebselen and N-acetyl cysteine on a range of biological markers in human T cells derived from a SENIEUR status donor. In addition, the impact of these antioxidants on different MAP kinase pathways in T cells from donors of different ages was also examined.

Methods

T cell clones were derived from healthy 26, 45 and SENIEUR status 80 year old people and the impact of titrated concentrations of Ebselen or N-acetyl cysteine on their proliferation and in vitro lifespan, GSH:GSSG ratio as well as levels of oxidative DNA damage and on MAP kinase signaling pathways was examined.

Results

In this investigation neither Ebselen nor N-acetyl cysteine supplementation had any impact on the biological endpoints examined in the T cells derived from the SENIEUR status 80 year old donor. This is in contrast to the anti-immunosenescent effects of these antioxidants on T cells from donors of 26 or 45 years of age. The analysis of MAP kinases showed that pro-apoptotic pathways become activated in T cells with increasing in vitro age and that Ebselen or N-acetyl cysteine could decrease activation (phosphorylation) in T cells from 26 or 45 year old donors, but not from the SENIEUR status 80 year old donor.

Conclusions

The results of this investigation demonstrate that the biological phenotype of SENIEUR status derived human T cells negates the anti-immunosenescence effects of Ebselen and also N-acetyl cysteine. The results highlight the importance of pre-antioxidant intervention evaluation to determine risk-benefit.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12979-014-0017-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.