Red Blood Cells and Lipoproteins: Important Reservoirs and Transporters of Polyphenols and Their Metabolites.

Dietary polyphenols are protective for chronic diseases. Their blood transport has not been well investigated. This work examines multiple classes of polyphenols and their interactions with albumin, lipoproteins, and red blood cell (RBC) compartments using four models and determines the % polyphenol in each compartment studied.

Determination of Total Chlorogenic Acids in Commercial Green Coffee Extracts.

Obesity and type II diabetes are serious health problems and are among the leading causes of death. There are a few prescription weight loss drugs, but they have a high cost and their adverse effects have limited their widespread use. For the consumer, the use of dietary supplements represents a natural and presumably safer means of losing weight.

Intracellular Polyphenols: How Little We Know.

In vitro cell studies are used by scientists to determine mechanisms that can be operating in vivo and pave the way for animal and human studies. Polyphenols, the major antioxidants in plants and the human diet, have been extensively studied in cells within thousands of publications. However, glucuronides, sulfates, and methyl metabolites and not the original polyphenols are generally present in the circulation and often have weaker beneficial effects in cell studies.

Binding of Plant Polyphenols to Serum Albumin and LDL: Healthy Implications for Heart Disease.

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death in industrialized nations. The initiating event in atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries, is oxidation of low density lipoprotein (LDL). Binding with serum albumin and LDL of 41 polyphenols (major antioxidants in plant foods) constituting four classes of flavonoids, three types of phenolic acids, and seven polyphenol conjugate metabolites was investigated indirectly by fluorescence quenching and directly by affinity separation/high-performance liquid chromatography (four of the polyphenols).

Analysis of Popcorn (Zea mays L. var. everta) for Antioxidant Capacity and Total Phenolic Content.

Popcorn, one of the most popular snack foods in the world, is known for being a high fiber, healthy food. Our research has found that commercial popcorn also contains significant amounts of the class of antioxidants known as phenolic acids. The total antioxidant power of raw and popped popcorn extract has been quantified using the Folin-Ciocalteu and FRAP assays.

Targeted intracellular delivery of resveratrol to glioblastoma cells using apolipoprotein E-containing reconstituted HDL as a nanovehicle.

The objective of this study is to transport and deliver resveratrol to intracellular sites using apolipoprotein E3 (apoE3). Reconstituted high-density lipoprotein (rHDL) bearing resveratrol (rHDL/res) was prepared using phospholipids and the low-density lipoprotein receptor (LDLr)-binding domain of apoE3. Biophysical characterization revealed that resveratrol was partitioned into the phospholipid bilayer of discoidal rHDL/res particles (~19 nm diameter).

Piper species protect cardiac, hepatic and renal antioxidant status of atherogenic diet fed hamsters.

Pre-clinical and clinical studies points to the use of antioxidants as an effective measure to reduce the progression of oxidative stress related disorders. The present study evaluate the effect of three Piper species (Piper guineense, Piper nigrum and Piper umbellatum) for the protection of cardiac, hepatic and renal antioxidant status of atherogenic diet fed hamsters. Hamsters were classified into eight groups: a normal control, atherogenic control and six other experimental groups (fed atherogenic diet supplemented with different doses of P.

Effect of thermal processing on free and total phenolics in nine varieties of common beans.

Though much attention has been devoted to phenolics in beans, to our knowledge no studies have been done to determine the effect commercial canning has on these compounds. Free and total phenolic concentration in 18 cultivars of raw beans and 9 cultivars of commercial canned beans was determined. Alkaline hydrolysis was used on samples prior to analysis by Folin-Ciocalteu's reagent (FCR) and ferric-reducing antioxidant power (FRAP).

Absorption and excretion of cranberry-derived phenolics in humans.

Absorption and excretion of twenty cranberry-derived phenolics were studied following the consumption of cranberry juice, sauces, and fruits by healthy human volunteers. Plasma and urine samples were collected and analysed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). A high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method was employed for analysing urinary creatinine, which was used as a normalisation agent.

Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, linear dose, crossover study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of a green coffee bean extract in overweight subjects.

Background: Adult weight gain and obesity have become worldwide problems. Issues of cost and potential side effects of prescription weight loss drugs have led overweight and obese adults to try nutraceuticals that may aid weight loss. One promising nutraceutical is green coffee extract, which contains high concentrations of chlorogenic acids that are known to have health benefits and to influence glucose and fat metabolism.

Vitamin enhanced waters and polyphenol rich beverages analyzed for antioxidant capacity and antioxidants/calorie.

The purpose of this study was to analyze polyphenol rich beverages (vitamin enhanced waters (VEWs), fruit juices and berry juices) to determine free polyphenol concentrations and free polyphenols per Calorie based on a serving size. The Folin-Ciocalteu reagent was used in a colorimetric assay based on a catechin standard. Fruit and berry juices contained, on average, more than eight-times the concentration of free polyphenols when compared to VEWs.

High-antioxidant potatoes: acute in vivo antioxidant source and hypotensive agent in humans after supplementation to hypertensive subjects.

Potatoes have the highest daily per capita consumption of all vegetables in the U.S. diet.

Nuts, especially walnuts, have both antioxidant quantity and efficacy and exhibit significant potential health benefits.

Free and total (after basic hydrolysis) polyphenols in nine types of raw and roasted nuts and two types of peanut butter (54 commercial samples) were analyzed after methanol extraction by a single step Folin-Ciocalteu reagent using catechin as standard. Walnuts had the highest free and total polyphenols in both the combined raw and roasted samples. Total polyphenols in the nuts were significantly higher than free polyphenols.

Antioxidant and anti-atherogenic activities of three Piper species on atherogenic diet fed hamsters.

Atherogenic diet is known to induce high plasma lipid concentration, oxidative stress and early atherosclerosis. Antioxidants have potentials to counter the effect of atherogenic diet. The present research aims at evaluating the antioxidant and anti-atherosclerotic activities of three Piper species (Piper guineense, Piper nigrum and Piper umbellatum) on atherogenic diet fed hamsters.

Chocolate, lifestyle, and health.

Interest in the biological activities of cocoa polyphenols is increasing steadily. In fact, the high polyphenol content of cocoa, coupled with its widespread presence in many food items, render this food of particular interest from the nutritional and "pharmacological" viewpoints. This paper summarizes the new findings and developments regarding the effects of cocoa and chocolate consumption on human health as presented at the International Conference "Chocolate, Lifestyle, and Health" (Milan, Italy, March 2, 2007) regarding the effects of cocoa and chocolate consumption on human health.

Cranberries and cranberry products: powerful in vitro, ex vivo, and in vivo sources of antioxidants.

Cranberry products and especially cranberry juice (CJ) have been consumed for health reasons primarily due to their effect on urinary tract infections. We investigated the quantity of both free and total (after hydrolysis) phenolic antioxidants in cranberry products using the Folin assay. The order of amount of total polyphenols in cranberry foods on a fresh weight basis was as follows: dried > frozen > sauce > jellied sauce.

In vitro antioxidant activity of three Piper species.

Reactive oxygen species are known to play a role in numerous pathological conditions, and antioxidants from plant sources have been of great help in modulating this effect. This study assesses the methanolic extracts of the leaves of three Piper species (Piper guineense Schum and Thonn., Piper nigrum L.

A 6-month randomized pilot study of black tea and cardiovascular risk factors.

Background: The effects of black tea consumption on cardiovascular risk factors have been inconsistent in previous randomized trials, all of which have been limited to a few weeks duration.

Methods: We conducted a pilot parallel-design randomized controlled trial among 31 adults aged 55 years and older with either diabetes or 2 other cardiovascular risk factors but no established clinical cardiovascular disease. Participants were randomized to drink 3 glasses daily of either a standardized black tea preparation or water for 6 months.

Effect of selenium- and glutathione-enriched yeast supplementation on a combined atherosclerosis and diabetes hamster model.

Selenium has a central role in antioxidant pathways as a cofactor to glutathione peroxidase. The present study evaluated the effects of four different preparations of inactivated yeast containing various concentrations of selenium and glutathione on a combined atherosclerosis and diabetes hamster model. The hamsters were supplemented with the yeast products for three months.

Comparative bioavailability of mineral-enriched gluconates and yeast in rat liver after depletion-repletion feeding.

There are many forms of mineral supplements currently available. Among these mineral-enriched gluconates and yeast are considered two of the more biologically available supplements. The purpose of this study was to use zinc (Zn)- or copper (Cu)-deficient rats to determine whether the organically bound mineral in yeast or the salt gluconate form was more bioavailable, i.

Berry anthocyanins as novel antioxidants in human health and disease prevention.

Edible berries, a potential source of natural anthocyanin antioxidants, have demonstrated a broad spectrum of biomedical functions. These include cardiovascular disorders, advancing age-induced oxidative stress, inflammatory responses, and diverse degenerative diseases. Berry anthocyanins also improve neuronal and cognitive brain functions, ocular health as well as protect genomic DNA integrity.