Salivary biomarkers of stress and inflammation in first graders in Côte d'Ivoire: Effects of a probiotic food intervention.

This semi-randomized controlled trial examined the effects of a probiotic food supplement on cortisol and C-reactive protein (CRP) in a sample of 262 four-to seven-year-old children (56% girls) in two economically-disadvantaged schools in an urban setting in Côte d'Ivoire. For one semester, children in one school were randomized to receive a probiotic (N = 79) or placebo (N = 85) fermented dairy food each day they attended school; one child (due to medical reasons) and all children in the other school (N = 98) continued their diets as usual. Children provided two saliva samples at 11:30 on consecutive days at the end of the study.

The acute diuretic effect of an ethanolic fraction of Phyllanthus amarus (Euphorbiaceae) in rats involves prostaglandins.

Background: Phyllanthus amarus (Schum & Thonn), a plant belonging to the family of Euphorbiaceae is used in Ivorian traditional medicine to treat cardiovascular disorders such as hypertension. However, although this plant has been described as a diuretic agent, the underlying mechanism remains unclear. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to investigate the mechanism action of diuretic effects of an ethanolic fraction of Phyllanthus amarus (EFPA) in rats.

Antiplasmodial activity of two medicinal plants against clinical isolates of and infected mice.

Malaria is an infectious and deadly parasitic disease, associated with fever, anaemia and other ailments. Unfortunately the upsurge of plasmodium multidrug resistant constrained researchers to look for new effective drugs. Medicinal plants seem to be an unquenchable source of bioactive principles in the treatment of various diseases.

Ginger prevents Th2-mediated immune responses in a mouse model of airway inflammation.

It is well documented that compounds from rhizomes of Zingiber officinale, commonly called ginger, have anti-inflammatory properties. Here, we show that ginger can exert such functions in vivo, namely in a mouse model of Th2-mediated pulmonary inflammation. The preparation of ginger aqueous extract (Zo.

Influence of lifelong soy isoflavones consumption on bone mass in the rat.

Soy isoflavones (IFs) have shown a bone-sparing effect through epidemiological studies in the Asian population. However, there is no evidence as to whether such protection would result from a lifelong exposure. We investigated the impact of an early exposure to IFs on bone status.

Modulation of soy isoflavones bioavailability and subsequent effects on bone health in ovariectomized rats: the case for equol.

Introduction: Soy products are of particular interest because of their potential health benefits in a range of hormonal conditions, such as osteoporosis, due to their high content in phytoestrogens. Because equol, the main metabolite from soy isoflavones, is thought to be powerful, the present study was designated to evaluate the bone-sparing effects of equol by either providing the molecule through the diet or by eliciting its endogenous production by modulating intestinal microflora by short-chain fructooligosaccharides (sc-FOS) or live microbial (Lactobacillus casei) together with daidzein, its precursor.

Methods: A comparison with daidzein and genistein was also performed.

Dose-response study of effect of oleuropein, an olive oil polyphenol, in an ovariectomy/inflammation experimental model of bone loss in the rat.

Background & Aims: This study was carried out to assess the dose-dependent bone-sparing effect of oleuropein, an olive oil phenolic compound with anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative properties, on bone loss induced by talc granulomatosis in oestrogen-deficient rat.

Methods: Among 98 rats, 20 were sham-operated (SH) while the others (78) were ovariectomised (OVX). The SH and 26 OVX rats (controls) were given a standard diet for 100 days.

Prevention of bone loss by phloridzin, an apple polyphenol, in ovariectomized rats under inflammation conditions.

Aging and sex hormones related changes lead to inflammatory and oxidant conditions, which are involved in the pathogenesis of osteoporosis. Recent studies have suggested that polyphenols may exert a protective effect in such conditions. We assessed the effect of phloridzin (Phlo), a flavonoid exclusively found in apple, on bone metabolism in ovariectomized (OVX) or sham-operated (SH) rats with and without inflammation.

Preventive effect of Abelmoschus manihot (L.) Medik. on bone loss in the ovariectomised rats.

Because the biggest culprit in pathogenesis of osteoporosis is oestrogen deficiency, hormone replacement therapy remained the mainstay for prevention. However most of postmenopausal women are more inclined to use natural alternative. We thus investigated the ability of Abelmoschus manihot, a herbal medicine to prevent bone loss in ovariectomised rats.

Fructooligosaccharides maximize bone-sparing effects of soy isoflavone-enriched diet in the ovariectomized rat.

Isoflavones (IF) have been increasingly implicated for use in the prevention of osteoporosis. As their bioavailability could be improved by modulating intestinal microflora, the present study was undertaken to investigate whether IF and fructooligosaccharides (FOS), which are known to modify large-bowel flora and metabolism, may exhibit a cooperative bone-sparing effect. This work was carried out on 3-month-old Wistar rats assigned to 12 groups: 2 SH (sham-operated) and 10 OVX (ovariectomized).

Leaf extract of Caesalpinia bonduc Roxb. (Caesalpiniaceae) induces an increase of contractile force in rat skeletal muscle in situ.

The pharmacological properties of Caesalpinia bonduc Roxb. (Caesalpiniaceae) are not well known, but it is used traditionally to treat snake bite (Bellomaria and Kacou, 1995; Schaffner, 1997). In the present study, the mechanism through which Caesalpinia bonduc extract (Cebo) affects gallamine-induced relaxation in rat tibial muscle contractility were studied via measurement of isometric-tension-anesthetized, 10-12-week-old, male rats.

Daidzein is more efficient than genistein in preventing ovariectomy-induced bone loss in rats.

We investigated the ability of genistein and daidzein, two soybean isoflavones, compared with that of 17 alpha-ethinylestradiol, to prevent bone loss in ovariectomized rats, a model for postmenopausal osteoporosis. Female Wistar rats (n = 65; 12 mo old) were either sham-operated (SH; n = 13) or ovariectomized (OVX; n = 52). On d 0, OVX rats were randomly assigned to groups as follows: 13 received genistein [G; 10 mcg/(g body weight.

Renin-aldosterone system and arginine vasopressin in diarrhoeic calves.

Plasma renin activity, plasma aldosterone and arginine-vasopressin concentrations were determined in five diarrhoeic and five healthy newborn calves. In animals suffering from diarrhoea these three parameters were 10-15 times higher than those observed in controls. These results suggest that the hormonal systems that control fluid and electrolyte homeostasis are highly stimulated by dehydration and salt depletion induced by faecal losses of water and sodium in calves affected with diarrhoea.

Cardiovascular and arginine vasopressin (AVP) responses to haemorrhage and nitroprusside infusion in conscious newborn calves.

The effects of normotensive and hypotensive hypovolaemia (haemorrhage) as well as isovolaemic hypotension (nitroprusside administration) on diastolic, systolic and mean arterial blood pressure, heart rate and plasma concentrations of arginine vasopressin were studied in two sets of experiments on 8-10 days old conscious newborn calves bearing an indwelling aortic catheter for continuous recording of arterial blood pressure. Removal of 20% of the estimated blood volume resulted in an average maximum decrease of systolic, diastolic and mean arterial blood pressure from 132 +/- 2 to 118 +/- 8 mm Hg (P less than 0.05), from 72 +/- 2 to 67 +/- 2 mmHg (P less than 0.

Effects of changes in plasma hepatic-portal and systemic osmolality on plasma concentrations of arginine vasopressin in conscious newborn calves.

Systemic plasma concentrations of arginine vasopressin (AVP) were studied in three groups of 10-15 day-old conscious newborn calves. Animals in the first group (control group) and in the second group (systemic-hypertonic-injected group) received respectively isotonic and hypertonic (8 mmol NaCl/kg body weight) saline injection into the right jugular vein. Animals in the third group were fitted with chronic mesenteric and hepatic-portal catheters and received a 1 h-hypertonic saline infusion (2 mmol NaCl/kg body weight) into the main mesenteric vein.