Antioxidative and antiinflammatory potential of different functional drink concepts in vitro.

The present study was undertaken to investigate the antioxidative effects of three different functional drink concepts especially designed to improve the body's performance and function and to possess high antioxidant activities. The concepts based on the mixture of various plant ingredients were: (1) eQ - equalize your nutrient balance, brain line [acerola-dragon fruit], (2) eQ - equalize your nutrient balance, beauty line [honey-pepper] and (3) Let's get red [intense]. By using a cell-based test assay, the study investigated the potential of the functional drinks to inactivate reactive superoxide anion radicals generated by inflammation-mediating cells as well as the effect on basal metabolism of these cells (antioxidant and antiinflammatory potential).

Effect of Asparagus-P on cell metabolism of cultured kidney and inflammation-mediating cells.

Asparagus-P is a traditional herbal medicinal product consisting of a combination of dried and pulverized asparagus roots and parsley leaves in equal parts. It is commonly used to support aquaretic kidney function, i.e.

Antioxidant potential of selected Spirulina platensis preparations.

Recent studies suggest that Spirulina, a unicellular blue-green alga, may have a variety of health benefits and therapeutic properties and is also capable of acting as an antioxidant and antiinflammatory agent. In this study, a cell-free and a cell-based test assay were used to examine the antioxidant and antiinflammatory properties of four selected Spirulina platensis preparations: (1) Biospirulina, (2) SpiruComplex, a preparation with naturally bound selenium, chromium and zinc, (3) SpiruZink, a preparation with naturally bound zinc, (4) Zinkspirulina + Acerola, a preparation with naturally bound zinc and acerola powder. The cell-free test assay used potassium superoxide as a donor for superoxide radicals, whereas the cell-based test assay used the formation of intracellular superoxide radicals of functional neutrophils upon stimulation by phorbol-12-myristate-13-acetate as a model to investigate the potential of Spirulina preparations to inactivate superoxide radicals.

The potential of Asparagus-P to inactivate reactive oxygen radicals.

Asparagus-P is a traditional herbal medicinal product consisting of a combination of asparagus roots and parsley leaves in equal shares. It is used to support aquaretic kidney function. The present study was undertaken to shed light on the antioxidative effects of both main ingredients and their combination as in Asparagus-P.

Simvastatin inhibits malignant transformation following expression of the Ha-ras oncogene in NIH 3T3 fibroblasts.

In previous studies we have shown that the expression of the transforming Ha-ras oncogene in NIH 3T3 fibroblasts stimulates cellular calcium entry, which triggers oscillatory calcium induced calcium release from internal stores. The intracellular calcium oscillations lead to cytoskeletal remodeling by actin stress fiber depolymerization and activation of the Na(+)/H(+) exchanger thus mediating cell swelling and intracellular alkalosis, both important mitogenic signals. This is evidenced by abrogation of Ha-ras induced growth factor independent cell proliferation by interference with any of these events, i.