QUINTAIS IMORTAIS

Salk Institute. "Boosting the effects of vitamin D to tackle diabetes." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 10 May 2018. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/05/180510115102.htm>.

Dark chocolate consumption reduces stress and inflammation

Data represent first human trials examining the impact of dark chocolate consumption on cognition and other brain functions

Date: April 24, 2018 Source: Loma Linda University Adventist Health Sciences Center Summary: Findings from two new studies show dark chocolate consumption reduces stress and inflammation, while improving memory, immunity and mood.

Research shows there might be health benefits to eating certain types of dark chocolate.

Credit: LLU Health

New research shows there might be health benefits to eating certain types of dark chocolate. Findings from two studies being presented today at the Experimental Biology 2018 annual meeting in San Diego show that consuming dark chocolate that has a high concentration of cacao (minimally 70% cacao, 30% organic cane sugar) has positive effects on stress levels, inflammation, mood, memory and immunity. While it is well known that cacao is a major source of flavonoids, this is the first time the effect has been studied in human subjects to determine how it can support cognitive, endocrine and cardiovascular health.

Lee S. Berk, DrPH, associate dean of research affairs, School of Allied Health Professions and a researcher in psychoneuroimmunology and food science from Loma Linda University, served as principal investigator on both studies.

"For years, we have looked at the influence of dark chocolate on neurological functions from the standpoint of sugar content -- the more sugar, the happier we are," Berk said. "This is the first time that we have looked at the impact of large amounts of cacao in doses as small as a regular-sized chocolate bar in humans over short or long periods of time, and are encouraged by the findings. These studies show us that the higher the concentration of cacao, the more positive the impact on cognition, memory, mood, immunity and other beneficial effects."

The flavonoids found in cacao are extremely potent antioxidants and anti-inflammatory agents, with known mechanisms beneficial for brain and cardiovascular health. The following results will be presented in live poster sessions during the Experimental Biology 2018 meeting:

Dark Chocolate (70% Cacao) Affects Human Gene Expression: Cacao Regulates Cellular Immune Response, Neural Signaling, and Sensory Perception

This pilot feasibility experimental trial examined the impact of 70 percent cacao chocolate consumption on human immune and dendritic cell gene expression, with focus on pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines. Study findings show cacao consumption up-regulates multiple intracellular signaling pathways involved in T-cell activation, cellular immune response and genes involved in neural signaling and sensory perception -- the latter potentially associated with the phenomena of brain hyperplasticity.

Dark Chocolate (70% Organic Cacao) Increases Acute and Chronic EEG Power Spectral Density (μv2) Response of Gamma Frequency (25-40Hz) for Brain Health: Enhancement of Neuroplasticity, Neural Synchrony, Cognitive Processing, Learning, Memory, Recall, and Mindfulness Meditation

This study assessed the electroencephalography (EEG) response to consuming 48 g of dark chocolate (70% cacao) after an acute period of time (30 mins) and after a chronic period of time (120 mins), on modulating brain frequencies 0-40Hz, specifically beneficial gamma frequency (25-40Hz). Findings show that this superfood of 70 percent cacao enhances neuroplasticity for behavioral and brain health benefits.

Berk said the studies require further investigation, specifically to determine the significance of these effects for immune cells and the brain in larger study populations. Further research is in progress to elaborate on the mechanisms that may be involved in the cause-and-effect brain-behavior relationship with cacao at this high concentration.

Story Source:

Materials provided by Loma Linda University Adventist Health Sciences Center. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.

Cite This Page:

Loma Linda University Adventist Health Sciences Center. "Dark chocolate consumption reduces stress and inflammation: Data represent first human trials examining the impact of dark chocolate consumption on cognition and other brain functions." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 24 April 2018. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/04/180424133628.htm>.

Faster test for cannabis quality

New method to help meet increasing demand for cannabis potency testing

Date: May 17, 2018 Source: University of British Columbia Okanagan campus Summary: Researchers have developed a new method of measuring phytocannabinoids -- the primary bioactive molecules in cannabis -- that will lead to faster, safer and more accurate information for producers, regulators and consumers alike.

With the coming legalization of cannabis in Canada, producers are increasingly looking for quick and accurate means of determining the potency and quality of their products.

Researchers at UBC's Okanagan campus have developed a new method of measuring phytocannabinoids -- the primary bioactive molecules in cannabis -- that will lead to faster, safer and more accurate information for producers, regulators and consumers alike.

"There is growing demand on testing labs from licensed cannabis growers across the US and Canada who are under pressure to perform potency testing on ever-increasing quantities of product," says Matthew Noestheden, PhD chemistry student under Prof. Wesley Zandberg at UBC's Okanagan campus. "Traditional tests can take upwards of 20 minutes to perform, where we can do it in under seven. It will save a great deal of time and money for producers with enormous greenhouses full of thousands of samples requiring testing."

Noestheden says that not only can he test the substance in record time, but he can also test for a virtually limitless number of phytocannabinoid variants.

"Most people are familiar with THC as the primary bioactive compound in cannabis. But in reality, there are more than 100 different phytocannabinoid variants, many with their own unique biological effects," says Noestheden. "The problem is that it's very difficult to differentiate between them when testing cannabis potency."

The research team overcame the problem by using high-pressure liquid chromatography -- an instrument that isolates each phytocannabinoid to measure them independently. They were able to discern the potency of 11 unique phytocannabinoids in cannabis extracts, which is important for determining the safety and authenticity of cannabis products.

"We tested twice as many phytocannabinoids compared to what most labs are testing for now, and more than twice as fast," says Noestheden. "We limited our tests to 11 variants because these were the only ones commercially available at the time. We could just as easily test for 50 or even all 100 variants, including some synthetic cannabinoids that can be added to products to increase potency."

Noestheden says his method was designed to be rolled out in labs around the world. Having worked with Rob O'Brien, president of Supra Research and Development, a cannabis testing lab and industry partner of this study, Noestheden now hopes his new method can be put straight to good use by helping researchers connect variation in phytocannabinoids with the pharmacological effects of various cannabis products.

"It's an elegant solution because any cannabis testing lab with the appropriate instrumentation should be able to adopt the new method with minimal additional investment, making the whole process cheaper and faster."

The study was published in the journal Phytochemical Analysiswith funding from MITACS, the University Graduate Fellowship and the Walter C. Sumner Memorial Fellowship.

Story Source:

Materials provided by University of British Columbia Okanagan campus. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.

Journal Reference:

Matthew Noestheden, Gareth Friedlander, Jason Anspach, Scott Krepich, K. C. Hyland, Wesley F. Zandberg. Chromatographic characterisation of 11 phytocannabinoids: Quantitative and fit-to-purpose performance as a function of extra-column variance. Phytochemical Analysis, 2018; DOI: 10.1002/pca.2761

Cite This Page:

University of British Columbia Okanagan campus. "Faster test for cannabis quality: New method to help meet increasing demand for cannabis potency testing." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 17 May 2018. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/05/180517102254.htm>.

Omega-3, omega-6 in diet alters gene expression in obesity

Fatty acid supplementation regulates gene coding for secreted proteins in muscles

Date: May 15, 2018 Source: American Physiological Society Summary: A new study reveals that essential fats in the diet may play a role in regulating protein secretion in the muscles by changing the way genes associated with secretion act.

A new study reveals that essential fats in the diet may play a role in regulating protein secretion in the muscles by changing the way genes associated with secretion act. The study is published ahead of print in Physiological Genomics.

Alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) and linoleic acid (LA) are plant-based essential fats -- called polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) -- that humans consume through diet. ALA is an omega-3 fatty acid; LA is an omega-6 fatty acid. Omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids have been shown to be beneficial to brain health and reduce the risk of inflammation and heart disease.

Previous studies have shown that proteins secreted from the muscles (skeletal muscle secretome) help regulate signaling of metabolic activities such as muscle fiber formation and the function of insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas. This prior research suggests that obesity and insulin resistance -- an inability of the body to properly respond to insulin -- changes the skeletal muscle secretome. A research team from the University of Guelph in Ontario, Canada, explored how regular consumption of essential fats regulates how genes use information (gene expression) associated with the skeletal muscle secretome.

The researchers studied glucose levels and took samples from muscle and RNA -- a molecule chain that uses genetic information from DNA to produce proteins in the cells -- from four groups of rats:

a lean group ate a normal diet ("lean"),
an obese group ate food supplemented with ALA ("ALA"),
an obese group ate food supplemented with LA ("LA"), and
an obese control group ate a normal diet ("obese control").

After 12 weeks on the respective diets, both the ALA and LA groups had lower glucose levels and better glucose tolerance compared to the obese control group. These factors improved more in the ALA group than the LA one. In addition, the researchers found more than 135 genes that expressed differently -- based on diet -- among the four groups of animals, including genes that correspond with 15 secreted proteins. Expression in most of these proteins differed between the lean and obese groups.

These results suggest that "LA and ALA may differentially regulate the skeletal muscle secretome," the researchers explained, and that the addition of PUFA further alters gene expression. "Our findings concerning the relationship between obesity and the skeletal muscle secretome add valuable information to a relatively understudied area of investigation."

Story Source:

Materials provided by American Physiological Society. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.

Journal Reference:

Alex Rajna, Heather Gibling, Ousseynou Sarr, Sarthak Matravadia, Graham P. Holloway, David M Mutch. Alpha-linolenic acid and linoleic acid differentially regulate the skeletal muscle secretome of obese Zucker rats. Physiological Genomics, 2018; DOI: 10.1152/physiolgenomics.00038.2018

Cite This Page:

American Physiological Society. "Omega-3, omega-6 in diet alters gene expression in obesity: Fatty acid supplementation regulates gene coding for secreted proteins in muscles." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 15 May 2018. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/05/180515081723.htm>.

Cannabidiol significantly reduces seizures in patients with severe form of epilepsy

Study looked at two doses of cannabis-derived medication's effectiveness in Lennox-Gastaut syndrome

Date: May 16, 2018 Source: NYU Langone Health / NYU School of Medicine Summary: Cannabidiol (CBD), a compound derived from the cannabis plant that does not produce a 'high,' was shown in a new large-scale, randomized, controlled trial to significantly reduce the number of dangerous seizures in patients with a severe form of epilepsy called Lennox-Gastaut syndrome. This study also is the first to offer information on cannabidiol dosing for patients with treatment-resistant epilepsy.

Cannabidiol (CBD), a compound derived from the cannabis plant that does not produce a "high" and has been an increasing focus of medical research, was shown in a new large-scale, randomized, controlled trial to significantly reduce the number of dangerous seizures in patients with a severe form of epilepsy called Lennox-Gastaut syndrome.

In the new study comparing two doses of CBD to a placebo, the researchers reported a 41.9 percent reduction in "drop seizures" -- a type of seizure that results in severe loss of muscle control and balance -- in patients taking a 20 mg/kg/d CBD regimen, a 37.2 percent reduction in those on a 10 mg/kg/d CBD regimen, and a 17.2 percent reduction in a group given a placebo.

The phase III trial was led by principal investigator and study first co-author Orrin Devinsky, MD, a professor of neurology, neurosurgery, and psychiatry at NYU School of Medicine and director of NYU Langone's Comprehensive Epilepsy Center, and was published online May 17 in The New England Journal of Medicine.

"This new study adds rigorous evidence of cannabidiol's effectiveness in reducing seizure burden in a severe form of epilepsy and, importantly, is the first study of its kind to offer more information on proper dosing," says Dr. Devinsky. "These are real medications with real side effects, and as providers we need to know all we can about a potential treatment in order to provide safe and effective care to our patients."

The study included an investigational liquid, oral formulation of CBD called Epidiolex. The product is manufactured by GW Pharmaceuticals, which operates in the U.S. as Greenwich Biosciences; GW Pharmaceuticals funded the clinical trial.

Safety of Two CBD Doses Studied

Lennox-Gastaut syndrome is a rare and severe form of epilepsy characterized by frequent drop seizures and severe cognitive impairment. Six medications are approved to treat seizures in patients with the syndrome, but disabling seizures occur in most patients despite these treatments.

Researchers enrolled 225 patients (age 2 to 55) with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome across 30 international sites in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial to assess the efficacy and safety of two doses of CBD: Seventy-six patients received 20 mg/kg/d CBD, 73 received 10 mg/kg/d CBD, and 76 were given a placebo. All medications were divided into two doses per day for 14 weeks. The number of seizures were monitored beginning four weeks prior to the study for baseline assessment, then tracked throughout the 14-week study period and afterwards for a four-week safety check.

Side effects occurred in 94 per of patients in the 20 mg CBD group, 84 percent in the 10 mg CBD group, and 72 percent of those taking placebo. Side effects were generally reported as mild or moderate in severity and those that occurred in more than 10 percent of patients included: sleepiness, decreased appetite, diarrhea, upper respiratory infection, fever, vomiting, nasopharyngitis, and status epilepticus. Fourteen patients taking CBD experienced dose-related, elevated liver enzymes that were reversible. Seven participants from the CBD group withdrew from the trial due to side effects compared to one participant in the placebo group.

"This landmark study provides data and evidence that Epidiolex can be an effective and safe treatment for seizures seen in patients with Lennox Gastaut Syndrome, a very difficult to control epilepsy syndrome," adds study co-first author, Anup Patel, MD, chief of Neurology at Nationwide Children's Hospital.

A study led by Dr. Devinsky published in last May's New England Journal of Medicine showed a 39 percent drop in seizure frequency in patients with a different rare form of epilepsy, Dravet syndrome. Those findings represented the first large-scale, randomized clinical trial for the compound. Open label CBD studies led by Dr. Devinsky also have shown positive results for treatment-resistant epilepsies.

In April, a U.S. Food and Drug Administration advisory panel unanimously voted to recommend approval of a new drug application for Epidiolex cannabidiol oral solution, following a meeting where researchers, including Dr. Devinsky, presented their findings. The FDA will decide whether to approve the medication in late June.

"While the news gives hope for a new treatment option to the epilepsy community, more research remains imperative to better determine the effects of CBD and other similar cannabis-derived compounds on other forms of the disease and in more dosing regimens," says Dr. Devinsky.

Story Source:

Materials provided by NYU Langone Health / NYU School of Medicine. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.

Journal Reference:

Orrin Devinsky, Anup D. Patel, J. Helen Cross, Vicente Villanueva, Elaine C. Wirrell, Michael Privitera, Sam M. Greenwood, Claire Roberts, Daniel Checketts, Kevan E. VanLandingham, Sameer M. Zuberi. Effect of Cannabidiol on Drop Seizures in the Lennox–Gastaut Syndrome. New England Journal of Medicine, 2018; 378 (20): 1888 DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa1714631

Cite This Page: