QUINTAIS IMORTAIS

Washington State University. "Timed release of turmeric stops cancer cell growth." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 20 June 2019. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/06/190620121404.htm>.

Curry spice boosts exercise performance in mice with heart failure

Curcumin treatment improved muscle function, exercise capacity in mice with heart failure and healthy controls

Date: November 29, 2018 Source: American Physiological Society Summary: New research suggests that curcumin, a main ingredient in curry, may improve exercise intolerance related to heart failure.

New research suggests that curcumin, a main ingredient in curry, may improve exercise intolerance related to heart failure. The study is published ahead of print in the Journal of Applied Physiology.

Curcumin, a chemical that comes from the turmeric plant, has been used as a traditional Asian medicine for centuries, primarily to treat gastrointestinal ailments and skin wounds. Studies increasingly suggest that the compound may prevent or limit muscle wasting associated with a number of health conditions, including heart failure.

Heart failure affects more than 6 million people living in the U.S. People with heart failure have a reduced function of the left ventricle -- the chamber of the heart that pumps blood out to the rest of the body -- called reduced ejection fraction. A decreased ability to exercise (exercise intolerance) is another significant characteristic of heart failure. Previous research has found that higher than normal levels of oxidative stress -- an imbalance of two different kinds of molecules that can result in cell damage -- contribute to exercise intolerance in people with heart failure. Heart failure is also associated with lower than normal expression of antioxidant enzymes in the muscles, but the reason for this is unclear. Antioxidant enzymes both prevent and repair damage from oxidative stress. Boosting enzyme levels may improve exercise performance in people in heart failure.

Researchers from the University of Nebraska Medical Center theorized that a reduction in the normal signaling of Nrf2, a protein that regulates the expression of antioxidant enzymes, may play a role in the impaired expression of antioxidant enzymes. They examined the effects of curcumin, which is known to promote activation of Nrf2, on a mouse model of heart failure with reduced ejection fraction. One group of mice with heart failure received daily doses of curcumin for 12 weeks, and another group did not receive treatment. The heart failure groups were compared to a control group of healthy mice that received curcumin and an untreated control group.

The research team measured the exercise capacity of all the mice before and after curcumin treatment. The researchers also examined muscle fiber samples to assess enzyme expression levels. They found that expression of Nrf2 increased and levels of antioxidant enzymes improved in the animals with heart failure that were given curcumin. In addition, both groups that received curcumin -- even the animals without heart failure -- had improved exercise capacity when compared with the untreated groups, suggesting the effects of curcumin on skeletal muscle is not exclusive to heart failure.

"These data suggest that activation of Nrf2 in skeletal muscle may represent a novel therapeutic strategy to improve ... quality of life" in people with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction, the researchers wrote.

Story Source:

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

Journal Reference:

Ahmed M. Wafi, Juan Hong, Tara L. Rudebush, Li Yu, Bryan T. Hackfort, Han-Jun Wang, Harold D. Schultz, Irving H. Zucker, Lie Gao. Curcumin Improves Exercise Performance of Mice with Coronary Artery Ligation Induced HFrEF: Nrf2 and Antioxidant Mechanisms in Skeletal Muscle. Journal of Applied Physiology, 2018; DOI: 10.1152/japplphysiol.00654.2018

Cite This Page:

American Physiological Society. "Curry spice boosts exercise performance in mice with heart failure: Curcumin treatment improved muscle function, exercise capacity in mice with heart failure and healthy controls." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 29 November 2018. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/11/181129122448.htm>.

segunda-feira, 11 de novembro de 2019

Red wine's resveratrol could help Mars explorers stay strong

Nutraceuticals that preserve muscle in reduced gravity will support long-term space missions

Date: July 18, 2019 Source: Frontiers Summary: Mars is about 9 months from Earth with today's tech, NASA reckons. As the new space race hurtles forward, researchers are asking: how do we make sure the winners can still stand when they reach the finish line? A new study shows that resveratrol substantially preserves muscle mass and strength in rats exposed to the wasting effects of simulated Mars gravity.

Mars is about 9 months from Earth with today's tech, NASA reckons. As the new space race hurtles forward, Harvard researchers are asking: how do we make sure the winners can still stand when they reach the finish line?

Published in Frontiers in Physiology, their study shows that resveratrol substantially preserves muscle mass and strength in rats exposed to the wasting effects of simulated Mars gravity.

Space supplements

Out in space, unchallenged by gravity, muscles and bones weaken. Weight-bearing muscles are hit first and worst, like the soleus muscle in the calf.

"After just 3 weeks in space, the human soleus muscle shrinks by a third," says Dr. Marie Mortreux, lead author of the NASA-funded study at the laboratory of Dr. Seward Rutkove, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School. "This is accompanied by a loss of slow-twitch muscle fibers, which are needed for endurance."

To allow astronauts to operate safely on long missions to Mars -- whose gravitational pull is just 40% of Earth's -- mitigating strategies will be needed to prevent muscle deconditioning.

"Dietary strategies could be key," says Dr. Mortreux, "especially since astronauts travelling to Mars won't have access to the type of exercise machines deployed on the ISS."

A strong candidate is resveratrol: a compound commonly found in grape skin and blueberries that has been widely investigated for its anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidative, and anti-diabetic effects.

"Resveratrol has been shown to preserve bone and muscle mass in rats during complete unloading, analogous to microgravity during spaceflight. So, we hypothesized that a moderate daily dose would help mitigate muscle deconditioning in a Mars gravity analogue, too."

Mars rats

To mimic Mars gravity, the researchers used an approach first developed in mice by Mary Bouxsein, PhD, also at Beth Israel Deaconess, in which rats were fitted with a full-body harness and suspended by a chain from their cage ceiling.

Thus, 24 male rats were exposed to normal loading (Earth) or 40% loading (Mars) for 14 days. In each group, half received resveratrol (150 mg/kg/day) in water; the others got just the water. Otherwise, they fed freely from the same chow.

Calf circumference and front and rear paw grip force were measured weekly, and at 14 days the calf muscles were analyzed.

Resveratrol to the rescue

The results were impressive.

As expected, the 'Mars' condition weakened the rats' grip and shrank their calf circumference, muscle weight and slow-twitch fiber content.

But incredibly, resveratrol supplementation almost entirely rescued front and rear paw grip in the Mars rats, to the level of the non-supplemented Earth rats.

What's more, resveratrol completely protected muscle mass (soleus and gastrocnemius) in the Mars rats, and in particular reduced the loss of slow-twitch muscle fibers. The protection was not complete, though: the supplement did not entirely rescue average soleus and gastrocnemius fibers cross-sectional area, or calf circumference.

As reported previously, resveratrol did not affect food intake or total body weight.

Perfecting the dose

Previous resveratrol research can explain these findings, says Dr. Mortreux.

"A likely factor here is insulin sensitivity.

"Resveratrol treatment promotes muscle growth in diabetic or unloaded animals, by increasing insulin sensitivity and glucose uptake in the muscle fibers. This is relevant for astronauts, who are known to develop reduced insulin sensitivity during spaceflight."

The anti-inflammatory effects of resveratrol could also help to conserve muscle and bone, and other anti-oxidant sources such as dried plums are being used to test this, adds Dr. Mortreux.

"Further studies are needed to explore the mechanisms involved, as well as the effects of different doses of resveratrol (up to 700 mg/kg/day) in both males and females. In addition, it will be important to confirm the lack of any potentially harmful interactions of resveratrol with other drugs administered to astronauts during space missions."

Story Source:

Materials provided by Frontiers. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.

Journal Reference:

Marie Mortreux, Daniela Riveros, Mary L. Bouxsein, Seward B. Rutkove. A Moderate Daily Dose of Resveratrol Mitigates Muscle Deconditioning in a Martian Gravity Analog. Frontiers in Physiology, 2019; 10 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2019.00899

Cite This Page:

Frontiers. "Red wine's resveratrol could help Mars explorers stay strong: Nutraceuticals that preserve muscle in reduced gravity will support long-term space missions." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 18 July 2019. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/07/190718085319.htm>.

domingo, 10 de novembro de 2019

A grape constituent protects against cancer

Date: October 3, 2018 Source: Université de Genève Summary: Lung cancer is the deadliest form of cancer in the world, and 80% of death are related to smoking. In addition to tobacco control, effective chemoprevention strategies are therefore needed. A team of scientists studied a well-known natural product, resveratrol, which is found in grapes and in red wine. While its chemopreventive properties against cancers affecting the digestive tract have been documented by previous studies, resveratrol has so far shown no effect on lung cancers. Thanks to nasal administration, the UNIGE team obtained very promising results in a study conducted in mice.

Lung cancer is the deadliest form of cancer in the world, and 80% of death are related to smoking. In addition to tobacco control, effective chemoprevention strategies are therefore needed. A team of scientists from the University of Geneva (UNIGE), Switzerland, studied a well-known natural product, resveratrol, which is found in grapes and in red wine. While its chemopreventive properties against cancers affecting the digestive tract have been documented by previous studies, resveratrol has so far shown no effect on lung cancers. Thanks to nasal administration, the UNIGE team obtained very promising results in a study conducted in mice and described in the journal Scientific Reports.

"We tried to prevent lung cancer induced by a carcinogen found in cigarette smoke by using resveratrol, an already well-documented molecule, in a mouse model," explains Muriel Cuendet, Associate Professor in the School of pharmaceutical sciences of the UNIGE Faculty of Science. This 26 week long study contained four groups of mice. The first one, the control, received neither carcinogen nor resveratrol treatment. The second received only the carcinogen, the third received both the carcinogen and the treatment, and the fourth received only the treatment. "We observed a 45% decrease in tumor load per mouse in the treated mice. They developed fewer tumors and of smaller size than untreated mice," says Muriel Cuendet. When comparing the two groups that were not exposed to carcinogen, 63% of the mice treated did not develop cancer, compared to only 12.5% of the untreated mice. "Resveratrol could therefore play a preventive role against lung cancer," she continues.

This formulation is applicable to humans

However, resveratrol does not seem suitable for preventing lung cancer: when ingested, it is metabolized and eliminated within minutes, and therefore does not have time to reach the lungs. "This is why our challenge was to find a formulation in which resveratrol could be solubilized in large quantities, even though it is poorly soluble in water, in order to allow nasal administration. This formulation, applicable to humans, allows the compound to reach the lungs," explains Aymeric Monteillier, a scientist in the School of pharmaceutical sciences of the UNIGE Faculty of Science, and the first author of the study. The resveratrol concentration obtained in the lungs after nasal administration of the formulation was 22 times higher than when taken orally. The chemoprevention mechanism is probably related to apoptosis, a process by which cells program their own death and from which cancer cells escape. The UNIGE research team will now focus on finding a biomarker that could contribute to the selection of people eligible for preventive treatment with resveratrol.

Towards a preventive treatment?

Resveratrol is an already well-known molecule, which is found in food supplements, meaning that no further toxicological study would be needed prior to commercialisation as a preventive treatment. "This discovery is unfortunately of little economic interest to pharmaceutical groups. The molecule is indeed simple and non-patentable and cancer prevention studies require a follow-up over many years," regrets Muriel Cuendet, without excluding the development of preventive treatment in humans.

Story Source:

Materials provided by Université de Genève. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.

Journal Reference:

Aymeric Monteillier, Aymone Voisin, Pascal Furrer, Eric Allémann, Muriel Cuendet. Intranasal administration of resveratrol successfully prevents lung cancer in A/J mice. Scientific Reports, 2018; 8 (1) DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-32423-0

Cite This Page:

Université de Genève. "A grape constituent protects against cancer." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 3 October 2018. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/10/181003102423.htm>.

Newly discovered compounds shed fresh light on whole grain health benefits

Date: October 3, 2018 Source: University of Eastern Finland Summary: Scientists have discovered new compounds that may explain whole grain health benefits. A high intake of whole grains increased the levels of betaine compounds in the body which, in turn, was associated with improved glucose metabolism, among other things. The findings shed new light on the cell level effects of a whole grain-rich diet, and can help in development of increasingly healthy food products.

Scientists have discovered new compounds that may explain whole grain health benefits, reports a new study led by the University of Eastern Finland. A high intake of whole grains increased the levels of betaine compounds in the body which, in turn, was associated with improved glucose metabolism, among other things. The findings shed new light on the cell level effects of a whole grain-rich diet, and can help in the development of increasingly healthy food products.

"Whole grains are one of the healthiest foods there is. For instance, we know that a high intake of whole grains protects against type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. Up until now, however, we haven't understood the cellular mechanisms through which a whole grain-rich diet impacts our body," says Dr Kati Hanhineva, Principal Investigator of the study at the University of Eastern Finland.

Using metabolomics analysis, Dr Hanhineva's research group investigated the effects of a whole grain-rich diet on the body's metabolites. The effects were studied in mice fed with bran-rich fodder, and in humans following a diet rich in whole grain products over the course of 12 weeks. A whole grain-rich diet increased the levels of betaine compounds in both mice and humans.

"This is the first time many of these betaine compounds were observed in the human body in the first place," Dr Hanhineva says.

At the end of the 12-week follow-up, the researchers also observed a correlation between improved glucose metabolism and increased presence of betaine compounds in the body.

"Pipecolic acid betaine, for example, is particularly interesting. Increased levels of pipecolic acid betaine after the consumption of whole grains was, among other things, associated with lower post-meal glucose levels."

New compound worked similarly to a heart drug in cell level experiments

One of the betaine compounds discovered by the researchers is 5-aminovaleric acid betaine, 5-AVAB, which seems to cumulate in metabolically active tissues, such as the heart. With this observation in mind, the researchers set out to further test its effects in a cell model.

"We observed that 5-AVAB reduces cardiomyocytes' use of fatty acids as a source of energy by inhibiting the function of a certain cell membrane protein," Researcher Olli Kärkkäinen from the University of Eastern Finland says.

"This cell level effect is similar to that of certain drugs used for cardiovascular diseases. However, it is important to keep in mind that we haven't proceeded beyond cell level experiments yet. We need further research in animals and humans to verify that 5-AVAB really can impact the function of our body."

However, the discovery of the new compounds associated with whole grains significantly enhances our understanding of why whole grain products are good for our health.

"In the future, we seek to analyse in greater detail the multitude of effects these new compounds can have on the human body, and we will also look into how intestinal microbes possibly contribute to the formation of these compounds," Dr Hanhineva continues.

Story Source:

Materials provided by University of Eastern Finland. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.

Journal Reference:

Olli Kärkkäinen, Maria A Lankinen, Marilena Vitale, Jenna Jokkala, Jukka Leppänen, Ville Koistinen, Marko Lehtonen, Rosalba Giacco, Natalia Rosa-Sibakov, Valérie Micard, Angela A A Rivellese, Ursula Schwab, Hannu Mykkänen, Matti Uusitupa, Marjukka Kolehmainen, Gabriele Riccardi, Kaisa Poutanen, Seppo Auriola, Kati Hanhineva. Diets rich in whole grains increase betainized compounds associated with glucose metabolism. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2018; DOI: 10.1093/ajcn/nqy169

Cite This Page:

University of Eastern Finland. "Newly discovered compounds shed fresh light on whole grain health benefits." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 3 October 2018. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/10/181003102720.htm>.

terça-feira, 5 de novembro de 2019

Essential oils from garlic and other herbs kill 'persister' Lyme disease bacteria

Date: December 3, 2018 Source: Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health Summary: Oils from garlic and several other common herbs and medicinal plants show strong activity against the bacterium that causes Lyme disease, according to a new study.

Oils from garlic and several other common herbs and medicinal plants show strong activity against the bacterium that causes Lyme disease, according to a study by researchers at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. These oils may be especially useful in alleviating Lyme symptoms that persist despite standard antibiotic treatment, the study also suggests.

The study, published October 16 in the journal Antibiotics, included lab-dish tests of 35 essential oils -- oils that are pressed from plants or their fruits and contain the plant's main fragrance, or "essence." The Bloomberg School researchers found that 10 of these, including oils from garlic cloves, myrrh trees, thyme leaves, cinnamon bark, allspice berries and cumin seeds, showed strong killing activity against dormant and slow-growing "persister" forms of the Lyme disease bacterium.

"We found that these essential oils were even better at killing the 'persister' forms of Lyme bacteria than standard Lyme antibiotics," says study senior author Ying Zhang, MD, PhD, professor in the Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology at the Bloomberg School.

There are an estimated 300,000 new cases of Lyme disease each year in the United States. Standard treatment with doxycycline or an alternative antibiotic for a few weeks usually clears the infection and resolves symptoms. However, about 10 to 20 percent of patients report persistent symptoms including fatigue and joint pain -- often termed "persistent Lyme infection" or "post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome" (PTLDS) that in some cases can last for months or years.

The cause of this lingering syndrome isn't known. But it is known that cultures of Lyme disease bacteria, Borrelia burgdorferi, can enter a so-called stationary phase in which many of the cells divide slowly or not at all. The slow-dividing or dormant cells are "persister" cells, which can form naturally under nutrient starvation or stress conditions, and are more resistant to antibiotics. Some researchers have sought other drugs or medicinal compounds that can kill persister Lyme bacteria in the hope that these compounds can be used to treat people with persistent Lyme symptoms.

Zhang and his laboratory have been at the forefront of these efforts. In 2014, his lab screened FDA-approved drugs for activity against persister Lyme bacteria and found many candidates including daptomycin (used to treat MRSA) that had better activity than the current Lyme antibiotics. In 2015, they reported that a three-antibiotic combination -- doxycycline, cefoperazone and daptomycin -- reliably killed Lyme persister bacteria in lab dish tests. In a 2017 study they found that essential oils from oregano, cinnamon bark, clove buds, citronella and wintergreen killed stationary phase Lyme bacteria even more potently than daptomycin, the champion among tested pharmaceuticals.

In the new study Zhang and his team extended their lab-dish testing to include 35 other essential oils, and found 10 that show significant killing activity against stationary phase Lyme bacteria cultures at concentrations of just one part per thousand. At this concentration, five of these oils, derived respectively from garlic bulbs, allspice berries, myrrh trees, spiked ginger lily blossoms and may change fruit successfully killed all stationary phase Lyme bacteria in their culture dishes in seven days, so no bacteria grew back in 21 days.

Oils from thyme leaves, cumin seeds and amyris wood also performed well, as did cinnamaldehyde, the fragrant main ingredient of cinnamon bark oil.

Lab-dish tests such as these represent an early stage of research, but Zhang and colleagues hope in the near future to continue their investigations of essential oils with tests in live animals, including tests in mouse models of persistent Lyme infection. If those tests go well and the effective doses seem safe, Zhang expects to organize initial tests in humans.

"At this stage these essential oils look very promising as candidate treatments for persistent Lyme infection, but ultimately we need properly designed clinical trials," he says.

Support for the research came from the Global Lyme Alliance, LivLyme Foundation, NatCapLyme, and the Einstein-Sim Family Charitable Fund.

Story Source:

Materials provided by Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.

Journal Reference:

Jie Feng, Wanliang Shi, Judith Miklossy, Genevieve Tauxe, Conor McMeniman, Ying Zhang. Identification of Essential Oils with Strong Activity against Stationary Phase Borrelia burgdorferi. Antibiotics, 2018; 7 (4): 89 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics7040089

Cite This Page:

Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health. "Essential oils from garlic and other herbs kill 'persister' Lyme disease bacteria." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 3 December 2018. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/12/181203115443.htm>.

sábado, 14 de setembro de 2019

Hand- versus machine-harvested juice and cider apples: A comparison of phenolic profiles

Machine-harvested apples offer cost-effective option for growers and cider makers

Date: August 30, 2019 Source: American Society for Horticultural Science Summary: Study conducted to determine if there is a measurable impact of harvest method on the phenolic profile of 'Brown Snout' juice and cider to better inform equipment adoption. Over-the-row machine harvesting resulted in a final product of similar quality at reduced labor costs, and thus shows potential for increasing the commercial sustainability of cider apple operations.

A study out of Washington State University sought to determine if there is a measurable impact of harvest method on the phenolic profile of 'Brown Snout' juice and cider to better inform equipment adoption.

Travis Alexander, Thomas Collins, and Carol Miles also evaluated whether different extraction methods would yield differing output in either quantity or quality of 'Brown Snout' apple juice and cider. Their comprehensive findings are illustrated in their article, "Comparison of the Phenolic Profiles of Juice and Cider Derived from Machine- and Hand-Harvested 'Brown Snout' Specialty Cider Apples in Northwest Washington" as found in the open-access journal HortTechnology, published by the American Society for Horticultural Science.

Phenolics are secondary metabolites that have attracted increasing interest in science and industry in recent years due to their beneficial health effects, primarily for their antioxidant properties. They have been proven to act as reducing agents to free radicals. Phenolics contribute significantly to the sensory profile of fermented cider, especially in those made from cider apple fruit. "Phenolics can impact the pressing of fruit, the clarification of juice, the maturation of cider, and final cider quality, including the attributes of aroma, color, taste, and mouthfeel. And so, we wanted to determine if there was a change in phenolics due to harvest method" stated Collins.

"The 'Brown Snout' specialty cider apple is desired by cider makers for its relatively high levels of phenolics, and over-the-row machine harvesting of 'Brown Snout' has been demonstrated to provide similar yield to hand harvest at a significantly lower cost" says Alexander.

To carry out their research, Miles said they planted a block of 'Brown Snout' apple trees on a low trellis system so that trees were a suitable size to fit the over-the-row small fruit harvester. Each of the eight main plots consisted of an average of nine trees. When the fruit was fully ripe, harvesting was divided equally between hand harvesting by four relatively unskilled agricultural workers and machine harvest by an over-the-row small fruit harvester. When application of the two harvest methods was complete, equal qualities of 'Brown Snout' apples were randomly selected from each yield supply for further evaluation.

The selected fruit were pressed separately and fermented and allowed to mature for 5 months before final assessments were conducted. At that time, the researchers determined that harvest method and duration of storage were nonsignificant for all parameters measured on juice and cider samples.

Over-the-row machine harvesting resulted in a final product of similar quality at reduced labor costs, and thus shows potential for increasing the commercial sustainability of cider apple operations.

Story Source:

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

Journal Reference:

Travis R. Alexander, Thomas S. Collins, Carol A. Miles. Comparison of the Phenolic Profiles of Juice and Cider Derived from Machine- and Hand-harvested ‘Brown Snout’ Specialty Cider Apples in Northwest Washington. HortTechnology, 2019; 29 (4): 423 DOI: 10.21273/HORTTECH04342-19

Cite This Page:

American Society for Horticultural Science. "Hand- versus machine-harvested juice and cider apples: A comparison of phenolic profiles: Machine-harvested apples offer cost-effective option for growers and cider makers." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 30 August 2019. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/08/190830162305.htm>.

There is more to kombucha than meets the eye -- literally

Date: September 4, 2019 Source: Arizona State University Summary: In today's health-conscious community, kombucha is all the rave. Its appeal comes from its accessibility and alleged health benefits, which range from introducing probiotics to killing deleterious bacteria in the human body.

In today's health-conscious community, kombucha is all the rave. Its appeal comes from its accessibility and alleged health benefits, which range from introducing probiotics to killing deleterious bacteria in the human body.

But as is the case for many things in science, there is more to kombucha than meets the eye -- literally. The microscopic microbes inhabiting this fermented concoction could offer insight into how microbial communities interact, more specifically on how symbiotic relationships form within complex microbial models.

Athena Aktipis, an assistant professor in the Department of Psychology and associate faculty in the Biodesign Center for Biocomputing, Security and Society, was a fan of kombucha herself, before delving deeper.

"Honestly, I started working on kombucha because I really liked the taste of it. I started brewing it in my kitchen for my own consumption. After brewing it for a couple of months, I would come home from work and just stare at it, asking, 'how do you work.' Being a scientist, I got on google scholar to learn more, but I didn't find much."

In response to this, Aktipis teamed up with other researchers to take all the pieces of the puzzle she had found in pre-existing literature and put them together see the bigger picture on how kombucha operates and how the different species of microbes interact and cooperate within.

Alexander May, a prior researcher in Aktipis's lab, led the efforts to expand on this knowledge in a review paper published in PeerJ (The Journal of Life and Environmental Sciences). Arvind Varsani, an associate professor in the Biodesign Center for Fundamental and Applied Microbiomics and associate faculty in the Biodesign Center for Mechanisms of Evolution, and Carlo Maley, faculty in the School of Life Sciences and an associate professor in the Biodesign Center for Biocomputing, Security and Society, served as collaborators on the review paper.

The paper deconstructed each component of the microbial system, offering insight into how the microbes interact and what resources they utilize as a by-product of the fermentative processes used for making kombucha.

"We think kombucha is important as a model system because it's an easy-to-grow microbial community that can potentially answer interesting questions about cooperation between different species," May said. "Microbes (including the bacteria and yeast in kombucha) actually have a lot of complex social behaviors that scientists are only really starting to learn about. We think that by understanding what's going on at the small scale, we can get clues as to what happens at the larger scale and see if the same patterns even hold true in human societies. People have been eating fermented foods like kombucha for centuries, but it's only recently that scientists have started digging into the systems themselves to understand how and why they can benefit humans."

Kombucha is made by first introducing sucrose to black or green tea, followed by the addition of kombucha liquid from a previous batch. A biofilm, also from a previous batch of kombucha, is then placed on top of the liquid, and the concoction is allowed to ferment for 10 to 14 days.

Although this may seem nothing more than a straightforward recipe for making a tasty refreshment, these fermentative steps actually sustain a wide variety of microbes, illustrating various ecological concepts we usually only see in real-time with non-microscopic organisms.

For example, the yeast found in the kombucha liquid produces invertase, an enzyme that bacteria and yeast use to metabolize sugars, as a public good. Similarly, bacteria produce a biofilm at the top of the batch that protects microbes from outside invaders, provides oxygen and offers space for the storage of resources. Ethanol and acid, the by-products of fermentation, also keep invaders at bay.

However, there are many systems that have various microbial species at play, so why pick kombucha to illustrate these relationships?

"There is an ease of management that comes from it (because it is easy to make), but it also has a sort of complexity because it contains so many species, and in that way, it is similar to a microbial system you would see in nature," Aktipis said. "It is at this really nice boundary between simplicity and complexity."

Kombucha has proven to be an efficient way to study interspecies interactions on the microbial scale, but it has much more to offer. From this study, Aktipis and collaborators are working on using kombucha as a model to develop interventions for bettering human health.

It has been recently brought into light how important the human microbiome is -- the balance of microbes in our bodies, which we have co-evolved with since the dawn of humankind, is pivotal to human health. Throwing that balance off could have significant adverse effects, but treating humans with microbes could restore that balance.

"Right now, we are trying to develop kombucha as a system that could allow us to create new antimicrobial products, which are based on multiple species," Aktipis said. "Whereas drugs are used to kill organisms, we want to ask, 'how can we cultivate a diverse microbial community that can outcompete pathogens.'"

To do this, researchers are taking kombucha and introducing new invaders or removing some chemical or microbial component.

"We are trying to figure out which parts of cooperation in kombucha are most important," Aktipis said. "This paper is the tip of the iceberg of a whole research program we are designing."

These researchers are the first to look into kombucha as a model system -- Aktipis says this is a good reminder to be aware of the world around and to never stop asking 'why.'

"There is this tendency in science to only look at things that are already being studied. A lot of what we did with this kombucha project is coming back to the importance of observation, observing the natural world. I think that's been a little bit lost, and it's also much more fun to be aware of your world and to try to understand it."

Story Source:

Materials provided by Arizona State University. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.

Journal Reference:

Alexander May, Shrinath Narayanan, Joe Alcock, Arvind Varsani, Carlo Maley, Athena Aktipis. Kombucha: a novel model system for cooperation and conflict in a complex multi-species microbial ecosystem. PeerJ, 2019; 7: e7565 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.7565

Cite This Page:

Arizona State University. "There is more to kombucha than meets the eye -- literally." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 4 September 2019. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/09/190904090309.htm>.

Eating nuts linked with lower risk of fatal heart attack and stroke

Date: August 31, 2019 Source: European Society of Cardiology Summary: Eating nuts at least twice a week is associated with a 17% lower risk of death from cardiovascular disease.

Eating nuts at least twice a week is associated with a 17% lower risk of death from cardiovascular disease, according to research presented today at ESC Congress 2019 together with the World Congress of Cardiology.

"Nuts are a good source of unsaturated fat and contain little saturated fat," said study author Dr Noushin Mohammadifard of Isfahan Cardiovascular Research Institute, Iran. "They also have protein, minerals, vitamins, fibre, phytosterols, and polyphenols which benefit heart health. European and US studies have related nuts with cardiovascular protection but there is limited evidence from the Eastern Mediterranean Region."

This study examined the association between nut consumption and the risk of cardiovascular disease and death in the Iranian population. A total of 5,432 adults aged 35 and older with no history of cardiovascular disease were randomly selected from urban and rural areas of the Isfahan, Arak and Najafabad counties. Intake of nuts including walnuts, almonds, pistachios, hazelnuts, and seeds was assessed in 2001 with a validated food frequency questionnaire.

Participants or family members were interviewed every two years until 2013 for the occurrence of cardiovascular events and death. The specific outcomes investigated were coronary heart disease, stroke, total cardiovascular disease, death from any cause, and death from cardiovascular disease.

During a median 12-year follow-up, there were 751 cardiovascular events (594 coronary heart disease and 157 stroke), 179 cardiovascular deaths, and 458 all-cause deaths.

Eating nuts two or more times per week was associated with a 17% lower risk of cardiovascular mortality compared to consuming nuts once every two weeks. The connection was robust even after adjusting for factors that could influence the relationship such as age, sex, education, smoking, and physical activity. Nut intake was inversely associated with the other outcomes but lost significance after adjustment.

ESC guidelines list 30 grams of unsalted nuts per day as one of the characteristics of a healthy diet, while noting that the energy density of nuts is high.(1)

"Raw fresh nuts are the healthiest," added Dr Mohammadifard. "Nuts should be fresh because unsaturated fats can become oxidised in stale nuts, making them harmful. You can tell if nuts are rancid by their paint-like smell and bitter or sour taste."

References and notes

(1)Piepoli MF, Hoes AW, Agewall S, et al. 2016 European Guidelines on cardiovascular disease prevention in clinical practice. Eur Heart J. 2016;37:2315-2381.

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Materials provided by European Society of Cardiology. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.

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European Society of Cardiology. "Eating nuts linked with lower risk of fatal heart attack and stroke." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 31 August 2019. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/08/190831155847.htm>.

Coffee may protect against gallstones

Date: September 5, 2019 Source:Wiley Summary: Drinking more coffee may help reduce the risk of developing gallstones, according to a new study.

Drinking more coffee may help reduce the risk of developing gallstones, according to a new study published in the Journal of Internal Medicine.

Among 104,493 individuals, those who drank more than six cups of coffee per day had a 23% lower risk of developing symptomatic gallstones compared with individuals who did not drink coffee.

Drinking one extra cup of coffee per day was associated with 3% lower risk. Also, individuals with certain genetic variants that have been linked to increased coffee consumption had a lower risk of gallstones.

Although the study only uncovered correlations, the authors highlighted several mechanisms by which coffee consumption might help prevent gallstones from forming.

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Materials provided by Wiley. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.

Journal Reference:

A. T. Nordestgaard, S. Stender, B. G. Nordestgaard, A. Tybjærg‐Hansen. Coffee intake protects against symptomatic gallstone disease in the general population: a Mendelian randomization study. Journal of Internal Medicine, 2019; DOI: 10.1111/joim.12970

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Wiley. "Coffee may protect against gallstones." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 5 September 2019. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/09/190905080059.htm>.

Eating mushrooms may help lower prostate cancer risk

Date: September 5, 2019 Source: Wiley Summary: A new study found an inverse relationship between mushroom consumption and the development of prostate cancer among middle-aged and elderly Japanese men, suggesting that regular mushroom intake might help to prevent prostate cancer.

A new study published in the International Journal of Cancer found an inverse relationship between mushroom consumption and the development of prostate cancer among middle-aged and elderly Japanese men, suggesting that regular mushroom intake might help to prevent prostate cancer.

A total of 36,499 men, aged 40 to 79 years who participated in the Miyagi Cohort Study in 1990 and in the Ohsaki Cohort Study in 1994 were followed for a median of 13.2 years. During follow-up, 3.3% of participants developed prostate cancer. Compared with mushroom consumption of less than once per week, consumption once or twice a week was associated with an 8% lower risk of prostate cancer and consumption three or more times per week was associated with a 17% lower risk.

"Since information on mushroom species was not collected, it is difficult to know which specific mushroom(s) contributed to our findings. Also, the mechanism of the beneficial effects of mushrooms on prostate cancer remains uncertain," said lead author Shu Zhang, PhD, of the Tohoku University School of Public Health, in Japan.

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Journal Reference:

Shu Zhang, Yumi Sugawara, Shiuan Chen, Robert B. Beelman, Tsuyoshi Tsuduki, Yasutake Tomata, Sanae Matsuyama, Ichiro Tsuji. Mushroom consumption and incident risk of prostate cancer in Japan: A pooled analysis of the Miyagi Cohort Study and the Ohsaki Cohort Study. International Journal of Cancer, 2019; DOI: 10.1002/ijc.32591

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Wiley. "Eating mushrooms may help lower prostate cancer risk." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 5 September 2019. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/09/190905080106.htm>.

quarta-feira, 28 de agosto de 2019

Técnica aumenta em 70% no suco de uva substância benéfica presente no vinho

Resveratrol, que até então só era encontrado em maiores quantidades no vinho, reduz o colesterol ruim, tem ação anti-inflamatória, fortalece o sistema muscular e previne doenças

Editorias: Ciências da Saúde - URL Curta: jornal.usp.br/?p=267680

Testes foram realizados no Rio Grande do Sul e em Minas Gerais com duas variedades de uva – Foto: Wikimedia Commons

O Centro de Pesquisa em Alimentos (FoRC, da sigla em inglês), um Centro de Pesquisa, Inovação e Difusão (Cepid) da Fapesp sediado na USP, desenvolve técnica que poderá aumentar em 70% o teor de resveratrol no suco de uva. A substância, presente no vinho, previne doenças coronárias, reduz níveis de colesterol ruim (LDL), tem ação anti-inflamatória e fortalece o sistema muscular.

A pesquisadora Laís Moro, doutoranda em Ciência dos Alimentos na Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas (FCF) da USP e bolsista da Fapesp, desenvolveu uma técnica para estimular a produção de resveratrol naturalmente nas plantas. “Os resultados preliminares indicam que, com o tratamento, houve um aumento de 70% desse composto no suco, que se manteve mesmo após armazenamento de seis meses”, disse.

O estudo foi coordenado por Eduardo Purgatto, pesquisador do FoRC. Os testes foram realizados no Rio Grande do Sul e em Minas Gerais com duas variedades de uva, totalizando 240 litros por região, sendo que parte das videiras era tratada e a outra não. Além do resveratrol, os pesquisadores observaram um aumento significativo de outras substâncias, como antocianinas e flavonoides, também aliadas na promoção da saúde.

Segundo Laís Moro, o próximo passo é avaliar se os resultados se reproduzem em um segundo ano de estudo, para comprovar o potencial do tratamento.

O processo de fabricação do vinho, que envolve fermentação, favorece a extração de resveratrol e de outros compostos bioativos da uva, mas nem todos podem consumi-lo. “O novo suco é direcionado a crianças, idosos e pessoas que não podem ou não gostam de consumir vinho. Seria uma alternativa que une o prazer do sabor aos componentes terapêuticos.”

Com informações da Assessoria de Comunicação do FoRC

Este texto foi originalmente publicado por Agência Fapesp de acordo com a licença Creative Commons CC-BY-NC-ND. Leia o original aqui.

segunda-feira, 17 de junho de 2019

Red and white meats are equally bad for cholesterol

Date: June 4, 2019 Source: University of California - San Francisco Summary: Contrary to popular belief, consuming red meat and white meat such as poultry, have equal effects on blood cholesterol levels, according to a new study.

Contrary to popular belief, consuming red meat and white meat such as poultry, have equal effects on blood cholesterol levels, according to a study published today in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

The study, led by scientists at Children's Hospital Oakland Research Institute (CHORI) -- the research arm of UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital Oakland -- surprised the researchers with the discovery that consuming high levels of red meat or white poultry resulted in higher blood cholesterol levels than consuming a comparable amount of plant proteins. Moreover, this effect was observed whether or not the diet contained high levels of saturated fat, which increased blood cholesterol to the same extent with all three protein sources.

"When we planned this study, we expected red meat to have a more adverse effect on blood cholesterol levels than white meat, but we were surprised that this was not the case -- their effects on cholesterol are identical when saturated fat levels are equivalent," said the study senior author Ronald Krauss, M.D., senior scientist and director of Atherosclerosis Research at CHORI.

Krauss, who is also a UCSF professor of medicine, noted that the meats studied did not include grass-fed beef or processed products such as bacon or sausage; nor did it include fish.

But the results were notable, as they indicated that restricting meat altogether, whether red or white, is more advisable for lowering blood cholesterol levels than previously thought. The study found that plant proteins are the healthiest for blood cholesterol.

This study, dubbed the APPROACH (Animal and Plant Protein and Cardiovascular Health) trial, also found that consuming high amounts of saturated fat increased concentrations of large cholesterol-enriched LDL particles, which have a weaker connection to cardiovascular disease than smaller LDL particles.

Similarly, red and white meat increased amounts of large LDL in comparison to nonmeat diets. Therefore, using standard LDL cholesterol levels as the measure of cardiovascular risk may lead to overestimating that risk for both higher meat and saturated fat intakes, as standard LDL cholesterol tests may primarily reflect levels of larger LDL particles.

Consumption of red meat has become unpopular during the last few decades over concerns about its association with increased heart disease. Government dietary guidelines have encouraged the consumption of poultry as a healthier alternative to red meat.

But there had been no comprehensive comparison of the effects of red meat, white meat and nonmeat proteins on blood cholesterol until now, Krauss said. Nonmeat proteins such as vegetables, dairy, and legumes, such as beans, show the best cholesterol benefit, he said.

"Our results indicate that current advice to restrict red meat and not white meat should not be based only on their effects on blood cholesterol," Krauss said. "Indeed, other effects of red meat consumption could contribute to heart disease, and these effects should be explored in more detail in an effort to improve health."

Story Source:

Materials provided by University of California - San Francisco. Original written by Lorna Fernandes. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.

Journal Reference:

Nathalie Bergeron, Sally Chiu, Paul T Williams, Sarah M King, Ronald M Krauss. Effects of red meat, white meat, and nonmeat protein sources on atherogenic lipoprotein measures in the context of low compared with high saturated fat intake: a randomized controlled trial. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2019; DOI: 10.1093/ajcn/nqz035

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University of California - San Francisco. "Red and white meats are equally bad for cholesterol." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 4 June 2019. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/06/190604084840.htm>.

Unsalted tomato juice may help lower heart disease risk

Date: June 5, 2019 Source: Wiley Summary: Drinking unsalted tomato juice lowered blood pressure and LDL cholesterol in Japanese adults at risk of cardiovascular disease.

In a study published in Food Science & Nutrition, drinking unsalted tomato juice lowered blood pressure and LDL cholesterol in Japanese adults at risk of cardiovascular disease.

In the study, 184 male and 297 female participants were provided with as much unsalted tomato juice as they wanted throughout one year. At the end of the study, blood pressure in 94 participants with untreated prehypertension or hypertension dropped significantly: systolic blood pressure lowered from an average of 141.2 to 137.0 mmHg, and diastolic blood pressure lowered from an average of 83.3 to 80.9 mmHg. LDL cholesterol levels in 125 participants with high cholesterol decreased from an average of 155.0 to 149.9 mg/dL. These beneficial effects were similar among men and women and among different age groups.

"To the best of our knowledge, the current study is the first to investigate the effects of tomato or tomato product intake on cardiovascular disease risk markers over the course of a year and over a wide age range," the authors wrote.

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Materials provided by Wiley. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.

Journal Reference:

Tamami Odai, Masakazu Terauchi, Daisaku Okamoto, Asuka Hirose, Naoyuki Miyasaka. Unsalted tomato juice intake improves blood pressure and serum low‐density lipoprotein cholesterol level in local Japanese residents at risk of cardiovascular disease. Food Science & Nutrition, 2019; DOI: 10.1002/fsn3.1066

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Wiley. "Unsalted tomato juice may help lower heart disease risk." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 5 June 2019. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/06/190605100354.htm>.

sábado, 1 de junho de 2019

Coffee not as bad for heart and circulatory system as previously thought

Coffee does not stiffen your arteries, study shows

Date: June 3, 2019 Source: British Heart Foundation Summary: A new study shows that drinking coffee isn't as bad for our arteries as some previous studies would suggest. The research has shown that drinking coffee, including in people who drink up to 25 cups a day, is not associated with having stiffer arteries.

Coffee cup with heart shape latte art (stock image).

Drinking coffee might keep us up at night, but new research has given us a reason to sleep easy knowing that the popular drink isn't as bad for our arteries as some previous studies would suggest.

The research from Queen Mary University of London has shown that drinking coffee, including in people who drink up to 25 cups a day, is not associated with having stiffer arteries.

The research, led by Professor Steffen Petersen, was presented today at the British Cardiovascular Society (BCS) Conference in Manchester and part-funded by the British Heart Foundation (BHF).

Arteries carry blood containing oxygen and nutrients from your heart to the rest of your body. If they become stiff, it can increase the workload on the heart and increase a person's chance of having a heart attack or stroke.

The study of over 8,000 people in the UK debunks previous studies that claimed drinking coffee increases arterial stiffness. Previous suggestions that drinking coffee leads to stiffer arteries are inconsistent and could be limited by lower participant numbers, according to the team behind this new research.

Coffee consumption was categorised into three groups for the study. Those who drink less than one cup a day, those who drink between one and three cups a day and those who drink more than three. People who consumed more than 25 cups of coffee a day were excluded, but no increased stiffening of arteries was associated with those who drank up to this high limit when compared with those who drank less than one cup a day.

The associations between drinking coffee and artery stiffness measures were corrected for contributing factors like age, gender, ethnicity, smoking status, height, weight, how much alcohol someone drank, what they ate and high blood pressure.

Of the 8,412 participants who underwent MRI heart scans and infrared pulse wave tests, the research showed that moderate and heavy coffee drinkers were most likely to be male, smoke, and consume alcohol regularly.

Dr Kenneth Fung, who led the data analysis for the research at Queen Mary University of London, said:

"Despite the huge popularity of coffee worldwide, different reports could put people off from enjoying it. Whilst we can't prove a causal link in this study, our research indicates coffee isn't as bad for the arteries as previous studies would suggest.

"Although our study included individuals who drink up to 25 cups a day, the average intake amongst the highest coffee consumption group was 5 cups a day. We would like to study these people more closely in our future work so that we can help to advise safe limits."

Professor Metin Avkiran, Associate Medical Director at the British Heart Foundation, said:

"Understanding the impact that coffee has on our heart and circulatory system is something that researchers and the media have had brewing for some time.

"There are several conflicting studies saying different things about coffee, and it can be difficult to filter what we should believe and what we shouldn't. This research will hopefully put some of the media reports in perspective, as it rules out one of the potential detrimental effects of coffee on our arteries."

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Materials provided by British Heart Foundation. Original written by Jennifer Mitchell. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.

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British Heart Foundation. "Coffee not as bad for heart and circulatory system as previously thought: Coffee does not stiffen your arteries, study shows." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 3 June 2019. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/06/190603084144.htm>.

quinta-feira, 2 de maio de 2019

Com compostos bioativos, frutas auxiliam na manutenção da saúde

22/04/2019

Pesquisador destaca a importância do consumo integral da fruta para mais benefícios

Por Jose Carlos Ferreira - Editorias: Atualidades, Rádio USP - URL Curta: jornal.usp.br/?p=238953

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A Organização Mundial da Saúde (OMG) recomenda o consumo de cinco porções de frutas por dia. Fonte de micronutrientes, fibras e ricas em fitoquímicos, as frutas são aliadas na manutenção de um estilo de vida saudável, ajudando, por exemplo, na prevenção de doenças. Quem fala sobre o assunto nesta matéria é Márcio Moura, pesquisador da Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas (FCF) da USP.

O pesquisador destaca que há inúmeros estudos demonstrando como os compostos bioativos, presentes nas plantas, podem trazer benefícios à saúde. Esses compostos atuam no organismo inibindo, ou ativando, vias metabólicas. “Os compostos bioativos regulam vias que reduzem, por exemplo, a produção de citocinas inflamatórias, trazendo benefícios em cadeia”, aponta Moura.

Cada espécie de planta possui seu próprio perfil, com características específicas. Logo, os compostos encontrados em uma fruta podem não ser encontrados noutra. Por esse motivo, Moura enfatiza a importância da variedade na dieta, além do consumo integral da fruta – quando possível.

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quinta-feira, 21 de março de 2019

Scientists identify compounds in coffee which may inhibit prostate cancer

Date: March 18, 2019 Source: European Association of Urology Summary: For the first time, scientists have identified compounds found in coffee which may inhibit the growth of prostate cancer. This is a pilot study, carried out on drug-resistant cancer cells in cell culture and in a mouse model; it has not yet been tested in humans.

For the first time, scientists have identified compounds found in coffee which may inhibit the growth of prostate cancer. This is a pilot study, carried out on drug-resistant cancer cells in cell culture and in a mouse model; it has not yet been tested in humans. This work is presented at the European Association of Urology congress in Barcelona, after publication in the peer-reviewed journal The Prostate.

Coffee is a complex mixture of compounds which has been shown to influence human health in both positive and negative ways. There is increasing evidence that drinking certain types of coffee is associated with a reduction in incidence of some cancers, including prostate cancers. Now Japanese scientists have studied the effects of two compounds found in coffee, kahweol acetate and cafestol, on prostate cancer cells and in animals, where they were able to inhibit growth in cells which are resistant to common anti-cancer drugs such as Cabazitaxel.

The researchers initially tested six compounds, naturally found in coffee, on the proliferation of human prostate cancers cells in vitro (i.e. in a petri-dish). They found that cells treated with kahweol acetate and cafestol grew more slowly than controls. They then tested these compounds on prostate cancer cells which had been transplanted to mice (16 mice). 4 mice were controls, 4 were treated with kahweol acetate, 4 with cafestol, with the remaining mice being treated with a combination of kahweol acetate and cafestol.

Study leader, Dr Hiroaki Iwamoto (Department of Integrative Cancer Therapy and Urology, Kanazawa University Graduate School of Medical Science, Japan, first author of the study) said:

"We found that kahweol acetate and cafestol inhibited the growth of the cancer cells in mice, but the combination seemed to work synergistically, leading to a significantly slower tumour growth than in untreated mice. After 11 days, the untreated tumours had grown by around 3 and a half times the original volume (342%), whereas the tumours in the mice treated with both compounds had grown by around just over one and a half (167%) times the original size.

It is important to keep these findings in perspective. This is a pilot study, so this work shows that the use of these compounds is scientifically feasible, but needs further investigation; it does not mean that the findings can yet be applied to humans. We also found the growth reduction in transplanted tumour cells, rather than in native tumour cells. What it does show is that these compounds appear to have an effect on drug resistant cells prostate cancer cells in the right circumstances, and that they too need further investigation. We are currently considering how we might test these findings in a larger sample, and then in humans."

Kahweol acetate and cafestol are hydrocarbons, naturally found in Arabica coffee. The coffee-making process has been found to affect whether these compounds remain in coffee after brewing (as with espresso), or whether they are stripped out (as when filtered).

Professor Atsushi Mizokami (Department of Integrative Cancer Therapy and Urology, Kanazawa University Graduate School of Medical Science, Japan) added:

"These are promising findings, but they should not make people change their coffee consumption. Coffee can have both positive and negative effects (for example it can increase hypertension), so we need to find out more about the mechanisms behind these findings before we can think about clinical applications. However, if we can confirm these results, we may have candidates to treat drug-resistant prostate cancer."

In an independent comment, Professor Zoran Culig (Professor of Experimental Urology, Medical University of Innsbruck) said:

"These are interesting findings. I would expect that those initial results will motivate researchers to use more recently developed models, such as patient-derived xenografts which express the androgen receptor. Such experiments will likely provide a definitive answer as to future perspective of this kind of treatment."

Story Source:

Materials provided by European Association of Urology. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.

Journal Reference:

Hiroaki Iwamoto, Kouji Izumi, Ariunbold Natsagdorj, Renato Naito, Tomoyuki Makino, Suguru Kadomoto, Kaoru Hiratsuka, Kazuyoshi Shigehara, Yoshifumi Kadono, Kazutaka Narimoto, Yohei Saito, Kyoko Nakagawa‐Goto, Atsushi Mizokami. Coffee diterpenes kahweol acetate and cafestol synergistically inhibit the proliferation and migration of prostate cancer cells. The Prostate, 2018; 79 (5): 468 DOI: 10.1002/pros.23753

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